Whatever You Say
CHEAT
“Ha! Who would’ve thought?” The coach came towards me and patted my back harshly enough to send my body forward. I laughed sarcastically.
As soon as Teddy called for a celebration, my mother appeared to the tiny circle we had formed as soon as they announced that The Swimming Team from Feltch High School had won their first meet. Everyone was in shock. Heck, I was still in shock that I had helped them in a way.
I even wondered if this could make other people stop seeing me as a loser.
My mother hugged me and congratulated me. “I didn’t know you had it in you, baby!”
“I didn’t either,” I responded truthfully and guiltily. I was pretty sure what Teddy gave me had something to do with it. Of course, I wasn’t complaining, but I was curious to know whether this was acceptable for these situations.
Susanne came then, hugging me tightly. She received a couple of stares from The Swimming Team (including the opposites). I looked at one of them over her shoulder and he immediately wiggled his eyebrows and then stared at her legs, biting his lip. I shuddered and separated from her quickly.
“Hey,” she breathed before adjusting her glasses. “You guys won. Nice.”
“Em,”—I paused to see the guy was still staring at her. I took her by the elbow and got her as far away from him as possible—“yeah, that’s good, right?” I asked like an idiot. Then, I noticed I was still wearing my uniform. Which is not a bad sight for a girl who saw a guy with muscle, but I was not one of those guys. And it definitely felt awkward for me, especially with Susanne in front. I stretched my hand to grab a towel from behind her and handed it to her and took one for myself.
I didn’t dry myself with it, like Susanne was doing. I wrapped it around my waist, feeling at ease.
She laughed quickly. “Sure, Dork. Against one of the most recognized school of sports in the entire United States.”
“The mo—wha?” I probably looked like what she had said. Like a “dork” when I blew that sentence.
Her smile seemed to extend. “You guys are lucky,” she said before walking off toward my mother. But she stopped to turn to me. “I’ll see you later, all right?”
I nodded.
“You have to celebrate with your friends.”
I didn’t respond, but then I felt a strong arm reach for my neck and haul me against a strong wall. “’Course he does. Our man won us the bait!”
“Heh.” Teddy was giving me one of those tight hugs against his bare chest which made me feel uncomfortable and definitely weak even though I was as strong as ever.
Which reminded me…
“We need to talk.”
Teddy stared at me and raised an eyebrow, changing his attitude completely. “What?”
I looked around to see my mother talking excitedly to the coach and looked at the other side to make sure no one heard even though I was about to throw a whisper. “What were those pills about?”
He laughed a laugh that held no humor and let go of me. “Nothin’ you need to worry about.”
He tried to walk away, but I raised my voice a little higher. “Tell me or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what?” He turned quickly and when I stayed silent thinking of an excuse, he held me and hauled me to the changing rooms banging on the bathroom stalls to make sure no one was there. When he cleared out, he took me by the elbow and sat me on one of the benches. “Listen, Loser. I gave you nothing. You did that on your own, by yourself, comprendo?”
“Actually, it’s comp—”
He gritted his teeth together. “Did you understand?”
I tried to reply, but a crash not too far away stopped me. Teddy followed my reaction; we both directed our stares to the lockers. My heart started accelerating when Teddy ran off desperately.
I sat there; almost ready to puke my guts out from the scene I had just been a part of. I thought of running, stood there for about five minutes and decided to go for it. Maybe now was better before Teddy decided to come back and rip my guts out.
I shifted, ran toward my locker when something shiny stopped me.
It sparkled like silver. I took the things out of my locker, grabbed my glasses and pressed them tightly against the bridge of my nose. Everything became clearer.
It was a small, thin necklace.
I bent down and almost let out a breath when I saw that it wasn’t just any charm. It was an accentuated “e”.
As soon as Teddy called for a celebration, my mother appeared to the tiny circle we had formed as soon as they announced that The Swimming Team from Feltch High School had won their first meet. Everyone was in shock. Heck, I was still in shock that I had helped them in a way.
I even wondered if this could make other people stop seeing me as a loser.
My mother hugged me and congratulated me. “I didn’t know you had it in you, baby!”
“I didn’t either,” I responded truthfully and guiltily. I was pretty sure what Teddy gave me had something to do with it. Of course, I wasn’t complaining, but I was curious to know whether this was acceptable for these situations.
Susanne came then, hugging me tightly. She received a couple of stares from The Swimming Team (including the opposites). I looked at one of them over her shoulder and he immediately wiggled his eyebrows and then stared at her legs, biting his lip. I shuddered and separated from her quickly.
“Hey,” she breathed before adjusting her glasses. “You guys won. Nice.”
“Em,”—I paused to see the guy was still staring at her. I took her by the elbow and got her as far away from him as possible—“yeah, that’s good, right?” I asked like an idiot. Then, I noticed I was still wearing my uniform. Which is not a bad sight for a girl who saw a guy with muscle, but I was not one of those guys. And it definitely felt awkward for me, especially with Susanne in front. I stretched my hand to grab a towel from behind her and handed it to her and took one for myself.
I didn’t dry myself with it, like Susanne was doing. I wrapped it around my waist, feeling at ease.
She laughed quickly. “Sure, Dork. Against one of the most recognized school of sports in the entire United States.”
“The mo—wha?” I probably looked like what she had said. Like a “dork” when I blew that sentence.
Her smile seemed to extend. “You guys are lucky,” she said before walking off toward my mother. But she stopped to turn to me. “I’ll see you later, all right?”
I nodded.
“You have to celebrate with your friends.”
I didn’t respond, but then I felt a strong arm reach for my neck and haul me against a strong wall. “’Course he does. Our man won us the bait!”
“Heh.” Teddy was giving me one of those tight hugs against his bare chest which made me feel uncomfortable and definitely weak even though I was as strong as ever.
Which reminded me…
“We need to talk.”
Teddy stared at me and raised an eyebrow, changing his attitude completely. “What?”
I looked around to see my mother talking excitedly to the coach and looked at the other side to make sure no one heard even though I was about to throw a whisper. “What were those pills about?”
He laughed a laugh that held no humor and let go of me. “Nothin’ you need to worry about.”
He tried to walk away, but I raised my voice a little higher. “Tell me or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what?” He turned quickly and when I stayed silent thinking of an excuse, he held me and hauled me to the changing rooms banging on the bathroom stalls to make sure no one was there. When he cleared out, he took me by the elbow and sat me on one of the benches. “Listen, Loser. I gave you nothing. You did that on your own, by yourself, comprendo?”
“Actually, it’s comp—”
He gritted his teeth together. “Did you understand?”
I tried to reply, but a crash not too far away stopped me. Teddy followed my reaction; we both directed our stares to the lockers. My heart started accelerating when Teddy ran off desperately.
I sat there; almost ready to puke my guts out from the scene I had just been a part of. I thought of running, stood there for about five minutes and decided to go for it. Maybe now was better before Teddy decided to come back and rip my guts out.
I shifted, ran toward my locker when something shiny stopped me.
It sparkled like silver. I took the things out of my locker, grabbed my glasses and pressed them tightly against the bridge of my nose. Everything became clearer.
It was a small, thin necklace.
I bent down and almost let out a breath when I saw that it wasn’t just any charm. It was an accentuated “e”.