Always Been You (Ryeji Converted)

Chapter 9

"This was quite a spread -- Norma and James, you guys have outdone yourselves." Alexander stretched as he surveyed the table.

"Not over yet," Yeji said as she reached for a dish.

Jonnie looked at her in awe, "How are you still eating? Didn't you have, like, eight helpings of everything already?"

"No complaints from me," Norma said, "Less leftovers... you guys should bring some stuff home, we made way too much."

Yeji shoveled more mashed potatoes onto her plate, "It's the peak of swim season. My metabolism is on hyperdrive."

Debbie laughed, "And here I was thinking that you'd lost weight, Yeji! You are getting enough to eat over there in New York, right?"

"Definitely eating enough." Yeji smiled good-naturedly.

"So how much are you swimming these days?" Alexander asked.

"Five hours a day if we do doubles. It's a little nuts. But we shave and taper into February, so the yardage decreases until Nationals."

Alexander raised his eyebrows and shook his head, "That is a little nuts. What's 'shave and taper'? You didn't do that for age group, did you?"

Yeji shook her head, "No, we didn't. Taper is when we drop our yardage -- uh, that's how many yards we log per practice -- in a managed pace between now and February. It's a way to rest the body without losing stamina. And shaving is just shaving. We shave everything. Improves the aqua-dynamics."

Jonnie nodded, "I dated a swimmer once... The pre-shave period was, um, interesting..."

"What are you talking about?" Ryujin had been talking to Yeji's dad and caught the tail end of her brother's comment.

"Hirsute swimmers and the people they date," Yeji said with her mouth full.

Ryujin, still wounded by the knowledge that the brunette had been keeping things from her, scoffed, "Nice S.A.T. word Yeji. How long have you been waiting for an opportunity to use that in a sentence?"

She parried easily, "More often than you'd think. We have an unusually large number of hairy people on our team this year. You know, like you, Ryujin. Wild, unbridled hair, not a lot of disciplined maintenance."

The blonde crossed her arms in a huff.

Debbie clucked her tongue approvingly, "You see, Ryujin? Yeji agrees with me. You stuff all that hair under the hats. To what end?"

"I like my hair the way it is."

"Why not just tie it up?" Debbie challenged. Yeji knew of Debbie's deep hatred for the blonde's vast inventory of hats, and found it exceedingly amusing to watch Ryujin squirm.

"I'm not responsible enough to keep a hair tie."

"Then cut it, darling! SNIP! Nice and clean," Debbie made an exaggerated scissor motion with her fingers.

"Then I'll look like a boy."

"It doesn't have to be too short. What is it you young people say these days? You should own it!" Debbie nodded emphatically.

Yeji gave a lopsided grin, "You should totally cut it. I think you'll look good that way."

"Really?" Ryujin peered at the brunette, waiting for the sarcastic punchline that usually followed such statements.

Yeji blushed a little under the blonde's intense gaze. Why did I say that? She nodded casually, "Sure, better than the perpetual frat boy look you got going on."