The Dive from Up High

1- First Day of Junior Year

-Hey! Hope you're enjoying your summer! In anticipation for Rio (August 5-21), I've decided to change this into a story following Alli's diving career! Hope you enjoy it!-

"Allison, time to get up! Today is the first day of school!" My oldest sister, Shiloh Stone, calls as she is knocking on my door.

I groaned. It was five thirty in the morning, and my sister was already making me get up. I hated that, but I still opened my eyes anyway.

"Shiloh, can you bring a bucket full of freezing water and ice and pour it all over me? I can't move," I say sleepily.

"Figured you'd ask that. I'll be right in."

For some reason, the first day of school is the worst time I have with getting up at 5:30 AM. I'm a very, very lazy person during summer, sleeping in until two every day. Of course, I got to bed at eleven at night, like Shiloh tells me to, and I think it's more of a burden than a benefit now.

Shiloh shows up with the bucket. One second later, wishhhhhhh! I jumped right out of bed.

"Don't worry, Alli. I'll get this dried before I go to work."

"Thanks."

Shiloh goes off, closing the door behind her to make breakfast. Since I was up now, I could get dressed in somewhat decent clothes. I care, but I don't. I go to my closet and, honestly, I grab the first thing I could find from there. I picked up a coral East Side High t-shirt from last year, black shorts, snag my all-black converse low top sneakers, and called it good. After I got dressed, I did my hair and make-up. I have long blonde hair. I usually curl it, but today I put it up in a bun. For my make-up, I put on mascara, basic eye liner, some lip gloss, and a small, small amount of blush.

I go downstairs to put my stuff out on the couch and wait on it. Thankfully, I drive myself to school, so Shiloh doesn't have to wait on me, not that I took long or anything. I get on my phone and check the weather. It's another sun shining day, with it being seventy-two degrees. I love it, especially having been from a family in Seattle. My parents got killed in a plane crash... They were going on an international leadership conference in Sydney, Australia. The plane got wrecked in New Zealand, killing everyone on that connecting flight from Taiwan. I remember hearing about the crash three years ago... I was going to Seattle Primary Middle School at the time, and I had been in Honors Geometry class. There will be more on that later.

"Alli, your breakfast is ready for you," Shiloh comes into the living room and tells me. We live in a beach house in West Palm Beach, Florida.

We moved here when Shiloh went to get me from Seattle. She took full legal custody of me, then got a job at West Palm Beach University. She teaches a creative writing class on Thursdays and Fridays, composition on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Calculus on Mondays. She also coaches the women's softball team during the spring season. That alone brings home a decent paycheck, and it was enough to provide what we needed here at home.

I walk to the kitchen, looking at the table. I found a bowl of the Frosted Mini Wheats cereal. I find the sugar in the cupboard, then get the milk and pour them in my bowl. I get a glass of orange juice from the fridge, and start eating.

"Shiloh?"

"What's up, Als?"

"I'm nervous for the first day. I feel like I'm the new girl again," I tell my sister.

"What makes you say that?" She asks, curious.

"I just finished sophomore year here. I'll be walking into East Side High School, having to find my way around once more."

"I know how you feel. But hey, you've made a mark at your school. You're the Senator for Student Council, a soloist in Show Choir, and an Olympic hopeful for Diving on the high school dive team. You're going to do well this year! Are you excited for the Regional Diving Conference in September?"

Regionals were soon approaching. I trained every other day during the summer. Shiloh was my coach for Diving outside of school. In school, Tristan Schwartz is the coach for Diving. He works with me individually, since there were personal coaches assigned to us as well. There was four that composed the team. There was me, Emerson Brackett (my best friend since eighth grade), Brandon Oversear, and Julie West. We were all good friends, and we got along with everyone's coaches.

"The team is excited! We're going to be training like crazy for Regionals. The school has been on a Regional title drought for almost a decade. Even professional sport spectators agree that East Side is making a huge comeback."

I finish my breakfast and head out the door with my things.

"Going to school! Love you, Shi!" I exclaim before closing the door.

"Have a good day at school, Alli! Junior year is stressful, you'll find."

I get in my car, start it, and start driving towards the high school.

I have been diving ever since I was seven. Shiloh taught me how to swim at a very young age. I found my passion for it when I watched the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. David Boudia continues to be my role model for Diving. I was hoping that I can be on the podium someday... For Regionals, we had synchronized diving and individual diving that we had to do. We'd be going up against schools all over the the region for the competition. The conference will be held in Tallahassee in mid-September. If we qualify, we go on the National level. Nationals will be held in Owasso, Oklahoma in mid-October. We went to State in July, and I took fifth on my individual dive. Me and my partner, Emerson, took second in synchro. Em took third, and I couldn't be anymore proud of her. She has her bronze medal hanging up. I just couldn't wait to take Regionals!