Page 23 of The Striker
I eye her PacNorth swimsuit again. She’s probably freezing out here. I wasn’t really thinking when I dragged her with me outside into the cold. It’s fall in Richland so the sun is shining but there’s enough of a breeze to make it chilly.
“No. I swim recreationally.”
“Cool. Cool.” Adriana mulls over her next words. There’s something kind of, I don’t know, off about her maybe. But not in a bad way.
Her voice is even with almost no inflection. I noticed that when she was telling Parker off. She never raised her voice. She didn’t sound angry or scared. She was just to the point. Authoritative.There’s something about the way Adriana speaks and holds herself that makes me feel like she’s … I don’t know how to describe it. In charge, maybe? No. That doesn’t feel right.
She’s a predator. That word feels fitting. But not in the same way that Austin, Parker, and Gregory are predators. With Adriana it’s more like she’s confident of her place at the top of the food chain, not like she’s going to use her position to hurt those beneath her.
It’s a weird thing to wrap my head around, but being next to her now, I don’t feel like prey. There’s this innate understanding that I’m not as strong as she is. Not at her level. But I also feel sort of … safe.
I roll my eyes. I’m not making any sense. Today has been a stressful day and my cracks are showing. That’s all it is. I just need to go home, get a good night’s rest, and forget all about today.
“Have you thought about going out for the team? One of our girls is injured and won’t be back this season. We need to fill her place so Coach is opening up a last minute spot.”
My ears perk up. Not because someone is injured. That’s awful and I hope she recovers. But having a spot open mid-season is virtually unheard of.
“What’s the stroke?” I ask while silently debating if I can do it. I thought about it earlier, being on a team again. But is it really something I want, or was it more just wishful thinking?
“Freestyle and butterfly.”
I swallow hard. Freestyle is my jam. It’s what I excel at. A small bubble of excitement blossoms in my chest. “I can do freestyle,” I tell her.
Adriana smirks. “I know. I’ve seen you swim before.”
Oh. That’s … cool. I guess. “My butterfly isn’t great, though.” Probably not as good as hers.
“It’s better than Cate’s was. You’ll be fine.”
Cate? There’s only one Cate on the swim team that I know of. But she’s their star. “Cate Carrington? She’s out?”
Adriana smiles. “She is. And good riddance. Girl is a total diva.” She’s not wrong, but that doesn’t mean I’ll agree with her out loud.
Chewing my lower lip, I think about it. Like really think about it. I can join the team. I can compete. I … I can do this.
“When are tryouts?”
“Technically, this Friday, but if I tell Coach you’re interested, she’ll probably cancel them. She’s been watching you for a while now. You swim during our practices sometimes and she times you. You’re faster than everyone else on the team in freestyle, butterfly, and breaststroke. The only one you struggle with is?—”
“Backstroke,” I finish for her. It’s my least favorite.
She nods. “Yeah. But we don’t need you for that. Not unless you want to do a medley.”
And swim four strokes in the same race, not particularly.
“But like I was saying, if Coach knows you’re interested, she’s not going to make you try out. She’ll just give you the spot with a smile and say welcome to the team.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want any special treatment. I want to earn my spot.” I want to know that I got myself on that team. That I accomplished something.
“It’s not special treatment when you’re as fast in the water as you are. You totally smoked me today before that asshole showed up, and I’m the second faster swimmer on our team next to Cate. But I can respect that.” She puts her hand out. “Let me see your phone.”
I give it to her, and her fingers tap across the screen.
“There. I added my contact information. Tryouts are Friday at eleven.”
“Okay,” I tell her. “I’ll be there.”
6GABRIEL
