I sucked my bottom lip in, a natural habit, and breathe all the extra air out of my lung then expanded my stomach for a large inhale. *BANG*
Everyone lunged into the blue abyss. The first little drops of water on my finger tips as I dove in sparked my flailing arms as the race perused. The girls were good, especially Blanche, she was fast, strong but I was stronger. Her swim style was a confusing one, I couldn’t tell if she was swimming a full speed or just holding back to watch what I would do. So to press the game a little further I picked up speed, nothing where all my energy would go but just enough to answer my little question. Like expected she picked up to her full speed pulling a few inches in front of me. I could see the white trim of the edge only a few strokes away so I hit the switch on my conserved nitro and hit the wall before anyone else did.
The cheers from our side almost raised the whole roof off the gym. I pulled my goggles off, slicking my hair back as I wadded into the water and enjoyed the victory. I looked down to Regan who had already gotten out of the pool and had a white towel wrapped around her. I turned my attention to Abby who was up on her feet cheering. Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to me.
“Corrine, Let me speak to you” Coach pulled me aside as I made it back to the bench where all my teammates were up and ready to congratulate me.
“Yea wassup Coach” Coach nodded his head to the side of the bleachers. I followed him where he turned around to me, laid his hands on my shoulders and looked at me seriously.
“I’m taking Regan out” he blurted out.
“We can’t do that, we would upset the balance” I began but he shook his head.
“She held back, she wasn’t even close to winning. She came in 4th” He went on.
“I saw it on the board, keep her in Coach, we can’t rock the boat on this game” I defended on. “Regan has busted her ass for 4 years on this team to make the Olympics she would never throw a race not for anyone, not even for me.” Coach thought for a minute, he scratched his beard.
“I’ll make it your call Corrine but she’s your problem.” He said after awhile. I nodded my head slowly. My head was so wrapped into what Blanche was doing that I didn’t even see how Regan was, she was pissed and wanted me gone but I would never think she would throw a race. That would screw with her career after College, that pill I wasn’t going to swallow. As coach and I walked back to the girls I was encase in hugs and kisses.
“Alright guys, I started the pace. Now keep it” I yelled. I sat on the bench bringing the towel over my head and began drying my hair.
“Here’s the butterfly, Tess and Donna, you guys are up” Coach looked down at his clip board. The girls hollered. I grabbed some jogging pants and placed them over my suit. The race began off quickly, Tess pulling in front and Donna right behind her. Tess was a perfect fit for the butterfly her broad shoulders seem to be well sculpted and I couldn’t hide the proud on my face when she touched the end first and Donna second.
“Yes!!!!” I jumped up from the bench as the crowd lost their minds once more. I looked over my shoulder at Abby who was taking her sweet time in puckering her lips and blowing me a kiss. I could feel my face getting hot.
“Back Stroke, Regan and Francine, this is you” Coach screamed from behind him. I walked up next to coach who was standing at the side of the pool where all the action could be seen. I wanted to take the time to watch Regan, I needed to see with my own eyes that she was lagging, and trying to blow the meet for us.
The swimmers steadied themselves, now in their stance they waited potentially for the gun to sound their departure into the water. When it came I had to plant my feet into the ground to keep from jumping in the water, swimmer’s instinct. Regan was the last one into the water, my stomach sank. Never have I ever seen Regan be the last at anything. Granted it was a millisecond but at the end it was what counted the most. Francine was swimming with everything she had and was still coming up short with the other girl who was at least a stroke ahead. Regan wasn’t no where near to a lead, which this race was rested on her to bag the 1st place when I knew that Francine was strong enough to be a for sure for 2nd. When the race ended 2nd and 4th was what we were seeing.
My face was hot, my jaw clenched and I could feel the muscles in my back tightening. She was THROWING THE RACE. Now, you don’t even have to be an teammate or even an athlete for this to boil into your blood. It was like an unspoken code, a rule that was broken and this was an unspeakable act. Coach, who was standing beside me, eyes zoomed in on me. I turned slowly to him, my head lifting up to him.
“She’s your problem” he began. I held my hand up for him to be quiet.
“Someone said once to me that they don’t chase their problems” I replied. “They solve them, and that’s what I’m gonna do” I turned and walked away from him. Regan was getting up out of the pool toweling herself off, she began walking to the benches but I blocked her way.
“Coach’s office, now” I gritted through my teeth. Regan stare was blank as if she was looking through me like she didn’t give a damn that she was jeopardizing the team.
“We are in the middle of a meet” She made a motion to walk around me but my hand grabbed her arm. Regan was surprised, she opened her mouth to say something but the look on my face shut her up.
“Now” I finished letting go and walking to the locker room hallway where Coach’s office would be. Mike and Abby were standing their arms crossed and their eyes were staring at me as if giving me ‘you know what you have to do’ look. I glanced at them then back straight ahead where I disappeared through the double doors.
--
Regan walked into the room, her towel wrapped around her neck. She smiled when she entered and closed the door after herself. I motioned to seat that sat in front of Coach’s desk.
“Sit” I told her.
“Kiss my ass” she answered me. “ You can go….” I grabbed a stack of papers off of Coach’s desk and slammed them against the wall causing the paper to scatter everywhere.
“I said sit” I yelled. Regan eyes were wide, without another word she took a seat and stared hard at me as I walked back and forth contemplating my words.
“aye Captain” she saluted me with a sarcastic smirk.
“While you sit here I don’t want to hear not one fucking word come out of you mouth.” I pushed my hands into my pocket. “If you even so much as look as you want to speak I swear to you now I will beat the words right out of you.” Regan bit her lower lip. She knew I wasn’t joking, not at this point and any threat given would be made good on. She nodded her head for me to continue.
“Okay I’m listening” she said quietly.
“Yes, for the last 3 years you were captain of this team and Yes, you were very successful.” I began I rested my hands on the desk and bared down on Regan. “But times has changed and I wear the ‘C’ on my chest. And to tell you the truth Regan its for the better because some how, some way you have found it okay to your needs before you teammates. How could you do that to them? What where you thinking?”
“That they are fucking, stupid bitches for allowing some outsider to come in and take the title that I had slaved over for years. I did everything for them.” Regan screamed but it was okay, this was the reaction I was looking for because it bared the truth.
“Everything they did for you, Regan” I interrupted. “When they were interviewed it was you that people talked to. It was you in the front place, the spotlight.
