Life Of Two Best Friends: High School CHPT 45

CHAPTER 46

I was feeling way better than I expected. Warm-up was a breeze. Friday is going to be a different day; I was determined to make it one. Today would be a quicker meet, since each event only had two heats; but thankfuly there were relays. Warm-up was done. The meetings were done. Now was time to wait.

…

Matthew and I were in the warm-up pool waiting for our two hundred freestyle to begin. We both had already talked to coach and got our break downs. As the girls event
started, we made our way back behind the blocks. Matthew was up first; this time I cheered for him. However before he was finished, I was behind my lane. Still I looked
to the board as he touched…ninth! 1:50.22!! He dropped another second from Wednesday. My turn. I looked to Coach, and recieved the nod. I saw Jenny off to Coach’s right and she smiled. ‘Get ready to lose the bet, Jenny.’

Long whistle… “Take your mark…Beep!”

…

I was second! 1:47.02! That was my best time by almost two seconds. To any non swimmers reading, dropping one one-hundreth is a lot to a swimmer. Also first place was
a 1:46.99…so it was only about a hand touch difference. I shook my competitors hand, exchanged the good jobs, then we both proceeded to exit the pool together. Again, I went to the cooldown pool; I feel like I live here. If I could, I would cheer the guys on, but first things first.

As I pushed myself out of the pool, I saw Jenny standing there.

“I can’t remember, did we make the bet for all the races, or just the hundred freestyle?” Jenny asked as she held out my towel for me.

Grabbing it and beginning to walk to Coach, “Sweet! You don’t remember. I could make it for anything then.”

Jenny sarcastically gasped, “I didn’t realize you were this type of person, George.”

“Nah. It was for all of them. One down, only four more to go. And some of them will be first,” I laughed. I peeled my googles and cap off my head. We were almost to Coach’s
chair, so Jenny left my side and walked quickly to Coach’s.

Everyone was swimming great! I was able to watch Jerry and Matthew’s fifty freestyles; even though they were only in the pool for about twenty-one seconds. Time was
being dropped left and right. And my hundred butterfly was no different. First place while dropping another second from Wednsday. ‘That’s two Jenny.’ I was back in the cool down pool waiting for my hundred freestyle. I only have about eight minutes between these two races.

I had already talked to Coach. I was prepared. Jerry was already behind the blocks; I think he was too nervous to wait any longer. The rematch would begin soon.

“You ready to lose again George?” Jeremy had stopped and was resting on the wall. “If you need something to chase, you can follow my feet; because that’s all you are going to see.”

I wasn’t going to engage him, but… “I’ll be chasing something faster,” and with that I climbed out of the pool and walked off to the blocks. ‘Chase a faster you. Focus.’

Jerry was lane one, while I was lane three. I yelled “Good luck,” to him and he returned it. I looked to Coach, he nodded and also gave a fist pump in the air. Jenny…she was smiling, but it was more of a “don’t get third” type of smile. I smiled back. ‘Not gonna happen.’

“Take your mark… I could already see my shadow self in the center of my lane. ‘Chase him down!’ Beep!”

…

‘Turn. Turn. Catch him! Turn. Almost…Wall!’ I accidently punched the wall; my hand was throbbing. ‘Board!… 44.97…First!…First??’ I looked to Timothy over in lane five. He was smiling. ‘Huh?’ Back at the board…Lane five, First 44.97. ‘Oh. We tied. Sweet!’ I nod to Timothy and he returns it. I look off to Jerry; he was exhausted, but he was shaking lane two’s hand. I remember I should do the same to Jeremy, who as I expected, was fuming. Stretching out my hand to him, he swatted it away
and jumped out of the pool. ‘Figures.’

Timothy had walked towards me and extented his hand. We shook. “Great race. It won’t be a tie next time,” Timothy said as we started walking away from the blocks.

“No. No it will not,” I laughed.

Jerry was already gone. As we got to the cool down pool, Jenny was standing there.

“Should I expect another first or another second?” Jenny smiled and giggled as she walked away.

“Girlfriend?” Timothy asked as he put his goggles back on.

“Nope. Just a good friend who will be losing a bet.” We both jumped into the water.