Boys

Chapter 5. Smooth Lying

After the anime club got out I had gathered my stuff and left to find Nikki standing outside the school gates. She was chewing a stick of bubblegum and staring down at her phone, probably texting her boyfriend, Sousuke Yamazaki. Nikki had been looking forward to today, because this evening the Iwatobi swim club and the Samezuka Academy swim team were going to get together to have a joint practice. That was the only excuse Nikki needed to go and see her star boy toy since joining them for practice was not uncommon for us they wouldn't really think much of it. 

"Hey Nikki," I greeted her.

"Oh! Hi Natalie!" she yelped being pulled from her surprise.

"Let me guess. Sousuke?"

"Yea. He was asking if we were going to join them."

"Well of course don't we always?"

She giggled and pushed herself off the stone wall leading the way to the train station. No doubt she was going to be a distraction, but by now we all knew Sousuke never focused during practice since he was the best butterfly stroke in the area. I yawned softly and stepped onto the train watching as the scenery began to blur into a blanket of color. 

***

We walked into Samezuka's indoor pool and of course the first thing Nikki did was run over to Sousuke and give him a gentle kiss to the lips. I sighed thinking of doing that to my crush since middle school and plopped down onto one of the benches closing my eyes slowly.

"Hey there Natalie! Good to see you too."

I looked up at the voices owner and smiled tiredly at my burgundy haired friend, Rin Matsuoka, as he grinned down at me with his pointy teeth. He, like Nikki, was aware of my 'condition' and he was completely supportive of any decision I would make. He was also well aware of my major crush on one of the swimmers. I glared at him ready to scold him when he got me a little wet with the chlorinated water.

"Damnit Sharkie... You got water on me..."

"You won't melt."

"I might!"

"Sure. Anyway are you going to Summer Fest this year?"

"Well I plan to go, but I'm not looking forward to it..."

He smiled sympathetically at me then ruffled my hair in that stupid way he does when he is trying to be brotherly.

"Well I'll be seeing you there alright?"

I nodded with another smile and watched him walk back towards the pool to start practice before my eyes started to drift closed once more. To say I was tired would be an understatement and since Nationals were coming up soon the practice would be about two hours and before I knew it I was consumed by darkness.

***

My eyes opened to reveal grey/blue lockers and banners for the Samezuka swim team littering the walls. I sat up on one of the wooden benches allowing the smell of chlorine and male body wash fill my nose. I was no longer sitting beside the pool and I was no longer surrounded by the swimmers and their rambunctious personas. I sighed softly coming to the conclusion that Rin had moved me and I carefully ran a hand through my hair. A loud gasp escaped my throat feeling the short choppy locks between my fingers and suddenly I was upset that they cut my hair. -What the hell?! I'm going to kill him!- I screamed to myself. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and instantly found my hands were against my chest when I felt a lack of movement in my t-shirt. I wasn't wearing my wrap, yet my chest was flat as a board. I was in such a state of shock that I hadn't noticed the sound of footsteps growing closer until it was too late.