Categories > Books > Outsiders > Baby Girl
A/N: I'm really starting to get into this story, it's one of my new favorites!! Still don't own the Outsiders, except Dakota. I would love to own Soda, but I'll just have to settle for Tyler. Hmm...I can live with that. lol 009
Chapter Three
I was sprinting down a dirt road, a wide smile plastered on my face. I was surrounded by gigantic fields of wheat and corn that basked in the warm sun and swayed in the breeze. In front of me was a two-story farmhouse that was painted blue with gray shingles and shutters, my old house. I was back in the country, back to my old life, away from the Socs and the danger.
Tears were in my eyes as I recognized two lone figures standing next to the mailbox. It was my parents, just like I remembered them. My mother was smiling warmly, motioning me to come quicker. My father had his arm around her waist, chuckling. It had all just been a horrible nightmare, my parents weren't dead. They were right here, they were alive!!
I tried to run faster, but with every step I took, they seemed to be getting farther and farther away. What the heck was going on?! I mean, I know I'm not the brightest girl when it comes to science, but even I know that this was physically impossible. Suddenly, the faint sound of a train whistle called from a distance and the cheerful, loving expressions on my parents' faces turned to ones of fear and dread. And then I saw it.
A large, black engine pulling an infinite amount a freight cars was rushing towards us, and it seemed to be growing larger with every passing second. The smoke from the engine filled the air and the entire train was surrounded by a misty, red haze, as if charging from the very depths of hell. I looked back towards my parents, but they, along with the house, had vanished. Instead, there sat a car right in the middle of the trains path. My parents car.
It was old and blue, the paint chipping and the fenders dented from when Soda first started to drive. I could see through the window that dad was frantically turning the ignition key to get the engine to start. After a few tries, he tried to get the doors open, but they were stuck. My mom had her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face as she prayed. It was the accident all over again.
I should have started running, I should of yelled for help, I should have done something to make it all stop. But I didn't, I knew nothing would work. I just stood there and watched as my father wrapped his arms around my mother, as if shielding her with his body would make a difference in their fate. I watched as my mother kissed the picture of me and my brothers that she always kept in her bag. The train was getting closer. The whistle had now become a deafening blast that nearly burst my ears. I screamed as it crashed into the car head on, and everything went white.
DAKOTA POV
With a sharp gasp, my eyes snapped open and I shot up in the bed, one hand gripping my chest as I tried to slow my labored breathing. My hair and shirt, hot and damp, were clinging to my skin, evidence that I had been sweating. It was the same nightmare that had been haunting me ever since mom and dad passed away. I hadn't really seen the accident, all I knew was that the car had stalled on the tracks when the 9:30 train decided to run early. It was the same dream every week, just another thing that my twin and I share.
I was having trouble getting a full breath and I could feel the coughs start to build up in the back of my throat. It was still dark in my room, so I had to feel for the inhaler that rested on the night stand. I covered my mouth as one harsh cough escaped me lips, trying to muffle the sound so I wouldn't draw any attention. You see, Darry and Tyler are the only people I can depend on if I have an asthma attack 'cause Pony and Soda kinda go into panic mode!! Actually, it's kinda funny.
I finally got a hold of the inhaler and took a deep breath of the medicine as I tried to fight off the dizziness. I've only been awake for five minutes, but I could tell that it was going to be a long, bad day. I'm blaming it all on Ty, because it's all his fault that my stupid asthma is acting up again.
~~FLASHBACK~~
After two near-accidents and one speeding ticket, Ty and I made it to the garage late, but in one piece. While Ty opened all the garage doors to let in the bright sunlight, I walked to stereo to turn on the radio. Mac came out of the cave he called an office, a huge grin on his face. I held out the sketch for inspection.
"Here's the basic idea. Now, what exactly is this bike for anyway?" I asked. Mac took the pad and studied the drawing.
"You two hear about Davidson 1500?" Mac replied, not bothering to look at our surprised faces.
"The Davidson 1500?!" I repeated to myself.
