Not A Decision ✓

63. Simon

Kenzie

"Okay last lap and then you all can head towards the showers," Coach Keeley yelled sitting on the high chair, observing our strokes, our gracefulness in the water. We all nodded and waited for his whistle. He held the timer in his hand and in unison he started the timer and blew the whistle. I dove into the water and swam as fast as my arms and legs could take me.

Goggles pressed to my face, my eyes stared intently before me, in search for the blue reflective tiles that marked my finish. They weren't far, just one last push and,

"There!" I yelled, water distorting my word momentarily. I floated in the water, pulling my goggles of my face.

"You've managed to beat your very own record there, Miss Kenzie. Everyone hit the showers. You stay," Coach Keeley pointed his long finger at me and motioned me to come out the water. I held on the side of the pool to pull myself out. Dripping water I walked towards Coach who kept exchanging glances between his phone and his clipboard.

"Yes, Coach," I stood a foot away from him scared to wet any of his things.

"Schneider, you've had a greater improvement these past weeks, since the beginning of your high school year." He looked up from his clipboard, he ghostly grey eyes watching me. He placed his clipboard closer to me and I had in fact improved greatly, ever since the end of spring break.

"Thanks coach, I've-" Coach eyes told me he wasn't in fact done yet, "Sorry." He stepped down his high chair, grabbing his things with a hand and dropping his whistle so it hung on a leather thread around his neck.

"I want you to return your schedule the way it was before." He said straightforward. I blinked a few times.

"Excuse me sir, did you just say that-" "You heard me, Scheider, return your schedule how it was normally. I don't want to see you in the gym, the pool, the track, the field, anywhere near the athletic equipment, besides regular practice, physical education or when I order you to do so." I looked at him incredulously. I didn't know how to react to his words. Hadn't he just congratulated me for my vast improvement.

"But- but- I don't need any other classes beside the core class to graduate, sir. Not to go against your orders, Coach. You just said I have improved greatly in my laps, I can do better than that. If I train like I'm doing now I can continue winning awards for our school, more consistently." Coach Keeley sighed and rubbed his forehead, scrunching it for a brief moment.

"Schneider you're my most promising player. And you're improvement is exactly what we seek for all our athletes here in Emblem. But I know when athletes are training to get better and training rigorously to escape from things," Coach Keeley eyes actually broke their usual cold, blank stare to hold worry.

"I'm not escaping anything- I just want to be better," I said. Coach Keeley didn't buy it.

"I don't want you anywhere near here, understand. If you won't change your schedule on your own I will-" Coach Keeley said in the most stern voice.

"Coach please don't, I can't go back to my normal school hours- please don't," I pleaded and Coach Keeley shook his head, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"No. You're going to burn yourself out, hurt yourself. I don't want see you near here, understood. If I see you near here, I'm going to have to sit you during our competitions or games." Coach Keeley kept his eyes on me. I felt like he had taken the only thing that kept me sane, that kept me from hearing them over and over in my head, an endless loop of begging and apologies.

"You need to find a safer way to vent, to escape, Schneider. Training hard like you push yourself isn't one. Am I clear?" Coach Keeley gave me one last glance.