Witch (Supernatural #2)

19: Teamwork

To disturb, verb.

1. to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace, or order of; unsettle.
2. to interfere with; interrupt; hinder.
3. to interfere with the arrangement, order, or harmony of; disarrange.

***

The day of the swim meet, the school was full of people I had never seen before in my life. Students and coaches who were complete strangers to me walked around like they belonged in the hallways like they walked there every day. At first, I wasn't sure whether it was Saturday and thus the day of the meet or just any other school day and thus I was late for practice. Except it was indeed a Saturday, and it was just past one in the afternoon rather than just past seven in the morning.

So, I shook off the weirdness and headed to where the action was happening; the pool.

It would be another hour or so before the first race but the stands were already full of people. I didn't look too closely to see if I recognized anyone; Noah wouldn't be there yet, he had still been stuffing his face with pancakes when I had left. Grandma wasn't there either, because she had been supplying Noah's pancakes. I wasn't even sure if she was going to show up. Sure, she always tried to show interest in her grandchildren's lives, but would she go so far as to come to a swim meet?

Coach Evers had claimed her usual spot and was talking to someone who looked nothing like a coach in his fancy suit except for the stopwatch around his next. In fact, he looked more like he belonged in a law firm with his shiny shoes and neatly-combed hair than a high school swimming pool. It took me a second before I realized he was more likely to be a college scout than a coach. Before either of them could see me, I hurried off to the locker room, where I was immediately attacked by Rose.

"Did you see the guy talking to Coach Evers? Did you hear what they were talking about?"

"Yes, I saw him. No, I didn't hear anything," I replied cautiously. The excited fright in her voice was itself frightening . What if she decided she didn't like my answers and planned on sending me to find out? But she only sighed.

"He's been to a few of our meets but I don't know who he is or represents. Coach Evers won't say a word."

"Well, then I doubt she would tell me."

"I know," she sighed, looking defeated. "That why I asked if you heard anything."

I resisted the urge to apologize and instead tossed my Tupperware bowl with cookies in her direction. That turned that frown upside down in no time. I changed quickly, feeling ridiculously self-conscious with all these strangers in the locker room. Most kept to their own teams, talking together, not looking at anyone else together. I suppose it was weird for them to, to attend a meet so far from home. My mind still wondered how it had happened. Maybe they wanted to mix it up a bit; matches might become predictable if the same schools constantly competed against each other.

Who "they" were, I had no idea.

Pulling my sweatpants on over the swimsuit, I grinned at Rose who was munching cookies and left the locker room. The cookies were meant to be my sugar boost, but I guess I would have to get something in the cafeteria. With this many people at school on a Saturday, especially around lunchtime, there had to be someone there. If not, the vending machine would help me out.

I let Coach Evers know I was there and waved at Jamie before making my way to the cafeteria. I had barely left the chlorine-filled air behind me when Ken came running. Not necessarily to me, probably to the pool but since I was between him and his destination, he came towards me anyway.