Read Online Swim Until You Can't See Land by Catriona Child - Free Book Online Page B

it’s that red hair. Use it in the pool, no friends once you dive in.
    I move out from behind the counter, feel them watching me as I walk towards Calum.
    (beat you, I win)
    ‘Hey,’ I tap him on the shoulder, ‘can I give you a hand?’
    ‘Yeah, knock yourself out,’ Calum points to a pile of out of date biscuits.
    ‘Building yourself a wee tower there?’
    ‘Thought we could play biscuit Jenga once we’re finished.’
    I laugh and hit him on the shoulder. Shit, I’m even ashamed of myself. What’s wrong with me? Fucking over a schoolgirl to make myself feel better. Flirting with a kid to bump up my self-esteem.
    I glance over to where the girls are standing. ‘Blonde-Pigtails’ flashes me the evils.
    ‘Here, take these.’ Calum loads me up with a pile of biscuits.
    ‘Excuse me.’
    ‘Blonde-Pigtails’ and ‘Pierced-Nose’ are standing at the counter. ‘Blonde-Pigtails’ waves a bag of crisps at me.
    ‘A little service, please.’
    Now this is funny. I almost burst out laughing. These girls can give as good as they get. Maybe I’m out of my depth, taking on a group of hormonal teenage girls. What was I like at that age?
    (wet and stinking of chlorine)
    I dump the biscuits behind the counter, run the crisps through the till. Sure enough, as I look up to take the money, ‘Hot-Pants-and-Tights’ swoops in.
    I hand ‘Blonde-Pigtails’ her change and she smiles, gives me an ‘as if’ look. She’s right.
    Calum’s laughing, rubs his neck as he speaks to ‘Hot-Pants-and-Tights.’ All I’ve done is make an arse of myself and spur her on to a brave act of seduction.
    It’s quite touching really, this display of sisterhood. I don’t remember ever having friends like that. I missed too much school, was always training, competing instead of partying. I had friends at swimming, but there was a hidden rivalry. A subtle gamesmanship that bubbled under the surface.
    All my fault, too. I’ve always been so competitive, uptight. I’m hard to get close to.
    I watch them flirt with each other. It deflates me.
    I don’t know why.
    It’s not like I fancy him or anything.
    I don’t.
    I really don’t.
    Do I?
    No. I don’t. I’m being stupid. Really, really, really stupid.
    It’s been a hard couple of years, I’ve been lonely, feeling sorry for myself. That’s all.
    I peel open a packet of biscuits, snack on them as the flirting continues. ‘Blonde-Pigtails’ and ‘Pierced-Nose’ leave them to it, spy on ‘Hot-Pants’ through the shop window. Eventually she makes her goodbyes, gives me a massive fake smile as she leaves the shop.
    Bitch.
    The other two grab her out on the pavement and they all hug again, laughing. Am I really a girl? That age once?
    (you’ve got shoulders like a man)
    Calum goes back to his biscuits. I eat another Hob-Nob. Watch him bend over. The way his t-shirt rides up. The dark hair on the back of his neck. His bare arms.
    Stop it. Stop it now.
    It’s just the flirting, the fancying someone, I haven’t felt the thrill of that in ages.
    I’m being stupid. It’s not lust I can feel in my tummy, it’s the out of date biscuits.
    I don’t fancy him.
    I don’t fancy him.
    You do.
    I don’t.
    Yes, you do. Just admit it.
    No, shut up.
    I turn away, flick through the Daily Record , try to distract myself.
    Boris The Bonking Boar
    Boris the boar has been having a squealy good time of it recently. The randy porker is now the proud father of over 121 piglets, after having his wicked way with fifteen pigs. Boris’s owner, farmer John Norman, noticed that Boris had a wicked glint in his eye and…
    Jesus, who reads this pish?
    I flick to the back pages instead. Past pages of football until…
    No way.
    No fucking way.
    I think I preferred the story about Boris.
    Jason Hungry For Gold in Budapest
    Ughh. I’m an idiot. I’ve been trying so hard to avoid all mention of the European champs. Why did I open a paper?
    Jason Livingston is going for gold at the European Swimming