Please note: I am not a competitive swimmer, so consider any errors to be me taking a few creative liberties here and there.

How Far She'll Go

Angelina stood on the starting block, awaiting her coach's whistle. It sliced through the air moments later, a shrill noise that rang in her ears until she plunged into the water below.

Angelina loved the feeling of being underwater, of having the world outside the pool muted for several long seconds before she surfaced with a gasp, allowing air into her lungs once more. She had been swimming competitively since she was a little girl, and the thrill of it had only grown stronger as she had grown older.

"Let's go, Johnson!" her coach, Rolanda Hooch, yelled. "Are you a guppy or a nationally ranked swimmer?"

Angelina resisted the urge to smile and instead focused on moving her arms and legs in tandem. The butterfly stroke was her weakest stroke, and she was hoping to improve it before the upcoming Olympics.

When she reached the other side of the pool, she reached out, touched the wall with both hands, then did a flip turn and propelled herself away from the wall with her feet. She was dimly aware of Rolanda shouting encouraging phrases as she continued to swim back to the side of the pool where she had jumped in. There, she stretched her arms out again. This time, however, she clung to the wall and lifted her head above the water.

"How'd I do, Coach?" she asked Rolanda, nodding at the stopwatch her coach was carrying.

"A minute and ten seconds," Rolanda said proudly. "You're making progress, Johnson."

Angelina grinned. "Again?"

...

Two hours later, Angelina was exhausted. Her muscles ached from the demands she had placed on them in the water, threatening to incapacitate her.

"Better go load up with a good breakfast," her coach said, handing her a towel. "Good work out there."

"Thanks," Angelina panted, breathless. She felt as though her lungs were working overtime to take in oxygen, and it seemingly took a Herculean effort to dry herself off. "And don't worry, Coach. I've got a 1,000 calorie meal planned out, and I plan to enjoy it."

Rolanda nodded approvingly. "See you this afternoon, then."

Angelina couldn't do much more than smile in response. She made her way to the locker room and showered, savoring the feel of the hot water on her skin. Closing her eyes, she imagined herself walking onto the Olympic medals podium, the crowd screaming her name. Her dream was so close that she could almost taste it.

...

"Did you have a good practice this morning, Angie?" Oliver asked, popping a piece of sausage into his mouth.

Oliver Wood was a fellow competitive swimmer and one of Angelina's best friends. He had an incredible work ethic, but could always be counted on to lend an ear when she needed it. He trained with Gwenog Jones at the same facility as Angelina.

Angelina nodded, cutting up her waffle with such vigor that she was surprised her knife didn't scratch the plate. "Yeah. My butterfly is getting better." She quickly chewed a piece of waffle before asking, "How was yours?"

"It was good. Gwenog says I'm in good shape to qualify for at least three events at the Games," Oliver replied.

Angelina grabbed her wine glass—it was filled with orange juice rather than alcohol, an idiosyncrasy of hers—and took a sip. "Braggart."

"You asked," Oliver countered, now shoveling some scrambled eggs onto his fork. "Besides, you'll likely qualify for just as many, if not more."

"I guess we'll see," Angelina said lightly, fighting to ignore the sudden clenching sensation in her stomach.

...

"You did it, Angie, you qualified for four events!" Alicia Spinnet shrieked, throwing her arms around Angelina.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure about the 100 meter butterfly but I guess I just barely made it!" she said happily. She had found out less than half an hour ago, and Alicia was the first person she had told, aside from her coach and Oliver.

"Olympics, here we come!" her friend cheered. A sly look appeared on her face a moment later. "I got you a present to celebrate."

"What?" Angelina stared as Alicia skipped out of the room. "When did you have time to—"

"I got it last week and was waiting to hear how things went before I gave it to you!" Alicia said over her shoulder.

Angelina sat in silence, waiting for her friend to return. Things still felt a little surreal—she still couldn't quite wrap her head around the idea that she would be going to the Olympics after chasing that dream for so long.

Alicia returned and handing her a silver box. Angelina opened it to find a pair of earrings that featured the five interlocking Olympic rings.

"Aw, these are amazing, Leesh!" Angelina held one up to her ear and struck a pose. "What do you think?"

"Adorable! Stop being so cute, it's not fair!" Alicia pouted.

Angelina laughed, the tension that had been hanging over her like a storm cloud the past few weeks finally dissipating.

...

"Are you nervous, Angie?" Alicia asked, her voice sympathetic. "'Cause I wouldn't blame you if you were."

"I'm fine, Leesh," Angelina huffed. Her stomach was in knots, but she wasn't about to admit that to her friend. Instead, she tugged the scarlet, Olympic-issue swim cap over her pinned-up braids, checking her reflection in the mirror to ensure that her hair was completely covered. "How do I look? Are you sure my hair is going to stay?"

"Angie," Alicia said patiently, "I pinned those braids up myself, and you know I always do a good job. Don't fret over it so much. Everything's going to be just fine."

Angelina tried to take her friend's words to heart, but it was difficult when there were so many doubts running through her head. In an effort to change the subject, she asked, "Shouldn't you be meeting up with Oliver?"

Alicia and Oliver were planning to watch Angelina's first event, the 100 meter butterfly, together.

"Yes," Alicia said, glancing at her watch. "Gotta run, good luck!" She gave Angelina a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, then dashed away.

Angelina sighed and began to do some light stretches. At that moment, she would have done anything to keep her anxiety at bay. How she did in that morning's event would set the tone for the rest of her Olympic experience.

...

Angelina took a deep breath and gave her arms a few good shakes. She stood on the starting block, just as she did at nearly every practice, waiting for the whistle to signify that she could dive into the water. But this wasn't a practice session—this was the Olympics. What lay at the end of this swim wasn't a pep talk from her coach, it was the possibility of a medal for Great Britain.

The whistle sounded, and Angelina jumped off the platform, letting the familiar feeling of the water envelop her and bolster her nerves. She could do this. She had trained for this moment for nearly a decade.

Time seemed to pass slowly as she kicked, splashed, and respired her way from one side of the pool to the other and back again. She could vaguely hear the crowd cheering, but it sounded like a dull roar compared to the loud thumping of her heart.

When she had completed the two laps, she made a grab for the wall, then looked around to see that she had been one of the first to do so. She shook the water from her face and peered up at the large monitor where the times were displayed.

2. ANGELINA JOHNSON - 1:02:43

Angelina pumped her fist, aware that all of the cameras were probably on her. She had come in second and broken her own personal record! Though she knew it was futile, she scanned the stands to see if she could find Oliver or Alicia. She didn't see them, but she knew that they must both be so excited for her. She was dying to celebrate with them, but before she could do so, she probably had some interviews with the media to take care of.

WC: 1,353