Categories > Original > Sci-Fi > Breaking Waves
Chapter 2: Just Float
0 reviewsAnnie Cresta and Finnick Odair have been best friends for ever. After Finnick goes into the games, they silently vow never to speak of it. Until, five years later, Annie is reaped for the 70th game...
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Chapter 2
The next morning I find Finnick lounging on the small U-shaped tree off the coast of the ocean. I smile as he finishes a book he’s been reading and sets it in sand. When he notices me nearing he sits up right in the tree.
”Ahhh,” He says with a grin. ”You showed up.”
I raise my eyebrows at him. ”Didn’t think I was going to chicken out on you. Did you?” I smirk.
”Not a chance,” Finnick says as he springs from the tree, wiping his hands on his capri’s with a jittery expression.
”You okay?” I ask with a chuckle.
Finnick’s eyes find mine. Confusion spreads across his face. ”Yeah…I just never gave anyone a swimming lesson before…” He laughs.
This makes me giggle. ”Is Finnick Odair…scared?” I say.
He immediately takes offense which makes me smile even more. ”What!?” He asks. He straightens his shoulders as he moves into a superior pose. ”Finnick Odair is not afraid of anything.”
I lift some seaweed up from the sand as he remains in his ridiculous pose. ”Oh yeah?” I ask. I throw the seaweed over my head and watch as it lands on Finnicks sparkling chest. He completely wigs out in an attempt to scrape the stuff off of him. I stand there, guffawing at him, clearly not paying attention as he chases after me.
I run into the water and Finnick catches me. Laughing, he says, ”Why don’t we get on with that lesson?”
I nod as he walks with me further out into the water. He lowers us down into the cool, glistening waves and begins his lesson. ”Okay, kneel down.” He says. The water’s only about three feet deep so this is easy to do.
”Now, the first thing to learning how to swim is to learn how to float,” He tells me. He puts a hand on my back and lowers me further down. ”In order to float, you have to get accustomed to the water. Just relax. Lay your body down on the water and don’t think about it.” Finnick helps me with this and I’m now floating on my back in the water.
Finnick smiles above my head. ”Good. Now, try moving yourself back and forth with your arms. Watch me,” He instructs. Finnick lies in the water on his back and I watch as he propels himself back and forth, moving his upward to go forward, and downward to go backward.
Finnick jumps up from the water and kneels beside me. ”Now your turn.” He says. ”Boy, Finnick. You’re better at this than I am,” I laugh.
”It’s just floating, Annie.” He says. ”Remember, don’t think about it.”
I nod my head as I allow my arms and hands to propel me through the water. I move upward, downward, sideways. ”I think I got it.” I smile. Finnick claps his hands. ”Good job.” I stop myself as Finnick lifts a hand out to me and pulls me up. ”Want to try diving now?” He asks me.
I lift an eyebrow. ”Am I ready for diving?” I ask awkwardly.
”You’re a pro,” He laughs. ”I think your ready.”
With that, I watch as Finnick shows me how to pull off a perfectly clean dive. We move deeper into the water where it’s about four and a half feet now. ”Okay. So, what you want to do is extend your arms above your head like this,” He moves his arms above his head so that his hands are touching each other. ”Then you need to make sure your feet are lined together. Once you do that, you basically just pounce and dive under. Like this.”
Finnick throws his body neatly under the waves. I watch as his body glides with the ocean until he comes up. ”Now, you try.” He says. I follow Finnick’s positions and jump underwater. I try to move under the ocean like he does, but I know I’m not doing too well.
Finnick shakes his head with a laugh. ”When you’re underwater, the swimming is not supposed to be that complicated. Move your body up and down, like a mermaid. In one continuous direction.” He tells me. ”Try again.” He says with a sweet smile.
So I do. I jump under the waves and swim up in down in a line until I pop up a further distance away from Finn. ”I did it!” I yell. I swam!” Springing out of the water that fast made me so wobbly that I almost fall over. Finnick’s by my side fast enough, though, that he catches me before I go under.
Right now I find myself in his arms, our eyes locked. I can tell he’s say something, but he can’t quite get the words out. ”I…I uhhh…I think that’s enough swimming for today. We can do more tomorrow?” He carefully lets me go.