"That's the biggest chopper race in the Southwest!!" Ty exclaimed, his eyes huge. Mac just nodded.
"Man, that's the real deal. Those guys are like..." I continued, searching for the right phrase, "professional drag racers!!" Mac chuckled.
"Kody, there's no such thing, but it is a pretty well known event. Big crowd, big pay day."
"So...where do we come in?" Ty asked, a mix of suspicion and confusion in his voice.
"Yeah," I added. "We can't be making a show model, those are always theme bikes. You said we were building a original."
"We're not building a show model. In fact, we've never done a job like this before." Mac pulled up a stool from one of the work benches and sat before continuing. "This bike's gonna be entered in the race."
I shook my head and started walking away, towards my drawing desk to start the designs on the sketch. "Mac, we've built racing bikes before."
"Yeah," came the reply from behind me, "but have you ever had your own personal sponsor before, Kody?" Well...that stopped me dead in my tracks.
"W-what?" I stammered as I turned to face my boss and partner, a look of pure shock written across my face. "Me?! Sponsor?! I have a sponsor?!" And then another minor detail hit me. "....Wait a minute, I'm racing?!!!!"
Ty had a huge grin on his face while Mac just nodded in amusement. "You got it, kiddo."
"But..., no one was supposed to know that I drag race. I mean, I wore a helmet and everything!!" I was starting to freak. This meant that my secret was out. I was screwed! Darry and Soda were gonna find out that I never really went to Sammie's house on Friday nights and I was totally screwed!! Aw, man, I was gonna get grounded 'till I was 50!
Ty just laughed and placed his hands firmly on my shoulders to prevent me from running around in panicked circles. "Calm down, Kodes. The only people who know you race are me and Mac." ....Oookaay, now I was confused. Obviously someone knew that I was a racer, or they wouldn't be sponsoring me. Yet, Ty and Mac are the only ones that know? How does that work?!!! And by now, I was sure that all this info was making me cross-eyed.
"Okay, hold the phone!!!" I exclaimed, my arms raised as if to ward off any other facts from entering my already confuzzled mind. "Who am I racing for then?"
"I'll give you a hint. His last name begins with "car" and ends with "son." With a sense of awe, I looked over Ty's shoulder to my boss, who still bore a proud smirk on his face.
"Mac? You're putting me in the Davidson 1500?" He nodded.
"I pitched the idea to Ty a couple days ago. We both want you to represent "Carson Racing" down in Arizona next month. First place prize is $10,000, cash. We could really use the funds." I was shocked,...stunned,....floored to make a point. And yet....
I jumped over to Ty with an excited shriek, wrapping my arms around his neck in a hug. He caught me, swinging me around, a wide smile on his face. Mac just watched us, laughter shining in his eyes. Yep, another one of those 'they're-definitely-gonna-get-married-someday' people. There must be a cult or something. When Ty stopped, I turned toward the semi-older man, now completely hyped, and hugged him as well.
"Mac, you're unbelievable!! Thank you, thank you, thank you." He just wrapped his burly arms around my back and returned the warm embrace. He had always treated me like a surrogate daughter and I could tell there was nothing but pride in his heart at this moment. Mac was a pretty intimidating person sometimes. His hair was short and a mix of white a gray, with a mustache and short beard on his face. He almost always had a pair of sunglasses on, so it was hard to tell what he was really thinking sometimes. He was nearly as tall as Darry with a build twice the size and a deep voice to match. But it was times like these that made me feel nothing but love for the man.
Obviously, Ty was getting a little bored with the love-fest that had been going on for the past ten minutes because he suddenly blurted out, "So, are we going to get started on this thing or not?"
Like the mature teenager I was, I responded by sticking my tongue out at the guy, and returning to my desk to alter my drawing. I had no idea that we were going to build a race bike, let alone for me. I was going to have to change the frame completely. Today would be a slow day. I would spend the next two hours starting the sketch from scratch, customizing the new racing frame, along with custom fenders. Mac would then order the parts from an auto company a few miles over to be built and delivered in the next couple of days.
