"Nice job out there today."
The door to my locker bangs against my forehead as I jump at the sound of her voice and look to see her face. "Shit," I whisper and rub my forehead. Please don't have noticed, please don't have noticed.
"Are you okay? That looked like it really hurt," her face is less than two feet away, her eyes focusing on the spot I can feel swelling above my eyebrow. "Stop rubbing it, let me look." I obey her stern but warm voice. "Does that hurt?" The tips of her fingers barely graze the skin tightening over the bump and I wince. "Oh, sorry." She bends her head down so she's level with me. I blink back the tears forming. I wish my heart wouldn't thump so loudly when she's close enough to hear it.
"I'm okay. It's nothing," I manage to say as I try to escape.
"It's not. Sit down," she says and steers me to the bench. "You should see the nurse, or at least let me get you an ice pack."
"Oh no, I'm okay. Just embarrassed," I say with a smile despite the throbbing above my eye.
"Paige," I look up at the sound of my name. "You aren't okay. It's turning a nasty shade of purple already. Don't move. I'll be right back," she says patting me on the shoulder.
Halfway across the locker room she looks back at me and smiles. My entire body feels like it's been coated in the icy hot stuff the trainers give us. I duck my head and stare at the floor as a grin overwhelms my face.
My warm up pants are stuck in my sneaker. I fix them before she gets back and try to comb my hair with my fingers. Emily strolls through the center of the locker room rolling the ice pack between her hands. "Look at me," she says when she stops two feet in front of me. I look up and she surveys my face while chewing the inside of her cheek. She wraps the ice pack in a towel and drops down into a crouch in front of me. She smells like chlorine and vanilla. My heart races. "It's starting to get really cold so use the towel or it might burn your skin." She reaches to put the ice on my forehead but I blush and take it from her.
"Thanks." She takes the seat next to me. "Oh, you don't have to stay. I'll be okay, I promise." I hope she stays.
"It's fine. I don't have anywhere to be and apparently you need protection from the dangers of lockers." Her eyes sparkle as she teases me. If she keeps talking to me I might need to move the ice pack to my cheeks.
"Do not," I shoot back but then she smiles again. "Fine, maybe I'm a little clumsy. But you shouldn't sneak up on a person like that."
"Like what? Like starting a conversation?" She's laughing at me and I want to be mad, I try to scowl but my face refuses to do anything but smile at her.
"Whatever," I grumble and shake my head which is a terrible plan. I wince as the throbbing increases.
"Are you okay?" She leans forward and tip my chin up with a gentle push under my chin. Her eyes dart all over my face before settling on my eyes. "Your eyes look normal." She looks away for an instant. "I mean, I took a first aid class to be a lifeguard and your eyes don't look like you have a concussion or anything." There's less than six inches between our noses. I have to remind myself to breathe and hope desperately that my breath doesn't smell bad.
She rests her hands on her thighs as she crouches in front of me and I concentrate on them instead of looking at her face. Her hands are nothing like mine. They are elegant, her nails are painted, and they are entirely free of the small cuts I always have on mine. She lifts one hand and her fingers graze the back of my hand as she takes the ice pack off my brow. We catch each other's eyes and then both look away.
"Sorry," she breathes.
"It's okay."
She smiles and looks at the lump. "It looks better, but you should keep the ice. Promise you'll go to the nurse of it feels worse?"
I nod slowly, unable to break eye contact. "I promise, Emily."
"Good," she says with smile and she claps both of her hands on the tops of my thighs and pushes herself to standing. "We can't have you miss any time in the pool." She smirks and my heart pounds.
"True. Who else would kick your ass at practice everyday?"
She tosses her head back and laughs, her still damp hair sways around her shoulders. "You wish, McCullers."
I look at the floor. I ruined it. She called me Paige, then I mouthed off and now I'm back to "McCullers."
"Emily?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. For the ice and for sitting with me." Shit. When I hear my voice it's too full of the feeling of my pounding heart and my lungs that can barely expand.
"You're welcome. Watch out for lockers next time." I look at the floor. "I have to go. My mom is coming to pick me up."
"Oh, okay," I try to hide my disappointment.
"Will you promise to get it looked at if it gets worse?"
I nod without looking up.
"Paige, look at me." She has her hands on her hips and her hair tossed to one side. "Promise me."
"I promise, Emily." She smiles and rocks forward on the balls of her feet when I agree. She waves as she walks out of the locker room. Once she rounds the corner of the lockers I smile too.