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Dry Land

III

"The team was planning on going out for dinner tonight at a bar, would you maybe want to come? A bunch of the WAGs were going to be coming as well," My brother yells from his bedroom, which was literally steps away from the kitchen. Alek claims that that's why he bought the place, because the kitchen/bedroom situation was 'convenient'.


Just as I was about to respond, my brother adds in," Wait nope, you don't really have a choice. Apparently Kaner has a friend he wants you to meet." At this I just groan. Ever since Patrick and I had met we had been best friend-inseperable. He was like the older brother I never got in Alek, you know, the cool kind.


"Seriously? How many times do I have to tell him that I'm not interested in having a relationship right now?" The kid had been trying to set me up with different guys for the past couple of weeks, and it was getting annoying. All of them were okay guys, don't get me wrong, but I just wanted some stability in my life for once. Seeing as swimming never provided the type of stability that I needed.


Most people would assume that swimming would bring stability to one's life. However if you think that 'stability' is constantly moving around to train and attend meets while also constantly being interviewed by the media is 'stable' then you are in some serious need of a wake up call. The only stability that swimming provided was waking up at five in the morning and going to bed at nine at night, except on meet weekends when finals usually lasted until eight and then you were out to eat and normally in bed by ten.


But I was over that now, and with swimming no longer providing the stability in my life I was used to - except for my sleeping habits, those hadn't changed, Alek was overjoyed about that one - I was looking for something normal, and a guy just wasn't 'normal' right now. Maybe for other girls my age, normal ones, but I was far from normal since the moment I stepped foot onto that pool deck almost twenty years ago.


"Believe me, I don't want you to be in a relationship either, maybe someday though," He states, making me roll my eyes.


"And when will that be? When I'm thirty?" I retort sarcastically, knowing that he was just being a protective brother.


"How about forty?" He replies seriously, making me laugh. Now he was past the point of 'protective brother' and just plain joking, although his tone of voice could convince anyone else differently," And aren't those Ryan's shoes?"


"Alright brother bear, whatever you say," I mock," And maybe, he might have given me a pair before Nationals last year," I shrug, slipping on my shoes and jacket and heading out the door behind him.


"Oh he might've hm?" He questions, locking the door behind him.


"Maybe," I shrug once again, trying to hold back a smile but ultimately failing which causes my brother to smirk," Alright, let's just go," I whine, noticing that he's locking the door twice as long as it normally takes him. He just chuckles before returning the key to his pocket and heading in the direction of the elevator.


--^--


"ALEX!" I hear Patrick scream as soon as my brother and I step foot into the bar. Sighing, I apologize to those around me before making my way over to the large table.


"Jesus Pat, could you scream my name any louder?" I huff, pretending to be angry at him. Patrick, being the person he is, takes this with a grain of salt.


"I could try, but I could also have you screaming my name babe," He winks, making me gag in disgust.


"You're repulsive."


"You love me."


"Eh, that's debatable." Patrick opens his mouth as if thinking as something to come back at me with before closing it again and slouching down in his seat, pouting.


"Peekaboo you just got told!" I hear Patrick Sharp chirp from somewhere across the table," Nice too see you again Alex," He then says to me from beside his wife.


"Hey Sharpie, Abby," I nod at the too," Nice to see you both again. How was the trip to Thunder Bay?" I question, knowing they had gone back to visit his parents a few weeks prior.


"Really nice, the girls both had fun and we had a nice time seeing his family again," Abby answers, making me smile and then look around in curiosity.


"Speaking of which, where are your girls? I've missed little Maddie, and Sadie too," I pout, sitting down in my seat that was conveniently next to both Pat and Jonathan, whom I wasn't exactly on speaking terms with.


Abby sighs before replying," At home, we were able to get a sitter for tonight and decided to come out just the two of us, since it's so rare once the season starts."


"That's so nice," I say before being brought into conversation (more like an argument if you ask my opinion) with Pat and a few of the other players over who was a better golfer; Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy.


--^--


"What's up with Jonny boy?" I lean closer towards Pat, talking quietly into his ear. Jonathan had been acting colder than normal all night. I mean I knew that he didn't like me before, but I didn't know what I possibly could have done to make him hate me more.


"I can hear you you know," He suddenly says in the midst of the silence between me and Pat, making me jump a little in my seat," You're not as quiet as you think."


"Well maybe if you would stop acting like a total asshole I wouldn't have to even ask," I retort, narrowing my eyes at the captain.


"Well maybe it's not any of your business, ever think about that?" He comes back at me. He was right, it wasn't any of my business.


"You're right, it's not any of my business. But like you or not I still care about the well being of others because I'm still remotely human, ever think about that Mr. Captain?" I was getting even angrier now, and our little spat had gained some attention. Everyone at the table was now looking at us and listening in.


Just as Jonathan opens his mouth to respond, a comment from a few tables over can be heard, making him shut his mouth just as soon as he had opened it," Hey, isn't that the swimmer chick that did steroids? What's she doing hanging out with the Chicago Blackhawks? God, I hope she's not supplying them to our boys, that would just blow man."


I feel Pat put a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me before I brush it off and stand up.


"Al, don't," I hear my brother's voice say from behind me, but it's too late. I'm already gone.


Making my way over to the table, I notice that it's two thirty-something year old men, both drinking Miller Light 64s. I chuckle slightly, figures that crappy men would drink crappy beers.


"Gentlemen," I smile ruefully as I reach their table.