That's how we usually did things at Carson Racing. We'd start with the basic frame and fenders, and everything else would be spare of the moment fabrication. That's what made our bikes so unique. I had no idea how I wanted this bike to look yet, but I knew the ideas would come to me as soon as I saw the frame up close. Needless to say, this was going to be awesome.
~~END FLASHBACK~~
Yesterday had probably been one of the best days of my life. Okay...I know what you're thinking. 'What did Ty do that made you mad at him?' Well, let me enlighten you....
~~FLASHBACK (again)~~
When Mac was done ordering the parts for the new bike, Ty and I decided to get some work done on a few repairing jobs we had been given since we were two of the best mechanics in town. I was working on a transmission of an old Honda Accord, while Ty was under the hood of a Ford Mustang, trying to bring's it's engine back to life.
(A/N: When I re-edited this, I realized I had typed "Toyota Mustang" and my first reaction was "WTF?!?!". Sorry about that, I really do know more about cars than what that suggested. That was embarrassing considering my dad is always trying to teach me. 009)
The cars were right next to each other, so when I went to put the transmission back in the Accord, I was only about five feet away from the Mustang. Of course, at that exact moment, Ty decided to be an idiot for the fifty billionth time is his short life, and started the ignition without making sure all the wires had been replaced correctly. The engine roared for one second, before exploding all together, sending numerous clouds of smoke all over the workshop.
It was a highly known fact that smoke and I do not mix anymore. Immediately, my chest tightened up and I could feel the airway to my lungs constrict painfully. I rushed outside to the fresh air, fished the inhaler out of my pocket, and forced myself to take long, deep breaths. It took about five doses of medicine, but the coughing finally calmed, and I could breathe normally once again. Ty came running out of the garage, concern all over his face when he found me sitting on the ground, leaning against the side of the building, panting heavily. It took fifteen minutes before he stopped apologizing.
~~FLASHBACK~~
So that's why my asthma is acting up today. I know it was just an accident and Ty didn't mean to do it, but I'm always a little ticked when I can't breathe normally. The worst part was I had a swim meet today and I just did not feel like going. My whole body was aching, I was feeling lightheaded, and I wouldn't be surprised if my temperature was somewhere in the hundreds. It was probably just a cold or the flu, but spending a day in the cold pool did not sound thrilling, and usually I look forward to these days.
But, I couldn't just stay home, not today. This was the meet that would determine if our team would qualify for the state regionals this year. If we made it, it would be a first for our school. I knew my coach and the team were depending on me to be there, and I would not let them down, no matter how crappy I was feeling. Besides, if I told Darry I was feeling sick, I probably be in the doctor's office so fast, it would make my head even more dizzy.
I pulled my stiff body out of the warm bed and headed to the bathroom to quick brush my hair and put it in a ponytail. There was no point in taking a shower until I got home. I shut the door to my room and pulled one of the team suits out of my closet. It was a modest two piece, black top that looked like a small tank top with the name of our school in white and black bottom shorts. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and tied the strings tight around my waist to keep them from falling down. I then grabbed they gray sweater jacket that was hanging on the doorknob and put it on, leaving it unzipped.
I put my towel, goggles, a T-shirt, and inhaler in my sports bag and headed to the kitchen where I could already hear the guys wrestling in the room, probably Steve and Soda. I dropped my bag near the front door and went to the kitchen to pour myself some orange juice. I never really like to eat anything before a swim meet, because I always was afraid I'd get too full to swim fast enough. And besides, in my current state, I don't think I'd be able to hold anything down for very long. I just leaned against the counter, watching Soda squash the hell out of his best friend and took small sips from my glass. Darry looked up from the paper he was reading and flashed me a grin.
"Hey, baby girl. You ready for your meet." Now in all honestly, I really wanted to tell him no and ask him to call the coach and tell him I'm sick, but you just didn't admit those kind of things to the guys. It was hard enough being the only girl in the gang and I didn't want to give them any reason to treat me different than anyone else. So I just nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak since my throat hurt so bad.
