Sink or Swim✓ (Teen Romance)

Chapter Two *Edited*

"Alex."

Compared to Elliot, Alex's smile is more boyish, but it's still charming. He slips through the crowd, coming to stand by my side. Strong shoulders, muscular stomach, toned arms.

"Mathew," says Cassi. I pull my attention away from Alex to call one of the senior boys.

One by one, the fastest boys and girls are chosen, leaving the freshmen and my friends. I can tell they're getting annoyed, but I want to make sure my team is as good as Cassi's. So far, we're pretty evenly matched.

"Keely."

Oh gosh, I'm so dead. Keely glares at me as she trudges over to Cassi's army.

"Sarah?" I say it more like a question, because I know she'll be mad at me now, too.

"I knew that was gonna happen," says Sarah as she joins my side. She doesn't talk to me as we walk to our side of the dock.

There are about fifty yards between the two docks, but the water polo goals make the space seem crowded. I slip into the water, staying beneath the surface to wash the sweat from my skin.

Someone cannonballs next to me, shoving a fistful of water into my mouth. I snap my head out of the water and cough like a dying seal until I catch my breath. A few more kids splash on the other side of me, dousing me again. I cling onto the goal, wishing that goggles were allowed in this game. I know it seems stupid, but I seriously feel like I could drown at any moment. Swimming is one thing, but swimming while being attacked is another.

"Is everybody ready?" Coach stands on the other side, holding a yellow ball between his hands. He has that familiar, whimsical gleam in his eyes. Before anyone answers, he blows the whistle.

There's a collision of splashes and grunts. I paddle around the goal for a moment before easing out toward the center. I probably look like an injured dog, but there's no way I'm getting into the middle of a wrestling match. Aside from a skittish freshman, I'm the only one not in the tight clamor. Even Cassi's in there, and she hates to be touched.

"Finn!" The yellow ball soars in my direction. I snap my left hand into the air and easily catch the ball—I've played enough to make a simple catch. Throwing is a different story. I kick for a few seconds too long, but Coach doesn't call me out for breaking the rule. Instead, he just stares with that childish grin.

"Alex!" I throw to him, even though he's being closely guarded by a freshman girl. To be honest, I can't remember who's on my team, aside from Alex and Sarah.

Alex catches the ball and diverts the girl's attempt to steal it. He passes to someone, who then passes to someone else.

"Finn!" I recognize Sarah's scream, but I don't see her. I whip my head around both directions, helplessly searching for her.

The yellow ball splats into the water, five yards from me. I sprint toward it, but not before another swimmer races at my side. I kick harder and practically throw myself toward the ball. My upper hand barely touches it before the other swimmer latches onto me.

There it is. That fresh panic that builds inside me whenever I play these dumb games. My heart thrums in my chest and my stomach threatens to explode. I jerk my hand away from his and wrap both arms around the ball. That's definitely illegal, but Coach still doesn't do anything.

Elliot's face pops into view and I realize he's the one attacking me. I hug the ball closer, and suddenly it's like a tug of war. He jerks it one way and I pull it the other. I know I'd be safer if I just let go, but I feel like I need the ball to stay above the water. I push my hand against his face and thrash my legs against his side. His hands wildly splash at my face, slopping water into my mouth.

Finally, a high-pitched whistle cuts through the chaos. Elliot and I both freeze. A heavy blush crawls over my cheeks, but I make no move to let go. I'm not sure if I can. My arms and legs are wrapped around Elliot like a monkey's, so tangled together that our faces almost touch.

"Not that you aren't cute, but I usually don't hook up in front of an audience." Elliot whispers into my ear, his breath hot on my neck. Then he pulls back with a mischievous grin.

"Get a room!" One of the freshmen shouts, earning a round of laughter from his friends.

I quickly push away from Elliot and swim back to my side of the dock, keeping my face in the water. I wait until the cold dissolves my blush before coming up. I ignore Sarah's waggled eyebrows and don't dare look at Cassi.

The game pursues, but all I can think about is Elliot calling me cute.