"I've arranged for Juergensen to pick you up tonight," Lady Une says.
Mariemaia looks up from where she'd been reviewing her Latin notes. "Juergensen?"
"She'll be able to attend the meet and then bring you home." Lady Une must notice the face Mariemaia pulls because she lifts one of her eyebrows. "What?"
"She's young," Mariemaia replies. She thinks of the trashy reality television and wrinkles her nose. "Why not Miss Noin?"
"Noin's on duty tonight. Anyway, Juergensen's not that young. She's the same age as Noin." Mariemaia sighs loudly, closing her Latin notebook and staring out the car window. It's another gray, rainy morning. "Did she say something the other night?"
"No." She slides her notebook back into her backpack. "She's too cheerful." Lady Une chuckles and Mariemaia frowns. "It's exhausting."
"There are worse things."
Henri turns into the school drive and Mariemaia gathers her belongings. "Trowa Barton is coming tonight." She peeks over to see Lady Une has looked up from her own notes, eyebrows hidden under her bangs. "Maybe I can get a ride with him."
Lady Une makes a hmming sound as Henri pulls to a stop outside of the school. "I'll check with him," she says finally. Before Mariemaia can reach for the door, Lady Une has pulled her into a hug. Mariemaia's swim bag is trapped awkwardly between them. "Good luck tonight. I wish I could be there to watch."
Mariemaia feels her neck flush and she shrugs, slipping out of Lady Une's grasp. "Yeah, thanks. Good luck with Yergin," she replies before escaping the car.
Kenzie nudges her gently. "Do you need a bucket?" she asks.
"I'm fine," she replies. She takes deep breaths, tries to turn her focus inward like Trowa's been teaching her. The only thing it does is highlight the fact that her stomach is threatening to revolt. She swallows hard and shakes out her shoulders, trying to keep warm and loose.
"You'll be fine," Kenzie coaches. "You're doing well for a firstie."
"Thanks," she mumbles. She looks across the pool deck at the other team they're competing against. It's a rival private school from the other side of the city. She doesn't look toward the stands.
"I always puke before my races," Kenzie tells her. "It's why I keep a toothbrush in my locker now."
"Ew, gross," Mariemaia replies, laughing. Kenzie grins at her briefly, then turns her attention toward Coach Maes as he approaches.
Mariemaia half listens to his pep talk and the smattering of guidance he offers. She watches her teammates as they turn to face their coach, the other three girls she'll be running the relay with all a year or two older than her. Her throat feels parched. Minerva and Larissa sit on the bench, arms crossed over their chests and identical looks of displeasure on their faces.
"So, anyone in the stands?" Kenzie asks once Coach has finished. "It's kinda obvious that you're refusing to look at them."
Trowa Barton had said he would come, but emergencies happened. Besides, she's sure he has better things to do than watch a junior swim meet, even if he is bored. For the twentieth time she wonders why she invited Trowa. She isn't sure if she's hoping for or against the Gundam pilot being present. Regardless, she hopes Juergensen isn't present.
Mariemaia shrugs. "I don't know, maybe," she replies. "You?"
"Oh, yeah," Kenzie replies, voice bright as she rolls her shoulders. "My dad always makes it to my meets. He's a total sports-nut, even if it's just swimming." She laughs and nudges Mariemaia again. "Relax, you'll be fine."
. . ... . .
Mariemaia steps onto the block, shifts into position when the ref tells them to take their marks. She keeps her eyes on the pool, breathes slow and deep. She is not seven-years-old, she reminds herself. The starting pistol goes off and she pushes off, entering the water cleanly.
She breaks the surface, arms coming together while her legs frog kick out behind her. She kicks harder, keeps her breathing even, loses herself in the rhythm. She can hear the crowd cheering from the stands but she keeps her focus on the pool. She's half a length behind the girl next to her, one of the ones from the other school, when she goes into the final turn.
Her fingers touch the wall, and she looks up at the scoreboard. Her mouth thins. Fourth.
. . ... . .
She's second in line for the relay. Yasmin bounces on her toes behind her as they watch Yen come out of the turn, arms stretching in the freestyle. "You've got this," Julia tells her, leaning around Yasmin to smile. "Swim fast, Khushrenada."
Mariemaia takes her position, dives in as Yen touches the wall and strikes out against the wall. She tilts her head, breathing every other stroke. Her legs burn and she presses on, enters the turn and makes her way back to the start. She can see Yasmin in position on the starting block, while Yen and Julia stand behind her cheering.
Her fingers touch the wall and Yasmin launches off the block and into the water like a missile. Mariemaia pulls herself out of the water, takes the hooded robe Yen hands her. Her legs feel like rubber and she can feel her right one throb from overexertion. She makes herself turn back, lets her eyes scan the stands finally.
It takes her a moment to locate the former pilot. He's sitting up near the top of the stands, watching the swimmers from a bird's eye view. She isn't all that surprised to see Heero Yuy seated next to him. Heero has his arms folded over his chest and she can picture the scowl on his face even if she can't see it
Yen's arm bumps her as she begins to jump up and down, cheering in earnest, and the motion drags her attention back to the race at hand. She smiles, cheers and yells alongside Yen as Julia enters the water only half a beat after the lead team.