"Okay, then let's get going. Ty and the others are going to meet us at the school." Great, the entire gang was going to be there. I just hoped I didn't keel over and die out there today, or I'd never hear the end of it. I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and climbed into the back of the truck. Pony slid into the middle seat next to me and Soda sat on the end while Darry and Steve sat up front. Soda and Steve talked the entire way to the school, something about me beating every other kid's butt or something like that, but I was too busy trying to calm the storm inside my head to pay attention. I think Pony could sense that something was wrong because I saw him watching me with a concerned look on his face.
When we pulled up to the school, Darry dropped me off so I could go the locker room while he found a place to park. I could already smell the chlorine and it was starting to make my stomach a little queasy. I trudged across the wet pool deck towards the girls locker room, my flip flops making little squeaking noises.
I saw Sammie at her locker, hanging her jeans on one of the little hooks. She had the same type of swimsuit as me, while some of the other girls wore the one piece. She waved as I walked over and opened the my locker which was right next to hers.
"Hey, Kody. Are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out." She said with a slight laugh, a worried look passing over her face. Boy, I was getting a lot of that. Oh well, there was no use hiding it. Sammie could always tell when something was wrong with me, must be a girl ESP or something.
"Yeah, well I feel like I'm about to pass out," I replied, pulling off my flip flops and socks, and putting them at the bottom of the locker.
"Are you going to be okay? Maybe you should just go home."
"No way. This meet's too important, I can't go home." Sammie didn't look very convinced, but let it go. She knew I was right. I was probably the only chance our team had of going to state.
"Well, okay. But take some Advil before you go out there," she said, pulling out the bottle of pills from her backpack. I thanked her and grabbed my water bottle, swallowing three of the capsules before putting the rest of my clothes in the locker and grabbing my gear. Coach Jacobs was standing on the deck, a clipboard in one hand and a stopwatch in the other as he watched the rest of team do warm-up laps.
Sammie and I dropped our stuff on the team bench and hurried over to our usual lane. I decided to take things nice and easy, setting a slower pace on my freestyle than I did normally. Today, I would be swimming in six different events, and I did not want to tire myself out on just the warm ups. Just thinking about made my head throb in agony. 100xFreestyle, 200xFreestyle, 100xI.M., 200xI.M., 100xBackstroke, and finally a 200xI.M.Relay of which I was freestyle anchor. Freestyle was my best stroke. All in all, I would be swimming 36 laps. Crap.
When I finished my sixth lap, the light headed feeling came rushing back to me at full throttle and I had to cling to the wall of the deep end, as if that would keep from feeling anymore pain. Both Coach Jacobs and Sammie saw my actions and knew something was wrong. Coach started running towards our lane while Sammie swam back to the deep end. Coach grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the pool, guiding me to the bench that was against the nearby wall. Sammie rushed to get my towel and my inhaler. I could tell my breathing was heavy, heavier than it normally was when I was having an asthma attack. Coach got down on his knees and grabbed my shoulders so I would look at him.
"Dakota, are you okay?" His words seemed slurred and kind of in slow motion, but I could hear what he said. I nodded and took a breath from my inhaler when Sammie handed it to me. Coach started talking again. "Are you sure you're going to be able to race?"
I took a deep breath, rested my head against the cool stone of the brick wall, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. I just need to catch my breath for a while."
"Okay, you just sit out for the rest of warm-ups. You have a lot of events today, I don't want you to overwork yourself. Sam stay with her."
"Yes, sir," Sammie replied as she grabbed my shoulder and lead me back to the bleacher where our team sat. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my waist, grabbing my water bottle. Sammie did the same and we sat on the top row of the bleachers, leaning against the wall. I closed my eyes and willed the pain to numb and for the Advil to kick in. After about ten minutes, I was finally starting to feel normal again. Not completely better, but well enough to swim anyhow. But as soon as I got home, I was going to bed and sleeping for the rest of the day.
