Gold medals: Tom Daley and I

diving in

chapter 4: Diving in

'oh em gee! I cannot believe that happened to you, you are so so so lucky! Tell me the entire story again from the beginning'. I winced at the dangerously high pitch of my best friend's voice. Lexi was that person I told everything to. Well apart from the whole Fabio drama but everything else I told her. Including a certain meeting with a certain someone. I held the phone away from my ear  as she set off again, I could imagine her brushing her short blonde hair out of her China doll blue eyes as she jumped around her bedroom in excitement.

She was still babbling as I wedged the phone between my cheek and shoulder so  that I could use both hands to pour my tomato soup into the bowl. 'Lex, Lex...Lexi! Chill babes we're not gonna be getting married- I'm still with Fabio remember plus there's the whole I'm never going to be seeing him again thingy'

'Humph- I'm sure Fab wouldn't mind, in fact you could make a threesome out of it'   I didn't even dignify that with a response but rolled my eyes as I poked out a tentative tongue to taste my soup.

'oh that reminds me- michael and I want you and Fabio to come round Friday night. I think Erin is coming too.'

'I canth thoo thah fwaid' I took a giant gulp of ice cold water,

'soz Lex I'd burnt me tongue- I said I can't do Friday I'm afraid' I had actually followed up on my plan to find diving lessons and had even googled it on my phone on the bus home. Friday night I had to be at a swimming pool practically the other side of Portsmouth.

I could hear Lexi harrumphing through the phone at me again. She does this thing where she takes a long breath and then shoots it out through her nose and mouth in one giant 'harrumph'. How she got a boyfriend is beyond me. 'I can't believe it- you are going to leave Fabio all by himself' I snorted, 'I think with Erin around by himself is the one thing Fabio won't be love'. Lexi giggled a little but soon got back to whining at me, 'c'mon don't you want to protect your man against the evil clutches of evil Erin of the east?'

Erin wasn't really bad at all, she was the best person to call up if you needed to party and party hard, but she made no secret of being totally into Fabio. Fabio however made no secret of being completely uninterested in Erin. Watching the two of them was sad but intensely hilarious at the same time. It wasn't till seven that I got off the phone with Lexi. I checked my phone guiltily as I realised mum had tried calling me thrice in the last hour. Mum gets extremely vexed if people don't answer their phones meaning I had to sit through a long rant on voicemail before I got to the purpose of her calling. I sighed at the prospect of another night alone in this giant house.

Mum was a high earning, powerful business woman who the the CEO of some giant company. Constantly jetting off to meetings, press conferences and inspirational talks- as a highly successful single mother she was very much in demand. I knew she loved her job and she worked so hard to keep me living comfortably but I couldn't help that tiny selfish sliver inside me from wishing that she could be home more. Glancing at the clock I gave up on the day and headed to bed.

I have never been more nervous in my entire life I swear. My little, perfectly manicured hands were gripping the straps of my adidas sports bag so tight I could feel the blood being cut off from my fingers. My emerald green eyes were wide with fear and awe as I stared firstly at the fantastic acrobats who were currently preparing to leap off the giant precipice called a diving board and then at the salt and pepper haired lady yelling up at them. She was small and her eyes were lost beneath wrinkles and great bushy grey eyebrows but you could see from the way she held herself she wasn't a frail fossil who was going to be blown away on the next wind. This was Sandy Clarckson, diving coach.

'Hello?' My voice was pitifully weak and timid and as Sandy turned to appraise me I swear I was trembling. After what seemed like forever her scrutiny ended and I could breathe again. Seeing as she didn't kick me out I guess I passed the first test. 

'so you want to be a diver?'

'yes' my throat had clogged up and instead of yes a throaty 'yuergh' noise had come out. My face burning I gave myself a mental shake. come on Piper pull it together. Clearing my throat I channeled all my mother's genes and jutted my chin up and out a little bit, looked Sandy straight in the eye, and said 'yes. I'd like to become a diver'.

Fake it till you make it. Even if I was scared to death that I was going to be rejected there was no way I was going to show my fear to this coach or the little group of divers who had begun to watch Sandy and mind's exchange.

'you realise most people start when they are eight or younger' Sandy still hadn't budged from her position and remained with her arms folded practically glaring at me.

But no I hadn't realised that I was eight years too late. I wasn't going to let that deter me though. I was an woman on a mission. 'yes. But I used to be a gymnast and I do swimming. So I figured with those skills combined...' my voice trailed off as her face remained solid as stone apart from one messy eyebrow that raised itself slightly.

I gulped and took a step back. 'you are too old. I train winners here. Olympic medallists. All of these people' one hand featured to the group in the boards who by now were all transfixed on us, ' all of them have a chance of a gold medal. I'm sorry but you don't. I think you should leave.'

My face fell but I didn't move an inch. Sandy shrugged and turned around, barking at some of her students to get back to work. Sighing I turned to go, its a good thing I didn't tell anyone that I was coming here. Thinking of my friends and my boring, monotonous, planned out life I stopped walking. 'It would be easier to just give up'. I started walking again. 'but I don't know of I could stand going back to it all'. I stopped again. Suddenly my mother's face popped into my head.

It was from about six years ago when I was 10 when her business hadn't taken off yet and she still spent time with me, making my lunch and picking me up from school. I had been in the back garden trying to climb up the apple tree. I had been trying and trying and eventually I fell to the floor and lay there amid the dirt and dead leaves howling, with tears forming  tracks through the grime on my cheeks. Mum had sprinted over and gathered me up in her arms. stroking my hair and murmuring softly to me. Eventually when my wailing had subsided to loud wet sniffs she smoothed my hair down and looked at me. 'why are you crying chicky?' After explaining my difficulties with the tree mum laughed softly. 'Ah Pipes you don't have to cry. I know for a fact that you are going to get right to the top of that tree. Do you know how I know that? Because you are a Monroe and Monroe women don't give up. We succeed.' Another hug and I was ready to get up and try again. I didn't manage to climb the tree that day but a couple weeks later I did. Sadly mum wasn't around to see. The day after that had happened she got a huge order for her business from some multinational company and had flown off to America for a month. That day in the garden was the last time it had ever been just us.

Her face and phrase, ' Monroe women don't give up. we succeed.' sealed the deal. I had made my mind up. Turning in my heel I marched back over to Sandy and this time I wasn't going to take no for an answer. 'Sandy I know you don't believe I can do it but no offense. You don't know me. I promise I will be here every day if I have to and I am going to master this. I know I can do it and soon you'll know that too. I don't give up. I succeed'.

One heartbeat. two heartbeats. three...and... 'ok then'. My eyes must have been wide as saucers and my jaw dropped a mile. 'what?!'

'ok then.' Sandy shrugged and gave a crooked smile. 'You really think you can do it. Then go for it I'll be happy to help. You can be a diver'. I felt a grin spread across my face. I was going to be a diver!

******************

I really like this chapter :) tell me if you do too! and don't forget to vote! I should be updating more regularly now as I only have a week of exams left and then its the summerr!!! I'm so excited XD

byyee