left you begged me to talk to him. You sent me pics of his moping face and seriously, that almost broke me, Kayla, seeing him all miserable.” I shake my head, trying to rid myself of those images. “Now I’m back and with him again, and you want me to break up with him?” What the hell brought this crap on?
Kayla’s eyes water. “Sky, you’re my best friend. And I like Caleb, believe me, I do. You guys are so great together. But I wouldn’t tell you to ditch him if I wasn’t protecting you. If you get out now, you won’t get hurt in the future. Like seven months from now.”
“What?” I know Caleb has a history of flings and having expiration dates on relationships. I think his longest was three months, and I’m not including the bullshit one he had with Danielle. I know this, it’s not news, but for some reason I don’t think this is what Kayla is talking about. “That makes no sense. It’ll be July. What bad thing will happen in July?”
“Never mind.” Her face is all creased. She puffs out some air. “Just forget I said anything.” She starts to go back to class. I try to hold her up, but she shakes her head and enters. I follow with more on my mind than what the day started with.
***
During eighth period, Coach Grim asked me to come by the natatorium, so that’s where I am. The smell of chlorine fills me while the entire team surrounds Coach Grim and me in a huge circle. Dread is something I should be feeling at this moment while all these eyes are on me. It’s not, though. I’m more anxious than anything.
Rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet, I wait for my deliverance or execution.
“First, let me say I, for one, would love to have Skylar on the team. She has a lot of knowledge, and she’s helped improve Kayla so much I feel this would benefit all of us. But as I told Skylar this morning, this is a team decision. You have the deciding power here.”
Coach Grim turns to me. “Do you have anything you want to add?”
My throat feels like it’s closing on itself. All of a sudden it’s hard to breathe, think, let alone speak, but I must. I need to tell them my thoughts. I swallow my nerves and exhale a deep breath. “I was instilled with a lot of trust from you and this school, and I let you down. For that, I’m truly sorry. I know each one of you believes I know who destroyed your pool in December, or you believe it was somehow me. Either way, I can’t change that. You can believe me over time, or not. All I’m asking is that you set aside your feelings for me, whether it be that I’m a no-good Bulldog or, excuse my language here, a bitch. If you give me a chance, not only will I promise to pull my own weight, I’ll do whatever is asked of me. If you decide you can’t have me on the team, I’ll respect that decision as well.”
Amber, my nemesis since forever, narrows her stare, huffs, and stands. She takes a step toward me, flicking her now short, blond hair off her shoulder and says, “I hate the shit out of you, Skylar Fletcher.” If this is going to be a hell no she can’t be on the team speech, I really wish she’d get it over with. “But I’m impressed. What you did with Kayla, that’s some talent. And you’ve got some serious lady balls for coming here and asking for your spot back. Also, I need some competition, so … my vote is yes.”
I want to smile and hug this evil girl, but I’m not in the clear yet. Fifty-eight more votes left and then I might hug her.
The votes sound off like dominos, starting from the right and working through the three-ring circle. By the time Zack, who swims the butterfly, gives his vote, I’m a mess of nerves waiting for votes to be tallied up. I lost count after the fifteenth yes and tenth no.
“Skylar … it looks like you’re back on the team. Congratulations!” Coach Grim says.
I hug her and then find Kayla. She smiles and laughs as I hop up and down with joy. “Fletcher!” Amber shouts as
Kayla’s eyes water. “Sky, you’re my best friend. And I like Caleb, believe me, I do. You guys are so great together. But I wouldn’t tell you to ditch him if I wasn’t protecting you. If you get out now, you won’t get hurt in the future. Like seven months from now.”
“What?” I know Caleb has a history of flings and having expiration dates on relationships. I think his longest was three months, and I’m not including the bullshit one he had with Danielle. I know this, it’s not news, but for some reason I don’t think this is what Kayla is talking about. “That makes no sense. It’ll be July. What bad thing will happen in July?”
“Never mind.” Her face is all creased. She puffs out some air. “Just forget I said anything.” She starts to go back to class. I try to hold her up, but she shakes her head and enters. I follow with more on my mind than what the day started with.
***
During eighth period, Coach Grim asked me to come by the natatorium, so that’s where I am. The smell of chlorine fills me while the entire team surrounds Coach Grim and me in a huge circle. Dread is something I should be feeling at this moment while all these eyes are on me. It’s not, though. I’m more anxious than anything.
Rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet, I wait for my deliverance or execution.
“First, let me say I, for one, would love to have Skylar on the team. She has a lot of knowledge, and she’s helped improve Kayla so much I feel this would benefit all of us. But as I told Skylar this morning, this is a team decision. You have the deciding power here.”
Coach Grim turns to me. “Do you have anything you want to add?”
My throat feels like it’s closing on itself. All of a sudden it’s hard to breathe, think, let alone speak, but I must. I need to tell them my thoughts. I swallow my nerves and exhale a deep breath. “I was instilled with a lot of trust from you and this school, and I let you down. For that, I’m truly sorry. I know each one of you believes I know who destroyed your pool in December, or you believe it was somehow me. Either way, I can’t change that. You can believe me over time, or not. All I’m asking is that you set aside your feelings for me, whether it be that I’m a no-good Bulldog or, excuse my language here, a bitch. If you give me a chance, not only will I promise to pull my own weight, I’ll do whatever is asked of me. If you decide you can’t have me on the team, I’ll respect that decision as well.”
Amber, my nemesis since forever, narrows her stare, huffs, and stands. She takes a step toward me, flicking her now short, blond hair off her shoulder and says, “I hate the shit out of you, Skylar Fletcher.” If this is going to be a hell no she can’t be on the team speech, I really wish she’d get it over with. “But I’m impressed. What you did with Kayla, that’s some talent. And you’ve got some serious lady balls for coming here and asking for your spot back. Also, I need some competition, so … my vote is yes.”
I want to smile and hug this evil girl, but I’m not in the clear yet. Fifty-eight more votes left and then I might hug her.
The votes sound off like dominos, starting from the right and working through the three-ring circle. By the time Zack, who swims the butterfly, gives his vote, I’m a mess of nerves waiting for votes to be tallied up. I lost count after the fifteenth yes and tenth no.
“Skylar … it looks like you’re back on the team. Congratulations!” Coach Grim says.
I hug her and then find Kayla. She smiles and laughs as I hop up and down with joy. “Fletcher!” Amber shouts as
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