No Salt

26- Middle Finger Up

I stepped into the house and immediately set my bag down, relief coming to my shoulders.

After the beach work out for practice, Brooker had given me tones of shit for the comp coming up.

Nora walked into the living room just as I set the bag down, confusion flooded her face for a moment as she looked at the bag before making her way to the balcony.

I followed, knowing she wouldn't bother talking to me if I didn't talk to her.

It was like a game that Nora didn't want to play.

She wanted to talk to me, wanted me to kiss her a few days ago in the bathroom. But I was a brookie and her being around one was unexpectable.

"Hey." I said walking out to the living room balcony

"Hey." she replied keeping her eyes on the ocean, "how was practice?"

"Good." I said with a head nod, trying not to think of the constant conversations Josh and kia had had about Nora "How was yours?"

Nora let out a sigh of disgust, looking at me out of the corner of her eye before looking back out at the ocean.

"Good if your girl friend didn't flip me off infront of my O'Neil boss." She replied

"Yeah, Kia's definitely not my girlfriend." I replied thinking, how I could never stand her constant attachment and need for attention.

"She flirts with you like she's your girlfriend." Nora stated

I laughed slightly turning towards Nora to look at her.

"That's not flirting, thats being annoying. What we do is flirting." I stated watching as her cheeks flushed red for a moment.

I smiled at her reaction, though she had limited our time spent together the feelings were evident when we did get a chance to be together.

Nora shifted where she stood, looking out at the ocean she squinted her eyes with the sun light.

"You surfing in the upcoming comp?" Nora asked keeping her eyes on the ocean

I nodded my head, not taking my gaze off of her.

"Yeah, Brooker signed me up. I'll be in a heat with Josh, Luke, and Ryan." I explained remembering what the sheet looked like that Kia showed me

Nora looked at me, a small smile resting on her face.

"You should kick Ryans ass, he needs an ego check." She stated

I laughed, Nora soon joining me. I'd grown close with all of Nora's friends in the time I'd been here. It almost made me not want to leave, but now none of them were really speaking to me.

Luke did occasionally at work, but otherwise it seemed like I was forgotten about.

Nora, though it was hard, could see past me being a brookie. But to her friends and the rest of the Masters swimmers, I'd joined the dark side.

"How do you think you're going to do at the competition?" I asked

Nora just shrugged, "I'm sure I'll place." Was all she said not getting over cocky about how good she was.

There was no 'it'll be easy' or 'I'm sure I'll get first' it was 'I'm sure I'll place'

But I almost wanted her to have that ego every now and then, she spent so much time down playing her skills.

"Oh come on, you'll place? Babe I'm sure you'll get first let's be honest." I stated

Nora stepped towards me shrugging.

"I'm sure I'll place." She said again, as if it was bad luck to say she'd get first.

Realizing how close we had gotten when she stepped forward, Nora averted her eyes to the floor.

It was so cute when she got all embarrassed by how our bodies reacted to each other.

"Ok, sure, you'll place." I said

"And being a brookie I'm sure you'll place." Nora stated taking a step back like she suddently remembered I was a brookie.

I rolled my eyes.

"Nora come on, drop the whole me being a brookie thing. I'm not going to cheat, I'm going to win fair and square." I replied

Nora shook her head, some sudden anger coursing through her.

"I said you'd place, not win. You might not cheat but all the other brookies do. Josh will be on the top of that podium, even if you surf better than him."

"Well how would Brooker get me recognized if he did that?" I said thinking my question was fair.

Nora scuffed.

"Drop the whole sponsorship thing, it's not that important alright?" She exclaimed making her way towards the door.

"Yeah it looks great, maybe cool. But there is so much other shit that I have to do with it. It doesn't make you more popular, it doesn't make you much more money. All it is, is an extra weight of stress. If you love surfing so much just make it a hobby." She stated before turning and leaving the balcony.

I looked at her, almost confused.

Where the hell did that come from?

She had been almost bipolar since Josh had walked her home the other night.

One minute everything was fine and the next it was, well not fine.

Almost like she was unwillingly trying to protect herself from something.

Was she just scared of a relationship?

Or was it the thought of being in a relationship with a brookie that really set her off.

I got a weird taste in my mouth thinking about the walk home Nora and Josh had.

The hitting comment, the way she reacted whenever he was around.

I think I'd known it all along but I was just now really beginning to piece it together.

I sort of grinned my teeth together, thinking of the way Josh had treated Nora when they were dating.

Thinking about what could have possibly happened on that walk home.

I should have realized it that night, but I didn't. How could I? She locked me out, wouldnt speak to me. Never even came out for dinner.

I sighed

I just had to put up with Josh till Brooker got me a deal.

Maybe the deal wasn't important to Nora because she's rich, but it was important to me.

And I knew that if i didn't put up with Josh and Kia, hang out with the more popular brookies... Brooker would ignore me.

Words: 1054