Beneath the Surface

Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"Do I have to go?" I whined while at my locker. I placed my history book inside, along with my binder. I pull out my coat and my blue and black Adidas swim bag. Swim season is offically starting today, and I can honestly say  that I really haven't missed it much. Who could? It's the only form of torture that is still allowed in schools. That, and I guess pre-calc homework could count too.

"Lilly, it's not that bad," my best friend Arianna said. She was at her locker as well (the one right next to mine, mind you). She flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder as she started to pick up her 3 bags. She has a school bag, a purse, and of course a matching swim bag. "A little water won't hurt you."

We slammed our lockers shut and slung our bags over our shoulders. There are just somedays that I feel like school is just meant to train us to be pack mules. We slip the locks back in place and walk  down the wide, white hallway torwards the pool. Naturally, the pool is just about as far away from anything as you can possibly get in this school. Just a nice little reminder of how much our athletic program cares about us...not.

"But what if it does?" I continued. I slow my walk trying to prolong jumping into an ice cold pool for as long as possible. "I mean, we haven't swam in months. I'm so out of shape, it's not even funny. Do you not see all this extra blubber? It's disgusting.  If one of those jerks try and drown me at practice, they'll probably succeed."

"But they'll have to catch you first," Arianna playfully joked with me.  It doesn't take a genius to know that the only swimming record I'll break in my high school is for the most complaints. So those jerks will have no trouble chasing my chubby butt. "Trust me. They're more likely to catch herpes than to catch your speedy little butt. Besides, seals have blubber, and look at what great swimmers they are. You can't tell me they aren't cute."

At her comment, I start clapping my hands together and making seal noises, because I'm weird like that.  Arianna smacked my arm, trying to get me stop. " You're embarressing. I can't take you anywhere."

"If you'll include the pool on that list, I'll gladly oblige to that," I answer as we turn another corner into the  fairly unused brick hallway that has the pool and it's locker rooms all the way at the end of it.

We laugh all the way down the hallway and our laughs echoed eerily in the emptiness until we got to where the locker rooms are at. I reach for the handle and am surprised that the door actually opened because it's normally locked.

"Whoa. Wait a minute. Coach is actually here on time?" I did nothing to show my shock at our coach actually trying to be responsible.  "Damn. This season is already off to a bad start."

Arianna gives me a look and rolls her eyes while she tries to stifle a laugh. Pretty much anyone that ever met him knew he has no sense of time or capability to arrive anywhere early.

"You know what this place needs?" I say to her.  She gives me a questioning look, as she waits to see what just crossed my mind. "A welcoming mat right outside this door, just before you enter so you can see it everyday before practice. It could even be nice for visiting teams for meets. Picture it now: a blue square with white writing that says 'Welcome to our lovely hell'."

With that, I push her over and Arianna can't control it in anymore and bursts into laughter as she  pushes  past me to go inside to start down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, one of our other friends, Erin, is already waiting for us.

She has her arms crossed and has an eyebrow raised, probably because she caught part of our conversation. She confirms my theory as we climb down the stairs when she says "Welcome to hell. We've been expecting you"