I am Chloe

Chapter Twenty One

In and out, Chloe, in and out.

I stepped on the racing plank on the corner of the pool and put on my painful goggles, the swimming cap bothered me even more. I turned behind me to see Coach clapping for me while nodding her head. I turned to my left to see five other girls on their planks; they looked big and tough, or as I liked to call them, he girls. I looked in the crowd of people sitting at the bleachers; a face I used to hate caught my eye, leaving me with a smile across my face as I waved quickly at my father. The refereeblew the whistle, all the swimmers bent down, in and out, in and out, my mind repeated.

"I can do this, I can do this." I whispered to myself, I dove into the pool as soon as I heard the gunshot. I did as Coach said, I didn't pay attention to the swimmers next to me. I swam and swam as if I were on my own, in my own world. I kicked my legs so hard and circled my arms over and over again, pretending to run away from some sort of shark. I summersaulted once I reached the end and stuck my head out for air, I saw the shark right behind me, I panicked and swam like never before. I didn't know what an adrenaline rush felt like, but it I could sense it now, and the edge of the pool was just a couple of inches away from me. 

I'm getting away from you, I thought, with two more strokes and four more kicks I made it to the end. I touched the edge of the pool breathing heavily. Coach grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the pool, "Congrats, Henderson, second place. These girls have been practicing their whole life so tome, you're a winner." Coach said with a wink. I smiled at her; second place, who knew?

"Chloe, are you okay?" Coach Donovan asked me looking worried, I nodded my head a couple of times while shivering. I saw my father stand up from the bleachers heading to where Coach and I were, "That's my father," I told Coach while pointing to Dad. Coach whistled, "that's quite a father you got there." I wrinkled my nose as Coach laughed. 

"I'm Dr. William Henderson, Chloe's father." Dad said while sticking his hand out for my coach to shake. "A doctor? Enchantuer." Coach said shyly while shaking his hand; Dad was thirty five and she was like forty five. It was pretty funny.

"So how is my champion doing?" he turned to ask me.

"Dad, I'm in second place." I reminded him while taking off my swimming cap.

"Yeah but these girls where probably on steroids." Dad said, and a rival coach nearby scoffed at my father. Dad laughed at her and muttered something under his breath that left Coach laughing so hard and the other woman beetroot red.  

"Hey, wanna grab some pizza afterwards? As a victory dinner?" he asked me as we walked away from the pool.

"Sure, I'm starving!"

"I can tell."

"By the way, who won?" 

"That girl, shocker huh?" Dad said while pointing at a girl twice my size.

Dad grinned widely, "but you nearly outraced her." 

I shrugged, "then I'll beat her next time."

Dad laughed and put his arm around me, not minding how wet I was.

*

The diner was pretty empty; Dad and I got in and got greeted by the waitress. we sat at one of the booths at the middle of the diner since my hair was semi-wet and it was warmer there. The waitress came up to us with a bubbly smile and handed us our menus, she looked at my medal hanging from my neck.

"Wow, that's a lovely medal! Swimming?" she asked.

Dad smiled at her, "second place, first if the pool was a bit longer and the champion was a bit shorter." The waitress giggled, "But it doesn't matter as long as she's enjoying it," he said as he gave me a quick wink. 

"Well congratulations, sweetheart, for that I'll give you a free chocolate cake for dessert!" she told me.

"Thank you," I said while grinning.

Dad took out his ringing phone from his pocket; "Hey, Rick....yeah I'm at Sal's the diner...you know that place?.... alright I'll see you soon."

I pretended to be interested in the menu, although I knew what I wanted. "So, you're ready to order?" Dad asked, "yep." 

Dad called the waitress over to take our orders, the waitress kept staring at my father even when we were done ordering. I guess my father was used to it. I man in his forties got in the diner; he stopped at our table to greet my father. I guessed he was Rick. 

"Hi, you must be Chloe, right?" he asked. His blue eyes were friendly, and the wrinkles around his eyes made him look friendlier. He seemed to be a dad.

"Yes, I am." I told him.

"Richard here is our -well my- lawyer," Dad pointed out.

"Lawyer?" I repeated. 

"For the case against David Flynn. It's okay, sweetie, you don't need to worry, you won't have to see him again because well...he confessed." Richard explained.

"What?" My father yelled out in disbelief. He hugged Richard in victory, "Hey, we'll never have to see him anymore," Dad told me. I smiled at him, and he looked like the happiest person alive.

"I'm really glad, Dad."

"So, I'll see you two in court? Don't worry, Chloe, it's just for one day," Rick said.

"Yeah, we'll see you there," I confirmed.

"Great, well I gotta get going, sorry." Rick said.

"Yeah sure, we'll see you soon," my father said. 

I grabbed a slice of hot cheesy pizza, "He seems like a great lawyer,". 

Dad grabbed a slice as well, "He is, strange enough, he's your mother's brother in law. But he's a great guy."

That guy has seen my mother and I haven't.

"Strange indeed," I told Dad with a wink, Dad laughed at me. 

"She saw you, by the way, your mother..." 

I stopped chewing my pizza, "What did she say?" 

"She only said you look like me, and that's it. Well not really, she told me she didn't want to see you again. I don't know why but we both know how much of a bitc-erm, brat she is."

I chuckled at that, but deep inside me it hurt me so much; why didn't she want to see me? 

But just as Dad said: once a brat, always a brat.

And I was a brat's daughter.