Lab Partners (Bellarke AU)

♕chapter six♕

Clarke's POV

I was putting all of my energy into my strides and kicks. Moving through the water was effortless like it was natural to me because it really was. I could glide through the water with no resistance and swiftly move from pool end to end like nothing.

In this moment, all I could feel was the water flowing past my face and the cool air as I came up to breathe. That's all that mattered right now.

When I was in the pool, my whole world disappears like it's just me and the water. It was the ultimate escape to any problem I had until it was time to hop out.

Both my hands hit the wall and I poke my head up, I was done with my set. The majority of my team was almost finished but we had done this set faster than normal.

"Nice job, everyone! Practice is over, go hit the showers." My coach boomed from the side of the pool and retired to her office.

While everyone else was hopping out of the pool, I stayed in to keep doing more sets. Nobody questioned why I did this anymore because I do it after every practice. I usually stayed an half and hour past everyone else, so that means my practices end at five.

I had to meet up with Bellamy at 5:30 to do our "One-A-Week" chemistry packet, but I tried to push that from my mind. Right now, I was focused on getting my flips and turns down because they could be better.

Stroke. Stroke. Flip. Push. Glide. Stroke. That was the only thing on my mind right now. Those words were playing on repeat in my head.

"Clarke!" I heard someone yell from poolside, but it wasn't my coach. I finished at the wall before I looked up.

It was Finn standing there, still hot and sweaty from his football practice. I lifted my goggles off my head, pulled my swim cap off and sank below the water for a few seconds. Then I burst out of the water, sliding onto the side of the pool.

He never shows up to practice, "Hey Finn, what are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to talk to you," He says. He comes over to my side and grabs my hand, helping me up onto my feet.

Before he has the chance to say what he was planning, I see his phone flash in his hands and I grab a glimpse of the time. 5:15. I was meeting Bellamy in 15 minutes and I wasn't even home and changed yet.

"Stop by my house later to talk but I have 15 minutes to be at my house and changed out of this and I do not want to be late." I say, while rushing into the locker room, "Sorry Finn!"

I made it back to my house at 5:25 and I was still in a tshirt and sweatpants from after practice. My hair was still soaked but I had no time to do anything with it but truth is, I don't care. Just as I set my bag down behind the couch and greet my dog, I hear a knock on the door.

When I open the door, Bellamy is standing there with his bag slung over his shoulder. Buddy runs beside me and greets him happily, tail wagging crazily.

Bellamy bends down and smiles widely, "Hey there, good boy." Buddy lays down and rolls over onto his back, accepting a belly rub.

"Come on Buddy, get up." I say, clapping my hands. He hops up quickly, running into the living room. I wave my hand, motioning for Bellamy to come in. He follows me into the kitchen.

We sit down at the kitchen island and I sigh, "Let's get this over with."

"Yeah," he says and starts digging in his bag for the packet.

For about an hour and a half, all we are working on and focusing on is the packet, making sure everything we're doing is right. There was no way I wanted to get side tracked into another conversation. We needed to just finish this up so Bellamy can leave as soon as possible. I didn't want to spend anymore time with him than I needed to.