Sequel: Swimmers Story ›
My 3 Dedications And Me
I Let It Fall, My Heart, And When It Fell You Rose To Claim It
"So how does it feel to be famous?" Mrs Phelps asked and Dolly smiled "Oh I learnt how to perfect an ego from the best haven't I Michael?" she quizzed and he laughed at her. Dolly got up to leave and Michael followed her grabbing her hand and she looked at him "So Dolly I've been thinking and maybe you want to go out tomorrow night?" he asked and she nodded slowly. "Look I want to make it clear this isn't us going out as normal, this is us 'going out'" he added and she smiled "I'll see you tomorrow Mikey" she answered turning to leave "I'll pick you up at 7pm" he called and she nodded saluting him.
She walked home grinning, why did she feel that way? Michael and her had been out together hundreds of times! He was her best friend but this wasn't 'tell her troubles to and do as he says' Michael, this was the Michael that spent nights in her bed recently. This was the Michael that held her hand sometimes and the Michael whose hugs no longer lasted the 'appropriate' time. It was Michael 'gives her butterflies' Phelps.
There was a knock at the door and she felt sick, okay so nerves were becoming a common thing for Dolly nowadays! She forced her hand to open the door to reveal a grinning Michael who was hoping his wide grin would hide the fact he was terrified.
"Hi" she said and he nodded, "Hello! How are you?" he asked and she nodded "You?" "I'm good thanks, you ready?" he quizzed and she smiled "Yeah I'm ready, where are we exactly going?" she replied and he smiled moving so she could walk out the door. "Dinner" he answered her as she locked the door, they walked and within seconds the nerves left. No matter what happened Dolly felt comfortable with Michael, she didn't need to be anything special because well he knew what she was.
They sat through dinner talking before Michael insisted on paying "Mikey come on it's not like I can't afford a meal, plus I owe you" "Yeah? Well you can buy me breakfast one day! I asked for this to happen so I'm paying for it to happen!" he argued and she rolled her eyes. "I'll go get our coats, I'll meet you at the door" he said as he got up and she nodded walking to stand by the exit.
"Excuse me, hi! I really don't want to intrude but I'm a big fan! Would it be possible to get a picture with you?" a voice asked and she saw a girl older than her and she nodded slowly. "It's nice to meet you!" Dolly offered and the girl took a picture of them together. "Could I get a autograph for my little brother? He loves swimming and you're his new favourite swimmer, he keeps asking us to go to your next meet" she explained.
"Erm yes sure, what's his name?" she asked and the girl told her before Dolly signed a piece of paper the girl had hold of. She said bye before walking off and Dolly stared at the sky through the glass door. She felt someone at her side and looked to see Michael, she pulled her coat on before he held the door open for her and they walked out.
She laughed at him joking around with her as they walked through the dark streets, "Dorothy?" a voice stated and she turned to see a short blonde girl. "It is you! Hi, it's Rebecca! We used to work together, remember?" she said and Dolly nodded. "Hi! How are you?" she asked hugging the girl, "I'm great thanks but I'd imagine its nothing on how you're feeling! Well done on the Olympics! One of the girls saw it and we watched your races at the office, you were amazing!" she reeled off and Dolly smiled.
"Thank you! You watched me? Wow! How's work going?" Dolly answered her and they stood talking, "Anyway I best let you go! It was lovely seeing you again and nice to meet you Mr. Phelps, you'll have to let us know when you're next swimming around here and we'll all come and see you from work. Bye" she called walking off. Michael started to walk off and she walked at his side, as they turned a corner his hand reached for hers linking their fingers.
"Michael can I talk to you about something?" he nodded "Well you know how momma's ill and all this? I wanted to do something for her but I realise I can't so I thought about the hospital or this little charity thing that researches the problem and looks after sufferers who have nobody else" she admitted and he smiled. "That sounds good" "Well I wanted to do something and well I thought maybe I could do something involved with swimming" she suggested and he looked at her out his eye corner.
"Yeah! Well you could swim but how?" he asked "Well I thought about swimming a long distance but I don't think I'm built for it. Maybe we could do races or something, but how do you get money because I can't afford to hold a swimming meet as such" she reasoned and he nodded. "Maybe you could get Ryan involved, right now everyone is loving you two in swimming. Ryan would do anything for you, why don't you race him? People can pay to come watch you and maybe you could do some form of gambling on it where there's a large percentage of it going to the charity" he suggested.
"Would people care?" she asked "Care? Look you won the most female swimming medals for us and he won the most male ones, so you're our best Olympic swimmers and you're going to race one another? People would want to see that, throw in the charity factor and you've got yourself a winner I think. Honestly Dolly it's the way to go!" he reasoned. "And I'll look ridiculous when I lose to him!" "He won't beat you in the fly! He wouldn't want to! He'd be healthy with you, he'd be in but ring him and talk about it" he reassured and she nodded.
They reached her house and she let them both in, "So do you want a drink or something?" she said and he shook his head making her nod slowly "I have no idea why I said no, I mean yes! I'll get it, you want one" he asked and she smiled nodding as he turned away from her cursing himself! Why the hell did he go all awkwardly shy right then?
