Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

X. Carrie

"Happy Birthday, D!"

She felt the need to yell it one more time before he stripped himself of all clothing materials. He put his cap on, his goggles hanging loosly around his neck. Cynthia held onto his chain in her hand. It was his cross and it had been blessed, but jewelry isn't allowed during meets. Cynthia is at most of his meets simply for the hell of showing support. Today, being a simple scrimage, the DeGrate parents are not present. Cynthia, Dalvin, Javon, Zeke, Marlene, Derek, Antoine, Tasha, and all the rest of the crew all showed up to show their support. All of the schools within their region had been sending people to watch Don and see what he is really about. He had them all shaking in their trunks. If you were in the water, then you knew, Aquaman only has one up on Don DeGrate and that his connections to the Justice League.

Don smiled over his shoulder at Cynthia before turning to share a quick glance with Marlene.

Marlene had just began to let Don into her life in the way that they both wanted. They plan on going to homecoming together this week. Nothing has been said in stone though. It's really all casual. Again, Marlene is just beginning to come around. Regardless, she's absolutely terrified of Cynthia's reaction to the two showing up together. Homecoming is this coming Saturday and between now and then, she has to deliver the news to Cynthia. The terror.

"And in lane nine, we have Don DeGrate Jr.!"

The group of friends stand back up, screaming at the top of their lungs for Don. Paulette belts out a, "You go, boy!" Before Cynthia shot her a look. Though Cynthia has practically forgotten all about the evil eye she was giving her friends a month prior. She has been putting all of her eggs into the basket of setting up Marlene with Don. "Let's go, Don! Aquaman wish he was a DeGrate, okay?!"

"Ain't you suppose to be saving the voice you don't even have for choir," An annoyed Antoine questions.

"The same way your saving that left over tator tot from sixth grade in your boxers like somebody will ever want it?" Paulette nods her head. "Yeah, you right. Guess we both are setting ourselves up for failure." She grins at Antoine as she climbs the bleachers and sits directly beside Dalvin. "Why the hell is he here," she questions.

Dalvin looks at her for a moment, he's thinking with the hopes of finding a legitimate answer.

He says, "Nobody knows."

Paulette scoffs as one of the officials of this event climbs up his ladder. An extra lifeguard, in case of emergencies, sits on his own post at the opposite of the end. Don adjusts his shorts, shaking the nerves he does not carry out of his legs. What's he got to be nervous for? This is a scrimmage. Cynthia nudges Tasha, pointing out the attractive male beside Don as Marlene gazes at what she would imagine her husband to look like. Cynthia would be able to relate, but Lil' Don's been gone a long, long time. In the meanwhile, a focused Don stares at the water as he places his goggles over his eyes. Nibbling on his bottom lip out of habit, a bad habit that tortures him in the winter, Don purses his lips in anticipation of the gunshot that signals it is time to swim.

He's only competing in two events today. The one hundred meter breaststroke and, his favorite, the two hundred meter freestyle. Don always kills the freestyle. His lanky stature is an advantage.

POP!

The gunshot sends the ten young men flying off of their boards and diving into the water. The idea of this being a scrimmage meet leads to a lack of families, making Don's peers the loudest support system at the meet.

"Go, D, Go!"

As Don reaches the end of his final lap, his friends go ballistic. "And we have Don DeGrate finishing first with a time of one minute and fifteen seconds!" He sits in his rightful spot making googly eyes at his female peers. He is humble, though as previously stated, this is simply a scrimmage and that leaves him space to play around a little bit. "Finishing in fifth is Jefferson Jefferson!"