Powering Through: A Sequel to Learning To Swim For Real

Chapter 10: An Agitated, Uneasy Feeling

"Jack, you need to pull over, I'm going to barf," Kelsey announced.

"No, you're not," Jack answered, putting a calming hand on her neck and rubbing gently. "You just think you are, like the other three times you said that." He glanced over, giving her a wink and a smile, trying to reassure her.

They were on the freeway, headed to the huge sports center in Pasadena where the swimming scenes were going to be shot. It was crowded on the freeway, and he had to keep one eye on the traffic, but he was doing his best to calm Kelsey down.

"Take a deep breath, Kelseylove," he directed.

She obeyed, smiling at the nickname, taking his hand from her neck and squeezing it.

"Now have a drink of your smoothie," he continued. "Go on," he insisted when she made no move do to so. "It has things in it that will relax you."

Kelsey dutifully took a sip of her smoothie, which was bluish in color today, and definitely had blueberries and almonds in it. It was delicious, as usual. Jack wanted to go to their IHOP for a good luck breakfast, but Kelsey didn't think her stomach was up to solid food, so Jack had insisted on preparing her a celebratory smoothie instead.

"You can't have an Olympic swim on an empty stomach," he'd informed her. Then he switched on the blender, drowning out her response, and the results were in a travel cup in her lap, with a straw poked in it.

"Coach, what if it was a mistake?" Kelsey began. "What if I'm shit at swimming? What if it shows in the rushes and everyone's afraid to tell me? What if I--"

"You're not shit at swimming," Jack told her. "I'm your coach, and I'm stupid about a lot of things, but swimming's not one of them, I promise." He kissed her hand. "You don't have the speed, but you have the technique, you do." He kept his eyes on the road, but nodded, returning her hand to her lap. "I taught you myself, didn't I? And my entire family watched you at my house, remember? They all said you looked like you'd been swimming for years."

Kelsey nodded, remembering. Of course Jack's family would be kind to her, but they wouldn't lie, she could tell this about them, just from the few hours she'd spent in their company. They'd all been amazed at how good she looked.

Mollified, she looked out the window and took another drink of her smoothie. And they made it all the way to the complex without anyone barfing.

They ran into Marian on their way in, and Jack was a little disconcerted to see that she, too, was carrying an equipment bag.

She saw Jack looking at it and hastened to reassure him. "I brought it just in case," she said. "I know I'm not swimming." She turned to Kelsey. "I've spent enough time in the water to last a lifetime," she said with a grin. "When Mr. Turturicci called me, he seemed worried that I'd be upset about it, but really, it's no big deal."

The three of them went out to the pool deck, which was already teeming with activity. Jack had never seen such a large venue with no people in the stands, and it was a bit eerie. Everything echoed, and sounds carried really far.

Kelsey saw him looking around and informed him, "The crowds will be CGIed in after." At his raised eyebrows, she continued, "We couldn't get the venue for that long, and didn't want to have to deal with that many extras, you know, getting them in, directing them, getting them out, all that?"

A girl with a headset and clipboard approached and said they wanted Kelsey ready to start filming in thirty. "So whatever warming up you need to do, just hop in and do it, okay?"

Kelsey nodded and turned to Jack. "I'm going to get changed, back in a sec, coach," she told him, pecking him on the mouth.

He nodded and patted her on the behind as she walked away. She felt it and turned back to him, eyebrows raised.