Life Of Two Best Friends: High School Chapter 42

CHAPTER 43

I made it to Matthew’s lane, just as he was stepping onto the blocks.

“Take your mark…Beep!”

I wanted to cheer for him, but I need to conserve my energy, so instead I just waved him onward. He was doing great. He was lapping a few of the lanes. ‘Come on Matthew!’ The last lap…

He dropped five seconds, with a time of 1:51.96. I yell down to him a “Good job dude,” and I head over to my lane. One more heat… I had Coach’s plan drilled into my brain. ‘Take it out eighty percent, and continue to add ten percent as the race continues.’ With all the noise going on behind the blocks it is hard to stay focused. However, the guy standing next to me had his music blaring, it was ‘Eye of the Tiger.’ Classic. So of course, now the chorus is stuck in my head.

Long whistle…The three short whistles…On the blocks. ‘Let’s Go!’ “Take your mark…Beep!”

Always, always listen to coach. I got fouth overall. With a time of 1:48.52, a best time by three seconds! I don’t know why anyone would not listen to Coach, he is a genius. Matthew got twelfth overall so he too would be swimming this event again on Friday! I went straight to cooldown. Even though I was hyped from my swim, I was hurting.

“Congratulations you two! You both swam exactly as I hoped,” Coach gave us his full attention. He gave us our splits and a few things to work on for Friday. “Ken is coming up, make sure you gather the team up to cheer for him at the end of his lane.”

We nodded. Matthew left, but I needed to grab my phone from Jenny. “Hey Jenny could you,” she gave it back to me as I was talking. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Good job on your race. What do you have next?” I could tell Jenny still beamed with excitment.

“The one hundred butterfly and one hundred freestyle,” I really just wanted to get the phone and head back to my seat at the team area. She was about to speak again, “Well thanks Jenny. I’ve got to go.” I turned and left. ‘Focus George. Focus. You have only a short time before your next two races.’

…

I had forgotten to cheer for the guys in their events. Maybe I was being too focused? I had gotten the highlights from Tom. Ken ninth in the two-hundred medley, Jerry third and Matthew sixth in the fifty freestyle. I saw Ken in the hundred butterfly; he was a few heats before me. Ken got tenth overall. I was once again in the cool down pool; I will probably be in here until the time! I did okay in my hundred butterfly…second! Also a best time…Coach was right. This is my meet! Only one more race. ‘My future depends on this next forty something seconds.

Jerry and I were in the same heat. Jerry was lane seven, while I was lane five. Jerk Jeremy, thankfully had been avoiding me all meet, was in lane three. Leaving lane four, Timothy White. Two people I had no intention of losing to. ‘It’s almost time! Oh Crap!I forgot to talk to coach before this race.’ I looked to him. He nodded. ‘Okay. At least I got that nod.’ My plan: chase down lane four.

Long whistle…‘This is it, George.’

Tweet, tweet, tweet!…step onto the blocks. ‘Chase.’

“Take your mark…”‘Four laps. Three turns.’

BEEP!

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