I am Chloe

Chapter Nine

I'm finally done with my midterms! Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter! 

Please don't forget to comment!

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Left arm forward, right arm backward, ordered my body.

The chlorine stung my eyes, but I enjoyed looking at the deepness of the pool, nevertheless. I rarely took a breath, I wanted to enjoy every minute of 'life under water', I really enjoyed swimming. It was like a whole different world, you could do things you thought were impossible. My fingers touched the rough edge of the pool, I raised my head up to the surface and breathed.

"8.75 seconds, Henderson. A record," Coach Donovan told me proudly.

I grinned, "Are you serious?"

"My stopwatch doesn't lie," she told me with a wink.

I pushed myself upward and got out of the pool. Coach handed me a towel.

"Thanks," I told her. 

"You can thank me by joining the team, we'll practice after school,"  she said.

"I'll thank you for a towel by that?" I told her jokingly.

She chuckled, "Okay that's a bit unfair, but seriously Henderson you should. Just get any of your parents to sign this form and we're ready to go." 

"Great," I said, accepting the form.

"I really hope you can join. You're a natural, Henderson," Coach told me.

I smiled with pride. "Thanks, I hope I can too,"

I was about to head to the changing room when I stopped in my tracks, "Hey Coach?" I said.

"Yeah?" Coach replied, busy with some sheet of paper.

"Do you mind if I stay here and swim? To practice?" I asked her.

"Nope not at all, I'll be staying here till five, do your folks know?" dhe asked me.

"No, but I won't see my father until he comes home at eight," I explained.

"And your mom?"

The awkward part...

"I never saw her," I told her nonchalantly with a shrug for special effects. I liked Coach, I didn't want to embarrass her.

Coach looked hurt, "Oh I'm sorry sweetie, I didn't know."

"It's really okay, I'm over it, I always have been," I assured her.

"What if your dad comes home early?"

"He won't mind, I promise," I told her.

"I don't like this, Chloe."

"Whatever happens just blame it on me."

I avoided the rest of the conversation by throwing my towel on the plastic chair nearby, I dove head first into the pool, the cool rush of water greeted me; it tickled my ears and played with my hair.

I swam and dug till the bottom of the deep end. I turned with my back flat on the ceramic floor, arms pushing the water upward and looked up. 

I exhaled slowly and watched the bubbles fly to the surface. 

I grinned at the image, the outside world was blurry. You couldn't know what was what or who was whom, I looked to my right, the pool seemed never ending, especially with a hill-like bump that emphasized the depth.

To my left was the wall of the pool, and its sky blue ceramic tiles were soft. I scratched in my initials with the crown of my watch. C H was now forever indented in a part of a small tile.

I stayed there until my lungs hurt, I forcefully pushed myself upwards and swam till my head popped out of the water.

The swimming pool was empty; the whole room was as well. Perfect.

I practiced on my dives, strokes, and kicks until Coach told me it was time to leave. 

I wished I could do this every day.

*

I opened the apartment door with the last amount of energy I had left.

Dad wasn't home yet, I threw my backpack and swimming bag on the floor and ran to the freezer and grabbed me a bucket of chocolate ice-cream. Well it wasn't a bucket, but I liked to pretend it was.

The phone rang, and I growled in irritation. 

"Hello?" I answered.

" Chloe?" the voice on the other end said.

"Yes? Who's speaking?" I replied, shocked.

"Hey, I'm surprised you didn't recognize my voice, it's David!" he said, enthusiastically.

I paused, I wanted to hang up, but he'd tell Dad.

"Oh."

"Hey, your dad's on the way home, could you tell him he left his phone at the hospital? Wait, you know what? Forget it, I'm bringing it with me over to the flat...you don't mind, do you?"

I choked. Of course I did.

"No," I lied.

"Thanks, Chlo, I knew you'd understand. See you in a few, okay?"

"Okay," I said with a helpless quiver.

Dad entered as soon as I hung up.

"Hey, Dad," I greeted him.

He didn't say anything.

"D-David called, he said you left your phone at the hospital so he's coming over to give it to you," I said; finding trouble pronouncing his name.

No reaction.

I grabbed the bags from the floor and headed to my room. I locked the door after me, flashbacks of that night hit me so hard...

David's coming, Chloe. Dr. Chloe said.

You better get ready...