Streamline (20 page)

“Laney!” he called. “Have you seen Audrey?”

“Nope. Maybe she’s in the locker room?”

“Can you go check on her? She looked like she was in pain or something after her race.”

“Sure. Good luck on your relay.” Elaine turned toward the locker room, and Leo joined his teammates for the last event of the meet.

Jake, the scrawny sophomore was listening to his headphones, staring off into space. Then he grinned and jumped up. “Yo, check it — I love this song!” He grooved to a beat only he could hear as the three older swimmers stared. “It’s Weird Al!” he cried. “
Perform This Way
.” Alex recoiled. “That’s a parody of
Born This Way!
How dare he mock Gaga?” Alex lunged for Jake’s mp3 player, but he swiftly eluded him. Alex chased the weaving and bobbing sophomore around the pool deck until an official yelled at them for running.

Eric grinned. “I’ll miss this.”

Leo smiled. “Me too.” He beckoned them. “Let’s huddle up.” The four swimmers formed a circle and slung arms around shoulders. Leo made eye contact with each teammate, one at a time. “For three of us, it’s our last race ever as Panthers, and I want to make it incredible. Let’s lay it all on the line. Put it all out there, guys — everything you got.”

“Alex, get us a good start,” Eric added. “I’m a D-man, but I’ll try to keep up with all you crazy sprinters.” Alex shook his head. “Distance swimmers are the crazy ones!” Leo noticed Jake’s wide eyes. “Jake, you’ll be fine. Just pretend it’s practice and do your best. If you can keep us close to St. Petersburg, I promise I’ll do everything I can to win this race for us.” Jake gulped and nodded.

“No matter what happens,” Leo said, “we’ve had an awesome meet. I’m proud to be your teammate.” The four exchanged nods and broke their huddle. Excitement coursed through Leo as they headed as a unit to lane three.

“Audrey? Are you okay?”

She could see big feet with purple-and-gold toenails outside the stall. “Laney?”

“Open up.”

After a few moments Audrey found the energy to open the door.

She wiped her tears and leaned against the stall.

“Are you sick,
chica?”

Audrey nodded and bit her lip. “I just threw up. I’ve been sick all weekend.”

“Oh, you poor thing! I’m so sorry. Hey, Leo’s relay’s coming up.

You feel okay to come out on deck and watch it?” At the mention of his name, Audrey’s eyes welled up again. “Go ahead. I’ll come out if I can.”

“You sure?” Elaine looked worried.

Audrey nodded, and her friend left, looking over her shoulder as she went.

Audrey once again locked the stall door, trying to find some sense of security as her world crashed down around her. She could hear cheers rising, and she knew the final heat of the relay approached.

Leo…Leo…how would he react to the news? She sobbed, clutching her lower abdomen with trembling hands. What would she do?

Leo completed the last of his springy jumps and stood completely still behind Jake as Alex mounted the blocks. Three teams in the heat had a good shot at winning the race, but Leo knew the main competition was the squad to their left: the St. Petersburg team, anchored by Gary.

Leo exhaled forcefully as the crowd quieted. Alex was the only one on the blocks wearing a swim cap — the rest had shaved their heads. Leo felt electricity in the air as the raucous cheers abruptly silenced. “Take your mark…”

Alex got out to a slight lead, and Jake and Leo yelled encourage-ment to Eric on the block as Alex approached the wall. Eric had a decent start, though he soon fell behind in the first fifty. His stellar endurance kicked in, and he made up some distance in the second fifty, closing in on the lead swimmers in lanes four and five. Alex joined Leo in shouting, “C’mon, Jake!” as the third swimmer mounted the blocks. Then Jake was off, thrashing through the water.

The Pensacola squad was within half a body length of the teams in lanes four and five, and Leo willed Jake to keep up.
Just stay
within striking distance
. He stepped up on the block. Zoning in on the turbulent wake, Leo felt his skin tingle. Goose bumps prickled along his spine.

He couldn’t freaking wait to get to that water. Leo felt more alive than ever, his peripheral vision blurring and the sight of Jake swimming toward him coming into sharp relief. Then all he heard was the pounding of his heart. This was his moment.

He rocketed off the block in a perfectly timed start, his limbs a powerhouse of smooth and efficient action. He had Gary in his sights in the first length and pulled even after the first turn. The thrill of connecting to the water and pushing himself as hard as possible consumed Leo. On the third turn, he pulled ahead of Gary and actually picked up speed on the fourth length, leaving the field behind.

As soon as Leo looked up after the finish, his three teammates raised their arms in victory, jumping up and down. The Pensacola Panthers had won a relay at state for the first time!

Leo hopped out to exchange hugs and high-fives with his teammates. They grabbed their sweats and found their coach to continue the celebration. Leo reveled in watching his normally cool and composed coach shake with excitement, sporting a look of shock.
We did
that
. They’d pleased their coach so much he was dumbstruck.

As the lead-off swimmer, Alex already knew his split was 45.8, six tenths faster than his individual race. Matt looked up at Eric. “Forty-seven point oh, Eric. Not bad for a distance swimmer!” Glancing back at his clipboard, Matt looped his arm around Jake’s neck and knuckled his hair. “Jake you were forty-five-nine! You might be faster than Leo by the time you’re a senior.” Finally turning to Leo, Matt paused dramatically.

