AN: You asked for it! I am going to continue this story.

Chapter 5: Stupid Boy

Swimming has always been a cure-all for me. It's one of the best forms of exercise for me, but it's more than just that. The water clears my head like nothing else can. I can just swim. Nothing else. No other reasons. Or at least, I COULD just swim. After Severus, it's hard not to remember how it felt "dancing" in the water. It's just one more way that my life is segregated into "before" and "after." Nothing in my life was left unchanged, not even the way I felt about the water. Now, swimming was something I did because I knew I should.

It had been another rough day at work. Cut backs and Title IX were making my job harder. I could narrowly save the swim team, but it looked like the gymnastics team was going to have to go. With the school board breathing down my neck, I was having trouble remembering why I had decided to come back to my day job. The pool that day didn't do much to clear my head...mostly because I was using the school's pool.

I took another few strong strokes before making my way to the side of the pool. Just when I was about to get out, I saw Evan Richards coming out of the locker room. Evan was easily one of the most perfect men I had ever seen in real life. He was tall and athletic with honey gold hair and friendly blue eyes. I liked Evan, but I hadn't talked to him much. I was always in my office by the gym and he taught English on the second floor. He didn't seem to think of me as an invalid--always a plus.

Evan smiled at me. "Mind if I join you for a few laps?" he asked.

"Not at all," I replied turning on my back.

I watched as he took his place on the block. He looked like he belonged there. I knew that Evan had only barely missed the last Olympic trials and held several state and national records. In on perfect motion, he sprung from the block and into the water.

For some bizarre reason, I decided to try and keep pace with him. His strokes were cleaner than my own. Unlike me, Evan was a trained, professional athlete. Needless to say, he also had the benefit of being able to use his entire body to push him through the water. Still, I held my own. I didn't disgrace gimp athletes everywhere.

When Evan stopped, he grinned at me. "Not bad."

"Thanks," I said sheepishly.

"I've never seen you here after classes," he commented. "It's odd sharing the pool."

I laughed. "I didn't mean to invade your space."

"I didn't say I minded. You give me a reason to show off." Evan was looking at me with open appreciation, and I can't say I didn't like it.

"So if you weren't showing off, I could have beaten you," I teased.

Evan raised a brow. "Would you like a head start next time?"

"Even cripples have pride."

"You're faster than most swimmers I know. Have you ever thought about going for the Paralympics?" he asked.

I was impressed. Not many people took things as head on as Evan did. He didn't seem bothered in the least by my disability. I shook my head. "I don't have time to dedicate to the type of training it would take."

"Oh. I know what you mean. My sister, Rebecca put just about everything she had into skiing when she was competing. There were about three years when neither of us had lives," he said with a laugh.

"Your sister was in the Paralympics?"

He nodded. "She lost her leg in a car accident when we were still kids. My parents didn't take her seriously when she said she wanted to ski. Well, at least they didn't until she made us all eat her snow in Apsen."

"I tried skiing once. I was out there long enough to realize that the mono-ski is not my friend," I told him with a laugh. "My best friend is the skier."

"What do you say to getting dry and going out for coffee?"

Now it was my turn to quirk and eyebrow. "Just to clarify, are you asking me out?"

Evan laughed heartily. "That depends on if you're saying yes."

I sighed. "I can't. I have to be at the sports center for a soccer game."

"A man with dedication," he remarked. "That just means I'm going to have to keep asking. Tomorrow night maybe?"

My heart was pounding. There I was, in the pool being asked out by a guy that most people would consider out of my league...and I just couldn't say yes. "Tomorrow's no good either. Can I take a rain check?"

"Sure," he answered. I could see the disappointment in his eyes.

I was being a coward, and I knew it. In my whole life, I have only had two relationships, and I've never really been on the dating scene. Right out of high school, Oliver and I got together. We went out on a few dates, fooled around a few times, and things just got serious from there. Sure, I went on a few dates that went nowhere afterward, but they seemed completely pointless. And then there was Severus...

That night, Tonks caught me after the soccer game. She eyed me curiously and crossed her arms. "What's up with that look?"

"Look? Nothing," I lied. I hoped that she'd drop it, but I knew she wouldn't.

"I was asked out by an Adonis," I told her glumly.

She rolled her eyes.

"No, really, I was!" I protested.

"In my book, that's a good thing. So why do you look like someone kicked your puppy?" Tonks leaned on my desk.

"Because I couldn't say yes."

"What? Why not?"

I shook my head. "I don't know."

Tonks gave me a sad look. "Want to know what I think?"

"What?"

"You're the absolute most idiotic man I've ever met." With that, Tonks left me to my brooding.