|Four Years Later|
|Friday|
"You can do this. I have coached you for the past four years and have seen you grow and learn about anything you could learn about swimming, and there is still more. Besides that, you are an amazing swimmer, and you will go out there, and show the world what you are made of because you are Ryla Walters, and you are a swimming machine." Missy Franklin shook my shoulders energetically as I jumped up and down alone in the locker room with her.
"I can do this. I love swimming. Give me a beat." She tossed me my headphones that were already plugged into my phone, playing a song on repeat that could get me going, keep me going.
I stood next to her as I watched the others swim their hearts out in the pool, leaving nothing in the water and taking it all to the wall. It just made me happy to be surrounded by so many people who love the same sport as me.
They would be willing to step up and tell people that swimming is a sport and that it's the best sport for your entire body because it works everything.
I hummed along before I ripped out the ear buds, pausing the song before I stuck it in Missy's pocket. I put on one of my bungee straps to my goggles and placed my goggles over my eyes.
Missy quickly stretched and let go of my Team U.S.A. cap over my hair, and I pulled the other strap over my cap before tucking the rest of my hair tightly in.
I walked over behind the blocks, jumping and shaking my limbs out as I prepared for my swim. I felt the small fire in the pit of my stomach, encouraging my love for the sport and firing the adrenaline rapidly through my body. In that moment, I felt like I had to pee, but I knew it was all a thought. I didn't need to. It was the nerves.
With one last look into the stands, I stood defeated, not seeing any of the people I had hoped that would show up.
My family. Libby. Tally. Shyanne.
Not a single one of them had shown up.
"Our next event is the girls 800 IM. This is heat one of two." I stepped up behind the blocks since I had yet to prove my worth of the Olympics, ready to let them know that I am worthy of standing behind on blocks and swimming in this pool to earn a time.
It seemed like only yesterday that I was a fifth grader and had found swimming. My love had grown, and I went from going up to the blocks to represent my team to going up to the block to represent my country.
The five short whistles blew, and the pool had been cleared, the natatorium nearly silent with anticipation for what was to come. I wasn't used to the silence, but it would be gone when the buzzer went off and the eight of us dove in and started swimming.
The long whistle blew, and I stood up on the block, quickly going through my mental check list.
"Take your marks." The strong voice echoed through the microphone and throughout the pool and stadium seats.
The buzzer sounded, and I pushed myself from the blocks, propelling myself in with the grace of a swan.
Great dive, now start with a 200 butterfly. It's just four laps.
The song ran through my head, giving me the last bit of rhythm to keep pulling myself forward through butterfly and into backstroke.
Drills ran through my head, reminding me of every thing that I had needed help with. The screams from the people here was just a dull roar compared to the sound of the "ocean" in my ears from the water and my cap.
As I was coming back on the last fifty of backstroke, I made a decision that could make or break my entire 800 IM. I was going to do the bucket turn.
While the bucket turn between backstroke and breaststroke can get you disqualified very easily, it makes my turn much faster.
I could hear Missy yelling at me in my head as I did the bucket turn and went out in my pullout for breaststroke, gliding as far as I could without being DQ'ed or bursting my lungs.
As I started freestyle, I really pulled out the big guns and pulled myself farther and farther and faster and faster, a feat I had yet to defeat without sounding like an elephant running through a puddle until now.
I thrust my hand into the pad on the wall and went upright, heaving breath as I looked in the other lanes.
Not a single person had finished yet.
I looked out of the water and up at my time. My jaw dropped, and I turned to look at Missy who was clearly mentally freaking out.
I remembered to keep celebration for private places and hugged the other swimmers on either side of my lane once they finished.
Once I had gotten out and another race had begun, I walked over to Missy who was studying her clipboard.
"The bucket turn was risky, but you made it." I grinned at her and gave her a big, wet hug.
"It was last minute, but I made it." Missy nodded and went back to her clipboard.