”Yeah,” I reply quietly. He smiles at me and splashes me with some water. I laugh at him as we get caught up in a huge splash fight. After moment of this, Finnick intertwines his fingers with mine. ”Come on. Let’s go.” He says as he leads us away from the ocean.
The next morning I find Finnick lounging on the small U-shaped tree off the coast of the ocean. I smile as he finishes a book he’s been reading and sets it in sand. When he notices me nearing he sits up right in the tree.
”Ahhh,” He says with a grin. ”You showed up.”
I raise my eyebrows at him. ”Didn’t think I was going to chicken out on you. Did you?” I smirk.
”Not a chance,” Finnick says as he springs from the tree, wiping his hands on his capri’s with a jittery expression.
”You okay?” I ask with a chuckle.
Finnick’s eyes find mine. Confusion spreads across his face. ”Yeah…I just never gave anyone a swimming lesson before…” He laughs.
This makes me giggle. ”Is Finnick Odair…scared?” I say.
He immediately takes offense which makes me smile even more. ”What!?” He asks. He straightens his shoulders as he moves into a superior pose. ”Finnick Odair is not afraid of anything.”
I lift some seaweed up from the sand as he remains in his ridiculous pose. ”Oh yeah?” I ask. I throw the seaweed over my head and watch as it lands on Finnicks sparkling chest. He completely wigs out in an attempt to scrape the stuff off of him. I stand there, guffawing at him, clearly not paying attention as he chases after me.
I run into the water and Finnick catches me. Laughing, he says, ”Why don’t we get on with that lesson?”
I nod as he walks with me further out into the water. He lowers us down into the cool, glistening waves and begins his lesson. ”Okay, kneel down.” He says. The water’s only about three feet deep so this is easy to do.
”Now, the first thing to learning how to swim is to learn how to float,” He tells me. He puts a hand on my back and lowers me further down. ”In order to float, you have to get accustomed to the water. Just relax. Lay your body down on the water and don’t think about it.” Finnick helps me with this and I’m now floating on my back in the water.
Finnick smiles above my head. ”Good. Now, try moving yourself back and forth with your arms. Watch me,” He instructs. Finnick lies in the water on his back and I watch as he propels himself back and forth, moving his upward to go forward, and downward to go backward.
Finnick jumps up from the water and kneels beside me. ”Now your turn.” He says. ”Boy, Finnick. You’re better at this than I am,” I laugh.
”It’s just floating, Annie.” He says. ”Remember, don’t think about it.”
I nod my head as I allow my arms and hands to propel me through the water. I move upward, downward, sideways. ”I think I got it.” I smile. Finnick claps his hands. ”Good job.” I stop myself as Finnick lifts a hand out to me and pulls me up. ”Want to try diving now?” He asks me.
I lift an eyebrow. ”Am I ready for diving?” I ask awkwardly.
”You’re a pro,” He laughs. ”I think your ready.”
With that, I watch as Finnick shows me how to pull off a perfectly clean dive. We move deeper into the water where it’s about four and a half feet now. ”Okay. So, what you want to do is extend your arms above your head like this,” He moves his arms above his head so that his hands are touching each other. ”Then you need to make sure your feet are lined together. Once you do that, you basically just pounce and dive under. Like this.”
Finnick throws his body neatly under the waves. I watch as his body glides with the ocean until he comes up. ”Now, you try.” He says. I follow Finnick’s positions and jump underwater. I try to move under the ocean like he does, but I know I’m not doing too well.
Finnick shakes his head with a laugh. ”When you’re underwater, the swimming is not supposed to be that complicated. Move your body up and down, like a mermaid. In one continuous direction.” He tells me. ”Try again.” He says with a sweet smile.
So I do. I jump under the waves and swim up in down in a line until I pop up a further distance away from Finn. ”I did it!” I yell. I swam!” Springing out of the water that fast made me so wobbly that I almost fall over. Finnick’s by my side fast enough, though, that he catches me before I go under.
Right now I find myself in his arms, our eyes locked. I can tell he’s say something, but he can’t quite get the words out. ”I…I uhhh…I think that’s enough swimming for today. We can do more tomorrow?” He carefully lets me go.
”Yeah,” I reply quietly. He smiles at me and splashes me with some water. I laugh at him as we get caught up in a huge splash fight. After moment of this, Finnick intertwines his fingers with mine. ”Come on. Let’s go.” He says as he leads us away from the ocean.
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