A/N: Well, that's the end of this chapter. Don't worry, this is only part one of the swim meet. Part two is coming up. 009
Chapter Three
I was sprinting down a dirt road, a wide smile plastered on my face. I was surrounded by gigantic fields of wheat and corn that basked in the warm sun and swayed in the breeze. In front of me was a two-story farmhouse that was painted blue with gray shingles and shutters, my old house. I was back in the country, back to my old life, away from the Socs and the danger.
Tears were in my eyes as I recognized two lone figures standing next to the mailbox. It was my parents, just like I remembered them. My mother was smiling warmly, motioning me to come quicker. My father had his arm around her waist, chuckling. It had all just been a horrible nightmare, my parents weren't dead. They were right here, they were alive!!
I tried to run faster, but with every step I took, they seemed to be getting farther and farther away. What the heck was going on?! I mean, I know I'm not the brightest girl when it comes to science, but even I know that this was physically impossible. Suddenly, the faint sound of a train whistle called from a distance and the cheerful, loving expressions on my parents' faces turned to ones of fear and dread. And then I saw it.
A large, black engine pulling an infinite amount a freight cars was rushing towards us, and it seemed to be growing larger with every passing second. The smoke from the engine filled the air and the entire train was surrounded by a misty, red haze, as if charging from the very depths of hell. I looked back towards my parents, but they, along with the house, had vanished. Instead, there sat a car right in the middle of the trains path. My parents car.
It was old and blue, the paint chipping and the fenders dented from when Soda first started to drive. I could see through the window that dad was frantically turning the ignition key to get the engine to start. After a few tries, he tried to get the doors open, but they were stuck. My mom had her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face as she prayed. It was the accident all over again.
I should have started running, I should of yelled for help, I should have done something to make it all stop. But I didn't, I knew nothing would work. I just stood there and watched as my father wrapped his arms around my mother, as if shielding her with his body would make a difference in their fate. I watched as my mother kissed the picture of me and my brothers that she always kept in her bag. The train was getting closer. The whistle had now become a deafening blast that nearly burst my ears. I screamed as it crashed into the car head on, and everything went white.
DAKOTA POV
With a sharp gasp, my eyes snapped open and I shot up in the bed, one hand gripping my chest as I tried to slow my labored breathing. My hair and shirt, hot and damp, were clinging to my skin, evidence that I had been sweating. It was the same nightmare that had been haunting me ever since mom and dad passed away. I hadn't really seen the accident, all I knew was that the car had stalled on the tracks when the 9:30 train decided to run early. It was the same dream every week, just another thing that my twin and I share.
I was having trouble getting a full breath and I could feel the coughs start to build up in the back of my throat. It was still dark in my room, so I had to feel for the inhaler that rested on the night stand. I covered my mouth as one harsh cough escaped me lips, trying to muffle the sound so I wouldn't draw any attention. You see, Darry and Tyler are the only people I can depend on if I have an asthma attack 'cause Pony and Soda kinda go into panic mode!! Actually, it's kinda funny.
I finally got a hold of the inhaler and took a deep breath of the medicine as I tried to fight off the dizziness. I've only been awake for five minutes, but I could tell that it was going to be a long, bad day. I'm blaming it all on Ty, because it's all his fault that my stupid asthma is acting up again.
~~FLASHBACK~~
After two near-accidents and one speeding ticket, Ty and I made it to the garage late, but in one piece. While Ty opened all the garage doors to let in the bright sunlight, I walked to stereo to turn on the radio. Mac came out of the cave he called an office, a huge grin on his face. I held out the sketch for inspection.
"Here's the basic idea. Now, what exactly is this bike for anyway?" I asked. Mac took the pad and studied the drawing.
"You two hear about Davidson 1500?" Mac replied, not bothering to look at our surprised faces.
"The Davidson 1500?!" I repeated to myself.
"That's the biggest chopper race in the Southwest!!" Ty exclaimed, his eyes huge. Mac just nodded.
