008. the swimming team

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                                ODETTE | MOETTI

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                                ODETTE | MOETTI

  

MY ALARM ONLY needed to ring once before my hand had stretched out to turn it off.  It was years of routine that had trained me for being up this early and not feeling affected by it. 

I remember when I was younger, before I was in competitive swimming, when I'd hit snooze or sleep in. Some days I felt jealous of my past-self but when I thought about my future and all I wanted to achieve, I knew all the sacrifices would be worth it.

My bed cover slipped down the top half of my body as I sat up and stretched in bed. Light trailed in through the slips in the blinds covering the only window in the room. I yawned for a moment and rubbed at my eyes before rolling off the comfy mattress to kneel by my bed.

After praying and giving God thanks, I got up on jelly legs and dragged myself into the walk-in closet. The overhead lights had on sensors so the moment my foot crossed the threshold, they switched on.

"Ugh." I shielded my sensitive eyes at the sharpness of the rays above as I made my way to my section.

I knew Lesedi wouldn't be impressed at the zero thought I put into the clothes I pulled out. I glanced down at the grey trackies, top and underwear in my hands and shrugged. I would be the only one who saw it— I was up an hour earlier than normal to roller-skate after all. And it was a Sunday morning, so I doubted I'd see anyone out and about at five in the morning.

I grabbed a pair of flats from the shoerack on my way out before taking the outfit I'd put together into the bathroom. It was a large space, all cream and minimal but the colourful addition of everyone's facial, body and hair care things balanced it out.

I dumped everything on the empty space on the countertop beneath the mirror that took up the wall to my direct left. It didn't take long to pop on my shower cap I kept stored with my hair things and pick up my nature-scented body wash.

Making sure the door was locked, I hopped in the shower. I didn't take long, since I'd take a proper one after swimming practice which would start in an hours time.

After refreshing myself — all whilst keeping my hair dry — and changing, I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment. It was kind of hard not to, with the small row of lights installed into the top.

My eyes lingered on my hair before my fingers reached out to tug on a coil. I stopped after my brain reminded me of the possibility of causing split ends and looked with my eyes instead.

I'd cut it back in July, a day before the British Summer Championships that had gotten me noticed and recruited to England's team. It wasn't that long ago so it's length made sense. It was barely five centimetres but I liked it— it was healthy, it was thriving, it was me.

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