I shook off images of her sleek muscles working in a steady rhythm as she ran to school, and headed for the swimming pool locker room. Ten minutes later I adjusted my goggles and dove into the pool. The cold shock hit me, but eased quickly as my legs and arms fell into an easy tempo. I wasn’t after speed today. My goal was 75 lengths. I had been upping it by four lengths every week this year. It wasn’t an Olympic sized pool. I think it was 20 meters and I wanted to be able to swim 100 lengths by the time I graduated. I knew I was running out of weeks, but I’d speed up in May if I had to. I still had a couple of months to go.
With each stroke, my muscles warmed up and I made it past the initial pain barrier and was soon slapping the wall and counting forty. Over halfway there. As my feet pushed off the wall, I noticed another body moving above the water. I couldn’t see who it was or even if it was a guy or a girl. I just saw them stride past the pool. I thought it was strange. I usually had it to myself. I had even checked with Coach Atkins that it was okay and he told me I’d probably be the only student dumb enough to come in that early. Wednesday was not a swim team practice day, so I saved up my longer swims for then. I was always the only one here.
I was about halfway back through the pool, feeling fatigue for the first time, when the water rippled beside me. The temptation to stop and see who had just dived into the pool was strong and by the end of my next length, I could no longer resist. I put my elbows on the edge of the pool and caught my breath, waiting for my companion to reach me and hopefully bob out of the water to say hello.
Much to my delight, she did.
And much to my even greater delight, it was Dani.
“Hey.” She didn’t exactly grin, but her eyes were soft with a smile. Droplets of water fell from her chin as she dangled from the wall in the lane beside me.
“I thought I was the only one dumb enough to swim before school.”
Her lips rose and I caught a flash of those teeth again. I noticed they weren’t as straight as I thought. The tooth left of her front teeth stuck out just a little. It was cute.
“Mr. Atkins told me that too, but a girl’s gotta exercise.”
“Didn’t you just run to school?”
She tipped her head and shrugged before dropping back into the water and pushing off the wall.
I grinned before following suit, catching up with her a few moments later. I kept my speed the same as hers although I could have gone a touch faster.
We popped up on the other side of the pool. Dani brushed the droplets from her face. “How many laps today?”
“I’ve lost count, but I was hoping to make 75. I think I’ve got about thirty more to go.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Wow, that’s pretty good.” She pursed her lips then nodded. “I think I can try for thirty. I’ll race ya.”
I chuckled, dropping into the water and pushing off before she could even say go. I sensed her beside me, carving through the water with a speed that could easily match mine. I kept a steady pace until I only had two more lengths to go and then I took it up a notch, pushing us both. At the turn she was only just behind me. I decided not to slow and let her win. It was good for me to push myself and I figured she could handle it.
She popped up just after me, out of breath, but looking alive and vibrant.
“Nice swimming.” She puffed.
I shrugged, trying not to glow too much over her compliment. “I do it three times a week. It’s a good form of exercise.”
“Very true.” She nodded. “I like running better though.” She pulled herself out of the pool and I couldn’t help admire her form. She might be skinny, but her muscles were lean and tight. No doubt from all the running. Water cascaded off her curved legs as she reached for her towel. I noticed a thick scar on her left calf muscle and wanted to know the story behind it. It was probably some childhood accident that made for a great tale.
I pulled myself out of the water, hoping I looked half as hot as she did.
“So if you like running so much, why do you bother swimming?” I grabbed my towel and rubbed my face dry.
“Because I’m afraid of the water.” Her voice sounded a little distant and as I pulled my towel away I noticed the end of her expression. She was tucking it away behind a closed mouth smile, but I didn’t miss the flicker in her blue eyes. She hadn’t meant to tell me that.
I smiled, it was my soft mushy one. I could tell. Man, I was so glad Elliot wasn’t here right now.
She waved her hand, going for nonchalant. “It’s no big deal, I just don’t like to let things beat me.”
“That’s really cool.” I nodded, adding another piece to the Dani puzzle.
I knew I was right about her strength, but that look I caught…the tail end of her slip up. I was right about her fragility as well. I just wished I knew why it was there.
She was a strong, confident girl. What did she have to be afraid of?
Chapter 6
LUCY
February 2009
It was near midnight. The only reason Lucy knew that was because the quiet diner she walked into had a round white clock on the wall behind the cash register.
She placed the crumpled five dollar note she’d found in the parking lot on the counter.
“What do you want?” asked the gum chewing waitress with tight curls and a sour frown.
“Um, a Coke and is that enough for a bowl of fries?”
The woman looked at the note then back up at Lucy, the corner of her mouth twitched as she reached for the bill. “It might even be enough for a burger too,” she muttered.