Splash
Summary: It all started with a splash.
Author's Note: 2 stories, 2 POV's. Anyway I was told to write another story so here you go.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Splash Back
"Okay Daddy, I'm going to do reverse one and a half somersaults with three and a half twists, in the free position," I boast miming the actions from the edge of the pool, getting ready to jump in.
"Sure, okay sweetheart, whenever you're ready," Daddy says from his sun lounger as he barely looks up from his newspaper.
I turn round with hands on hips, "Great confident boost there," I mock slightly, "I'll show you," I say before turning round to face the swimming pool again. I take a deep breath and bring my arms out to either side of my body in a perfect pose like I'm about to dive for the Olympics. "And it all comes down to this, 9 year old Miley Ray Stewart is America's last chance for the gold medal," I impersonate the commentators, I change the positions of my feet in a quick effortlessly perfect move, "Oh! Did you see that Jerry? I sure did, Jane, that must have taken years of practice," I continue my Olympic fantasy. I bring my arms back down to either side of my body, "This must be it, time for the dive, the arena is eerily silent-"
"CANNONBALL!" Jackson runs and jumps into the pool right next to me, soaking me from the splash.
"Jackson!" I whine, "Daddy! Jackson ruined my Olympic dive!" I run over to the sun lounger he's lying on.
He peers over the top of his newspaper to raise an eyebrow at me, but I raise him another, and he sighs before adding, "Jackson don't ruin your sisters over active imagination."
"Thank you daddy, some excellent parenting there," I walk back over to the edge of the swimming pool. "Right where was I?"
"Lilly wait!" I hear a hysterical woman yell.
I turn my head to the right just in time to see a 6 year old blonde girl with armbands on run and jump into the pool getting the resulting splash back on me.
Splash!
I smile slightly at this over enthusiastic girl but it retreats dramatically when she struggles to stay above the water, her armbands aren't inflated. I quickly bend down and reach my hand into the pool to grab her hand and pull her up and out of the pool.
Another blonde runs up from behind me, "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you," I guessing she's the mother. She gathers up the small slightly shaking girl into her arms in a tight hug, "Thank you, whoever you are,"
"Miley," I say still trying to catch a glimpse of the girls face to make sure she's ok, "Is she okay?"
Her eyes begin to water from the experience of it all, "Yeah she'll be fine," she says shaking a bit while holding tightly to the girl, "thanks to you. I don't know how this happened, I was putting on her armbands outside of our room and I turned around to see her gone." The little girls grip around her mother's neck tightens. "I think we should go back to the hotel room for a bit so she can calm down, thank you, I'll never be able to thank you enough, so if there's anything I can do for you just ask," she says getting up off her knees with the little blonde girl still holding on for dear life.
"Today's our last day, we are leaving in the next couple of hours, so I probably won't see you again," I reveal getting up to stand next to her.
"Oh that's shame but remember that you did a really amazing thing today and saved a life, my daughter's life and if I ever see you again don't freak out if I give you a hug. My names Heather by the way and this little heart attack is Lilly," she turns her head to Lilly and asks, "Do you want to say hello, Lilly?" the little girl in her arms doesn't move from her death grip on her mother.
"It's okay, she's still a little shook up," I smile towards Heather to let her know it's alright.
"I better go back up and settle her down, she will be okay, she's is a tough little one," she smiles before turning to head towards the entrance of the hotel. As she's walking away I see the girls face is buried in her mother's neck and it looks as though she never wants to leave there, I'm about to turn back when her head lifts up slightly to look at me, her watery blue eyes are still a little shaken but she raises a hand and gives me a gentle wave, I smile and wave back before she disappears into the hotel.
"Bye Lilly."
Splash forward
"Come on people! You're not going to become Olympic swimmers if you don't jump in the pool," I say jokingly to the group of youngsters I'm teaching how to swim. I've become a swimming coach to a load of different Olympic stars over the years but I still teach youngsters on the weekend, I think it's important not to forget that swimming can be just a way of relaxing than just a sport.
"Go on Jackson Junior, I'll be right over here," I hear a brunette say to child as they walk in.
"Okay, bye Aunt Miley," the child then jubilantly runs towards the edge of the pool.
Before I can even get the words out of my mouth it happens, he slips and falls into the pool. I dive in, pick him up and lift him out. He coughs and splutters a little, "Jackson!" I look up to see the brunette from before running towards us, she gathers the boy in her arms and cradles him as he lets out a few stifled sniffs, she looks to me, "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"It's alright it happens, he'll be fine, he'll just be a little shaken up that's all," I say trying to calm down the brunette more than the boy, who is already looking a lot better.
"But still thank you," she asks clinging tightly to the little boy, who begins to strain from the hold.
"You could loosen your grip on him a little," I smile lightly pointing towards him.
She looks down, "Oh! Sorry Jackson!" she releases him.
"Can I go now?" he asks.
"You sure you're alright?" the brunette asks seriously.
"Yeah I was only in there for a couple of seconds, thank you coach," he extends his arm for me to shake, which I do.
"Alright then but no running," she threatens lightly.
"I know," he walks slowly to his friends who have been watching since it all began.
I stand up and I'm about to turn round to start my class when two arms are thrown around me, "A shake of the hand won't do it for me," she says her warm breath tickling my neck, she pulls back, "how can I ever repay you? What's your name?"
"Lilly," I squeak, still recovering from our close proximity. I've only just met her, haven't I? How can she have this sort of affect on me?
"Lilly? I think I've heard that name before somewhere, oh well I doubt I'll remember," she asks searching my eyes to try and place where she may have seen me before. I find I'm doing the same thing. She shakes her head realising she's staring, not that I noticed I was too busy staring myself. She tries to bring us back to reality by asking, "How did you get involved in swimming?"
"It all started with a splash really, while on holiday like 18 years ago I..."
Authors Note: Something different. If you do the maths you'll get the ages for the 'Splash Forward' story. Hope you enjoyed it. Review if you wish to.
