GrandView High

~NINETEEN💙~

ILHAM'S POV

The atmosphere in the natatorium was electric. The cheers, the splashes, the sharp sound of the whistle cutting through the air—it was everything I had been preparing for. Today was the friendly competition, and I had been looking forward to this moment for weeks.

The friendly competition was in full swing, and the boys' rounds had just concluded. 

Yaseen had won the first round. KC, a boy in SS2 won in the second round.

I had been watching from the sidelines, stretching and preparing for my own event. My nerves were buzzing, but I was ready. All the early morning practices, the aching muscles, the relentless drills—it was all leading up to this.

But then, in one careless moment, everything crumbled.

I was walking towards the starting area because I was supposed to compete in the first round, I was adjusting my swim cap, when my foot slipped against the wet floor. Before I could steady myself, my ankle twisted at an awkward angle, and a sharp pain through my foot. I barely registered the gasps around me before I landed on the ground, hissing in pain.

"Ilham!" Someone rushed to my side. It was one of our teammates, Kevwe. The nurse on duty rushed over,  her medical bag in hand, crouching beside me. "Easy, don't move too much. Let me check."

I bit my lip, trying to breathe through the pain. My ankle was already starting to swell.

The pain throbbed fiercely as she gently prodded my ankle.

"You probably sprained it," she said. "We'll need to ice it and keep it elevated for now."

I bit my lip, blinking back tears. Not just from the pain, but from the crushing realization that I wouldn't be able to compete.

Kevwe put an arm around me, helping me up. "Come on, let's get you to the backroom."

I nodded, biting my lip to keep from wincing too much. The natatorium was still filled with noise—cheers, chatter, the sounds of water splashing—but all I could focus on was the dull throbbing in my foot and the realization that my competition was over before it even started.

 I hobbled with her to the designated medical area. It was a small room where medics usually stayed during competitions in case of injuries like this.

When we reached the backroom, Kevwe helped me onto the exam chair. The nurse came to my side bending slightly to inspect my ankle.

Kevwe sighed, looking at me with sympathy. "Sorry Ilham, I have to go. The second round is starting."

I nodded quickly, forcing a small smile despite the ache in my foot. "Go. Thank you for helping me."

She gave my shoulder a light squeeze before rushing out.

I sighed, resting my head against the backrest of the chair.

The nurse got to work, carefully wrapping my ankle while I stared at the floor, my chest tightening. This wasn't supposed to happen. All that training, all those extra laps—wasted.

I blinked hard, trying to push down the frustration bubbling inside me. 

A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Yaseen walked in. He had already changed into dry clothes, his damp hair tousled messily.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, wiping at my eyes quickly, not wanting to let him see how upset I was.

He shrugged. "Came to check on you. Figured you could use the company."