"You only have the mile and your relay left. The girls have swam in the Olympics before, but after that race, I think you're more impressive to them than before." I nodded and headed back into the locker room and grabbed a towel, taking off my cap and goggles.
"Guess who." I turned around to see Libby, Tally, and Shyanne standing there, grins as wide as the Grand Canyon present on their faces.
"You're kidding me." I muttered before attacking the three of them at once with a hug. "I thought no one was here. I mean, it's 9:30 in the morning." I exclaimed, overcome with joy.
"Never fear, your best friends are here." Libby spoke with a smile on her face.
"Your family wanted to come, but you know what weekend it is." I nodded, thinking about my beloved, late grandfather.
"It's okay. I know they send their regards." The three of them nodded. "Now, go sit in the stands while I keep myself calm before my mile." They each gave me a hug before running out.
I settled onto a bench next to my locker with a book in my hands. I leaned down, sinking into comfort with music playing in my ears and words flowing into my brain.
It seems as if everything else flew by, not even slowing down as I raced. Sure, I was exhausted by the time we finished, but it seemed to go by fast, and it was a ton of fun.
Libby, Tally, and Shyanne were going to meet us later at the hotel since we're having a Team U.S.A. lunch/dinner.
As we ate, stories, laughs, and races were shared when it came to what we had just done this morning. We were a great team and very close to each other. After spending a year in Pasadena, California, we, meaning Missy and me, moved closer to all of the other swimmers, so we could all practice together and get closer although Missy was still my coach.
"Hey Ryla?" I switched my eyes over to Jordan Short, my best guy friend who was sitting next to me. We had grown closer over the three years, and everyone on the team thought we should be dating. I know he likes me, but I'm still on the edge.
"Yeah, what's-" I was cut off when a pair of tan hands covered my eyes.
"Guess who." The voice sent slight chills up my back, reminding me of four years ago.
"Can't be." I took the hands off and spun around to see Vega standing there.
There was a wide grin present, and his big blue eyes were so light that they reminded me of Alaska.
Vega was as tan as ever, darker than when I had last seen him. I guess that's what soccer can do to you. His hair was a bit longer, but it was still kept in the boyish cut as it had been for as far back as I know. Overall, he looked great, phenomenal, handsome.
"Vega!" I sprung out of my chair and wrapped my arms around him, waiting for the sweet scent that he always carries with him.
It was still there but mixed with the smell of slightly burnt suntan lotion.
"Hey Ryla." It came out in such a loving way. I took a step back and faced him before looking at my team who were all trying to act like they weren't paying attention.
"Vega, this is the Team U.S.A. Swimming and Diving group. You can learn names later, but all of you need to know that this is Vega...my-" I hesitated, searching for the right word.
"It's complicated." I saw the look on Jordan's face when the words finished comin out of Vega's mouth.
"So you're the Vega I've heard so fondly about." Jordan gestured to the empty seat next to me. "Join us." Vega raised his eyebrows at me as if asking if he could. I nodded and sat down.
"Did you now he was coming?" Jordan whispered in my ear.
"No." I shook my head and subconsciously rubbed my ring.
"Is he the one who gave you this?" He asked, picking up my left hand.
"Yeah, he is." I smiled and saw the look on his face.
After a few seconds of us holding each others' gaze, he sighed and looked away. "I'll always have your back." He kissed my forehead and went to the bathroom.
"This just got serious." One of the girl muttered as I turned to look at everyone else.
"I think you two should talk later. The fun is happening right now." Missy lifted her eyebrows my way. I looked at Vega who was staring intently at the bathrooms and then me and back and forth again and again.
"Can we talk back at my hotel once this is over?" I whispered to him, touching his knee cap lightly to get his attention. He looked at me, smiled, and nodded.
"Let's do that."
~
After a long and fun lunch, Vega followed us all back to our hotel, and we spilt up to head to our own rooms to rest. Missy was the only other one down my hallway and followed Vega and I silently while we stood there in our own silence.