“What was my split?” Leo asked.

“That was one amazing swim, Leo. Forty-three-four.” Leo’s eyes bulged. “I went forty-three?”

“Forty-three.” Matt nodded.

Alex whooped and pounded Leo on the back while Eric shook Leo’s hand.

“Not many college athletes swim that fast, Leo,” Matt added.

Leo was in a daze. What an incredible meet. How he’d pulled that off after such a tumultuous year, he’d never know. What he
did
know was he needed to share his happiness with Audrey or it wouldn’t mean much at all.

Scanning the deck, he caught a glimpse of long reddish hair across the pool. He jogged in her direction, slowing his pace as he drew near. She looked almost scared to see him, but he
must
have been reading her incorrectly.

“I went forty-three!” He wanted to grab her in a hug but sensed he should keep his distance.

“Wow. That was a beautiful race, Leo.”

“And you pul ed out the one hundred breast! How’re you feeling?”

“I actually just threw up. I’ve been sick all weekend.”

“What bad timing.” His face fell.

“I know. So unlucky. Maybe it was the flu or food poisoning.” Audrey glanced at something behind Leo. “Hi, Coach.” Brett Turner, the men’s coach at Florida State University, waved at Audrey. “Hello! I hear from Nancy you’re going to be a Seminole next year.”

She smiled. “That’s right. This is my boyfriend, Leo Scott.”

“Ah, yes.” Brett grinned, shaking Leo’s hand. “This man needs no introduction after that relay performance. Great job, Leo.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“So, word on the street is you’re going to the Naval Academy. Is that true?”

Leo looked down. “Yes, sir.”

“Well, one of our international recruits didn’t pass his English test. We have a fifty-percent scholarship still available at FSU. Think about it, Leo.”

Leo swallowed, feeling his father’s glare from somewhere in the stands above. “Thank you, sir, but I’ve made a commitment to the Navy. I can’t back out now.”

Brett frowned. “I was afraid you’d say that. Maybe we’ll see you when you visit Audrey in Tallahassee?”

“If I have any time off from the Academy, I’m there,” Leo promised.

Brett nodded and looked as if he might say something else, but then just walked away.

A tinge of green colored Audrey’s face. “I-I-I think I’m going to be sick again,” she got out before sprinting back to the locker room, leaving Leo standing by himself. She seemed so distant and preoccupied.

After his shower, Leo emerged to find Matt conversing with his parents.

“I’m so proud of you, son!” CS beamed, stepping up to meet him. As his father put his arms out, Leo felt himself flinch. Once he realized his father was hugging him, Leo could barely remember what to do — it’d been years since his father had tried that. Over his father’s shoulder, Leo watched Matt’s forehead crease. He tried to act more enthusiastic about the hug.

CS let him go. “We’re going out to dinner to celebrate when we get home. You can invite anybody you want.” Leo squinted. “Anyone, sir?”

“Anyone.”

“Audrey,” Leo immediately replied. “Audrey, and…Jason.” Leo held his breath, studying his father’s gray eyes for any signs of change.

His father hesitated, a smile frozen on his face. “Fine.” Leo turned to his mother, whose blue eyes twinkled. They’d all go out to dinner together, just like a normal, ordinary family. But somehow he knew nothing would ever be normal or ordinary when it came to the Scotts.

The chocolate birthday cake looked delicious, but Jason’s appetite was nonexistent, and it was clear Cameron and her mother didn’t want any either.

Jason stared at the cake, feeling the cake stare back. He tapped his fingers on his thigh and worried he was crashing their Sunday afternoon gathering — even though Cam had explicitly invited him.

“He didn’t even like chocolate,” Cam said.

“He didn’t?” Mrs. Walsh seemed distracted. “Yes, he did. He always bought chocolate for me on Valentine’s Day.”

“That’s because
you
like chocolate, Mom.” Jason glanced back and forth, sensing tension. He felt like a major third wheel. He hadn’t even really known Lt. Commander Walsh.

“Great. I got the wrong cake.” Mrs. Walsh glared at Cam. “Why don’t you get next year’s cake then, since you seem to know him so well?”

Cam opened her mouth, but her face crumpled. Tears slid down her cheeks as Jason sat in pained silence.

“I’m sorry.” Mrs. Walsh’s tone softened as she patted Cam’s arm.

“This was a bad idea. Let’s throw away this stupid cake. It’s just…since it’s his birthday, I thought we should do something to honor your father’s memory. But this turned out all wrong.”

Sniffing, Cam nodded. “There’s no way I want to eat birthday cake right now. Especially without him…He should be here.”

“He’d be forty-six today,” Mrs. Walsh murmured.

Jason cleared his throat. “Seems like you both honor him, and you don’t need a birthday cake to do that. He’d be proud of both of you. Cam, you got a teaching job — what he always wanted for you. And Mrs. Walsh, you’ve moved on too.”

“Jason, I told you to call me Patti.” She’d finally stopped him from calling her “ma’am,” but it would be even more difficult for him to call her by name. CS would be aghast. Cancerous Slimeball was all about showing respect. Never mind that Jason had zero respect for his father.

Sometimes Jason felt almost jealous that Cam didn’t have to deal with her father anymore. Sometimes, on his lowest days, Jason wished his father was dead. But such thoughts were always followed by a tremendous wave of guilt.