Swims | □

L

Dedicated to artmum because I read her story, the bus, and I'd loved it to pieces. Enjoy!

~~~~~

"Azizam, will you be going?" Ateifeh set a flyer in front of Malia's breakfast. It read, HOMECOMING AFTER PARTY.

"Where did you get that?" Malia sat down on the counter stool and began eating. "And aren't you going to eat?"

Ateifeh, Jamie the chef and Malia always had breakfast together. For her, this was her little family. Half Iranian, half American.

"Jamie and I ate already. You're late today!" Ateifeh began cleaning up the counters surrounding her.

"Sorry. Over slept because I was up late practicing."

"I know. But don't change the subject! Are you going?"

"Why?"

"Because then I can play dress up!" Ateifeh teased Malia and they both giggled. "It'll be good for you to go out."

"I don't know."

"Think about it. Now, here's your lunch and the bus will be here any minute now." Malia's hand spread raspberry jam faster over the toasts and she stuck them together. Taking one big bite out of them, she kissed Ateifeh's cheek.

"I'll be late today!" She called out as she shoved her shoes and jacket on.

"Practice?"

"Yeah."

"Have fun. Stay safe."

In Malia's eyes, Ateifeh was god gift to mankind. She was a true miracle. Ateifeh took care of the house, cooked, and overtook Malia's upbringing. Over the years, Malia had learnt how to read, speak and write in Parsi. Very often, their conversation would be mixed up with the beautiful language.

The door slammed shut and Malia ran out.

~~

Everyone was talking about the stupid party when Malia arrived. The host had somehow arranged for the flyers to gout in the newspapers so that everyone in town knew about it. That insured that everyone came; it was a paid open house because in Roseburry, everyone is practical. You had to pay your way in. How else would people keep funding these parties?

All around Malia, girls whispered with their friends over who would take them to the Homecoming dance and then what they would wear to the after party. Malia didn't really friends so it sometimes got a little boring. But she liked it that way anyway.

But really, who needed friends anyway? In all of her years, Malia had only had one friend. And that hadn't ended rather well... Jealousy had fit itself in between them because of a sport they both loved. Qi [pronounced Chi] and Malia were the best of friends up until freshman year. They both swam together, ate together, heck they practically moved into each other's houses.

But then the Olympic Committee came into the picture and it doesn't get more cliché that that. Honestly, the story isn't that complicated. Malia got selected into the program and Qi didn't. Malia temporarily dropped out of school and Qi didn't. Thatt summer, Malia won a gold in the Olympics and Qi didn't. A few weeks later after Malia's big win, Qi became one of Declan's friends with benefits and everyone knows what happens after that.

"Malia." Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

"Qi... I was just thinking about you." Malia smiled at her old friend. She knew that their friendship was long gone but sometimes it hurt to think about what had happened to them.