SWIMMING IN CHAOS~THOMAS CECCON

17

"Bianca"

I found myself in the villa's room, absorbed in my thoughts. Lying on the bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the terrible mistake I had made.

'I promised Thomas I would be there for his qualifying round, and minutes later, I accepted Léon's invitation. How could I have been so stupid and careless?'—my head kept spinning until it hurt.

I didn't know what to do, I was indecisive. On the one hand, I felt obligated to go to the Olympic pool to support Thomas in such an important moment, but on the other, I felt forced to attend the dinner. I had promised Léon, and I couldn't say no now, it would be extremely rude.

Unable to make a decision, I heard the door open, and my friend Martina entered.

She noticed my state and showed concern. "What's wrong? You've been locked in here all afternoon. You should go out and clear your mind. You did great in the competition; you shouldn't be worrying about anything."

"That's not it. Earlier, I promised Thomas I'd be at his qualifying round to support him," I said, feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the situation.

"That's great. What's the problem with that?" she replied. She was right. It would be fantastic if I hadn't messed up by accepting Léon's invitation.

"You're right, but the problem is that after that, I accepted Léon's invitation to dinner, and now I don't know what to do," I answered, feeling agitated and clearly nervous.

"Wow, you've really gotten yourself into a tricky situation," she said, while I shot her a glare. I didn't need her to say that; I needed a solution.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I couldn't help it; tears began to roll down my pale face. The situation was getting the better of me, and the pressure kept building.

"It's clear you made a mistake, but I think if you promised Thomas first, you shouldn't let him down. On the other hand, not going to dinner might seem a bit disrespectful since you just met Léon." Martina's words weren't helping much.

"I think you should listen to your heart. Do what you feel, not what you feel obligated to do. We all make mistakes, and I'm sure either of them will understand if you explain the situation." After saying that, my friend hugged me and headed to the bathroom.

I sat on the uncomfortable bed mattress. Martina was right; I couldn't do anything out of obligation. Surely either of them would understand if I explained it to them. At least that's what I wanted to believe.

A couple of hours later, I was ready. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time to make sure I was properly dressed for the occasion.

I had put on a short white dress with low white heels. I didn't want to tire my legs since I would be competing again in a few days.

In the end, I decided to accept Léon's invitation. I figured he'd be upset if I didn't go. After all, I had just met him, and we didn't have enough trust for me to turn him down.

Just because I chose to go with Léon doesn't mean I didn't feel bad thinking about Thomas and how excited he was to see me in the stands.

Besides, he had attended all my competitions so far. 'Am I making a mistake?'—I wondered for a moment, but I believed Thomas would understand when I explained it to him. We've known each other for many years and share a strong bond.

I brushed aside all my thoughts when I realized the time. As I made my way to the exit, I couldn't help but feel nerves running through my body. Leaving the villa was forbidden, but I also felt a tinge of adrenaline, something I hadn't felt in a long time.