Get it Right

I clicked the remote turning off the television. Jenna, Bri and I had just finished watching my interview. I put my head in my hand and sighed, “was I really that big an ass.” I looked at Bri nodding her head sympathetically. Then I looked over at Jenna.

She was laughing uncontrollably, “Izzy, that was priceless.” Then she took a moment to contain herself, “but extremely harsh.”

“I didn’t mean to be that mean,” I scratched my neck unconsciously in a sort of nervous state, “but I did it to help him.”

“Oh yeah,” Jenna laughed, “Insulting him and calling him a liar on television is helping him.” She shook her head at me, “I mean its fine to make yourself look like a complete jerk, but you’re not supposed to bring others down with you.” We walked out the door and headed towards the locker room. For the next eight weeks we were going to be at the Olympic training center. They would cut us down from a group of about twenty to the six girls going to the Olympics. Home stretch and despite lots of doubt, I was able to make the cut. We were clearing out our lockers and Jenna turned to us, “any words of wisdom from Cal?”

Bri shrugged, “bring home the gold.”

“Typical,” Jenna said, “cuz you’re his favorite, he told me not to go too boy crazy.” She put her hands on her hips defiantly, “can you believe that, me boy crazy,” she couldn’t contain her smile, “who am I kidding, guys finally no dating restrictions.” She looked over at me, “I’m sure your excited, Izzy,” she gave me a suggestive look, “that is if he forgives your little stunt.”

I rose my eyebrow, “me and Aiden Matthews, troubled teen and America’s golden boy, as if.”

“Come on, you like him,” she smiled, “and he loves you.”

“Just friends,” I shook my head, “besides this entire training center shit, is all business for me.”

Jenna rolled her eyes as if I were a completely hopeless cause. “And what did Cal say to the amazing Izzy Haze,” she mocked me slightly.

I stuffed everything into my bag, “he told me to control my temper and try to muster up some charm because no coach is going to get me like him and everyone is waiting for me to fail.” I looked up as I tossed my bag over my shoulder, “I thought it was pretty good advice.”

“Pretty damn valid,” Jenna nodded. We all took our bags and walked out of the locker room and toward the bus waiting for us outside. We tossed our bags in the trunk and then she rose her eyebrow, “in coming, see you on the bus.”

I looked in the direction she had faced and the man of the hour was walking over. I remembered the utter truth that he was going on the same ride. I averted my eyes and attempted to walk to the bus. He stopped me, “a word, Izzy.”

“You sound mad,” I bit my lip, “so I’m going with no.”

“Of course I’m mad,” he said angrily, “I try to do you a favor, because I thought we were friends.” He shook his head, “then you accuse me of not only being an ego trip, but as the type of liar who would pull a dirty publicity stunt like that.”

I crossed my arms and smirked, “you are an ego trip, Matthews.”

“Izzy,” he begged me to focus on his real point, “are we friends, or was I imagining everything that’s happened between us.”

I looked at him with a seriously confused raised eyebrow, ‘between us’ sounded far more serious than I thought it would, but I quickly shook myself out of shock. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I was trying to do you a favor as well,” I said. He crossed his arms and looked down at me accusingly, “people don’t like me, and you’ve got a good reputation as is, why let a measly little friendship with me ruin that.”

He smiled, “that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s not stupid,” I said defensively, “it’s completely rational and a very valid reason, I think anyone would agree.”

He shook his head, “completely irrational, but I guess your messed up head was in the right place.” I tilted my head to the side agreeing reluctantly with what he said. I rolled my eyes at his stupid smile and tried to walk past him. “I don’t care about my stupid reputation,” he stopped me, “besides, I believe even you have heard the saying there’s no bad press.”

“Forgiven,” I raised my eyebrow. He nodded and I stepped past him, “good because I wasn’t planning on apologizing.”

“I’d never expect Izzy Haze to make an apology,” he followed, “that’d be uncharacteristic.”

I walked up the steps and saw the seats were all taken, meaning I’d be forced to sit next to someone. I walked to the back, “you out.” I pointed backward with my thumb while eying the tubby water polo dude. He questioned my authority for a brief second and then got up. I turned around to face everyone, “I’m looking forward to a nice three hour nap, wake me up and die.”

“Shut up Haze,” Jenna threw my pillow at me.

I was occupying the entire back row because I have that power. I had probably been asleep for an entire two hours before I sat up looking at the other people from my club riding to their possible Olympic chance. There were of course Bri, Jenna and I for diving along with a junior champion Carla Evans and the boys: Nate Gardner, Don Porter, and Poncho. I’d say water polo was by far the largest group on the bus, being that at least fifty percent of the guys were going. Zack Tyler naturally being included, along with Barrett Jackson, Tubby Timmy Sanford and six other guys I don’t know. I don’t know any of the water polo girls, due to the fact that they piss me off, but there were four of them. For swimming of course there was returning champion, Aiden Matthews and then rising star Eric Thompson, along with the girls Melissa Tone, Amy Greenspan and Alex Michaels. There were other clubs and in a few weeks most of us will probably be back home, but put in the effort and the Olympics are a genuine possibility.

We pulled up to the enormous campus and there were so many people. I was no longer surrounded by water, there were other athletes running around the facilities. It was a much bigger world. We unloaded our luggage and headed to our new rooms. I stopped in front of the two doors assigned to the four of us. “Bri, you take junior,” I pointed backward at Carla Evans, “because you know neither Jenna nor I could put up with either of you.” She glared, but then shrugged in reluctance. Her and Evans opened the door disappearing in her room and then Jenna and I opened our door. “Dude,” I looked around, “who’d a thought we would have been here, all three of us.”

“I was pretty sure,” Jenna said raising an eyebrow, “and I wouldn’t be satisfied until we make it to the Olympics missy, and you have a lot of work to do.” I rolled my eyes and then she smiled, “but first we get ready for the opening bonfire.” She threw her suitcase on top of the bed, “just think, cute gymnasts, cute wrestlers, cute soccer players, cute karate people, cute rowing boys.” She took a long sigh, “oh I love a guy with muscular arms.”

“So let me recap,” I sat down, “you’re excited for boys.” She just nodded her head enthusiastically and I shook mine. I then fell onto the soft mattress, “do we have to go to the bonfire?”

She looked at me almost angrily, “are you kidding me Izzy, do you hate socializing or something.”

“Yeah,” I nodded my head. She looked at me shocked as if she didn’t expect that answer. “It’s nice when you can actually make a first impression,” I stuck my tongue out at her, “but mine’s shot to hell.”

“Well, if I have to drag you there myself,” she said. She pulled out her outfit and then turned to me, “I’d advise you to wear something cute.” I rolled my eyes and gestured at what I was wearing, meaning I’m not going to change. She rolled her eyes and went to the bathroom to start getting ready, to begin her two hours of prep work while I checked out the channels on the television.

As soon as it started getting dark as seven o’clock rolled around I yelled at the bathroom door, “we’re already an hour late, you coming out anytime soon?” She opened the door and came out completely primped and polished from head to toe wearing one of her sluttier summer dresses. “I hope you freeze to death, bitch,” I said as I got up. She looked at me and her expression dropped and I nodded, “yes I am seriously going like this.” And with that we left.