SWIMMING IN CHAOS~THOMAS CECCON

8

"Bianca"

I wasn't going to lie. These last two weeks had been tough. Everything that happened with my relationship had left me shattered. Training for the games had become a sort of therapy for me because it was submerged in the pool where I felt the most at peace.

On the other hand, it wasn't pleasant having to see Thomas every day, especially when he was being more than affectionate with Isabella, who never missed a chance to rub the situation in my face. It bothered me less and less each time; I had learned to focus on myself, and Martina and Luca were always there to support me.

Not to mention Lorenzo, who hadn't left my side for a moment, accompanying me through my darkest days. He would invite me out to eat, take a walk to clear my mind, or get ice cream. Plus, during training, he wouldn't stop cracking jokes to make them more bearable.

Finally, the day had arrived to head to Paris to begin the Olympic experience, and to be completely honest, the thought of it made my skin tingle with nerves and excitement. I couldn't wait to get there.

It was six in the morning, and I had everything ready since the anticipation hadn't allowed me to sleep. Martina and Luca would be picking me up, and we would head to the airport together. I couldn't wait any longer; I was eager to start this experience. Now, more than ever, I felt stronger.

"Thomas"

I was in the car with Isabella on the way to the airport to depart for Paris. We had spent a lot of time together these past two weeks, and in a way, it was starting to overwhelm me.

I enjoyed her company, but her constant effort to be glued to me was too much. Suddenly, her words brought me back to reality.

"I'm so excited to show everyone the dress I bought for the opening ceremony," she said with a tone full of enthusiasm.

I couldn't help but shake my head as a laugh almost escaped my throat.

"Isa, I don't know if you realize, but swimmers don't attend the opening ceremony. Our events are the next day, and we need to rest," I explained, while out of the corner of my eye, I saw her make the same expression a child would when their candy is taken away.

I could swear that my expression of disgust at her superficiality could be seen from the other side of the world. At that moment, she looked at me with a suggestive aura.

"Well, no worries. This dress isn't going to stay in the closet. I'll save it for when you take me out," she said. I tried to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible.

"I think you'll have to save the dress for when you get back. I don't think we'll have time to go out. You know how tight our schedules are," I said, and she looked at me confused, but didn't say anything else.

The rest of the ride to the airport felt endless, with Isabella talking about trivial things while I was lost in my own world, unable to stop thinking about how I didn't know what I had until I lost it.

"Bianca"

Once we arrived at the airport, Luca stopped right at the entrance so Martina and I could grab our things and go in while he parked the car.

Once inside, we headed to the spot where we were supposed to meet the coach and all our teammates.

"Oh my God! Alert: viper and cockroach," Martina suddenly blurted out, surprising me, and I couldn't help but burst into laughter, especially at the nicknames she used to refer to Isabella and Thomas.

"Hey, you go ahead to where everyone is; I need to go to the bathroom," I said, and Martina simply nodded and started heading to our meeting point while I walked in the opposite direction.

In the bathroom, I entered one of the stalls and took care of my business. It was then that I heard two girls come in, and I couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Oh my God! He's even more handsome in person," one of them said excitedly.

"Do you think we should go up to him? According to the press, he's no longer with that boring Bianca; we have a chance," the other one said, giggling. I realized they were talking about Thomas and me, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at their stupidity.

"Hate to disappoint you, but rumor has it he's with Isabella Altieri, and they arrived together," her words didn't surprise me. All the gossip about our relationship filled the shows and magazines.

"I'm not surprised he traded Bianca for her; she's much prettier and has better style," she added in a mocking tone.

"Well, Bianca isn't an angel either. They say she cheated on him with Lorenzo Storti. There were even pictures and everything. Poor Thomas." The last comment made my blood boil, and anger took over me.

I stepped out of the stall at that moment, and I could see how the expressions of the two girls changed to one of surprise and shame at the same time.

I washed my hands and tidied up my appearance a bit. Once I finished, I walked past the girls, who didn't dare even look me in the eye.

I left the bathroom feeling satisfied. I had handled the situation maturely instead of saying something out of anger and ending up looking worse than them.

As I exited the bathroom, I found Lorenzo, who greeted me with a big hug. We struck up a lively conversation as we headed towards where the Olympic team was waiting.

"Thomas"

We were already at the airport with all our teammates and the coach. Except for Lorenzo and Bianca, who still hadn't shown up after going to the bathroom.

I couldn't help but imagine them together in the bathroom, which only made my frustration grow almost as much as the coach's, who was already tired of waiting for their return.

Then I saw them approaching, chatting animatedly. Driven by a strange feeling inside and the discomfort of what I was witnessing, I wrapped my right arm around Isabella's shoulders.

Bianca seemed not to care and joined her friends on the other side of the group. I think that bothered me even more than the previous scene.

At that moment, Paolo began to explain what we would do when we got there, the itinerary, and how we would share the rooms.

I couldn't focus on what he was saying because I couldn't take my eyes off Bianca. Every time my eyes landed on her figure, the rest of the world disappeared, and I could only focus on her.

The coach started handing out the plane tickets, where our assigned seats were indicated.

I looked up from the paper once I checked that everything was in order, and by Bianca's expression, I knew she had been assigned the seat next to mine, and to my relief, I wouldn't have to sit with Isabella.

This was definitely going to be a fun trip, at least for me. I would have the chance to be alone with Bianca for two hours. I don't know why, but just thinking about it changed my mood to one I hadn't experienced in weeks.