The Art - cash au -

Oblivious

Nash POV

Meeting Cameron Dallas when I was 13 changed my life. I had been swimming casually at the local YMCA but after my brief encounter with him, I started to take swimming seriously. I begged my mom to find me a coach and it took some time but she finally agreed.

I was dedicated, I did exactly as my coach instructed me. I woke up early before school and ran, I went right to the club and swam until 8pm and then I did my homework. Rinse and repeat. It didn't come easy but all the hard work and dedication paid off and I started winning local swim meets.

But things really took off in the last year, I started blowing my competition out if the water and my coach started entering me in national competitions. The Times I posted allowed me to swim in the qualifiers for world championship competition.

I qualified. I'm so close to realizing my dream. To achieving what Cameron wrote in that post card.

I'm sitting in the locker room at the world championship swimming competition. I'm scared, I have nervous butterflies going crazy in my stomach.

I always tell myself it's good to be nervous, it means that I care. It motivates me to push harder.

I reach into my bag and take out the postcard Cameron gave me 4 years ago. I read the words he wrote.

"Never give up achieving your dreams, I know I'll see you at the Olympics someday," I whisper to myself. I taped the picture we took behind it and I flip it over to look at it.

I always do this before I compete. It focuses me, it reminds me why I'm doing this. Cameron Dallas is my idol, I was so upset when I found out he had gotten injured and wouldn't be able to compete anymore.

It was the same day I met him, I remember it clearly. His eyes were bright, fresh from breaking the world record and basically cementing his spot on the U.S swim team for the Olympics. He was so nice to me, he didn't have to give me the postcard but he did.

Learning of his injury motivated me even more, it made me push myself harder. I wanted to fulfill my dream so badly, I wanted his words to come true. I want him to see me at the Olympics.

I kiss the picture and the place it back in my bag.

I'm in love with someone I only met once. I'm crazy, I know this. I've never had a boyfriend, never kissed anyone, I want Cameron. It may seem impossible but I'm determined. I know he'll be at the Olympics, he writes for Sports Illustrated, I found that out through my googling.

He kind of fell off the map after his injury but he surfaced a year ago. So my plan is to meet him while I'm there. He won't remember me, I was a 13 year old kid with pimples and braces. But I'm not anymore. He'll be mine. He has to be mine.

I stand up and head out to get warmed up.

I'm ready for this. I'm ready to fulfill my dream.

I go out and start stretching. I have my headphones in, I'm listening to my favorite Drake album. It always gets me pumped up.

I put away my phone and jump into the warm up pool, I do a few slow laps before I really start to go through the different strokes.

When I finish my warm-up I head out the main pool. I'm determined to win this competition, just like Cameron did.

They call for us to line up and I take my mark. All I picture is the gold medal around my neck, and maybe Cameron putting around my neck too.

Is it healthy to be this obsessed with someone I met once?

As soon as I hear the signal I fly off the edge. I push myself, I want to win this so much. I need to win this. I'm going to win this.

I'm going to win this and I'm going to meet Cameron and he's going to fall in love with me.