The water laps at our heels as we dip our feet into the water. "I'll do it if you do it." I say. Freya nods, a nervous smile painted on her pink lips. On the count of three, we jump into the pool, our rubber armbands holding us up. "Bobbing up and down like ducks!" Freya laughs, shaking her wet hair in my face. Our mummies are sitting at the side, giving mini rounds of applause as we grin back at them. I want to come to the pool every day for the rest of my life! Freya says she does too, which means we'll spend so much time in the water that we'll practically be mermaids! Freya said I could be Aerial and she'll be her own made-up mermaid that looks like her but with a mermaid tail. We can just swim our days away forever and ever!
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I look at the water now, shaking the thought out of my head before I catch myself. Freya used to shake her head like this when she got her hair wet. Stop it! I want to yell, but I can't stop- this is the pain I deserve. No, I deserve worse. Way worse.
With the pool to my left, I start running. I haven't warmed up, but I don't care. My feet pound against the track, my movements heavy. Forcing myself onwards, I go faster and faster. Lungs screaming at me for more oxygen. Salty sweat dripping down my face. Hair falling out of its scraggly ponytail. But still, I run. My muscles begin to ache, craving attention from me, desperate to be soothed. But still, I run. I run like my life depends on it, because maybe it does. Maybe if I keep running and never stop, everything will be ok- I'll be lost in the motions of my limbs. When I run, I don't think, I just do. Perhaps it's because I don't need to think about it, muscle memory takes over from me, giving my weary brain a well deserved break.
Thud. I run into something and smack down onto the floor. Seeing a pair of feet next to my head, I realise that I ran into someone, not something. "I- I'm so sorry." I gasp, scrambling to my feet and clutching my side. "Are you ok?" the guy asks and I look up, meeting his eyes. Thank god I don't know him. "Yeah, I'm uh, fine, thanks. Are you?" I wheeze, still catching my breath.
"Ah, don't worry about me. You took quite a fall, you were zooming along!"
"Hardly! I didn't warm up properly, so it wasn't my best." I reply, "But thanks!"
He smiles at me, "Well, if that is you performing not that well, I have to see you when you're at your best."
"You have to now, do you?" I laugh, regaining my ability to speak properly
"Of course I do, you've got me intrigued!"
"I'm not the fastest- Maddy's PB is faster than mine."
"What does PB mean? Peanut butter? I don't quite get the relevance of peanut butter here..."
"No, silly!" I laugh, "Personal best! How do you not know that?"
"Hey, you're the athlete, not me." He chuckles.
"I'd hardly call myself an athlete!"
"Well, I know I would."
"You would, what's stopping you?" I challenge, fighting a grin.
"Absolutely nothing my little athlete."
"My little athlete"! As in his? Did he just-? I don't think he even noticed his slip up, but what if it wasn't? He might have meant it! No, Jess, don't get your hopes up. Don't be ridiculous, I scold myself.
"Your little athlete?" I ask, raising my eyebrows cheekily before I can stop myself.
"Yeah, my little athlete." he repeats, "You're tiny, cute and clearly athletic."
Oh. My. God. Did he actually just say that?
"Ha, I guess so, then!" I laugh awkwardly.
"Sorry, I'm interrupting your run! Trust me to natter on for ages and waste your time."
"No, you're not wasting my time!" I insist, not wanting to have to leave him already.
"Ok, well, I'll see you around?"
"Yeah." I smile, waving as I run on.
What just happened? Normally running clears my mind, but the squealing little girl inside of me won't shut up. I don't like him! I've only just met him! Despite my objections, I can't stop a big grin from forming on my flushed face. Maybe things could be starting to look up, after all.
I jog back slowly and steadily, allowing my body to cool down before going into my boarding house. At the door, I put my shoes on the rack and softly pad up the stairs to room 47 which I share with Chloe.
"You were aaaaagessssss!" she says when I walk into our room.
"Oh, sorry, I got distracted, I guess."
"By what, the trees?"
"Oh, nothing, really."
"Then why are you smiling like that?"
"Like what?"
"Don't act all innocent, I think someone has a crush!" Chloe teases, "And you're going to spill the beans like now as I'm dying of curiosity here!"
I look up at her happy face. Eyes gleaming, cheeks rosy, mouth grinning. She looks at me hopefully and I can't deny her a bit of gossip. Besides, I don't even know his name, so nothing can happen between us anyway. But that's not what Chloe thinks.