CHAPTER 34

Monday again. Two days until finals. I know, I know, I skipped over way too much, give me a break. But there was really nothing to report. I guess I’ll recap the highlights. Thursday after returning to school after the burritos, I didn’t notice the so called ‘change‘ to Jenny. Sure, she was quiet and wouldn’t be around me, but as I had said, that is how she acted after the John incident. I wish the guys had not mentioned it; it really isn’t something to worry over. Still, I had hoped she would have been more confident after how she held herself in front of Jeremy, but maybe with time she would be confident once again.

Dad has been pretty much living in his recording studio; he has been in a tornado of inspiration; which I am happy for him. School is normal as usual; some days we learn, some days we are used to vent at about: the cruelties of teaching the youth. I explained to Coach what had happened to Jenny and my actions; Coach was not impressed that I almost started another incident, but he was impressed that I controlled myself and not hit the guy. Practices have been excellent. We have occasionally been training with Ken to work on his freestyle for the relay, but mostly it was been long distance recovery sets.

Oh, right I forgot to say, there have been no more morning practices. It has been so great to turn off my four-thirty alarms. Sleeping in has done wonders for my muscles. Finals is going to be sweet.

…

Today’s practice was again chill. We have done about twenty-four hundred yards for warm-up; though we would be doing a short sprint set soon. Coach was working with the lower lanes while Jenny and Brit were watching our lane and the two below us. Watching us swim is probably boring. We have broken all our bad habits because we have Coach usually staring us down if we make a mistake; so we now just swim and swim and swim. Lily was at the Bailey’s again; I’m guessing Coach has grown accustomed to having someone to watch his daughter.

Everything was going smoothly. After our last two hundred Jerry and I pulled ourselves up and onto the deck to cool off and enjoy the Gatorades Jenny had brought to share.

“How do you guys just keep swimming without stopping? It seems like it would get boring after a while,” Brit questioned as she threw Gatorades to Ken, Matthew, and the other two lanes.

“Slow days like today,” Michael, a swimmer in the lane next to us, said as he sipped the Gatorade, “make us appreciate these easy days as much as possible. They don’t come often, especially that lane,” thumbing toward us.

“Yep. I am soaking up the easy!” Jerry sighed and gulped the remainder of the gatorade.

Just as we were almost completely relaxed, “Well. I see you all are finished…what shall we do next?” Coach had walked over gripping his hands in a similar manner he does when we are about to die. The lower lanes were already getting out of the pool.

‘Lucky.’ “Okay,” I put the cap on the bottle and slip back into the pool. Jerry follows pursuit. “What is next?”

“These two lanes divide into your normal freestyle relays, and be one lane apart.” Coach waved them to other lanes.

‘What’s Coach up to?’ We stayed put.

“As you know…relays…but the catch is…” Coach smirked, “swimming backwards. George demonstrate.”

‘He knows Jerry is better at it than I am…’ “Okay.” Leaving the wall feet first and trying to attempt to look correct. Popping my head up Coach is laughing…actually laughing…I swam normal to the wall.

“That was almost as good as your backstroke swimming,” Coach sputtered between his deep belly laughs. “Be happy you don’t have to do that competitively.” Coach stopped finally, “Follow George’s example. Each person has four 50s each. Treat this as your cooldown. Let’s begin.”