Get it Right
The Invite
I walked into the club the next morning with a Starbucks hot chocolate. Sometimes I make the stop between the run and my fashionable late arrival. “You know coffee might stunt your growth Haze,” some annoying swimmer said, I wasn’t going to give them the time of day; instead I just pushed them into their pool. I walked over to where the girls were and threw my bag on the floor angrily.
“Did you just push someone in the pool,” Jenna stopped jumping and looked at me.
I shrugged, smiled and said, “He called me short, and you don’t make fun of a little person’s height.” I’m not a midget; I’ve just always been on the shorter side. I like to tell people I’m 5’3’’ but in reality I’m only 5’2’’. I’m like the shortest person in this place. Especially since all the swimmers seem to tower over me.
“So much anger in such a little body,” Bri pinched my cheeks and I hit her hand away. I pushed my hair up in a bun and glared. “Aww, what’s wrong,” she said wrapping an arm around me in a tight hug.
I pushed her away and sighed, “I feel like I have a walking target on my back, why does everyone here hate me.”
“Maybe it’s because you don’t work as hard as everyone else,” Lilly said. Bri jabbed her in the side while I glared at her, but Lilly loved her opportunities to put me down. Lilly smirked before continuing, “Maybe it’s the fact that you’re a criminal or it could be that you are a dirty slut.”
“Dirty slut,” I laughed, “I thought we were talking about me not Jenna.” Jenna cleared her throat from the trampoline. I raised my eyebrow at her, and Jenna just laughed at it. It was the truth; any guy was in danger of Jenna. “Believe it or not today I feel like pouring myself into training,” I said actually doing what I was supposed to for once.
“If I ever saw you work I’d die of shock,” Lilly said walking away. I rolled my eyes, but got to it. I worked on some moves in the harness because I actually felt like flying today.
I got up on the diving board and walked to the edge getting into my handstand. I held it for a while and then pushed off doing one and a half somersault with three and a half twists in the free position. I perfectly landed in the water, or at least I’m pretty sure it was perfect. Then I swam in the water for a bit. “What are you doing,” Cal shouted as I swam in the middle of the pool.
“Relaxing Cal,” I said as I just floated in the middle of the pool, “I never have a minute to relax, the water is so nice.”
“Get out, climb up there and do it again,” he said. I stuck my tongue out as I stayed in the middle of the pool. “Will you at least swim over here to explain this,” he waved the small town paper in the air. I’m not going to lie I was interested in what was going to be published. I grabbed the paper from his hand and took it back to the middle of the pool to read it. I made a face at the giant picture and the huge column about the club star. Then I found my article.
I smiled, “Club’s star divers defy rules and spark a secret relationship.” I laughed at the sentence and then looked up at Cal, “this is priceless.” I saw the displeased look on his face and rolled my eyes. The smile never left my lips, “Cal, tell me you don’t believe this.” He rose an eyebrow at me and I crumpled up the paper and threw it at him, “me and Nate, the thought is laughable, Cal.” When his expression didn't change, I just sighed and put my head under the water, I held my breath as long as I could hoping that Cal would have walked away by the time I came up. To say I wasn’t his favorite student was obvious, but despite that right now I was kind of his prize athlete.
I popped my head up and made my way out of the water, I’m around it all the time, but I’m never in it. I never get the chance. I mean not like this that is, it’s always jump in and get out so you can jump in again. I grabbed a towel and started drying off. “Are you leaving already,” Jenna said looking at me.
“Is it anything new,” I shrugged. She rolled her eyes hitting my shoulder playfully and then as I began to laugh she looked up and her eyes widened a bit. “What,” I said causing her to quickly shake off the shock on her face.
“Izzy,” someone tapped my shoulder causing me to jump a bit. I turned around and bit my lip looking up at who was behind me, “I was hoping I’d catch you before you left.”
“Mission accomplished,” I said raising my eyebrows and grabbing my bag to walk out. “So what is it that you want Tyler,” I looked back trying to hold in the loss of breath he was causing me. I can’t help but go all fan-girl when I’m around him, but I have to play it cool.
