(Kai's POV)
I was practically soaring through the water, arm over arm, kick after kick. To me, I wasn't exerting myself, I was just swimming.
I was by myself.
Why?
I ended up calling coach and telling him that I changed my mind. I didn't want anyone but him knowing I was coming back.
Why?
After some thought, I realized that some of the guys are good friends with Carson and, that as soon as they saw me, they'd tell him. I didn't need him coming to watch me practice to try and get in my head. I didn't need to hear him run his mouth.
"Looking good, Champ." Coach Archer said as I finished my last lap.
"I can do better." I panted as I took off my goggles.
"Do better? Son, that's the best I've ever seen anyone swim. You're even swimming better than you did at your last competition."
I shook my head. "Nah, I can do better. Be faster."
"Whatever you say. Ten more and then you're done for the day. Yeah?"
"Yeah." I nodded, putting my goggles back on.
Soon after I finished my laps, I was standing in the shower in the locker room. I had my hands pressed against the wall and my head leaned down so the water streamed down between the blades of my back.
I was almost done when Coach came in.
"You got a visitor out here."
I turned to look at him through the water.
"Who?"
"Told me her name was Fi." He said.
"Give me five." I said.
"Sure thing."
I quickly finished my shower and got dressed. I pulled on a sleeveless hoodie as I walked out to find her. She was sitting in one of the chairs off to the side of the pool.
She wore jeans, a sea-green shirt, and white tennis shoes. Her hair was put up in a high ponytail and, like always, she had on zero makeup.
"Hey." I said causing her to jump a little.
"Hi." She smiled.
"Where's Titan?" I asked noticing that he wasn't with her.
"I left him at home today."
"Then how'd you..."
"Get here? A taxi and my white cane. It's in my bag." She smiled.
"So what brings you here?" I asked sitting beside her.
"You told me we were going on an adventure."
"I did, didn't I."
"You forgot." She grinned.
"Maybe."
"We don't have to go."
"No, it's fine. We can go." I said just as coach came over.
"Same time tomorrow?" He asked me.
He already knew that, but I'm guessing he was interested in finding out who Fi was.
"Yeah."
"Hi. I'm Josephine." Fi smiled holding out her hand.
"Nice to meet you. You can call Coach Archer or just Archer. How do you know my champion here?"
"We're neighbors and he's my swimming teacher." Fi said.
"Teacher?"
"She didn't know how to swim so I taught her." I explained.
"Awful nice of you."
I shrugged.
"Well I won't keep you. Nice to meet you Josephine. Come back anytime."
"Thank you and you too."
I grabbed her hand in mine and led her towards the door.
"He seems nice." She said as I opened the car door for her.
"He is."
I got in the drivers seat and started the car.
"Where too first?" Fi asked.
"Lunch/Dinner?" I asked once I saw the time.
"Sounds good to me. You pick the place. I'm not that picky."
"Alright then. I know just the place."
I took her to a local diner for a quick bite to eat before heading to our next destination.
"Where are we?" She asked once we arrived.
"Careful, the ground is a bit rough." I said holding her hand.
"Kai,"
"I want to introduce you to someone." I said.
"What? Who?" She asked, a look of panic crossing over her face.
"A friend."
"A friend?"
"Yeah."
She followed closely behind me, holding my hand the whole way until I came to a stop.
It was quiet for a minute before she spoke.
"We're at a cemetery aren't we?" She asked softly.
"Yeah." I said as I looked down at Mason's headstone.
"Mason, right?"
"Yeah. Thought my current best friend should meet my....."
"Mason?"
I smirked. "Yeah, my Mason."
Josephine used my hands as a guide as she came to stand in front of me, so that she was facing his headstone.
"Hello Mason. I'm Josephine. Josephine Hope Waters, but you can call me Fi." She said with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you from Kai."
I sat down on the ground and she followed suit.
"He talks about you a lot from time to time. I can tell that he misses you, but don't you worry. I'll keep and eye on him and take care of him." She continued. "He went through a rough patch once you....left, but I think he's good now. He's back to swimming now. Going to try for the Olympics. I haven't seen him swim, but I've heard it and I can just imagine how good he is. He's got a lot of people on his side. He's got Austin, his parents, Austin's parents, his coach, your parents, and he's got me now. So don't you worry. We got him."
I wiped away the tear that had escaped.
"He seems a bit rough around the edges and a bit prickly when you first meet him. I'm not sure if that's how he was with you, but it's okay. I don't give up so easily. He doesn't know it yet, but he's stuck with me for life now. There's no escaping. He's got to be my best friend forever and ever. Plus he promised to take me to Hawaii on a vacation, so I'm not going anywhere." She joked.
She continued talking to him for a while before we fell into silence. I gently grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. Then she was sitting with her back against my chest and arm wrapped around her.
"Thank you." I whispered against the side of her head.
She shook her head. "No need. Like I told Mason, you're stuck with me."
As I sat there with my two best friends, I was content. I didn't feel like Fi was replacing Mason. I felt like Mason sent Fi into my life.
She somehow got in and stuck like glue. I wasn't complaining though. She was at that point my best friend, besides Austin.
But deep down, I was slowly beginning to feel like she was becoming more than that.