My 3 Dedications And Me

She scouted the pool every time she went now just to make sure he wasn’t there and she’d not seen him since, he’d either taken the point and left or he’d become better at hiding. She stopped at the far wall shaking her head before setting out on another set of lengths; she was nearing the end of them when someone swam past her elbowing her.

She kicked harder and swam past them determined to reach the end before they did and when she touched the far wall she turned to see them half way down the pool and smiled to herself. Hardly a challenge to celebrate, some random person who probably never really swam much compared to her who swam her whole life.

She felt something brush past her leg and looked down at the shape in the water that surfaced on her right, “Don’t you tell me you swim for fun when you just did that! Racing some random person you’ve never met” she heard them say and groaned. “I wasn’t racing them and I told you to leave me alone!” she stated and he smiled “So I know I annoyed you the other day when I said what I said but it came out wrong…” “Not listening” she called as she pushed away from the wall to swim off.

He grabbed her waist pulling her back “Really Dolly trying to swim away from me? Seem a good idea to you?” he asked grinning and she tried to stop the smile forming on her face “Better than hearing your stupid voice” she answered and he laughed. “Well how about we make it interesting?” “Interesting? You couldn’t be interesting if you tried” she teased and he glared at her.

“I want to talk to you” “And I want you to leave me alone, one of us will be disappointed” she stated and he nodded, “So are you up for it?” “What?” she asked looking bored. “Well how about we race? If I lose you get to walk away and not talk to me again, but if I win you have to hear me out” he suggested and she looked at him. “Yeah because racing you is what’s going to settle this, Michael don’t be stupid,” she snapped and he looked at her.

“I haven’t trained since London 2012, it’s been well over a year since I went through training. Unlike you who trains everyday” “I don’t care, you hold world records! And I don’t train everyday” she growled at him and he laughed. “I know a swimmer training when I see one and you train yourself, maybe not properly but you still go through the motions of training. Now are you accepting it or not?” he pushed and she shook her head.

“No! I’m not stupid, I’m not racing you for anything!” “You are such a bloody wimp and a chicken Dolly” he goaded and I looked at him, “Not going to work” “Well how about I give you a head start then, I let you get half way before I start?” he suggested and she shook her head.

“Fine you set the rules” he said the noticed most people had left now and it was just them with the shallower pool having the mums and toddlers class in it “I’m not racing you, end of!” she shrugged and he laughed “No of course you’re not, don’t want to lose! You always wimp out, them big races back in the day you used to lose them because you were scared of a fight” he mumbled and she looked at him. “Lose them? Michael I was the best swimmer in my age until I was 13” she cut back and he nodded “But you were still a wimp and used to back out of swims. You didn’t like fighting for a win” he commented and she stretched her fingers and neck “Right bring it! No giving it away, you and me from this end to that end. If I win you never talk to me again, if you win I listen!” she growled and he smiled.

“Ready, go!” she shouted before he was ready and she set off swimming and he laughed before pushing away after her, he hung back letting her think she was going to win before kicking harder to level with her and she felt him at her side before trying hard to beat him but he just stretched out again beating her to the wall and she tried to catch her breath and he laughed.

“I…hate...you” she got out and he grinned pulling her to his side putting his arm around her under her shoulders to take her weight so she could get her breath back without having to work on treading water as well. She didn’t want to but she leant on him as she got her breath back “Fine I’ll listen” she conceded and he smiled, “Look I get what I said upset you but you have to know I never meant to upset you, we were friends Dolly and I thought of you that way. Also what I said about giving you a gold medal, it came out wrong. I want to make things right and I want to let you do what you were meant to do” he started and she stayed quiet as he spoke.

“I don’t mean it’s all about me, I mean I want you to get a gold medal and I want to be involved in that. Not because it’s my medal but because I want to help you in anyway I can because I feel like I took it away from you” he admitted and she sighed, “We’re not the same Michael, I swim because I like to swim. You swim because it makes you famous” she lectured.

“I have never swum because it made me famous, I love swimming and don’t you dare tell me you swim for fun purely. You swim to win, I can see it in how you try when you swim past people” “You never lose that, I’ve been swimming my whole life, it’s almost a part of me to win. I don’t even know why I let you challenge me. I knew I’d lose, I didn’t stand a bloody chance,” she grumbled and he laughed squeezing her momentarily.