“I’m throwing a party on Friday, people in the area, other future Olympians,” he said, “you know, and I figured you were into the whole party scene.” I nodded my head and crossed my arms staying silent waiting for the actual invite. He rose his eyebrow at me and I rose mine back at him, he looked down nervously, “your friends can come too.” I nodded my head and turned to head out the door, I was already late. Jenna apparently couldn’t hold her laughter and I smiled as I walked away. “Wait,” he said causing me to turn around with an expectant look on my face, “are you going to be there.”
I looked to the left as if I were thinking, “maybe.” I gave him a keen smirk and he smiled at my sufficient answer. I bit my lip trying to stifle the smile on my face; I pulled the ponytail out of my hair and then threw my hair back pushing my headband up. Looking at myself in any reflection I couldn’t believe that this girl was the rebel, that anyone believed this girl was a rebel. I always thought I looked so young and so innocent, guess not.
“Where is it you go every day,” Matthews said as I walked by him as he was toweling himself off.
I turned around and smirked, “wouldn’t you like to know?”
“You bet I do,” he grinned and I just pushed my hair back and walked out the door.
It was never really a long walk from the club to Anna’s house. You know how I babysit, I tell Anna to do homework as I review tapes from the previous night to see how I’m doing on my dives. Looking at my form, trying to remember exactly how that felt so that I could try it again. I needed to do something big for the Olympics, something new. I was trying to dream up something big, something really big, I needed to make history.
“You always watch those stupid tapes,” Anna said looking up from her homework. I glared at her while pausing the tape and she looked back down scribbling something down onto the page. “I don’t know why you always work so hard,” she muttered, “you’re just going to mess it up.” Here’s where the question comes in, how someone with a criminal record gets a job babysitting a child. What kind of parents are these, right? Don’t they do a back ground check, well I’ve been Anna’s babysitter since I was thirteen and she was four so they trust me. It’s nice to know that outside the gym people have some faith.
“You know it’s really nice that you have so much faith in me Anna,” I said shaking my head.
She smiled, “that’s what little sisters are for.” I smiled pressing the play button; she was like my little sister. That’s why I still have this job; they’re the only people who ever believe me when I say that I’m innocent. Well, along with Bri and Jenna. But Anna really is the only one who knows that I practice on my own.
“Did you just push someone in the pool,” Jenna stopped jumping and looked at me.
I shrugged, smiled and said, “He called me short, and you don’t make fun of a little person’s height.” I’m not a midget; I’ve just always been on the shorter side. I like to tell people I’m 5’3’’ but in reality I’m only 5’2’’. I’m like the shortest person in this place. Especially since all the swimmers seem to tower over me.
“So much anger in such a little body,” Bri pinched my cheeks and I hit her hand away. I pushed my hair up in a bun and glared. “Aww, what’s wrong,” she said wrapping an arm around me in a tight hug.
I pushed her away and sighed, “I feel like I have a walking target on my back, why does everyone here hate me.”
“Maybe it’s because you don’t work as hard as everyone else,” Lilly said. Bri jabbed her in the side while I glared at her, but Lilly loved her opportunities to put me down. Lilly smirked before continuing, “Maybe it’s the fact that you’re a criminal or it could be that you are a dirty slut.”
“Dirty slut,” I laughed, “I thought we were talking about me not Jenna.” Jenna cleared her throat from the trampoline. I raised my eyebrow at her, and Jenna just laughed at it. It was the truth; any guy was in danger of Jenna. “Believe it or not today I feel like pouring myself into training,” I said actually doing what I was supposed to for once.
“If I ever saw you work I’d die of shock,” Lilly said walking away. I rolled my eyes, but got to it. I worked on some moves in the harness because I actually felt like flying today.
I got up on the diving board and walked to the edge getting into my handstand. I held it for a while and then pushed off doing one and a half somersault with three and a half twists in the free position. I perfectly landed in the water, or at least I’m pretty sure it was perfect. Then I swam in the water for a bit. “What are you doing,” Cal shouted as I swam in the middle of the pool.
“Relaxing Cal,” I said as I just floated in the middle of the pool, “I never have a minute to relax, the water is so nice.”
