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-5-

October 8 2011

[Two years before- Day Five]

It'd been almost a week since Alex came to our school. And obviously he became an instant celebrity.

Normally, in a small town like this, if you are the new kid people will talk about you endlessly for three days top but Alex surprised me. He'd been the talk of the town for five straight days.

Maybe it was because of the bad vibes that he had been sending like black waves at us, telling all of us to back off. Or maybe because he had some good looks that the shallow girls found attractive and a well-built body that our football team envied.

But the one that I was betting at was the circling rumours that he was in and out of juvie because of drug possession.

And I think some people believed in that because they were running away from him with shaking knees.

Oh, gosh. How pathetic was that?

I stretched my arms and jogged in place. After Mrs. Williams dismissed us earlier, I ran down here at the pool to practice for my upcoming meet. No one was here aside from me, which I mostly prefer because there will be no distractions or whatsoever. 

I tied my untamed black hair and put the cute hot pink swimming cap over my head. I adjusted my goggles and looked at the enthralling water in front of me.

I became drawn to the water more than ever during the start of my sophomore year. It was the year when Belle and Aly decided to join the team and Coach Riley chose me to become the next captain even though back then, there were lots of seniors and juniors who would give anything to get the spot, plus it's also the year I was offered by a full scholarship by some known university. 

Yup, that was a good year.

I dived in the water without any preamble since I'd already finished my warm-ups earlier. Instantly I felt the cool and refreshing water sliding down my skin.

I think I was really born to swim.

My mother didn't need to enrol me in any kind of swimming lessons, she just signed me right away in a children's swimming team when I was still four. Since then, I have always been the fastest and the best.

I didn't want to be boastful but I was just saying the truth and I know little by little I was still improving. What was the use of swimming six hours a day if I couldn't be the best in what I do?

As I was swimming, I let myself be loose and free and be carried away by the cool water, my second home. I let myself swim as fast as I could and as good as I know. I did all kinds of strokes just to practice each one of them but my favorite was what I do most and that is freestyle.

I did not want to stop. Swimming was my only way to escape from everything boring that was happening to my life. It was the only thing that makes me smile whenever I was sad. As I said, it was my life.

But eventually I needed to stop when I felt that my arms and shoulders were already sore and I got out of the pool.

When I reached the metal handles, I cringed. It's October, so I was not surprised that the air was pretty chilly. I quickened my pace away from the pool to get to my table. I was dripping wet and shivering like crazy when I reached it but to my distress the light blue towel that I brought earlier is nowhere to be found. Oh boy, I must have forgotten it in the locker room.

I put my wet arms around my trembling body and tried to stop my teeth from chattering. It was so cold, why did I forget that stupid towel?

I was starting to walk back to the locker room when I saw a pair of black combat boots standing on the edge of the pool.