Clutching my goggles, I followed Seth and Ethan out into the court.
The medley relays had already begun with four teams battling it out for first place. The entire room reverberated with cheers of encouragement.
"Well good to see that you're ok." Akunna wandered up to my side, Deon in tow.
"Yeah, why did you take off like that?" he queried. "Shola was worried."
My head moved to the bleachers to find said person's eyes already on me. The concern wafting in them sent a slight pang of guilt through my heart and I quickly averted my gaze.
"Look, I'm sorry I made you guys worry. After the race, I just got really embarrassed that I lost when you guys had so much faith in me and I just..." I hesitated then heaved out a sigh. "I just couldn't bear to look you in the eyes."
Akunna chuckled, shaking his head. "Only you will let something like that affect you."
"Bro," Deon placed a comforting arm on my shoulder. "Win or lose, you're always going to be the best swimmer we've ever known. So don't let stuff like that bug you, ok. It's not going to change the way we see you."
"And I bet the same goes for Shola." My roommate added with a teasing smile.
Pretending not to notice, I clapped Akunna on the back, bringing him to my side. "Thanks guys. You don't know what it means hearing this."
"Akwasi!"
At the sound of my name I turned, only to have Princess capture me in a tight hug. Her breast pressed hard against my bare chest, making a flush of heat crawl up my face. "Oh, I'm so glad you're ok."
Akunna and Deon backed away, surprised at the sudden gesture and even though I was too, I tried to mask it by hugging Princess back. My eyes quickly veered back to where Shola sat, hoping she wasn't witnessing the scene. Luckily, she wasn't. Felix had her attention warped with something on his phone. Good.
Princess soon pushed me out of her embrace and hit my shoulder. "Don't ever take off like that again!"
"Ouch!" Despite the stinging pain, I nodded. "Noted, won't happen again."
Princess smiled. "Better."
"Ladies and Gents," a feminine voice crackled out of the speakers. "It's time for the 100meter men's medley relay, heat 3. Will the respective teams find their lanes, thank you."
"That's our cue." Akunna voiced out and extended an arm for a bro handshake. "Goodluck out there, roomie."
"We'll be rooting for you on the sidelines, ok." Deon gave me a solid pat on the back.
Their unwavering support already had me feeling good about this next race. "Thanks guys." I waved them off as they made their way back to the bleachers.
"Nice friends you've got there," Princess commented, then grabbed my arm, pulling me in the direction of the starting blocks where some teams had already started assembling themselves. "Ok look, I know your first race didn't turn out like you expected and I don't want to put that same pressure on you but..." she stopped, turning to meet my eyes. "I really want you to come with me, to regionals. And that's why you need to kick ass in this race. If Penfield as a team wins the medley relay, you will qualify for regionals, regardless of the fact that you lost your individual race."
My eyebrows flew up. "What! Wh-why didn't anyone tell me about this?"
"Because it's all based on your time," Princess replied. "If you manage to do better than you did in your first race, Coach will keep you for the regionals medley relay. But if you don't..."
"She'll have me replaced." The dreadful sentence left my mouth.
"Exactly. You can't let your nerves get to you this time, Akwasi. You have to give this race your all." She gripped my shoulders. "Penfield must win this."
Swallowing down a breath, another warning prompt echoed out of the speakers. I quickly left Princess to join my team members for a few stretches. Seth was starting first with backstroke then I'd follow later with breaststroke. Nana Kwame, one of the guys on the swim team, would jump in after me to swim butterfly and Ethan would finally climax the race with freestyle.
It all seemed so easy but it was a lot harder than it looked. If one person delays the exchange, it could mess everything up.
"Hey!" Ethan slapped me on the back. "Ready to win this thing?"
I grinned. "Hell yeah."
"That's the spirit!" He smiled, pulling on his cap.
My heart was thumping the complete opposite of what I'd just said, but I let Princess' words calm it down. Penfield must win this.
"Gentlemen, please take your positions!"
Seth jumped into the pool and climbed back up, holding on to the starting block's railing.
"Ready!"
I stood behind the starting block; swim cap and goggles already on.
Beep!