"Man, that's the real deal. Those guys are like..." I continued, searching for the right phrase, "professional drag racers!!" Mac chuckled.
"Kody, there's no such thing, but it is a pretty well known event. Big crowd, big pay day."
"So...where do we come in?" Ty asked, a mix of suspicion and confusion in his voice.
"Yeah," I added. "We can't be making a show model, those are always theme bikes. You said we were building a original."
"We're not building a show model. In fact, we've never done a job like this before." Mac pulled up a stool from one of the work benches and sat before continuing. "This bike's gonna be entered in the race."
I shook my head and started walking away, towards my drawing desk to start the designs on the sketch. "Mac, we've built racing bikes before."
"Yeah," came the reply from behind me, "but have you ever had your own personal sponsor before, Kody?" Well...that stopped me dead in my tracks.
"W-what?" I stammered as I turned to face my boss and partner, a look of pure shock written across my face. "Me?! Sponsor?! I have a sponsor?!" And then another minor detail hit me. "....Wait a minute, I'm racing?!!!!"
Ty had a huge grin on his face while Mac just nodded in amusement. "You got it, kiddo."
"But..., no one was supposed to know that I drag race. I mean, I wore a helmet and everything!!" I was starting to freak. This meant that my secret was out. I was screwed! Darry and Soda were gonna find out that I never really went to Sammie's house on Friday nights and I was totally screwed!! Aw, man, I was gonna get grounded 'till I was 50!
Ty just laughed and placed his hands firmly on my shoulders to prevent me from running around in panicked circles. "Calm down, Kodes. The only people who know you race are me and Mac." ....Oookaay, now I was confused. Obviously someone knew that I was a racer, or they wouldn't be sponsoring me. Yet, Ty and Mac are the only ones that know? How does that work?!!! And by now, I was sure that all this info was making me cross-eyed.
"Okay, hold the phone!!!" I exclaimed, my arms raised as if to ward off any other facts from entering my already confuzzled mind. "Who am I racing for then?"
"I'll give you a hint. His last name begins with "car" and ends with "son." With a sense of awe, I looked over Ty's shoulder to my boss, who still bore a proud smirk on his face.
"Mac? You're putting me in the Davidson 1500?" He nodded.
"I pitched the idea to Ty a couple days ago. We both want you to represent "Carson Racing" down in Arizona next month. First place prize is $10,000, cash. We could really use the funds." I was shocked,...stunned,....floored to make a point. And yet....
I jumped over to Ty with an excited shriek, wrapping my arms around his neck in a hug. He caught me, swinging me around, a wide smile on his face. Mac just watched us, laughter shining in his eyes. Yep, another one of those 'they're-definitely-gonna-get-married-someday' people. There must be a cult or something. When Ty stopped, I turned toward the semi-older man, now completely hyped, and hugged him as well.
"Mac, you're unbelievable!! Thank you, thank you, thank you." He just wrapped his burly arms around my back and returned the warm embrace. He had always treated me like a surrogate daughter and I could tell there was nothing but pride in his heart at this moment. Mac was a pretty intimidating person sometimes. His hair was short and a mix of white a gray, with a mustache and short beard on his face. He almost always had a pair of sunglasses on, so it was hard to tell what he was really thinking sometimes. He was nearly as tall as Darry with a build twice the size and a deep voice to match. But it was times like these that made me feel nothing but love for the man.
Obviously, Ty was getting a little bored with the love-fest that had been going on for the past ten minutes because he suddenly blurted out, "So, are we going to get started on this thing or not?"
Like the mature teenager I was, I responded by sticking my tongue out at the guy, and returning to my desk to alter my drawing. I had no idea that we were going to build a race bike, let alone for me. I was going to have to change the frame completely. Today would be a slow day. I would spend the next two hours starting the sketch from scratch, customizing the new racing frame, along with custom fenders. Mac would then order the parts from an auto company a few miles over to be built and delivered in the next couple of days.
