Sora lay awake on her bed, staring at the faint glow of her phone screen in her hand like it had something important it was showing her, but her thoughts kept her occupied as the image of David by the sidewalk refused to leave her mind.
Sora: (to herself) When… Did it start? When did I begin to feel like this about him?
The question startled her as much as the answer she couldn't find. She tried to backtrack to the first time David sat with her at lunch during her first year in highschool, to the hundred times he spoke when she gave him nothing in return, to just a few hours ago, when she caught herself freezing at the sight of him raising his camera against the sky.
Her chest tightened. Was it annoyance? Embarrassment? Something else?
The more she replayed the moments, the harder it was to deny it. Somewhere along the way, his persistence had shifted from being irritating… to unsettlingly warm.
And that terrified her.
****
The week of the preliminaries finally arrived, and with it came a suffocating weight that seemed to hang over every corner of the gymnasium. The air was thick with chlorine and nerves, the low hum of parents, coaches, and competitors weaving into a restless buzz.
The team gathered in the locker room, voices raised with nervous chatter and bursts of laughter that were a little too loud, too forced. But on the bench nearest the pool, three girls sat in a quieter storm of their own, Sora, Ava, and Chloe.
Sora's posture was rigid, her hands locked tight on her knees. Her eyes were fixed on the still water of the pool as though it might already judge her before she even dove in.
Sora: This is it. If I advance, the scholarship is within reach. University. My future. Everything I've worked for depends on this. I can't afford to slip.
She drew a slow breath, steadying the fire rattling in her chest. But when she let her gaze wander, searching the crowd for no one in particular and among the sea of strangers, a familiar pair of eyes found hers.
David.
He was seated casually in the stands, camera resting on his lap, but when their eyes met he instinctively lifted a hand in a small wave. For a heartbeat too long, they just looked at each other.
And then Sora's cheeks warmed. Quickly, almost sharply, she tore her gaze away, pretending to fix her focus back on the pool. But the thudding in her chest didn't let up.
Ava, seated beside her, tugged her goggles into place. Her leg bounced with nervous energy, but her eyes were sharp, lit with the kind of determination that cut through the haze of tension in the air.
Ava: This is my chance. To prove I belong here. To grow. To finally get closer to the swimmer I've always dreamed of being.
Meanwhile, Chloe hummed softly to herself as she pulled her hair into a neat bun. Her fingers trembled just slightly, a rhythm betraying the rapid beat of her heart. Still, she smiled, forcing the nerves into something that resembled excitement.
Chloe: Well… this is it. The beginning of something bigger. I can do this.
The whistle blew somewhere in the distance, calling the competitors to attention. The preliminaries had begun.
*****
The preliminaries roared to life, the air thick with the scent of chlorine and nervous energy. Whistles pierced through the gym, names echoed off the walls, and splashes of water marked the start of each heat.
One by one, competitors dove into the pool, their bodies cutting through the water like blades. Some moved with practiced ease, others flailed against the current of their nerves. The crowd cheered for every touch of the wall, every photo finish, every close race that left hearts pounding.
Sora sat still, her expression unreadable as she watched. Ava leaned forward on the bench, clapping and grinning whenever someone pulled off an impressive turn. Chloe's foot tapped against the tiles, her nerves building with every heat that went by.
The boys' 50m butterfly. The girls' 200m backstroke. The mixed relay qualifiers. The events stacked up in a blur of motion, time seeming to move faster with each whistle.
"Next up, the girls' 100m freestyle," the announcer's voice rang.
Chloe's heart leapt.
This was her event.
Her name was called, and she rose from the bench. Ava gave her a pat on the shoulder, and Sora offered nothing more than a glance which seemed to make her more nervous.
Chloe walked toward the starting block, feeling like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Chloe: Okay, this is it. Time to prove to myself that I belong here.
She adjusted her cap, tightened her goggles, and stepped up to the block as the pool quieted around her.
The official's whistle sliced through the air. Chloe gripped the edge of the block, toes curled over its surface, her body coiled like a spring. The crowd's noise faded into a dull hum in her ears.
Chloe: Focus... just the water... Nothing else.
"Take your marks—"
The buzzer screamed. Chloe launched forward, her body slicing into the water with a clean entry. Coolness wrapped around her like glass shattering, and then she was moving, arms driving, legs kicking, every muscle tightening in perfect rhythm.
The first 25 meters blurred by in a heartbeat. She pulled hard, fast, lungs burning but steady, each stroke a declaration.
Chloe: I belong here... I've trained for this.
As she hit the turn, her mind flickered with memories from practice, from watching Sora glide effortlessly, from Ava's constant encouragement. For a moment, doubt crept in.
Chloe: Can I really measure up to them?
Her hands touched the wall. Instinct took over. She tucked, flipped, and pushed off with a fierce kick, water exploding around her.
Halfway through the second lap, her lungs screamed for air. Her strokes threatened to falter. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the swimmer in the next lane pulling ahead.
Chloe: No... Not like this... Not today.
She dug deep, forcing her arms to churn faster, her legs whipping like a storm beneath the surface. The noise of the crowd began to rise, muffled but urgent, like the roar of a distant wave.
The final stretch came into view.
Her chest burned, her arms felt heavy like lead, but her heart surged forward, carrying her past the pain.
Chloe: This is it... Give it everything...!!!
She reached out, fingertips grazing the wall with a desperate slap.
The buzzer went off.
Chloe's head broke the surface, gasping, coughing, water dripping down her face. For a moment, the world spun in a blur of cheers, whistles, and splashing water.
Then her eyes found the scoreboard.
Her time blinked back at her.... Second place.
It was as glorious as first place, but it was better than she had ever swum before.
Her lips parted, and a smile crept across her face.
Chloe: I did it.
On the bench, Ava clapped wildly, jumping to her feet. Even Sora whose expression was usually unreadable, nodded once, the faintest flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes.
And in the stands, David raised his camera, capturing the exact moment Chloe's smile broke through her exhaustion. A frozen memory of victory, not over the others, but over herself.
****
The rest of the day unfolded in a blur of splashes, whistles, and cheering voices. Swimmers from every school pushed themselves to the edge, the sound of the buzzer ringing over and over like a battle drum.
By the time the final event wrapped up, the air in the gym smelled of chlorine and adrenaline, heavy with the echoes of triumph and defeat.
The scoreboard lit up with the list of advancing schools. Among them, shining bold and clear was their own.
A ripple of excitement ran through the team. For the first time in a long while, unity seemed to hum between them. Even those who hadn't been chosen found themselves swept up in the pride of seeing their school advance.
Chloe sat on the bench, hair still damp, towel draped around her shoulders. Her body ached, but her heart felt lighter than ever. We made it.
Ava flopped down beside her, grinning ear to ear.
Ava: Can you believe it?! Semi-finals! We're actually going to the semi-finals!!!
Chloe chuckled, shaking her head.
Chloe: Yeah… it feels unreal.
On the other side, Sora remained quiet, bag slung over her shoulder. Yet when her eyes met Chloe's for a moment, there was a flicker, not of coldness, but of acknowledgment.
Up in the stands, David packed away his camera, the corners of his mouth tugged into a quiet smile. His memory card was full of shots, each one a frozen fragment of the day. But his mind wasn't on the pictures. It was on the way Sora had flushed red when their eyes met before the race, and how she still hadn't looked his way since.
The team filed out of the gym together, their chatter buzzing with renewed energy. Outside, the evening sky was streaked with pink and gold, the first day of the competition finally at an end.