This is a short one shot that came to me in a dream last night. If I get enough reviews I will turn it into a story. To all my regular readers just consider it a light hearted break from The Specialists.
TO BE THE BEST.
BPOV
I had been waiting for this day for five years now. At the age of ten I had started swimming competitively but today I was going to try out for my high school swimming squad. In my freshman year I had moved back to live with my Dad in Forks because Forks High School had one of the best swim squads in the country. They were coached by Aro Volturi who had coached the US Olympic team in 1996 and 2000. He was one of the best coaches in the country. Forks High currently had 2 students who had competed for the US Olympic team in 2004. Edward Cullen and Jasper Hale where both 15 when they swam in the Olympics. Cullen had come home with two bronze medals and all eyes were on him to see what he could do in 2008. He was now a senior and the Captain of the swimming squad. Jasper Hale was the vice-captain.
I was now a sophomore and allowed to try out for coach Volturi's squad. I had trained hard all summer with the local swimming club hoping with all my might I would make the cut.
Alice Whitlock was my best friend and swimming buddy. She was standing next to me in the locker room tying her hair back before placing a bright pink swim cap over her almost black locks.
"This hair is starting to really piss me off. I should just go and chop the lot off."
She was angrily pushing stray hairs back into the cap.
I could tell she was almost as nervous as me.
The squad only allowed for six sophomores and there were fifty people trying out. Today I would have to bring my A – game.
One of the other girls from our grade, Jessica, pushed passed me, causing me to fall backwards against the metal lockers.
"Get out of my way bitch. What are you even doing here? This squad is for elite swimmers and you suck Swan."
I pulled myself up and ignoring Jessica continued placing my silver swim cap over my hair.
"Sheesh Swan are you deaf as well? I said you suck."
"Yes Jessica I heard you the first time I am just not interested in what you have to say."
I grabbed my towel and straightened my black one piece before walking out towards the indoor pool.
Alice followed quickly behind me still fussing with her cap.
In front of us stood Rosalie Hale. She was Jasper's baby sister and had a pretty much guaranteed spot on the squad. She was as good as her brother and destined for Olympic glory. Their parents had both swum for the US team in the seventies and made sure from an early age that their kids spent as much time as possible training. Rosalie was an ice queen who lived for swimming and swimming only. She vaguely glanced at us as we walked past then continued her stretching.
Coach Aro was standing on the far side of the pool going through paper work with Edward. My heart stopped beating for a second as a glanced at Edward. He was dressed in jeans and a black button down shirt. Obviously he was not getting in the pool today. I watched as her nervously pulled his hand through his hair. He was absolutely gorgeous and the most driven guy I know. Edward spent every waking hour studying or swimming.
He turned around and caught me staring and for a second a frown crossed his perfect features. I quickly turned and placed my towel on the bleachers feeling hotly embarrassed at getting caught staring.
When I looked back he walked to the top of the bleachers and was talking to Jasper.
"Out of your league Swan, he is mine." Lauren one of Jessica's friends whispered in my ear as she walked past.
She dropped her towel and waved at Edward. He glared back at her and went back to the papers hee was looking through.
Coach Aro called everyone together.
"Okay guys we have fifty applications and only 6 spots. You need to have speed but above all you need to have talent to get selected today. We will be swimming in groups of ten. All you have to do is 100 meters each of freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly. I know some of you specialise in a particular stroke but you need to be proficient in all the strokes. At the end of your 400 meters if I give you a green card please go sit on the left hand side bleachers. If you do not get a card then thank you so much for trying and please go home, practise and try again next year."
He shuffled some papers before looking up at Edward, Jasper and a few other members of the squad who nodded that they were ready.
"Okay as per usual the top members of the swim squad will be helping me to judge your performances. The first group of ten to swim will be Tyler, Angela, Mark, Isabella, Jessica, Andrew, Micheal, Ian, Danika and Lauren."
Alice gave me a thumbs up and I joined the others walking to the starting blocks. I took a deep breath and stepped up on the block.
"Three, two , one... go."
I dove into the chilly water and went into swimming mode. Nothing else mattered but the drive from my legs and pulling my arms through the water. One, two, three breath. I repeated the same mantra over and over.
The change to breaststroke pushed me even harder as this was my speciality. I felt the surge or speed and power through my body.
This was followed by the downer of my least favourite stroke. Backstroke...yuck.
I felt the pull of power again as I launched my upper body out o the water on the first stroke of butterfly. I was getting tired no with the sheer effort I was putting in but I pushed through to the finish praying for a green card. I tapped the wall with both hands and turned back to relax in the water.
I saw Coach Aro look up towards Edward and Jasper who gave him a thumbs up before turning their attention back to those still swimming. Coach handed me a green card and smiled at me.
"Well done Isabella you are through to the second round."
I breathed a sigh of relief and walked across t the bleachers to wrap a towel around me and wait for round two.
I was well and truly dry by the time Alice swam in the final group. Luckily she got a green card as well so she would be around to see what happened next.
She gave me a wet hug as she joined me on the bleachers.
Aro walked over to us and announced how the second round would work.
"Alright we have our top twelve now. Well done but this isn't the time to relax. You are on probation for the next week. Each of you will be assigned a mentor from the swim squad. They will train with you this week and work with on any issues they may have picked up today. On Friday we will have a repeat of today's swim. The three fastest and the three with the best technique will make it onto the squad. When I call your name please step up to receive your card with your mentor's name and your swim times for this week. There will be no changes in times or mentors. Good luck for Friday and well done on getting this far."
