It's Called Tomorrow

four

"Everybody deserves second chances, but not for the same mistakes."     

— unknown

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"How does it feel to be heading to Nationals?" the local town reporter, Ruth Thayer asks me.

I look at everyone standing in front of my house who's come
to send me off. And while it's nice for them to do this, I can't help, but feel as if a lot of pressure is being put on me to win.

Even though I'm one out of the two in the state of South Carolina to be competing in Junior Nationals, it still feels weird to realize that I've made it this far.

I've had months to think about this, and I was aware of the pressure that was being put on me with the immense training Mom and Dugal had me doing, but up until now have I realized how many people are really counting on me to win.

I smile and tilt my head to the side before replying, "Good. I've trained hard and with the help of my coach and stepfather, it's really given me a lot of confidence that something great will come out of this."

Ruth grins at me and turns back to the camera.

I feel Dugal's hand on my back.

I ball my fists up. Why can't he lay off? I'm tempted to throw him a glare, but with everyone watching me. I resist the urge to. I then manage to move away from him, and I go stand on the other side of Mom.

Mom turns and gives me a bright smile. She's playing the role of the proud mother really well. I think if Mom didn't have this big dream of hers, for me to make it as a big time swimmer, she could've moved to Hollywood and become an award winning actress (since she's so good at pretending) and followed her own dreams.

But she had me.

I watch as everyone in the crowd mingle amongst each other—happy to see Bodhi Matthews (a resident of this honky tonky town) going off to swim in the Nationals.

I'm the first person in Attewater to make it to Nationals. I'm the first person in Attewater who's doing something no one else has ever done before.

Am I going to succeed?

I close my eyes for a second.

The pain in the left part of my back hasn't lessened at all. It hasn't gotten worse, it's just a constant pain. I have to do something about it before the meet tomorrow. Maybe I should take a handful of ibuprofen and shove them down my throat.

That would make the pain better. All of it. Not just the pain in my back, but the real pain.

I wouldn't have to stay in the same room with Dugal anymore, Mom could follow her own dreams instead of riding on my coattails, and I wouldn't feel so pressured over this damn swim meet.

I then open my eyes.

There are cars that are driving down the street, passing our house rather slowly to see what the Hell is going on, that has the whole town on our lawn. But there's an old car that catches my eye with a familiar looking girl behind the steering wheel.

We make eye contact.

I'm caught off guard by the familiarity and warmness that ignites within me that I'm disappointed when it's all over.

My eyes follow the car as it continues down the road towards the intersection.

"Bodhi?"

Mom's face is filled with concern.

I shake my head, realizing that I must've spaced out for a second there.

"Dugal has the car ready," she tells me, nodding her head to where her husband is standing by the car—talking to Mr Deacon—my former swim coach from high school.

"Oh, okay."

I rub the back of my sweaty neck and follow Mom to the car.

...