The Reason To Swim (A Free! Iwatobi Swim Club fanfiction)

Chapter 1: Another Day, Another Reunion with Old Friends.

"Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." -Charles Swindoll

I turn on the tv and look at my clock. Almost 6:00am... The news flashes across the mute screen, the bits of the nightmare I just had slipping away every second. I'm Sakurami Amaya, 17 years old. Today would be my second day of school. I was just hoping I wouldn't get a nightmare within the first week, though! I just get this weird feeling that I get bad luck the rest of the day when I have one, although that never happens. Maybe I'm just paranoid? Whatever. Hmm, something about me? I used to swim in a club when I was little...a lot. And it was great, I made tons of friends and everything. My coach would tell me how I seemed to get better and better.

I get into my uniform, my shirt, skirt, then sweater over it all. I want to have a good start to this year (which impossible if we have to wake up this early). I nearly left the room before I realize that I accidentally put on my red bowtie. "Uh ohh." I sing to myself and switch it out for the green one. I'm also currently a second year at Iwatobi High School.

But one day... everything became boring. I suddenly didn't care if I got better or not. I suddenly didn't want to improve, but it would happen. This little voice on the back of my mind was urging me to become better, to beat everyone around me. Maybe it was some kind of competitive spirit? Whatever it was, I forced it to shut up. Because I just didn't have a reason to do it anymore. It didn't really make me happy, I don't remember getting any benefits from it. I lost that little spark in me.

My alarm clock going off behind me made me jump and rush to shut it off. Yay! I have time to lounge before walking to school! ^.^ I head downstairs and go straight to the cabinet, pulling out a bag of potato chips and hurrying back to my room. I eat the crispy treat as I brush and de-frizz my hair to make the waves look prettier and I made some last mintue organizations to my school bag.

And if I was supposed to be sad after the first few weeks of quitting, I wasn't. That fact gave me my final answer: It was just a hobby. Not something I wanted to get better at. So I focused on grades - I improved on the things I was never so good at - I want to get into a good college. Parents?

We don't talk about that, ever. Period.

"Hayato." I call to the room next to mine. No answer. I knock the wall a few times. "Ha~ya~to~. Oi, wake up already. Hello? Hellooooo--"

"Shut the hell up." His voice complains sleepily. Haha, I woke you up. I laugh.

"I'm going to school, so don't think I was kidnapped." I joke.

"As much as I wish you were," He begins and then takes a long yawn "just get out of here."

I walk towards the living room where the door is. "And get a job!" I hurriedly shuffle through the house and to the front door; I get my shoes on and I'm about to leave the house when I'm stopped by a tight hug around my waist. "Wah! What the-?!"

"Not so fast!" the voice begins and then it's owner lets me go. "You're not ditching me this time!"

Dammit. I turn around to see my younger sister, who will be entering the High School next year. "Okay fine, go." I let her walk through the door first.

My older brother: Sakurami Hayato. He's usually calm and easy going, but when it comes to Setsuna and I, he completely goes yangire. He's been finished with High School for a few years and is planning to move out soon.