Chapter 18 Eighteen years old Sam
Eighteen years old
Sam
It’s only been three weeks since our ‘deal’ started, but I think Kath has entirely re-wired my brain.
It’s still working for swimming, but that seems to be pretty much it.
My coach and I are following the programme sent by the team in Florida, and I'm dutifully recording and submitting all my times. But the moment I step out of the pool, I just want to see Kath. It’s like our friendship has suddenly been catapulted into another dimension, and I don’t want to be around anyone else.
I jump off the bus by the park and look around for the group. I spot them on the edge of an open area, Claire lying directly in the sun, Kath and Piriyanga sheltering in the shade. Josh and Ben are kicking around a football with a few other guys.
“You made it,” Josh calls, waving to me as I walk over. “How have you been, man? Saw you got a nice haul at the World Championships. Congrats.”
“Oh thanks, it was fun.” I don’t really want to talk about the championships. I had reporters breathing down my neck for a few days, and the whole thing was overwhelming. “How was travelling?”
“It was amazing. We took trains all round Germany, then Poland. Then we went to Croatia. The beaches there are amazing. You could visit and pretend it was swimming training or something.”
I laugh. “Not sure that would fly with the coaches.”
I get sucked into the conversation about the places they’ve been to.
Some of them I’ve visited for swimming races; the World Championships are always in cool places, like Spain and China.
And I got to go to Hungary for the European Championships once.
But it’s not the same as Josh and Ben’s month-long trip around Europe.
By the sounds of it, they spent most nights drinking beer in bars and partying.
So almost the exact opposite of my trips.
“What’ve you and Kath been up to then?” Ben asks.
I freeze. Do they know? “What?” I ask, mind spinning.
“Well, it’s basically just been the two of you in London. Have you guys done anything fun or just swimming stuff?” He looks at me blankly.
“Oh, right,” I say, taking a sip of my water. Stop acting weird. “Mainly swimming. Also Kath’s been doing some volunteering at the dog shelter my mum used to work at.”
“I heard my name,” she says, sauntering over.
Kath looks beautiful, she always does. The striped sundress hugs her curves before flaring out at her hips.
Her sunglasses are perched on the top of her head, and the freckles I love so much are multiplying with each day she spends in the sun.
I can make out a spattering over her shoulders.
All I want to do is peel off that sundress and look for more freckles, a very inappropriate thought that I rapidly try to crush.
“You’ve been volunteering,” I offer. Behave, brain.
“Yeah,” she says. “I only do one or two shifts a week, but it’s enough to keep me semi-busy. I think I’ll work in a café over Christmas or something for money, but it’s been nice to just have some time off.”
The others nod along.
“How was training?” She offers me a banana.
“Thanks, KitKat.” I take it from her. “It was good. Just doing what the Florida team sent over. How long have you been here?”
“Oh, only about an hour. We can leave whenever you want. I know you have early training again tomorrow.”
“I have plans for tonight,” I whisper to her, and she giggles softly.
I walk over to drop the rubbish in the bin, passing Claire who's still lying right in the middle of the grass.
“Please tell me you at least have sun cream on,” sighs Kath, taking a seat beside her along with Josh.
“Factor fifty, baby.” Claire flicks her sunglasses off to look me up and down. “All right, golden boy. How’s it going?”
“Good.” I sit on the picnic blanket, as much in the shade as I can be, Josh joining us. “How was France?”
“Same old, same old,” she says. “It’s beautiful there. You should go sometime.”
“Maybe when I retire.” I lean down and press a kiss onto Kath’s shoulder, just on top of the freckles I was looking at earlier. Then I freeze, realising what I’ve just done. I start trying to pass it off as pushing the strap of her dress back into place, but I’m not fooling anyone.
“Sorry, what was that?” Claire sits up, pushing off her sunglasses and looking far less relaxed than she did a few moments ago.
“What?” I say, but I know my neck is betraying me. I can literally feel it beginning to get red.
“Did you see that, Josh?” she whisper-shouts. “Did he just kiss Kath?”
“Uh, no,” I try to deflect.
Kath stays silent beside me.
“You definitely did,” Josh chimes in. He’s giving me a look I can’t decipher as he frowns between the pair of us. I consider shuffling away from Kath on the grass, but eventually decide against it; I’m too comfortable where I am.
“We’re talking about this later.” Claire gives Kath a warning look as the others come over to join us. “You’re not escaping with that sorry excuse for an answer, but I’m also not going to bring it up in front of everyone.”
I’m saved from interrogation by a surprisingly competitive game of rounders. Though I spend most of it wondering if Claire is going to tackle me mid-field for information—or just continue to swing the bat in a menacing way.