She sat on the couch waiting for him to return and he walked in putting two cups on the table, "So can we pretend I never had that little awkward moment? Probably more awkward now I mentioned it, right?" he asked and she started to laugh nodding as he sat down. He sighed hating himself a tiny bit as she laughed leaning into his side, "I used to think your awkwardness was beyond belief weird and difficult, I know find it endearing! You're a funny guy Mikey!" she admitted and he grinned.
She walked home grinning, why did she feel that way? Michael and her had been out together hundreds of times! He was her best friend but this wasn't 'tell her troubles to and do as he says' Michael, this was the Michael that spent nights in her bed recently. This was the Michael that held her hand sometimes and the Michael whose hugs no longer lasted the 'appropriate' time. It was Michael 'gives her butterflies' Phelps.
There was a knock at the door and she felt sick, okay so nerves were becoming a common thing for Dolly nowadays! She forced her hand to open the door to reveal a grinning Michael who was hoping his wide grin would hide the fact he was terrified.
"Hi" she said and he nodded, "Hello! How are you?" he asked and she nodded "You?" "I'm good thanks, you ready?" he quizzed and she smiled "Yeah I'm ready, where are we exactly going?" she replied and he smiled moving so she could walk out the door. "Dinner" he answered her as she locked the door, they walked and within seconds the nerves left. No matter what happened Dolly felt comfortable with Michael, she didn't need to be anything special because well he knew what she was.
They sat through dinner talking before Michael insisted on paying "Mikey come on it's not like I can't afford a meal, plus I owe you" "Yeah? Well you can buy me breakfast one day! I asked for this to happen so I'm paying for it to happen!" he argued and she rolled her eyes. "I'll go get our coats, I'll meet you at the door" he said as he got up and she nodded walking to stand by the exit.
"Excuse me, hi! I really don't want to intrude but I'm a big fan! Would it be possible to get a picture with you?" a voice asked and she saw a girl older than her and she nodded slowly. "It's nice to meet you!" Dolly offered and the girl took a picture of them together. "Could I get a autograph for my little brother? He loves swimming and you're his new favourite swimmer, he keeps asking us to go to your next meet" she explained.
"Erm yes sure, what's his name?" she asked and the girl told her before Dolly signed a piece of paper the girl had hold of. She said bye before walking off and Dolly stared at the sky through the glass door. She felt someone at her side and looked to see Michael, she pulled her coat on before he held the door open for her and they walked out.
She laughed at him joking around with her as they walked through the dark streets, "Dorothy?" a voice stated and she turned to see a short blonde girl. "It is you! Hi, it's Rebecca! We used to work together, remember?" she said and Dolly nodded. "Hi! How are you?" she asked hugging the girl, "I'm great thanks but I'd imagine its nothing on how you're feeling! Well done on the Olympics! One of the girls saw it and we watched your races at the office, you were amazing!" she reeled off and Dolly smiled.
"Thank you! You watched me? Wow! How's work going?" Dolly answered her and they stood talking, "Anyway I best let you go! It was lovely seeing you again and nice to meet you Mr. Phelps, you'll have to let us know when you're next swimming around here and we'll all come and see you from work. Bye" she called walking off. Michael started to walk off and she walked at his side, as they turned a corner his hand reached for hers linking their fingers.
"Michael can I talk to you about something?" he nodded "Well you know how momma's ill and all this? I wanted to do something for her but I realise I can't so I thought about the hospital or this little charity thing that researches the problem and looks after sufferers who have nobody else" she admitted and he smiled. "That sounds good" "Well I wanted to do something and well I thought maybe I could do something involved with swimming" she suggested and he looked at her out his eye corner.
"Yeah! Well you could swim but how?" he asked "Well I thought about swimming a long distance but I don't think I'm built for it. Maybe we could do races or something, but how do you get money because I can't afford to hold a swimming meet as such" she reasoned and he nodded. "Maybe you could get Ryan involved, right now everyone is loving you two in swimming. Ryan would do anything for you, why don't you race him? People can pay to come watch you and maybe you could do some form of gambling on it where there's a large percentage of it going to the charity" he suggested.
"Would people care?" she asked "Care? Look you won the most female swimming medals for us and he won the most male ones, so you're our best Olympic swimmers and you're going to race one another? People would want to see that, throw in the charity factor and you've got yourself a winner I think. Honestly Dolly it's the way to go!" he reasoned. "And I'll look ridiculous when I lose to him!" "He won't beat you in the fly! He wouldn't want to! He'd be healthy with you, he'd be in but ring him and talk about it" he reassured and she nodded.
They reached her house and she let them both in, "So do you want a drink or something?" she said and he shook his head making her nod slowly "I have no idea why I said no, I mean yes! I'll get it, you want one" he asked and she smiled nodding as he turned away from her cursing himself! Why the hell did he go all awkwardly shy right then?
She sat on the couch waiting for him to return and he walked in putting two cups on the table, "So can we pretend I never had that little awkward moment? Probably more awkward now I mentioned it, right?" he asked and she started to laugh nodding as he sat down. He sighed hating himself a tiny bit as she laughed leaning into his side, "I used to think your awkwardness was beyond belief weird and difficult, I know find it endearing! You're a funny guy Mikey!" she admitted and he grinned.