“Don’t you miss swimming?” she asked as she leant back on the side kicking her legs underneath her and he let her go as he nodded “I miss that rush of a race, I miss the pain of training” he admitted and she smiled. “You always were a sucker for pain in training, going further than you had to just because you knew it’d pay off in some way” she joked and he laughed as he felt his legs starting to burn.

“So how often do you really swim and what do you do because I know you train a bit” he pushed and she sighed, “I swim about an hour a day, I go to the gym and go running a lot as well. I trained from an early age so, as I’m sure you know, you learn ways to help improve fitness levels and things” she answered and he nodded. “So how do you propose you’re going to help me get a gold medal?” she asked as she pushed away from the wall starting to swim to the other end slowly and he pushed off after her.

“I’m going to be your new coach,” he said calmly as they reached the other end and she started to laugh “Mikey you are hilarious, that sense of humour hasn’t gone then” she laughed before ducking under the water reappearing. He smiled as she called him Mikey, “I am not even joking Dolly, let me coach you and I’ll get you a medal if it’s the last thing I ever do” he reasoned and she glared at him smacking her hand in the water so it splashed on him.

“You know I mean I’ll help you, you’re the talent here” “Oh yeah Mikey I’m the talent you’re the bumbling amateur” she laughed and he shook his head, “Come on Dolly, let me do this with you” he begged and she shook her head. “I have a real job, this is something I do because its just exercise” she lied and he grinned at her, “Do you enjoy your job?” “That’s not got a thing to do with it” she cut back.

“Yes it does, do you enjoy your job?” “It’s a job am I meant to really enjoy it?” she asked, “I love my job” “You don’t have a job!” he reminded and he nodded. “And that means when you agree to this I’ll have all my time to dedicate to you” “Wow! Lucky lady me” she joked and he laughed at her. “I gave you mouth to mouth, you are lucky” he winked and she started to laugh “I still feel sick when you say that” she teased and he smiled.

“Go on Mikey, how can you help me try and get medals?” she asked as she laid on her back in the water. “Try? There’s no trying, if you let me I can guarantee you’ll have a medal” he answered and she smiled at him “I’m sorry, 3 gold’s you always wanted in one meet” he remembered and she laughed “Yeah I did, but how do I know you won’t just be doing it for your own glory?” she said and he shrugged.

It fell silent and she sighed, “I hate my job, I dread going but I have to make money somehow. It’s not what I love doing but it’s not a choice I have” she admitted and he nodded, “What do you love doing?” “Swimming you jackass! It’s all I’ve ever known; swimming just…it’s all I’ve ever wanted. Being in the water feels like home, when you get in the pool everything else just switches off. It’s hard to explain, you understand though, right?” she mumbled and he nodded.

“So how do you feel about the idea?” he quizzed “It’s all pointless, I have no money unless I work and if I work I can’t train properly. Who wants to sponsor a has been?” she said and he smiled. “It’ s not pointless, so if you had the money you’d do it?” “I don’t, so I’m not” she said quickly as he grabbed her foot pulling her towards him, “You know that’s dangerous Mr!” she stated and he laughed “You spent many a day doing that to me so shut it! Anyway I could find you a sponsor easily,” he reasoned.

“So you come to my rescue again? I don’t want to do this if it’s about fame and pressure to be something I’m not” “How about I train you but don’t tell anyone? Nobody will know I’m your coach, surely then it’s all about you?” he asked and she looked at him as he kept hold of her ankle.

“Why? You don’t owe me anything, looks if it’s about forgiveness then you’re forgiven,” she offered and he smiled, “You don’t forgive that easy I know! But no it’s not, look I’m always one for a challenge and coaching is something I’d maybe be good at. If I’m trying I’d rather I had someone like you” he explained. “Like me? Wow flattering” she joked, “Yes! I want to coach you, I want to have that talent and see what I can do with it. Dolly I owe you and I won’t settle until I’ve got you on a podium singing that anthem! Please Dolly!” he begged and she sighed “Mikey I can’t afford it or do it anymore” “I can get money for you, that’s simple. You can do it! That ability is still there, you’re the right age and you train yourself everyday so it’s not a huge shock. Come on Dolly imagine getting back in races and all that” he tempted and she shook her head as she rested back against the wall.

“I don’t think I can, I just can’t” “You can! I can train that lack of confidence out of you. Dolly come on give me a chance, think about it at least” he reasoned and she smiled, “Fine! I’ll think about it,” she said and he grabbed her in a crushing hug as she laughed.