That's how we usually did things at Carson Racing. We'd start with the basic frame and fenders, and everything else would be spare of the moment fabrication. That's what made our bikes so unique. I had no idea how I wanted this bike to look yet, but I knew the ideas would come to me as soon as I saw the frame up close. Needless to say, this was going to be awesome.
~~END FLASHBACK~~
Yesterday had probably been one of the best days of my life. Okay...I know what you're thinking. 'What did Ty do that made you mad at him?' Well, let me enlighten you....
~~FLASHBACK (again)~~
When Mac was done ordering the parts for the new bike, Ty and I decided to get some work done on a few repairing jobs we had been given since we were two of the best mechanics in town. I was working on a transmission of an old Honda Accord, while Ty was under the hood of a Ford Mustang, trying to bring's it's engine back to life.
(A/N: When I re-edited this, I realized I had typed "Toyota Mustang" and my first reaction was "WTF?!?!". Sorry about that, I really do know more about cars than what that suggested. That was embarrassing considering my dad is always trying to teach me. 009)
The cars were right next to each other, so when I went to put the transmission back in the Accord, I was only about five feet away from the Mustang. Of course, at that exact moment, Ty decided to be an idiot for the fifty billionth time is his short life, and started the ignition without making sure all the wires had been replaced correctly. The engine roared for one second, before exploding all together, sending numerous clouds of smoke all over the workshop.
It was a highly known fact that smoke and I do not mix anymore. Immediately, my chest tightened up and I could feel the airway to my lungs constrict painfully. I rushed outside to the fresh air, fished the inhaler out of my pocket, and forced myself to take long, deep breaths. It took about five doses of medicine, but the coughing finally calmed, and I could breathe normally once again. Ty came running out of the garage, concern all over his face when he found me sitting on the ground, leaning against the side of the building, panting heavily. It took fifteen minutes before he stopped apologizing.
~~FLASHBACK~~
So that's why my asthma is acting up today. I know it was just an accident and Ty didn't mean to do it, but I'm always a little ticked when I can't breathe normally. The worst part was I had a swim meet today and I just did not feel like going. My whole body was aching, I was feeling lightheaded, and I wouldn't be surprised if my temperature was somewhere in the hundreds. It was probably just a cold or the flu, but spending a day in the cold pool did not sound thrilling, and usually I look forward to these days.
But, I couldn't just stay home, not today. This was the meet that would determine if our team would qualify for the state regionals this year. If we made it, it would be a first for our school. I knew my coach and the team were depending on me to be there, and I would not let them down, no matter how crappy I was feeling. Besides, if I told Darry I was feeling sick, I probably be in the doctor's office so fast, it would make my head even more dizzy.
I pulled my stiff body out of the warm bed and headed to the bathroom to quick brush my hair and put it in a ponytail. There was no point in taking a shower until I got home. I shut the door to my room and pulled one of the team suits out of my closet. It was a modest two piece, black top that looked like a small tank top with the name of our school in white and black bottom shorts. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and tied the strings tight around my waist to keep them from falling down. I then grabbed they gray sweater jacket that was hanging on the doorknob and put it on, leaving it unzipped.
I put my towel, goggles, a T-shirt, and inhaler in my sports bag and headed to the kitchen where I could already hear the guys wrestling in the room, probably Steve and Soda. I dropped my bag near the front door and went to the kitchen to pour myself some orange juice. I never really like to eat anything before a swim meet, because I always was afraid I'd get too full to swim fast enough. And besides, in my current state, I don't think I'd be able to hold anything down for very long. I just leaned against the counter, watching Soda squash the hell out of his best friend and took small sips from my glass. Darry looked up from the paper he was reading and flashed me a grin.
"Hey, baby girl. You ready for your meet." Now in all honestly, I really wanted to tell him no and ask him to call the coach and tell him I'm sick, but you just didn't admit those kind of things to the guys. It was hard enough being the only girl in the gang and I didn't want to give them any reason to treat me different than anyone else. So I just nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak since my throat hurt so bad.