Seth curved backwards, expertly diving into the water before resurfacing to begin his strokes. His arms extended, rolling through the water whilst his feet propelled him forward.
"C'mon Seth!" Nana Kwame yelled beside me. "You've got this!"
They had just reached the turn when Seth flipped, streamlining through the pool and pushing himself all the way to second. I pulled my goggles down and climbed up the block. Now that we were at second place, I had to do everything I could to maintain that position or move higher. I had no intentions to drop this.
Seth was closing in and I bent low, ignoring my racing heart and waiting for the right moment to jump in. Determination seared hot through my skin. This was my only chance to redeem myself and I had to make the best out of it.
When Seth's hand slapped the tile, I immediately threw myself in. The water quashed out the heat pouring out of me and I basked in its coolness, assuring my thumping heart that everything was going to be ok. Everything is going to be fine. Breaking the surface, I thrust myself forward, extending my arms as far as they could go, collecting and pushing, collecting and pushing. Water gurgled in my ears, but I could still hear the faint chants.
Go Akwasi go!
Go Akwasi go!
Feet touched the tile, marking the turn at the same time shooting myself forward. That was when I noticed the single swimmer, a few paces ahead of me. C'mon! My legs kicked harder, attempting to close the gap, but not before I could hit the tile.
Nana Kwame soared above me and launched into the water to begin his butterfly stroke.
I had successfully kept us in second place. Now it was up to him and Ethan to give us that extra push.
"Great job out there, buddy."
I looked up to find our team captain grinning with an outstretched hand. Slapping mine in his, he yanked me out of the pool only to trap me in a hug.
"You swam your heart out and redeemed yourself." He gave me a pat on the back. "Well done."
"Thanks but, I owe it all to you," I shrugged, pulling my goggles off. "If you hadn't come to find me and talked some sense into my big head, I don't think I'd be standing here right now." Looking my childhood friend in the eyes, I was reminded of all the times he had my back. "So thank you Ethan, for being a good friend."
He shook his head, trying to hide a smile, "Anytime bro."
"Ethan, you're up!" Coach Martin yelled and we both sent our attention back to the race.
Nana Kwame had managed to bring us at par with the leading team as he sloshed through the pool with his stroke. Ethan climbed up the starting block and bent low. The moment Nana Kwame's hand touched the wall, he jumped in ready to pull Penfield back into the winners’ zone.
As I watched my friend swim, I began to witness something different, something unique about him. Of course, this wasn't my first time watching Ethan swim, I had even joined him in practice a couple of times. But the way he was swimming now was completely different from all those times. There was something exceptional about the way his arms extended and his feet flapped in the water.
Even though he was swimming freestyle like everyone else in the pool, he had gained a certain drive that made his strokes not just fast, but beautiful. When he hit the turn, he streamlined through the water as elegantly as a dolphin could, widening the gap he'd managed to plant even before the turn.
"Whoa." I dropped down on the bench, unable to take my eyes off of him. Ethan had become one of those swimmers who could make you fall in love with swimming all over again. Like he had told me earlier, he'd honed his skill and made himself better. He had my heart beating, racing and yearning to become like him, to swim beautifully like him.
A horn suddenly blared signaling the end of the medley relays. My eyes soon moved to the scoreboard. A golden "1st" place glowed brightly beside Penfield's Sharks. I shot out of my seat, heading towards my teammates with burning excitement, not before I caught my friends in the bleachers, jumping their hearts out. Shola looked beyond elated and I laughed.
"Holy Shit! We did it!" Seth blabbered out, grabbing me by the shoulders and giving me a vigorous shake. "We fucking did it!"
"Yeeah!" We fucking did it indeed! We were going to regionals!
I was going to regionals!
The remaining members of the team buried us in a mountain of hugs, chanting out Penfield's anthem amidst cheers from the crowd.
Beyond all the bumping shoulders and the hoarse voices, I managed to spot Princess leaning against a doorframe watching us. All this wouldn't have been possible without her and for that I sent her a salute.
Her smile broadened and she sent me one in return, then Ethan grabbed me by the shoulder, awkwardly pushing me into his armpit. "Let's go celebrate!"
"Yeah!"