mixed one of Lisdaliaâs special energy drinks, extra large, to have at lunchtime. The race was at about two oâclock; I didnât want anything heavy in my stomach. But I did need the energy.
Have you ever noticed how slowly time can go when youâre waiting for something? It was the last day of the program and most of the kids had finished the testing. The instructors were demonstrating a few life-saving techniques, which no one was really watching, and explaining what to do if you found yourself floating in the water, fully clothed, waiting to be rescued â say if your boat sank or something.
For a moment, I thought of Riny.
Looking at most of the kids, I found myself hoping, if it ever happened, that they had life-jackets.
Then it was free-time.
I felt like I needed it. My muscles were tight â nerves, I guess â and I just wanted to get into the water and do a couple of slow laps, to loosen up. I ended up doing four before I felt relaxed. I didnât want to use the energy, but I didnât want to cramp up, either, from being too tense.
As I pulled myself from the water, I noticed Shane Thomas. He was strutting his stuff for anyone who happened to be watching, waiting for his big moment. I wished I had his confidence.
While I was watching him, Lisdalia came up behind me and touched me on the shoulder. I jumped and she smiled.
âHow are you feeling?â
âStupid. Why do we put ourselves through these things?â I glanced across at Macho-Man. He was roughing up Chris Walker and laughing. Sitting over on the grass, complete with sun-umbrella and Esky, was Mrs Thomas, looking as huge and loud as ever. I think she was the only parent in the whole place, except for a couple of mums with toddlers using the paddling-pool.
She was certainly the only one with a stop-watch around her neck.
Lisdalia caught my eye and held it. She looked serious. âRemember, you have nothing to lose. No oneâs expecting you to do anything, so thereâs no pressure.â She tossed a glance over at the Pain. âOnly he has to prove something. To her.â I looked across towards Mrs Thomas. She was demolishing a meat pie. Three bites and it was gone.
âWhat do you mean?â
âYouâll see.â She put her hand up to shade her eyes from the sun. âTry to get the lane on his right-hand side.â
I didnât understand. âWhy?â
She looked at the water. They were clearing the kids out, ready to unroll the floating lane-dividers. It was almost time.
âYou breathe to the right, donât you?â I must have looked confused. She answered her own question. âYou do. Iâve watched you â¦So does Shane Thomas.â
I still didnât get it. She smiled âIf you start off on his right, youâll be swimming the second lap on his left, so youâll be able to see where he is. But youâll be on his blind side. Heâll have to break rhythm to see you.â
I looked at her. Did I ever happen to mention sheâs smart? It was one thing even Riny hadnât thought of.
They swam the girlsâ challenge first. It was open to the whole school, but in reality only the Year Sixes and the occasional Year Five ever bothered. There were eight starters, and predictably Sonja Ainsworth blitzed them. She was school champion, but she was everything that Shane the Pain wasnât. Small, sweet and likeable. And she swam because she loved it, but when she won, by a quarter of a lap, she stopped to congratulate the girl who came in second, and give her a little hug. Everybody liked Sonja.
I envied her.
There were only six boys standing behind the blocks waiting to start the race. I donât know why there werenât more, but I guess kids get self-conscious about wallowing about in the water so far behind someone like Shane Thomas, with the whole school looking on. I checked out the other swimmers. They all looked pretty
Sinéad Moriarty
Cheryel Hutton
T. S. Joyce
Jordan Silver
Jane Robinson
Mia Moore
Allison Lane
Will Collins
Mark Tompkins
Maya Banks