"Okay, then let's get going. Ty and the others are going to meet us at the school." Great, the entire gang was going to be there. I just hoped I didn't keel over and die out there today, or I'd never hear the end of it. I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and climbed into the back of the truck. Pony slid into the middle seat next to me and Soda sat on the end while Darry and Steve sat up front. Soda and Steve talked the entire way to the school, something about me beating every other kid's butt or something like that, but I was too busy trying to calm the storm inside my head to pay attention. I think Pony could sense that something was wrong because I saw him watching me with a concerned look on his face.
When we pulled up to the school, Darry dropped me off so I could go the locker room while he found a place to park. I could already smell the chlorine and it was starting to make my stomach a little queasy. I trudged across the wet pool deck towards the girls locker room, my flip flops making little squeaking noises.
I saw Sammie at her locker, hanging her jeans on one of the little hooks. She had the same type of swimsuit as me, while some of the other girls wore the one piece. She waved as I walked over and opened the my locker which was right next to hers.
"Hey, Kody. Are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out." She said with a slight laugh, a worried look passing over her face. Boy, I was getting a lot of that. Oh well, there was no use hiding it. Sammie could always tell when something was wrong with me, must be a girl ESP or something.
"Yeah, well I feel like I'm about to pass out," I replied, pulling off my flip flops and socks, and putting them at the bottom of the locker.
"Are you going to be okay? Maybe you should just go home."
"No way. This meet's too important, I can't go home." Sammie didn't look very convinced, but let it go. She knew I was right. I was probably the only chance our team had of going to state.
"Well, okay. But take some Advil before you go out there," she said, pulling out the bottle of pills from her backpack. I thanked her and grabbed my water bottle, swallowing three of the capsules before putting the rest of my clothes in the locker and grabbing my gear. Coach Jacobs was standing on the deck, a clipboard in one hand and a stopwatch in the other as he watched the rest of team do warm-up laps.
Sammie and I dropped our stuff on the team bench and hurried over to our usual lane. I decided to take things nice and easy, setting a slower pace on my freestyle than I did normally. Today, I would be swimming in six different events, and I did not want to tire myself out on just the warm ups. Just thinking about made my head throb in agony. 100xFreestyle, 200xFreestyle, 100xI.M., 200xI.M., 100xBackstroke, and finally a 200xI.M.Relay of which I was freestyle anchor. Freestyle was my best stroke. All in all, I would be swimming 36 laps. Crap.
When I finished my sixth lap, the light headed feeling came rushing back to me at full throttle and I had to cling to the wall of the deep end, as if that would keep from feeling anymore pain. Both Coach Jacobs and Sammie saw my actions and knew something was wrong. Coach started running towards our lane while Sammie swam back to the deep end. Coach grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the pool, guiding me to the bench that was against the nearby wall. Sammie rushed to get my towel and my inhaler. I could tell my breathing was heavy, heavier than it normally was when I was having an asthma attack. Coach got down on his knees and grabbed my shoulders so I would look at him.
"Dakota, are you okay?" His words seemed slurred and kind of in slow motion, but I could hear what he said. I nodded and took a breath from my inhaler when Sammie handed it to me. Coach started talking again. "Are you sure you're going to be able to race?"
I took a deep breath, rested my head against the cool stone of the brick wall, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. I just need to catch my breath for a while."
"Okay, you just sit out for the rest of warm-ups. You have a lot of events today, I don't want you to overwork yourself. Sam stay with her."
"Yes, sir," Sammie replied as she grabbed my shoulder and lead me back to the bleacher where our team sat. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my waist, grabbing my water bottle. Sammie did the same and we sat on the top row of the bleachers, leaning against the wall. I closed my eyes and willed the pain to numb and for the Advil to kick in. After about ten minutes, I was finally starting to feel normal again. Not completely better, but well enough to swim anyhow. But as soon as I got home, I was going to bed and sleeping for the rest of the day.
A/N: Well, that's the end of this chapter. Don't worry, this is only part one of the swim meet. Part two is coming up. 009
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