Timeless

Chapter Four

     I straighten out my black and white striped bikini as my mother hollers at me from downstairs to hurry up. She surprised me and signed me up for swimming classes at our local college. When she told me this, I felt my heart flutter and fill with gratitude. Like I mentioned earlier, the freedom I feel when maneuvering through the water is exhilarating. Vincent will also be attending the sessions, but he will most likely keep his distance and act like he's never seen me before in his life. To avoid the embarrassment. The downright humiliation.

I race down the stairs at the speed of light. Well, not anywhere close to it, but I sure do feel like doing so. I bolt to the car and buckle up, grinning with anticipation. I can almost feel the water against my bare arms. Vincent is in the front seat. He barely turns his head to acknowledge my presence and discreetly rolls his eyes. However, it wasn't nonchalant enough because I still caught him. And it hurt. But I'm used to it.

After ten minutes of crossing my legs to stop them from bouncing, my mom finally pulls up to the college. I grab my vibrant blue swim bag and swing it over my shoulder, its only contents being a swim cap, a pair of violet-colored goggles, a water bottle, a tie-dye towel, and five dollars, just in case. I practically leap through the lofty double doors and head through the hall, my mother and Vincent way behind me. I wonder if this is deliberate.

I notice a sign for the pool and dart for the door, which takes all my upper body strength to push open. When I do, I think I might faint. Directly in front of me is a pool with glistening blue water, just waiting to be splashed around by fun-loving, guiltless children. There are several diving boards, and I can tell just by looking at them that they are the really springy ones. There are rosy red numbers etched along the edge of the pool to measure depth, just like in the Olympics. And lastly, there is a colossal blue and yellow, spiraling water slide with seemingly endless twists and turns. My face illuminates like a lightbulb, and I don't stop gaping at the scene that appears to be straight from heaven until my mom literally starts shaking me. Was I daydreaming for that long?

"Daisy, what's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

I smile so wide that I reveal all my teeth. "Better than ever," I reply cheerfully.

My mom smiles back at me and then points to the locker room where I will wait with the other girls for further instruction. Vincent will be in the boys' room, so he won't have to worry about me inhibiting him from making some friends. I have to admit, my palms instantly become sweaty and my knuckles turn white as snow as my eyes uncover the girls I will be sharing this experience with for the next six months.

They look like they came straight from America's Next Top Model. Seriously! They are vainly brushing out their long, highlighted hair, using their phones as mirrors. Most have out make-up cases, absent-mindedly applying blush, lip gloss, and other artificial elements. Their exposing bathing suits are revealing a bit more skin than necessary. I mean, for God's sake, we're going to be swimming, not going to prom! I timidly enter and urge myself to become invisible with every footstep.

In the seemingly endless time period where I am impatiently waiting to swim, I scan the room for someone who doesn't look like a Barbie doll. Some are much worse than others, but to my disappointment, everyone seems to know each other. Nothing new I suppose. I guess I was just hoping that I would be able to navigate the water with someone else. Together.

After what seems like longer than waiting for the commercials to cease and the program to resume on the science channel, a young woman with her thick caramel hair tied back in a ponytail waves to us. She motions to come to the pool, and the excitement building up inside causes me to skip. Finally! I will be exactly where I'm supposed to be.