Powering Through: A Sequel to Learning To Swim For Real

Chapter 29: The Scales Fall

"What?" Marian looked at Jack.

He tried to look normal.

"Jack, don't bother. You looked at your phone, and you haven't been able to concentrate on anything since," Marian said. "What was it?"

Jack sighed. They were sitting in her living room, just talking after dinner.

"I got a text from--from Kelsey," he admitted.

Marian continued to look at him, waiting.

"Last fall she asked if I'd be her plus one to this big charity event that's being held in London next month. Prince William is hosting a fundraiser to disarm land mines in Africa. It was one of his mother's charities, and he's carrying it on for her," Jack explained. "So I said said yes, and I guess that, because my name was turned in on all the paperwork, I have to be the one who takes her, or she can't go or something. Because it's the royal family and all that, there are social issues, or security issues or something?" Jack shrugged. "I don't exactly get that part, but basically no substitutions are allowed. She could cancel, but if she wants to go, I have to go with her. So she asked if I'm still willing to go, that's all."

He looked at Marian carefully, watching for her response.

"What about school? Swimming?" Marian asked. "Don't you have championships or something?"

"It's during spring break," Jack replied. "And I have a little break from meets right then. I could make it work."

"So you want to go," Marian said.

"Not exactly," Jack said slowly. "But I kind of feel an obligation, you know? I told her I would, and now it sounds like she can't go if I don't, that's all. It's important to her, and I don't want to be the reason it gets scuttled."

Marian nodded. Even after all these months, Jack found it astonishing sometimes how much she looked like his ex-girlfriend. The way her hair fell forward when she looked down, the way she raked her fingers through her hair; and the fact that Kelsey had actually studied Marian's mannerisms to be more like her for the movie only enhanced the effect.

"You should go," she said. She looked away. Jack noticed more and more these days that she did this, that she didn't seem to want to make eye contact with him, to connect with him for some reason.

"Hey," he said.

She looked back at him.

He patted the couch next to where he sat. She came and sat down, bringing with her the smell of her fabric softener, lotion, and of course, chlorine.

Jack put an arm around her, pulling her close. "What's up with you?" he asked. "You've been kind of glum lately, for no reason I can see. Have I done something?"

Marian looked straight ahead, not saying anything, until Jack have her a gentle shake. She looked over at him with a little smile finally, shaking her head. "No, Jack, you haven't done anything. You've been very forthright and honest and sincere."

"So..." Jack looked at her, eyebrows raised interrogatively.

"I just wish I knew what we were doing, that's all," she finally said, in a hopeless voice. Jack took a breath to speak, but she went on before he could. "I know, I know, this is exactly what we discussed. We're working on being friends, we're going slow, we're going on the possibility that nothing might happen, I get it, I do." The frustration was evident in her voice. "I guess I just hoped that, once we were together, I'd be enough, you know?"

Jack sighed. "I don't know what to say," he admitted. "I said I'd try, and I'm trying, you know? I haven't sought her out, I'm spending as much time with you as I can, I really, really like you--"