Life Abstract

Chapter Three: 25

I realized I was just staring and it was my turn to swim. I hastily dive into the pool and try to go as fast as possible. I use the breaststroke and feel myself cutting through the water. This has to be the fastest I have ever gone. I could feel it. All thoughts about being lonely leave my brain and it is just me and the water. I didn't want all of the pain Emerson felt in that water to be for nothing. I twisted my ankle before. When I did, all I wanted was to rest it, but he had to swim through that kind of pain. I didn't want all he went through to be for nothing. I found myself panting. Control your breathing Kai. I told myself. I can't lose this for everyone. I was surely showing off, but it wasn't because I was trying to prove myself. Before I knew it, I was back to the other side of the pool and was hearing the loud cheering of the team. I was pulled out of the water and flung into the air where I was carried around by a victorious Charles. I turned back to the pool and saw Kayden from Cassidy's team just finishing. Dang. He really ate my dust.
"Twenty-five seconds Aysia! Twenty-five," Emerson shouted. Wow. That's past the school record. Everyone cheers and the coach looks at me with pride. The last record swim record was from the eighties and the coach who got to hang the record up wound up on the newspaper along with the person. It's an honor for both the swimmer and the coach. I honestly was shocked. Twenty-five seconds! Those are elite numbers.

I was carried through the entire gym until the period was over. In the locker room, I was getting more envious glares.

News traveled through the school pretty fast. The whole rest of the day, people would come and congratulate me. 'Wow, I can't believe you swam that in record time!' When I say that I was the talk of the whole school, I mean it literally. I officially earned the nickname of five squared by the end of the day. The past record holder was remembered as 26.01. Not very catchy...

The next day, Saturday morning, I was asked to come by the school and get in my swim warmups take a yearbook photo captioned with my new alias. Also, I took a photo that would be held in the main hallway where the old record holder's photo was. This is it. I was really living life to the fullest. While most would revel in their newly found fame, or new status that would have colleges begging for them to attend, I was still the same Aysia. Introverted and antisocial. When my parents got home from work, the second I opened the door, I was tackled by them. My father had tears of pure happiness in his eyes and my mother was grinning from ear to ear. This is what was missing from my life. I was so wrapped up in building my future, I had no time to revel in my present. To really make my parents proud in the present. But that is harder than you think.
I was featured in the town newspaper after that day and the name really stuck. That day we had a special dinner, my parents and I. Just laughing and celebrating. I was so worn out after everything soon after we all finished eating, that I went upstairs to go to bed. I was all showered up and ready to wake up fresh. My parents left the next week after Christmas day. They were probably bragging the whole way there to their taxi driver and the people next to them on the plane. So ladies and gentlemen, that was the week before Christmas break. Now I'll tell you why it's so important.

On New Year's Eve, just when I was about to pop a movie and waste the night on rubbish, I got it. The text. The one that changed my entire life for the worst. A simple one. It was even misspelled, but this one text carried enough power to destroy my life and tarnish all my hopes of a good future. If it wasn't for me being five squared, I wouldn't have gotten this text. No one would have bothered to send it. The text read: NEW YEAR PARTIE AT DANIELS HOUSE.

"You only have one life... No redo button." Revel in the present. Those were the words that were going through my mind as I read the text. My mother was right, I do need to let loose a bit. I reach for my phone to ask for the address when I see that the person already sent it. I'm going to this party. I quickly get dressed and head out the front door with my keys.