“Get out, climb up there and do it again,” he said. I stuck my tongue out as I stayed in the middle of the pool. “Will you at least swim over here to explain this,” he waved the small town paper in the air. I’m not going to lie I was interested in what was going to be published. I grabbed the paper from his hand and took it back to the middle of the pool to read it. I made a face at the giant picture and the huge column about the club star. Then I found my article.
I smiled, “Club’s star divers defy rules and spark a secret relationship.” I laughed at the sentence and then looked up at Cal, “this is priceless.” I saw the displeased look on his face and rolled my eyes. The smile never left my lips, “Cal, tell me you don’t believe this.” He rose an eyebrow at me and I crumpled up the paper and threw it at him, “me and Nate, the thought is laughable, Cal.” When his expression didn't change, I just sighed and put my head under the water, I held my breath as long as I could hoping that Cal would have walked away by the time I came up. To say I wasn’t his favorite student was obvious, but despite that right now I was kind of his prize athlete.
I popped my head up and made my way out of the water, I’m around it all the time, but I’m never in it. I never get the chance. I mean not like this that is, it’s always jump in and get out so you can jump in again. I grabbed a towel and started drying off. “Are you leaving already,” Jenna said looking at me.
“Is it anything new,” I shrugged. She rolled her eyes hitting my shoulder playfully and then as I began to laugh she looked up and her eyes widened a bit. “What,” I said causing her to quickly shake off the shock on her face.
“Izzy,” someone tapped my shoulder causing me to jump a bit. I turned around and bit my lip looking up at who was behind me, “I was hoping I’d catch you before you left.”
“Mission accomplished,” I said raising my eyebrows and grabbing my bag to walk out. “So what is it that you want Tyler,” I looked back trying to hold in the loss of breath he was causing me. I can’t help but go all fan-girl when I’m around him, but I have to play it cool.
“I’m throwing a party on Friday, people in the area, other future Olympians,” he said, “you know, and I figured you were into the whole party scene.” I nodded my head and crossed my arms staying silent waiting for the actual invite. He rose his eyebrow at me and I rose mine back at him, he looked down nervously, “your friends can come too.” I nodded my head and turned to head out the door, I was already late. Jenna apparently couldn’t hold her laughter and I smiled as I walked away. “Wait,” he said causing me to turn around with an expectant look on my face, “are you going to be there.”
I looked to the left as if I were thinking, “maybe.” I gave him a keen smirk and he smiled at my sufficient answer. I bit my lip trying to stifle the smile on my face; I pulled the ponytail out of my hair and then threw my hair back pushing my headband up. Looking at myself in any reflection I couldn’t believe that this girl was the rebel, that anyone believed this girl was a rebel. I always thought I looked so young and so innocent, guess not.
“Where is it you go every day,” Matthews said as I walked by him as he was toweling himself off.
I turned around and smirked, “wouldn’t you like to know?”
“You bet I do,” he grinned and I just pushed my hair back and walked out the door.
It was never really a long walk from the club to Anna’s house. You know how I babysit, I tell Anna to do homework as I review tapes from the previous night to see how I’m doing on my dives. Looking at my form, trying to remember exactly how that felt so that I could try it again. I needed to do something big for the Olympics, something new. I was trying to dream up something big, something really big, I needed to make history.
“You always watch those stupid tapes,” Anna said looking up from her homework. I glared at her while pausing the tape and she looked back down scribbling something down onto the page. “I don’t know why you always work so hard,” she muttered, “you’re just going to mess it up.” Here’s where the question comes in, how someone with a criminal record gets a job babysitting a child. What kind of parents are these, right? Don’t they do a back ground check, well I’ve been Anna’s babysitter since I was thirteen and she was four so they trust me. It’s nice to know that outside the gym people have some faith.
“You know it’s really nice that you have so much faith in me Anna,” I said shaking my head.
She smiled, “that’s what little sisters are for.” I smiled pressing the play button; she was like my little sister. That’s why I still have this job; they’re the only people who ever believe me when I say that I’m innocent. Well, along with Bri and Jenna. But Anna really is the only one who knows that I practice on my own.