Swim like Hell

° .• Chapter Ten ° .•

Alec's POV:

Bruised ribs hurt like a bitch.

I didn't realise bruising a bone felt so much worse than just bruising your skin. It obviously made sense, it was bone, but I thought it couldn't be much different; A bruise is a bruise. Yet, despite pain medication, every time I breathed a little too deeply, a stabbing pain flowed through my side causing me to almost double over.

My parents ended up taking me home after I was discharged and made sure I was okay before returning to their work which totally didn't hurt more than my ribs did but at least Isaac had been keeping me company. I had noticed when I headed down to the basement yesterday to do my leg workouts that there was now padded matts across the floor so at least they cared slightly.

Not being able to swim was the biggest nightmare of this whole situation though. I still attended every training session and done my leg workouts by the pool, but it felt horrible to watch all my teammates train whilst I was stuck on the side-lines. I missed swimming and I missed being in the water, feeling weightless. Without it, gravity and all my problems felt ten times heavier on my shoulders.

What made the situation even worse was Elijah's swim team would be at our pool today for some 'friendly' competition and I couldn't participate. I'd be stuck watching them whilst they glanced at me like an animal in the zoo.

Which brought me to now. I sat in the slightly more busy than normal car park, cradling my ribs as I adjusted myself in my seat. It had only been a week since the ordeal between Elijah and I as well as bruising my ribs. I'd already spotted his car making me even more unwilling to go inside but as the time blinked on the dash showing I was already three minutes late; I knew coach Morgan would kill me if I stayed out here any longer.

Coach Morgan visited me the day after everything as Isaac had said, making sure I was okay before borderline threatening to bruise the other side of my ribs for worrying her like that. By the end of her visit, we had agreed on my training plan whilst I was stuck on dry land and she had softened up to me, no longer chucking what I hoped to be empty threats my direction.

Picking up my new iPhone my parents bought me, I also took my car keys out the ignition and opened to door to get out. It was a bit of a struggle and the small hiss of pain I made didn't go a miss. I was growing agitated at how incompetent I felt leading to a harsher than needed slam to my car door.

Sighing aloud, I looked up to the sky in defeat.

I hated this.

I hated everything.

Why me?

Choosing to dismiss my previous actions, I locked my car and turned on my heel, heading towards the pool. Everything is fine, cool exterior. I couldn't show everything that was currently going on was affecting me. I had to pretend. Maybe then I'd believe it too.

Stoney faced, I went onto poolside, ignoring all the faces snapping my way. Just great. No one was swimming as they were all currently listening to the coaches' instructions. Following everyone's stare, I noticed both coaches turn their heads my way. I already knew from Morgan's face that I was about to get my ass handed to me in front of everyone. I refrained from groaning aloud, as if this situation wasn't embarrassing enough already.

"Well, if it isn't the man himself. Just because you are injured doesn't mean you can slack off and show up any time you want! Do you like showing me up? Is that it? Because you're certainly making me look like a push around. You know how important today is Alec," Morgan began, ranting on as she approached me.

"I'm sorry," I began more quietly so only she could hear me, fully aware of everyone watching including Elijah, "I was in a lot of pain when I got here and struggled to get out my car."