Ace + Thorn = Love = Impossible
Chapter 4 - Acceptance
The good luck charm I had today was a brunette and the feeling we had about each other was mutual. She was using me to get back at her boyfriend and I was using her for a good luck charm. She offered to pay me money but I declined mainly because I didn’t want to further Thorn’s lectures. She readjusted her skirt and walked out. I licked my lips and walked out ready for the swimming match.
Coach pushed me towards the diving board. I turned and Thorn smiled at me from the stands. “On your mark, get set, go” someone said and then a shot was fired to get us to go. I jumped into the water and raced towards the other side. I was doing the breast stroke as fast as I could. I hit the wall and used it to turn backwards. I was racing back to the first wall as fast as I could. I reached it first and that part was over. I got out and I high fived one of my teammates.
Soon it was my turn again but to do the butterfly. I was the first to the other side but the guy next to me found a rush of adrenaline. He was speeding up. I wasn’t about to let that happen. So I gathered all of my energy and burst right in front of him. I was at the end a second before he was. Two races I’ve won so far today.
Then came the backstroke. It was the easiest out of all of them. I was flying from the beginning to the end of the pool. I used the wall to flip to turn backwards. The guy next to me got a burst of energy again. I used a burst of energy as well. We were head to head and I began to think it was going to be a tie. He turned and it looked like he smiled and he got one last burst of energy. He beat me by 10 seconds. When I finished it he was outside the pool grinning at me. A teammate of mine shook me. “Shake it off” they told me. I nodded and rubbed my hands together, thinking of insults to call my opponent… but I wouldn’t say them aloud because it would be bad sportsmanship. Instead I walked over and shook his hand.
“Good race” I smiled smugly. The smile was wiped off his face so quick it was like he was slapped. “You did an awesome job” I said smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. His fists clenched and he punched me. I was getting ready to swing back when a referee came over and pulled us back.
“You are disqualified and in Colorado, when a player is disqualified here they forfeit. Greensville high school wins” the referee yelled and blew his whistle. I gave a bunch of people high fives. Thorn came by with a guy who had a suit case in his hand.
“This is him… Ace Summers” she said and the guy nodded. He held out his hand and I showed it was still wet. He let his hand drop.
“Ace… Thorn has been telling me a lot about you. She said I should check you out by going to one of your matches” he said and I looked at Thorn. “I'm glad I came… I would hate to miss out on a swimmer as great as you. What do you say drop by my office next week say around four or five… I'm sure we can work out an arrangement” he winked and handed me a card. “Miss Kimberly” he smiled and walked off.
“Thorn I can’t believe you did this” I said smiling. She shrugged blushing, being her usual bashful stuff. “You look hot today” I said scooping her up.
“I haven’t done anything new today” she muttered confused. She looked up at me smiling and her eyes grew wide. “Don’t do it. Don’t you dare do it” and of course I did it. I jumped in the pool still holding her.
“Oh you're going to pay for this!” she yelled and swam after me. I was much faster and she hated swimming in her regular clothes. It didn’t take long to tire her out or get her to quit. She stopped and stood in the middle of the pool. I swam up to her and stood in front of her so that we were face to face. For a while we were silent; the only sounds were the moving of the pools water a small noise that barely registered in our ears.
“Hey Thorn what's up?” I asked and she smiled. I knew this question would catch her off guard.
“Nothing” she answered simply and that almost caught me off guard.
“Nope your wrong” I corrected her and she had a dumbfounded look on her face. I was doing a great job distracting her because I was lifting her up lightly and slowly. “You are” and I tossed her backwards; she screamed while flying backwards into the water. She chased after me but gave up because she was tired. She climbed onto the side of the pool and dangled her legs into the pool. I came up and bobbed in front of her. I put my feet on the floor of the pool to stand up. I looked at her smiling. She pulled off my cap and rolled it up; then smacked me with it.
“Now we are even” she said and I agreed. “Well he said he will give you the scholarship if you have a 3.5 G.P.A.… and all you have to do is bring your latest report card” she told me. This was too good to be true.
“I have a 4.0 G.P.A.… So I’m in!” I shouted happy. “Wait what's the college?” I asked and she shrugged. The fact that I was going to a college with a scholarship was good enough for me.
