Chapter 9
pool. I groaned. "Ray! Why butterfly? Let's just stick to the free." I
said, whining. I loved swimming butterfly, but the stroke was so strenuous.
After 4 hours of free-styling, just thinking about doing a last hour of
butterfly made my muscles ache even more.
"Ariana, I am your coach. If I tell you to do something, I tell you to do
it for a reason. And then, you listen to me and you do what I tell you.
Now, 20 laps of butterfly." Ray said, sternly. "Ray, please, 20?" I moaned.
"30. Get on to it, now." Her tone was firm.
Grumbling, I dragged myself onto the starting blocks, and started to
swim. When I finally finished, I had swum 1500 metres and my muscles were
screaming in pain. Ray was watching me intently. "50 backstroke. Then go
for a shower." She said. There was no use complaining. If she wanted me to
swim 50 laps of backstroke, I had to do it. No two words about it.
When I got out, I could barely walk. Butterfly always wore me out, and
even though backstroke was normally relaxing after swimming freestyle, it
wasn't relaxing after swimming butterfly. Anyway, 50 laps of any stroke
weren't relaxing. Rowen was sitting on the bleachers when I came out. He
got up and came down.
He took a towel and placed it around my shivering shoulders. "You tired?"
He asked me gently. I nodded. I was drained! I didn't have any energy in
me. Ray clapped me on the back as I passed her. "I know you hate me now,
Ari, but you'll thank me later." She said, smiling. And I, as always, knew
that she was right.
Rowen wrapped me in a hug as I came out after my shower. "I can't walk to
the car." I said, wearily. "Oh, Ari, come on. Let's sit on the bleachers
for a while." He said. I sat down; he sat down on the row behind me, and
started to massage my shoulders.
"Mark's coming home tonight, do you want to come with me to pick him up
from the air-port?" Rowen asked. I brightened up. "Sure! That'd be great."
I said, with a smile. Rowen laid a kiss on my hair. "How do you always
manage to smell so good, Ari?" He asked me. I smiled. "I want to ask you
the same question, Rowen." I told him.
That night, Mark's flight came in at 12:45 am. Ray told me to get a good
night's sleep and not to go to the airport, so Rowen had to go by himself.
I woke up the next morning to Mark's call, saying he'll pick me up and take
me to school. "Anika, too?" I asked sleepily. "Of course. She's my official
girlfriend of the month." Mark said, with a smile. I laughed and went to
tell Anika not to bother hurrying to the bus.
But Anix had already arranged for a friend to pick her up. She was upset
about not going to get to go to school with Mark, but she thought it would
be rude to say no to her friend now. "Tell Mark some other time." She
called, as she got into the car and they drove off.
I sat down on the porch steps, and waited for Mark. Soon he pulled up the
driveway. He got out, and gave me a big hug. "Do you know how much I miss
you when I go away?" Mark asked, laying a kiss on my cheek. I smiled. "I
think I do. Because I miss you just the same amount." I told him. He
surveyed me. "Have you lost some weight in the past 3 weeks?" He asked me.
I rolled me eyes. "Must have. I mean, yesterday, I swam 400 laps of free,
30 butterfly and 50 back. I must have lost around 2, 3 pounds yesterday
itself." I said, getting in to the car. "Ray not easing up on you, huh?
She's a tough customer, all right." Mark said, as we pulled out.
We were silent for a minute. Then he turned to me. "Ari, do you think I'm
self-centred?" Mark suddenly asked me. "You? Self-centred? As if!" I
exclaimed. "What gave you that idea?" I asked. "This guy in London…. When
we were walking down the street, he shouted that I was a self-centred
can't-say-the-word." He said, taking a turn. "Well, he can take it all back
for himself, because he's just a jealous idiot! Come on, Mark, surely you
don't believe things like that!" I said. He glanced at me from the corner
of his eye and gave me one of his heart stopping smiles.
"I want to ask you another thing. What would Emily say if I asked her
out?" He asked, out of the blue. I turned to him, my eyes popping out of my
head. "Say that again" I commanded. He smiled a smile that he had been
trying to hide. "What would Emily say if I asked her out?" He asked again.
I sank into my seat.
"Oh my God. After all these years?" I said. I couldn't believe my ears!
"So?" He prompted. I shook my head. "Don't ask me. I already messed it up
with Kate and Nicky. And that was bad." I told him. Mark patted my arm with
one hand. "Don't blame yourself for that. In fact, he's already eyeing our
new publicist, Gem. But actually, I think Kian's got the hots for her." Hesaid.
"So, are you going to do it?" I asked Mark. He didn't take his eyes off
the road, but he did nod very firmly. "When?" I asked, still in shock.
"After I take Anika to the concert! It wouldn't be polite!" He said, with a
smile. I laughed. "Oh, Anix is so going to hate Emily from now on!" I said,
with a smile. It was true. She always vowed that she would hate the girl
who went out with Mark with all her heart. But maybe this would change with
Emily?! We reached school. I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks for the ride." I said. "Want me to pick you up? I'll take you and
Emily out for ice cream." He offered. I shook my head. "Rowen's picking me
up, and I have an hour of training left, and an hour in the gym. Then we
were planning to have a few games of tennis, and then go to Hazelwoods.
Rowen's coaching me on Geometry." I told him. He smiled. "I doubt you'll
actually learn a lot of Geometry, but I can be pretty sure you'll learn a
lot about Rowen!" He said, cheekily. I socked him on the head.
"Then tell Emily I'll take her out after school. Tell her to meet me at
the Elm tree?" Mark asked. I smiled. "So the question might be popped this
evening?" I asked. "You never know. Just give her the message." He said,
waved goodbye and drove off.
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