Chapter Twenty-Nine
The happiness fromChristmas stayed with me even through Tuesday as we met at the high school for Justin’s intersquad meet.The school was filled with people who’d come to watch the friendly competition between the teammates.The hallways felt more lively than they had in the last couple of weeks before we went on break.
I still wasn’t quite sure, but from what Paxon explained, the intersquad meet was the team against itself, competing with each other without the pressure of having to rank or break world records or anything.
It was all in good fun.
The bleachers by the pool were packed, parents and friends all munching on baked goods.Vendors had set up tables by the entrances, selling everything from cookies to pies.Half the proceeds were going to the team to help fund their away games, and the rest to a local charity.It was such a wholesome atmosphere that it was hard not to feel swept up in it all.
Toby sat behind me, practically drowning in muffins and cookies, his lap piled high.Some of the treats even slipped onto the floor.At least they were in baggies so they weren’t wasted.
“What?”he asked when he caught me staring.“I’m supporting the team.”
“Is that so?”I asked, smirking.
“Supporting their dentist is more like it,” Paxon teased, shaking his head.Toby grinned, not caring, before popping a bite of a blueberry muffin into his mouth.
Paxon and Bryan sat on Toby’s other side, each armed with their own slice of pie.
“I think this is cherry,” Bryan said, inspecting his slice before taking a bite.“Oh, that’s not just cherry.”
“It’s a berry pie,” Paxon said around his own bite.“It’s good.”
I was working on a cupcake with a caramel filling, its frosting thick and sweet.Seth was next to me, nothing in his hands.“Not hungry?”I asked, nudging him with my elbow.
He shrugged, his lips curling into a smile.“I’ll steal a bite from yours later.”
Janice sat on the other side of me, a giant cookie balanced on her lap.I knew she had another stashed away in her bag for Ezi.He had stayed behind to take care of Rowan while he napped.They weren’t ready to bring him to public events yet—not with all the germs floating around.And they didn’t want to carry him around in the cold if they didn’t need to.I didn’t blame him.I had gotten my flu shot a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t know if that was something they could do for such a little baby or if they’d done it.
The announcer’s voice crackled over the speakers, signaling the start of the meet.Everyone in the bleachers clapped, some shouting encouragement for the different swimmers.
Justin walked out in a line with some of the other swimmers, stopping at the edge of the pool, shaking out his arms and talking with one of his teammates.While this was supposed to be a fun competition between teammates, Justin still looked focused.Another swimmer who was a couple rows down from him, tall with broad shoulders and a confident grin, seemed just as intense.
I turned to look back at Toby.“Who’s that?”I asked.
“Noah,” Toby said around a mouthful of cookies.“He and Justin are always neck-and-neck at these things.They push each other hard.”
The whistle blew and the first race began.Everyone dove into the pool, their movements sharp and precise.Sleek, with no wasted movements.The water erupted in splashes as Justin and Noah raced down the lane, their strokes perfectly synchronized as they pulled ahead of the other swimmers.