“You know what we should do” she asked and it was my turn to shrug. She smiled and I couldn’t wait for the answer. “Celebrate!”
Coach pushed me towards the diving board. I turned and Thorn smiled at me from the stands. “On your mark, get set, go” someone said and then a shot was fired to get us to go. I jumped into the water and raced towards the other side. I was doing the breast stroke as fast as I could. I hit the wall and used it to turn backwards. I was racing back to the first wall as fast as I could. I reached it first and that part was over. I got out and I high fived one of my teammates.
Soon it was my turn again but to do the butterfly. I was the first to the other side but the guy next to me found a rush of adrenaline. He was speeding up. I wasn’t about to let that happen. So I gathered all of my energy and burst right in front of him. I was at the end a second before he was. Two races I’ve won so far today.
Then came the backstroke. It was the easiest out of all of them. I was flying from the beginning to the end of the pool. I used the wall to flip to turn backwards. The guy next to me got a burst of energy again. I used a burst of energy as well. We were head to head and I began to think it was going to be a tie. He turned and it looked like he smiled and he got one last burst of energy. He beat me by 10 seconds. When I finished it he was outside the pool grinning at me. A teammate of mine shook me. “Shake it off” they told me. I nodded and rubbed my hands together, thinking of insults to call my opponent… but I wouldn’t say them aloud because it would be bad sportsmanship. Instead I walked over and shook his hand.
“Good race” I smiled smugly. The smile was wiped off his face so quick it was like he was slapped. “You did an awesome job” I said smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. His fists clenched and he punched me. I was getting ready to swing back when a referee came over and pulled us back.
“You are disqualified and in Colorado, when a player is disqualified here they forfeit. Greensville high school wins” the referee yelled and blew his whistle. I gave a bunch of people high fives. Thorn came by with a guy who had a suit case in his hand.
“This is him… Ace Summers” she said and the guy nodded. He held out his hand and I showed it was still wet. He let his hand drop.
“Ace… Thorn has been telling me a lot about you. She said I should check you out by going to one of your matches” he said and I looked at Thorn. “I'm glad I came… I would hate to miss out on a swimmer as great as you. What do you say drop by my office next week say around four or five… I'm sure we can work out an arrangement” he winked and handed me a card. “Miss Kimberly” he smiled and walked off.
“Thorn I can’t believe you did this” I said smiling. She shrugged blushing, being her usual bashful stuff. “You look hot today” I said scooping her up.
“I haven’t done anything new today” she muttered confused. She looked up at me smiling and her eyes grew wide. “Don’t do it. Don’t you dare do it” and of course I did it. I jumped in the pool still holding her.
“Oh you're going to pay for this!” she yelled and swam after me. I was much faster and she hated swimming in her regular clothes. It didn’t take long to tire her out or get her to quit. She stopped and stood in the middle of the pool. I swam up to her and stood in front of her so that we were face to face. For a while we were silent; the only sounds were the moving of the pools water a small noise that barely registered in our ears.
“Hey Thorn what's up?” I asked and she smiled. I knew this question would catch her off guard.
“Nothing” she answered simply and that almost caught me off guard.
“Nope your wrong” I corrected her and she had a dumbfounded look on her face. I was doing a great job distracting her because I was lifting her up lightly and slowly. “You are” and I tossed her backwards; she screamed while flying backwards into the water. She chased after me but gave up because she was tired. She climbed onto the side of the pool and dangled her legs into the pool. I came up and bobbed in front of her. I put my feet on the floor of the pool to stand up. I looked at her smiling. She pulled off my cap and rolled it up; then smacked me with it.
“Now we are even” she said and I agreed. “Well he said he will give you the scholarship if you have a 3.5 G.P.A.… and all you have to do is bring your latest report card” she told me. This was too good to be true.
“I have a 4.0 G.P.A.… So I’m in!” I shouted happy. “Wait what's the college?” I asked and she shrugged. The fact that I was going to a college with a scholarship was good enough for me.
“You know what we should do” she asked and it was my turn to shrug. She smiled and I couldn’t wait for the answer. “Celebrate!”