Chapter 5 #2
True enough words for many things. Without other options, I made my way to the rack she indicated and grabbed a bathing suit, happy there were a few that looked like they would fit.
I changed quickly and stored my stuff away, my palms slick with sweat.
I’d never played a team sport, other than generic gym classes, so I didn’t even know what to expect.
“She got you, too?” a girl said from the corner. I glanced at her, finding a skinny pretty girl with light brown hair and glasses.
I smiled, admitting honestly, “She sort of caught me by surprise out there. I’m still not quite sure what I’m doing here.”
“My mom said I have to do something with myself if I want to go to college. Sarah’s mom knows my mom, so here I am.” She shrugged. “I’ll be entirely awful at this, I’m sure of it. I’m Valerie.”
I put out my hand and we shook. “Alatheia.”
“Cool name.” She walked past me, dancing a bit on her toes. “Why do our bathing suits have to go up our asses like this?”
I couldn’t disagree, since they gave me a permanent wedgie. Do they need to see our ass cheeks? I glanced around. Other than Sarah, two other girls looked comfortable, but otherwise, the rest of us lurked pathetic and uncomfortable looking.
“Okay,” Sarah said and clapped her hands.
“We have a week to get ready for our first game against Greystone. They’re just a club team, too, so no stress.
It’s not like we have to play any of those teams in Greenwich.
” Sarah frowned. “But they are about as good as we will be, which is to say that we are all terrible. Everyone, in the water. Let’s go.
” She clapped again, and I wondered if someone should get her a whistle.
Imagining her whistling for my attention, I frowned and realized I didn’t really want that at all.
We headed back out to the water, the smell of chlorine biting at my nose. They had a smaller practice pool and the playing pool. Overall, the room seemed so much quieter than when the water polo team played, save for two people who were sitting in the stands—Julian and Jeremy.
“No,” Sarah yelled at them, gesturing with her thumb at the door. “Out. I won’t have you here during my practice, Lents. No way. Go deal with your own team. Your varsity team. Leave mine alone.”
Jeremy rose to his feet. “We’ll leave, but this is fucking ridiculous, Sarah. The room is open to the whole school. I could sit here all day every day if I wanted.”
“Really?” She stormed over to him, facing off toe to toe. “Is that why I can’t use this pool when you’re using it? Is that why I have to cancel my practices if you need times I have already reserved?”
The twins hated water polo; they were only captains because it was one of the things they had to do for the family. Still, I didn’t get the impression Sarah understood that about them. Does she actually believe they are. . .forcing her out?
“I don’t make the rules.” Jeremy said then shook his head. “I can promise you I have never purposefully taken the pool when you wanted it. We practice at five-thirty in the morning, and I don’t make association rules about when and where we play games.”
They shouted the words at each other, so Julian grabbed Jeremy by the arm and tugged him. “We’re going but we’re not leaving. We’ll be waiting outside.”
“Why?” she laughed. “I am not going to let your friend drown. Is she one of your girlfriends? Whatever. I don’t care. Go, out.”
Julian laughed. “You can’t ban us from the hallway.”
Sarah turned around, hands on hips again. “Everyone in the pool. We’re swimming laps. Now.”
I jumped in the pool, terrified not to obey her.
I probably would do whatever Sarah wanted, especially if she kept barking orders.
Cold water stole my breath, so I shrieked when I came up for air, startled.
I wasn’t alone. Several of the girls, Valerie included, yelped some version of the same surprised shriek.
“We won’t feel it if we swim,” Sarah pointed out, jumping in without any startlement whatsoever. “Let’s move.”
We started to swim, and I realized I wouldn’t possibly be able to keep up.
Somehow, I didn’t drown. I could barely tread water for the amount of time they wanted let alone sprint across the pool, but I managed not to die.
The starters were set, with one goalie and six players.
Sarah needed a requisite amount of alternates, though, to give her main players breaks.
I hoped no one ever needed a break during a game, since I would be utterly happy never seeing another drop of water.
Still, I survived the practice, and pride made me feel good about it. We didn’t have another practice for two days, so I would get a break—because the boys hogged the pool, in Sarah’s words.
“Good work, Al.”
I blinked. Does she mean me? Sarah patted me on the shoulder. “I thought you might just be a warm body, but you have heart. I’ll make you into a helluva polo player.”
In that moment, I wanted to prove her right.