"Oh hey!" One of them instantly recognizes me, no doubt the guy from before," You're that swimmer lady!"


"That does steroids? Yep, that's me," I say. As soon as I say it, both of their faces turn very somber and they refuse to make eye contact," What's the matter? Don't wanna say it to my face?"


"No," The other one voices, finally looking up," We just don't want to associate ourselves with a druggie."


Immediately the blood drains from my face and I feel almost sick to my stomach and unable to speak. Of course this wasn't the first time someone had called me a druggie, but it still hurt every time someone called me one, because it was untrue and unfair.


"The only druggies I see around here are you two, I mean come on, Miller 64s?" I hear a voice come from behind me that I immediately recognize to be Jonathan's, and his comment makes me smile in the slightest bit," So I would suggest that you stop insulting Alexis here and apologize."


I'm surprised at his sudden jump in kindness towards me, to say the least. Even before tonight we still hadn't exactly gotten along on the best of terms, and even when we did speak to each other, it was either something spiteful or strictly business.


The Captain of the Chicago Blackhawks standing in front of them obviously makes them rethink what they said, but before they can even reply, another voice comes out of nowhere, one that I know belongs to none of the Blackhawks or their significant others.


"And don't even think about insulting my girl again, got that?" This voice makes me turn towards the direction it came from, smiling widely. The two men apologize quickly before leaving in a hurry, forgetting their shitty beers and booking it out of the bar.


"Thanks Jonathan," I acknowledge the captain's act of kindness before turning towards my best friend and ex-training partner, both standing next to each other," Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps, what in the hell are the two of you doing in the Windy City?"


The two shrug their shoulders and look at each other before Michael replies," Bob figured that we could get some good training in here for a couple of weeks, but we're also doing this publicity thing for Team USA for the first week."


"So... the whole National Team is in Chicago?" I question, raising my eyebrows. The two nod in response," And Bob just figured that a couple of weeks training time here would be a good idea? When he knows that I'm here as well?"


"You're just going to love what we tell you next too," Ryan pipes up," The whole publicity stunt is a thing centered around swimmers and hockey players."


"No," I say, disbelieving," How in the hell did Bobby manage that?"


"It wasn't Bob," Michael informs me," It was Frank."


I curse under my breath, fuming, even more so than before, which the boys obviously notice seeing as I hear Andrew Shaw whisper to Corey Crawford," She's scaring me."


"You've got to be fucking joking. I swear to...UGH! I told Frank, I specifically told him, that I didn't see myself returning to swimming in the near future, that I didn't care what the National Team put out - that I quit the team, retired, whatever! But I specifically told him that I wasn't coming back, multiple times! And now he goes and does this! The man is relentless! I swear to God I'm gonna-" I didn't even notice I was pacing until someone interrupts me by placing their hands on my shoulders.


"Have you ever thought that this wasn't about you Alexis?" I hear Jonathan's voice, and looking up see him standing in front of me, hands on my shoulders, preventing me from moving.


"Oh it's about her," Ryan tells him," The National Team, for the women anyways, has always sorta revolved around her. Not that anybody minds it, she's always been the best at what she does. She's been on the National Team almost as long as Michael, since she was fourteen. Frank has always treated her like a daughter, considering that their families have always been close. But of course, some people don't like that so some jealous asshole accused her of doping herself up, which was a ridiculous accusation in the first place, seeing as we've been around her for years and I think that we would know if she were, and she wouldn't be the type to do something like that. She's always liked to work hard and earn things, never liked being given them. Had an absolute fit when I gave her those shoes last year before Nationals." I start laughing at the memory.


"Didn't I throw them at your head?" I ask through my laughter. Jonathan had now removed his hands from my shoulders and was looking at me weirdly.


"That you did," Ryan replies before continuing," What I'm trying to say is that in all honesty, the team's fallen apart Alexis. When we say you're the heart of this team, we aren't kidding. Nobody knows what to do now, and Frank's set this whole thing up in hopes that you would see that and come back. We need you Alexis."


"I-I don't know Ryan, it's a lot to take in. And I really don't know if I can come back, things are different now," I manage to spit out after Ryan's little rant. To be honest I wasn't surprised he went on a rant like that, the man wasn't the smartest, but he was very compassionate and wise when he wanted to be.


"What exactly are you so afraid of Alexis? Because from what I've heard you and Kaner talking about, it's this whole steroids thing and wondering how people are going to react. But obviously it's not that, because you seriously don't give a fuck about what I think, and you don't give a fuck about what the rest of the team thinks. You're honestly one of the most badass chicks I know, regardless of if I like you or not," Jonathan rants, causing everyone to look at him in surprise.


"And if you think it's because you're going to come back and be slow then you need to get a serious reality check," Michael puts in," Because you were even faster than me at some point. And I came back and have been out longer."


"I'm sorry guys, but I can't. Not...not right now anyways. I need some time, something that I haven't had in almost twenty years of swimming. I need a break from all of it, and I don't know how long it's going to last," I finally say after some silence. It was the truth, and while I did miss swimming profoundly, I needed a break from it all to get my life back in order.

Notes

Outfit

Comments

great job

It's back! Great update :D

hockeygirl07 hockeygirl07
1/12/16

Please update!!!

Arrow6677 Arrow6677
10/24/14

finally

I've just been reading this and it's so entertaining! You're on to something good here :)

kaks kaks
10/10/14