When I reached my room, I remembered that Libby, Tally, and Shyanne were waiting in there since I had given them my other keycard.
"The girls are here already, so let's go to my room to talk right away." I fixed the straps of my swim bag on my shoulders before sticking the keycard in and entering.
The three girls were sitting in the living room chatting and got quiet when they saw Vega.
"We'll be back." I said in a straight voice before leading Vega back to my room.
I heard him drag the door shut behind him. I hung up my swim bag and took my hair out of its messy braid as I turned to look at him.
"First of all, why are you here?" I asked, trying to sound as kind as possible. I started running a brush through my hair while sitting on my bed.
"It's off season. I heard you were here, and I thought that it would be the perfect time to pay you a visit. We haven't contacted each other in four years yet we've seen each other all over social media." He ran his fingertips along my dresser as he looked around my room.
"What were you expecting? I mean, did you think that I would still...love you as I did in college?" His eyes scanned all of the photos around my room.
"I was expecting a talk, but if the love you speak of, was, is true love, then wouldn't you still love me?" I stared at him.
"I'm not going to jump into a relationship." There was no way I was admitting or denying his statement.
"Oh, I know. I knew you would need time. A girl like you can't bear to waste her time on the wrong person. Let me guess." He turned to look at me, fiddling with his long fingers.
"What would you even guess at?" I asked, setting the brush aside and slung my hair behind my back.
"Jordan likes you, a lot. You're not sure if you like him back because of this small voice whispering that there's someone else out there." He took a step closer.
"Your eyes are dilated. You've got butterflies in your stomach that grow with every step I take closer to you." He took another step closer, and I sent him a hard glare even though I knew he could see right through me.
"You're blushing, and you're getting a bit clammy. I'm going to even go as far as to guess that you have to pee." Ooh, he's good. Another step closer. He had gotten through to me and stepped forward with each right guess. He knows me way to well for a guessing game.
"Your heart is starting to race. You can't seem to keep your lips wet. You're showing the signs, Ryla. Why not admit it?" He was a few inches in front of me, leaning down to be face to face.
"Admit that I'm still in love with you?" I slapped my hand over my mouth and watched as he smiled.
"I know you all too well."
"I love it." He rested his hands on my knees and looked into my eyes, staring at me intently.
"I think you spoke something wrong."
"What do you mean?" Don't you dare ruin the moment, Vega. You'll be torturing yourself.
"It." My eyes went wide, and I realized what he meant.
"No way am I saying that yet." I whispered, scooting away from him.
He smiled softly and looked down, chuckling. "This what rejection is like?" My jaw fell open, and he looked up at me, his big blue eyes no longer ice blue but dark blue, and I'm not talking about the dark blue that almost looks black when he's mad beyond compare.
I looked around my room and sighed. I scooted forward and took his face in my hands. His skin was so soft.
"No. It's what my hesitation feels like." With a deep breath, I pressed my lips to his before pulling away almost instantly. "I didn't want to do that because I was scared, but I've always been told to face my fears." His cheeks were tinted pink, but I knew that my entire face was most likely tomato red.
"So I'm your fear."
"You...were....for a while," I answered, smiling warmly at him, "but not anymore." With a smile of pearly whites, Vega kissed me yet again.
I really had a fake proposal, but others didn't. Many ended up with who they fake proposed to. Mine probably would have ended up that way if they didn't switch, but we made our own way, didn't we Vega?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The song at the beginning of the chapter is One and Only by The George Twins.
I want to dedicate this chapter to a random girl that I met at a swim meet. She was creative and was able to get anyone excited for their race. She was a great person to talk to. She had inspired me to cheer for a girl later that meet who was having trouble when having to continue swimming and so knew she would be cheering, so I kept going. This is for the two of you girls even though I do not know your names.
Well, once I finish editing this chapter, I will post the Housekeeping and Soundtrack together. I LOVE YOU ALL! GOOD NIGHT!
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MP
P.S. I just really wanted to sound like a rockstar with that part up there...