Deep End

Chapter #2

I get out of the locker room about 5 minutes later, I'm known for my speedy showers and quick changes. My dad always jokes that if there were championships for that I would be the winner every time.

I see that Park has pulled his car up in front of the aquatic center so I head out as I call Jeff real quick. The phone goes to voice mail so I shoot him a quick text.

**Heading to pizza with the team, FaceTime later?**

I close my phone, figuring he's probably either at practice or eating with his team right now too. Jeff and I have known each other almost as long as I have known Park, but this past year we started dating. We knew going into this long distance thing, especially in different states, would be tough, but two weeks in and it was still working just fine. Even though we don't get to see each other daily like we did in high school, we text, call and FaceTime on a daily basis and there's always swimming that brings us together. I smile to myself as I think of Jeff and his new team and new school and how much I miss him.

I pull open the passenger door as I drop into Park's passenger seat.

"What's with the dopey smile there small fry?"

There's that blasted nickname again.

"If you must know, I was thinking about Jeff." I respond, knowing it will shut him up. Any time I bring up Jeff it shuts him up.

My phone dings and I look down to see a text from Jeff.

**Mind if we try for tomorrow? Busy with the team tonight. Love u**

I frown, but understand. We agreed that for our long distance relationship to work we couldn't be "clingy" as he so kindly put in a few short weeks ago.

**Sounds good, love you too**

I put the phone down, knowing he won't text back. Jeff is a lot of things, tall, good looking, an excellent swimmer and need I say kisser, but he is not a great communicator.

Park must sense my shift in mood because he fidgets uncomfortably with his seatbelt beside me as we sit at a red light.

"So," he ventures, "what'd Coach Lu have to say after practice?"

"Oh the usual..." I respond in my best coach voice, "You know, Ally, if you keep on this track training wise for the rest of the season, you'll have that freshman record and possibly a spot on the podium on conference...yada yada yada..."

It's not that I don't like Coach Lu, it's that it's the usually coaching jargon. As much as I like college and I really do like my new coaches, I miss my old coach and his no BS ways, he always gave it to me straight.

Park nods in understanding. "Yeah, Coach Mikey gave me the same kind of speech a few days ago."

We both nod our heads, knowing it's just the start of the season too.

Park pulls his car into the parking lot and I notice the cars of the other freshman swimmers. We usually go to the pizza place right by the dorms so it's weird that we came across town to this one.

I reach to unbuckle my seat belt and ask Park why we decided to come to this one instead.

"Oh, that was my idea," he says with a knowing grin. "I wanted to get some one on one time with my favorite person."

He closes his door before I can respond as he heads into the Romano's. I watch open mouthed. Getting a read on this boy is proving more difficult than I thought.