Explosive

Chapter 7

"Hey Jamie, can I ask you a question?" Tyler asked, relaxing in the bleachers.

"Anything." Jamie responded, taking a sip of his coffee.

"What does it mean when a girl tells you she loves you?"

Jamie spit out he mouthful of coffee he didn't have a chance to swallow, getting it all over himself. He almost shrieked.

"Did I miss something here?!"

"Well, sort of. Tori told me last night that she never thought she would be so lucky as to fall in love with her best friend, and told me that it was me. You know, just in case I didn't pick up on that."

"Tyler, this is huge! You do realize that you're more than friends, and it's been that way for a long time now?!" He stated, able to get by by knowing he would maybe bring clarity to Tyler.

"I get that, but what do I do?"

"Tyler, trust me. You're madly in love with her. I think you should kiss her, what are you waiting for?"

There was a pang in Jamie's chest when he suggested that, but he was able to make it through by knowing that Tyler would be happy. He knew it was a bad habit to put someone else's happiness above his own, but he couldn't help it. He wanted Tyler to have the best in life, even if Jamie wasn't a part of it. It was a hopeless cycle of emotion Jamie hated to confront.

"The opportune moment?" Tyler answered, unable to come up with a good answer as to why he didn't make a move yet with Tori.

"It's now. You better make things right before she leaves, Tyler. Like, set the record straight. She deserves at least that much."

"Hold that thought, she's up!" Tyler exclaimed.

"What's she swimming?"

"The 200 fly! She's in lane 5. Look at her! Amazing start, look at her kicks off the walls, Jamie! SHE HAS 10 KICKS! Oh, she's gonna win." Tyler commentated. Jamie noticed that Tyler was religiously tracking her splits with his stopwatch and writing them down on the heat sheet.

"Jamie, she just cut a second and a half off her time! She doesn't have the NCAA championship cut yet, but she's getting so damn close-" Tyler pointed out, comparing her time to the qualifying time on a small laminated card he had attached to his stopwatch.

"Anyway, you were saying, Jamie?"

"Oh, that's it. I know it's going to be hard with the long distance thing, but she's a senior and is single. Ask her to move in after graduation or something."

"Well, that's the issue. What if she finds someone-"

"Tyler, I highly doubt she'll find someone that she connects with and has as much chemistry with as she has with you. You're in love, Ty. Great things will happen if you give romance half a chance."

"I'm nervous, but I think I'll go for it."

"Good." Jamie concluded, and then there was silence.

Meanwhile, down on deck, Tori had just hopped out of the warmup and cooldown pool and found her place on the bleachers. She took her cap and goggles off and put them down by her bag, wrapping herself in her towel. Her best friend and teammate, Mimi, knew something was different about her.

"Damn, girl. You've never swum a 200 fly like that, what's new?"

"I may or may not be madly in love with my best friend, but I don't think he's all that interested in me."