Waves

CHAPTER 021

(this is the pool but much bigger)

NORA

At the end of the day after choir, Nora walked with Xander, Adam, and Keitan across the school grounds to the pool. She was nervous for their first day swimming, especially since her shoulder wound had darkened to a deep purple bruise and was giving her quite a bit of grief.

"How's your shoulder?" Adam asked as they walked. He and the others had already heard the story of Nora's encounter with Olivia Bell, and each of them had taken their chance to voice their annoyance at the girl who'd been trying to worm her way into their group since the fifth year.

"It's alright," Nora lied. In reality, it was really hurting her, but she chose to ignore the pain.

Xander was a bit more skeptical than Adam and Nora caught him shooting her a knowing look, but she turned her head away before her eyes betrayed her.

The group entered the gym and Nora went to the lockers for the third time that day to change. She changed in a stall and locked the door for fear of someone deciding to intrude on her. It seemed like just the sort of thing that Miss Olivia Bell would do.

She walked back out of the locker rooms only a moment later, and came face to face with Xander as he also appeared from the guy's room, Adam and Keitan behind him. Except while they were in tight board shorts, Xander was wearing a speedo.

Why was she not surprised?

Adam saw Nora's amused face and chuckled at her. He walked over to stand beside her and said, "Xander thinks that it makes him faster. That's why he shaves his legs, too. All the guys tease him for it, feel free to join in."

Nora giggled.

"What else do they tease him for?" She asked curiously.

"Well they used to tease him for his height, but now you're the shortest in our group, so I suppose that'll land on you, Tiny."

Nora looked up at Adam and shoved him lightly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Adam was a tall, gangly sort of guy, the kind that would be very good at running. While on the other hand, Xander was short and stocky, but extremely well muscled. Keitan was broad like a football player, and he had an average height.

Nora wrapped her arms around her thin stomach and then grabbed a pair of light purple goggles from the table beside her and Adam. She watched as Adam delicately picked out his own set, a black and red design that looked like it would fit him perfectly.

"Grab a cap, too," Adam pointed at the row of swimming caps all wrapped up neatly in their plastic packaging. Nora chose a purple one of the same shade.

"Alright, class!" Mr. Hansen, the physical education teacher, clapped his hands together loudly to gain the class's attention. The sound echoed around the room for a while because it was a pool area, "Today we're going to be doing our first swimming lesson. Anyone and everyone who doesn't know how to swim well will go with me and start learning. Everyone else, start swimming laps."

Xander was the first in the pool. He made a large splash as he landed foot first into the lap side of the pool. When his head resurfaced, he made a gesture at Adam, Keitan, and Nora to join him.

Nora unwrapped the plastic over the top of the swim cap and stared at it for a moment, wondering how to fit all of her hair into it.

"Here," Adam's hands wrapped around her own and pulled her own away. He tied her hair expertly into a ponytail and then spread the swim cap over the top flawlessly.

"Wow, thanks," Nora touched her head to feel the cap.

"You're welcome. I have three sisters and two are on the swim team," Adam explained, "So I got used to it after a while."

"Cool."

Nora and Adam both trotted to the pool, and Nora forced herself to jump straight in even though the water was freezing. She would have to get used to doing that eventually.

Xander waited, treading water slowly, for the other three to reach where he was in the middle of the lane. The four were the first in the water; everyone else was warming up to it slowly.

"How good is your Aussie Crawl?" Xander asked Nora.

She shrugged. It had improved a lot since Mouse, Harrison, Maxi, and Jesse had all taken it upon themselves to teach her. "Better than it used to be," She said honestly.

"Let me see it."

"Uh, don't laugh," Nora told him nervously.

"Trust me, I won't."

Nora turned and allowed herself to fall into the stroke and felt her body relax as she began to swim. And in less than a moment, she had reached the other side of the pool.

"How was that?" Nora asked, surprisingly not even remotely out of breath.

Xander, Adam, and Keitan were all staring at her.

"If you can keep that up for a couple more laps, you're gonna knock me out of position as the team captain," Keitan told her bluntly.

Xander and Adam nodded in silent agreement.

Nora grinned.