"Isabella Swan"
I walked up and took my card from Aro. The name on the card, nearly caused me to drop it. Young swimmers from all over the country would kill to be in my place. These were our celebrities. I was going to train with and Olympian and a medal winner.
I heard Lauren moaning behind me as she had received Emmett McCarthy and he wasn't on team USA.
"Hey who did you get Swan?"
She grabbed the paper out of my hand.
"How the fuck did you get Cullen you can barely ever swim?"
Coach Aro walked over to us.
"Lauren either take the mentor i gave you or you are off the team now."
Lauren burst into tears and ran out the room.
I heard Aro mutter something about a drama queen under his breath.
Alice ran up next to me and showed me the card with Jasper's name on it.
"Well done Ally I am sure he will be a brilliant teacher."
She glanced at my card.
"Ouch you got Mr. Ice. I hope you guys manage to get along."
"I am sure it will be fine Ally and I am going to learn everything I can from him."
NEXT DAY
The next day I was waiting next to the pool at 5pm just as was written on my card.
I played with my hair nervously as I waited for Edward.
He walked in from the lockers with a clipboard in his hands. Today he was wearing black board shorts with a grey Forks High swim squad shirt. A black towel was slung over his left shoulder.
"Isabella Swan?"
I jumped from my chair and ran towards him.
"Hi, I am Isabella but please call me Bella."
"No running next to the pool Bella."
He had a slight smirk on his face.
"Alright yesterday when I was watching you I noticed some slight issues with your freestyle and some serious issues with your backstroke. Today we are going to work on backstroke. Jump in the pool and give me a slow fifty."
I pulled off my purple boardshorts and black t- shirt to reveal my black training costume underneath. The water was cool against my skin as I jumped in.
I launched from the wall and pulled into the familiar stroke I hated so much. Water washed over my face and as per usual I felt like I was drowning.
"Stop."
I halted in the pool and looked up at Edward who was trying to contain his laughter.
"Bella you looked like a drowning duck. Swim back to the start and I will jump in his time."
I glared at him as I slowly swam back to the start.
Edward pulled his shirt off and jumped in the water.
He swam over to me.
Okay now this is going to be difficult. How am I supposed to concentrate with shirtless Edward right next to me?
"Bella I need you to lie on your back."
I obliged and he swam underneath me and lifted me so that I was lying on his stomach.
My mind is now officially mush. I can feel all his muscles against my back.
He grabbed my arms with his and took off swimming towards the other end of the pool.
"Okay Bella now do you feel my legs? You need to do smaller kicks like this. Those big kicks are sending waves all over you. Your arms must move in a slow and steady stroke. Keep them at a slight angle away from your face. Your body needs to do small twists in the water like this. Those turns you were doing will just create extra waves."
We went under the small rope with flags that signalled 5 meters to the end.
"At this point you can start feeling for the wall with your finger tips. Never try to look behind you."
He let go of me and my body ached at the loss of contact. What the hell was going wrong with me? I was here to swim and make the US team not to start falling for guys. This was not in the plan.
"Thanks I think I get it now."
"Great I am going to swim alongside you and watch this time."
I got into position and pushed back from the wall. I tried to mimic the way his body had moved. Amazingly it really did make a difference. I didn't hate the experience the way I usually did.
It felt like seconds before I touched the wall on the other side.
"Thanks Edward that really felt much better."
"Yep you looked a bit more comfortable. Try to streamline the movements a bit more."
He jumped out of the pool and grabbed a towel.
"I have some homework to do now so I will watch you from the sidelines. I think about 50 lengths should be enough for today."
My jaw dropped and I just started at him. Fifty lengths of my most hated stroke. 2.5km of swimming was he crazy.
"Bella if you want to be the best of the best you have to train. On a heavy training day I swim between 400 and 500 lengths. You either have the will power to do this or you might as well quit now."
I looked up at him. I had never thought about training that hard. My average session clocked about 1.5km and I thought I was doing well.
This was all I had wanted since I was ten and I wasn't about to give up now.
I pushed off the wall and started swimming. The big red clock on the wall counted the number of lengths each time I touched the wall.
By forty my arms and legs were shaking but I just pushed through the pain.
Edward was standing at the edge of the pool when I finished with m towel. He reached out his hand to help me up and wrapped the towel around me.
I felt his arms pull me into a hug but I couldn't stop shaking.
"Well done Bella. If you put in work like that you will be a great swimmer one day. Now go home and take a long hot bath."
He released me and I walked towards my clothes.
"Bella if you want to you can come and train with me tomorrow morning. I get here at 4am."
I felt his hand on mine.
"If you really want something Bells you can make it happen but you need to put in the hours."
Edward walked out of the pool area towards the lockers just as Jasper and Alice walked in for their session.
I watched him go and in that moment I decided I really could be like him. The best of the best.
"Hey Alice do you mind if I use one lane to keep training?"
Alice looked at Jasper.
"Isabella right?"
I nodded and smiled at him.
"Of course you can keep training as long as you stay in your lane."
I dropped my towel and climbed back into the water.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward smile at me as he walked with his bag towards the exit.
I could do this. I took a deep breath and started my fifty lengths of freestyle.
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the story. Sort of based on the truth of my life. I was to swim for my province/state and we used to train 2 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon every day. Hectic but I really miss the body I used to have. If you want this to continue please let me know.