SWIMMING IN CHAOS~THOMAS CECCON

15

"Bianca"

The day we had all been waiting for, the entire Italian team, had finally arrived. We had worked so hard to get here, and we weren't going to give up easily. We were here to bring the gold home.

Today would consist of a series of trials to qualify for the semifinals. In my case, I was aiming for a medal in the 200-meter butterfly. I would also be competing in the relays, alongside Isabella, Martina, and Chiara, each of us in our respective styles.

The events were starting at nine p.m. European time, and just one hour away from the big start, I was more nervous than ever. We were waiting for the bus that would take us to the Olympic pool, and the coach took the opportunity to say a few words.

"I know the last few months have been tough for all of you, and maybe I've been a bit hard on you during the process, but remember that all the effort will pay off, as long as you stay focused and give it everything you've got. So with that, good luck to everyone," the coach said, causing more than a few smiles and even tears among those present.

I saw the French team approaching us, and I couldn't help but smile when Léon waved at me. At that moment, he made a move as if to come talk to me, but his coach called for his attention to give his last words before the start of the competition.

The bus arrived five minutes later, and my heart started beating faster and harder than normal. I found it hard to breathe, and my vision was blurring. I was having a panic attack, caused by the anxiety the whole situation had built up inside me.

I feared I could collapse at any moment. Martina, who was beside me, asked if I was okay. That was when I collapsed to the ground. The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was my friend's shout, calling for help.

"Thomas"

Before getting on the bus, I heard a scream that made me stop in my tracks immediately. I turned around at that moment, and all I could see was Bianca lying on the ground.

I then made my way through the crowd of people surrounding the scene, desperate to reach her side.

By the time I managed to get to Bianca, Léon was already there.

I couldn't help but feel jealous. I was supposed to be the one helping Bianca. We weren't together anymore, but that didn't mean I didn't care about her or that I wouldn't always be there for her.

The scene in front of me bothered me so much that I didn't waste a second in pushing the French guy aside to take the spot next to Bianca.

"Let me, I'm her boyfriend," I said without thinking, jealousy taking over me. Léon gave me a skeptical look but decided not to stay silent at my comment.

"From what I understand, you're not together anymore. Besides, why don't you go be with Isabella? I think you're pretty good at that," his comment only fueled my anger.

"Can you two stop being idiots for a moment and focus on yourselves? Bianca needs help, so less talking and more helping," Martina added, clearly exasperated by the situation.

I looked up and met the disappointed gaze of the coach, who also showed concern for one of the team members.

After a few seconds, Bianca started feeling better and recovering, but to avoid another scare and as a precaution, the federation had decided to transport her by ambulance to the Olympic venue.

When it arrived, the paramedics helped the coach carry Bianca to the vehicle, where they began attending to her.

"Thomas, as you can understand, I can't leave the team alone on the journey since I'm their representative in the competition. Could you accompany Bianca?" I could swear those were the best words that had come out of his mouth in months.

"No problem, I'll go with her, don't worry," were my last words before getting into the ambulance, not before catching Martina's threatening look, warning me to treat her friend well, to which I responded with a smile.

"Bianca"

I was inside the ambulance, lying on a stretcher, now much calmer. I considered myself someone who didn't get too nervous and knew how to handle it, but I guess the situation had overwhelmed me.

My eyes scanned the small space until they met Thomas' gaze. He was looking at me with concern but also relief, seeing that I was feeling better.

"Hey," he said in a soft tone as he grabbed my hand. I couldn't help but smile when I saw his green eyes and charming smile.

"Hey," I responded, even though I could barely speak due to the dryness in my mouth. Still, I made the effort, and it was worth it to see his smile widen even more.

"How are you? You look much better," he asked, showing that despite everything, he still cared about me.

"I'm better, don't worry," I said confidently to calm him.

"You gave us all a scare," he said, unable to hold back a nervous laugh.

"It seems the situation got the best of me, and the nerves took over. This moment is so important, and I've prepared so hard for it, that I'm scared it might go wrong and all the effort will have been for nothing," I confessed how I felt, to which he looked at me with compassion before speaking.

"Are you serious? You're the best Italian swimmer right now, the most hardworking and dedicated person. Don't let the nerves ruin it. You'll see that everything will go just fine," he said, caressing my cheek in a comforting way, and I couldn't help but feel safe under his touch.

At that moment, the vehicle's doors opened, and we were greeted by the entire team, impatiently waiting for two of their best swimmers.

"Oh my God, finally! I was so worried. Are you feeling better now?" Martina quickly approached.

I reassured her, letting her know that I was feeling great and ready to compete and give it my all to win the gold.

"Come on, everyone to the locker rooms to get ready, we're running out of time," I heard the coach, who greeted me with a hug and wished me the best of luck.

Once inside the venue, we headed to the locker rooms to get ready. Before I could enter, I heard Léon's voice calling me to talk.

I walked over to where he was, telling Martina to go on ahead.

"I wanted to wish you luck. I wanted to do it earlier, but with everything that happened, I didn't have the chance. By the way, I'm glad you're feeling better," and at that moment, I felt his warm lips on my cheek, before watching him walk away into the crowd.

"Hey!" I called out, making Léon turn around. "Good luck to you too. I hope we can see each other in the semifinals," I said, and he responded with a smile before heading into the locker rooms.

I took one last look around, and at the entrance to the men's locker room, I saw Thomas with a face full of anger and disgust.

At that moment, he looked at me, and I wished him "good luck," to which he responded with a smile before entering the locker room.

The moment had truly arrived, and I was more than ready to face it.