“Showers, ladies,” she shouted. “Then you can go home.”
Al? No one calls me Al. My cheeks heated, but I liked having a nickname, even if it was a terrifically masculine one.
The hot shower water felt so good against my frozen skin from the pool, easing my muscles and making me sigh.
I would have to get tougher if I wanted to survive the sport, I realized.
I no sooner had I closed my eyes than the shower curtain was ripped back, the clank of the rings on the curtain making a clatter.
A girl I’d never seen before stared at me, her lips curled in disgust. Blonde, blue eyed, and dressed to the nines, her expensive black shoes matched the rest of her black outfit.
Her beauty could likely make most men gasp, and I certainly did.
Then I grabbed my towel, covering myself quickly.
“Which one are you dating?” she shouted, pointing her finger at me in judgement. She wasn’t on the team, so I didn’t even know why she was in the showers.
I wrapped myself in the soaked towel, water still streaming around me, and tried to get around her but she shoved me back, not letting me pass. “Which one are you dating? Because Jeremy Lent is mine.”
“What?” I managed to squeak. “What are you doing? What do you want from me?”
She repeated, getting in my face, “I asked you a question. Jeremy is mine. You are not with him.”
Jeremy is hers? What the fuck? Did anyone tell him?
“Hey, Maggie,” Sarah said, also totally naked but obviously not concerned by the fact as she posed with her hands on her hips as boldly as normal.
“Go away. Jeremy Lent isn’t yours, and he never was.
Sorry if you thought so, but you don’t belong in here harassing my team.
If you bother my player again, I’ll shove your face in the toilet. ”
Maggie’s eyes widened, possibly startled by Sarah’s nudity. Regardless, she ran, and I blew out a relieved breath. A lot of traumas had marked my life so far, but assaulted in the shower was a new one.
Sarah frowned at me as I stood there still shaking with a combo of fear and fury. “You take a lot of shit, don’t you? Between the uncle thing and now the Lents…I don’t know your story, Al, but no one fucks with my friends or my players. Maybe you will eventually be both since you’re already one.”
I’d never know what I would have said in response, because she stormed away as boldly as she did everything else.
With my heart racing, I sank to the floor, since it felt like the strength went entirely out of my legs. I only needed a few seconds to catch my breath, but I determined that Sarah would be my friend.
I almost giggled. I certainly don’t want her to be my enemy.
With my hair still soaked, I exited the locker room carrying a bag with four Pullman swimsuits.
“Hey…” Julian offered his hand, and I was too exhausted and overwhelmed to concern myself with whether or not I should take it. I entwined our fingers and he drew me against him.
“Lents,” Sarah said as she approached. “Your friend just got assaulted in the shower because Maggie Benty thinks that you’re hers, Jeremy. You might want to do something about that, but for now, I stopped it.”
She stopped to punch my shoulder on her way past. “Good job today, Al. See you.”
I didn’t have time to soak up her positive attention since Jeremy whirled me around, his hands on my shoulders. “What? Are you okay?”
Julian didn’t release me, even when I tried to shake off his grasp. “Are you?” He shook his head, before shooting a glare at his brother. “You should have known better than to dip your dick in crazy. Seriously, dude.”
I took my hand back to cover my ears. “Don’t want to hear that.”
Jeremy shoved his brother. “Don’t talk like that around her.”
“It’s the truth. Handle it. Tell us what happened.” He tucked me against him protectively, and I took advantage of the position to inhale his scent. “But let’s do it over dinner since you’ve had a very long day. You require some Chinese food and maybe a drink.”
Jeremy turned his back on us for a second, his shoulders looking tense. “Tell us, please, what exactly happened, Princess.”
I would take the food and pass on the drink. I didn’t think I would ever feel safe enough to risk drinking after I saw what it did to others.
I explained, “She was crazy, if I’m honest. I’ve never seen this girl before, then she yanked open the shower curtain and screamed at me. She asked me who I was dating, then explained how Jeremy was hers. Sarah got rid of her for me. She said she would shove her head in the toilet.”
Julian laughed, then caught himself, trying to keep his expression serious.
“Sorry. It’s not funny. What happened to you is awful, but Sarah absolutely would shove her head in the toilet.
She used to shove Jeremy’s head in the toilet when we were kids.
She doesn’t play around or make toilet threats she doesn’t mean. ”