The Art of Moving On | ✔

CHAPTER FIFTEEN; part one

     Dres is at all of my meets that week. Having him there becomes less of a distraction and more of an incentive to perform well. Dres makes me want to be the best version of myself.

     The only problem, as it stands, is that the speedo is an entirely too small garment for me to be wearing when I'm around him.

     Dres attends my Thursday meet, even though it's at a school almost an hour away. When it's over, I find his gaze across the pool and hold my hand up, fingers splayed, letting him know I just need five minutes before I head for the locker room to shower. I'm so tired that I don't even dry off properly before pulling my clothes on.

     "Hey," I say when I come up to the bleachers where he's sitting alone. At least at my home meets, he has my mom to sit and talk with. The away ones must bore him.

     He slips his phone into his pocket and stands up saying, "Nice job out there."

     "Thanks," I respond, but it's mostly muffled by a yawn. Dres's expression is affectionate as he reaches for the bag on my shoulder. "What?" I ask as he tugs at the strap till I let go of my grip and he can take my sports bag from me.

     "I'll carry it," he says, like this is casual. Like he carries my bags all the time and opens doors for me and holy Christ like I'm the chick in this not-a-relationship-but-close.

     "I can carry my bag to the bus. It's right outside," I tell him, but don't make any move to take my bag back.

     He says slowly, "You don't have to take the bus back, you know. I mean, if you don't want to." I glance at him curiously and is he blushing maybe? Is Dres nervous?

     I bite back a grin and put my hand to my chest. "Why Dres are you offering to drive me home?"

     He crosses his arms and I'm pretty sure he wants to roll his eyes, too, but refrains. "We're headed in the same direction."

     "You just want forty more minutes of my company. It's okay, you can admit it."

     "Shut up."

     Ha, I am so right. Dres wants to spend more time with me, even if it is cooped up in his car.

     I bump shoulders with him playfully. "I'll ride with you on one condition. We have to stop at a Wendy's. I'm starving." I don't tell him that he could say I had to sit in the bed of the truck and I'd still come with him. Forty more minutes with Dres or just one minute with him, I'm never going to turn that shit down.

     "There's a Panera around the corner. It's not great but its better than Wendy's."

     "Did you not hear the part where I said I was starving? I actually want to, you know, eat."

     "Do you know what fast food does to you?"

     "Yes, because you constantly tell me. It's fine. I've already decided you're going to outlive me." Dres and I are outside now. The team's getting onto the bus and coach is standing there, counting everyone as they get in. "I got a ride, Coach," I say with a wave. "I'll see you in the morning."

     Dres is looking at me as we cross the parking lot. I glance at him, raising my brows questioningly, expecting him to say something. When he doesn't I ask, "What?"

     "You've decided I'm going to outlive you?" he says, surprised.

     Now I'm blushing because I didn't realize how that sounded until now. "Yeah," I say trying to remain calm.

     I can feel Dres looking at the side of my face, see him in my periphery vision, but in remaining calm and trying to appear like there was no implication behind my words I keep my face forward. "Huh," he says quietly. "What if I don't want to outlive you?"