08| don't push your luck

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"Bro, where are you going?" O'Connor says stopping me from walking down the stairs. "It's way too early for you to be awake on a Saturday."

I turn around to face O'Connor. "I'm going to the pavilion to train for a little bit."

O'Connor looks at me confused. "It's eight am Connery, don't you usually sleep in and train around eleven? I was hoping I could join you today."

"You can't," I tell O'Connor and he looks at me more confused than before. "I'm heading out early because Coach asked me to help Everest out with her breathe stoke technique and I have to get my training in before she arrives."

"Everest Green?" O'Connor says surprised and I nod my head. "Since when do you do favors for Coach? Are you taking charity cases now?"

"O'Connor, shut up please." I groan. "You're giving me a headache with all these questions you're asking."

"I see," O'Connor grins and I raise my eyebrows. "You like her. That must be it because you wouldn't sacrifice your Saturday mornings just to help her out. You must have ulterior motives, my friend."

"That's ridiculous O'Connor, stop making up things in that tiny little brain of yours," I tell my best friend. He's not wrong about one thing, well actually two. I would never sacrifice my Saturday mornings for anyone and I do have ulterior motives, but it doesn't involve taking Everest Green to bed. "She's not my type."

After O'Connor going back and forth over his ridiculous accusations and assumptions for about ten minutes, I finally made it to the pavilion. It was empty as it always is on Saturdays. Coach kills us so much during the week at practice that everyone prefers to stay in to get the most out of their weekends. I, on the other hand, don't have that luxury (not that I mind getting up to train on the weekends) I love what I do so much that I want to be the best. And being the best means sacrificing and working hard while others sleep because while you sleep there is someone else out there working harder than you to be the best.

I usually do my own workouts during the weekends but Coach Dave (the head coach of the USA Swim Team) has been sending me workouts for the past weeks. During summer break I had the best time practicing with the national team, it was a great experience and I got the taste of what it means to swim for your country. Now, that I know what it feels like I won't stop working until I get to the Olympics.

To start off the practice I had 600 meters of warm-up divided into 300 yards freestyle swim, 200 yards pull with a buoy and 100 yards kick with the board. It was a pretty easy warm-up and it usually took me twenty to thirty minutes. But just like Coach Jennings every time Coach Dave gave an easy warm-up that meant that we were going to end up out of breath for the rest of practice. The water was pretty warm today, which was a complete surprise to me, it usually is freezing especially since winter is approaching.

For the rest of the workout today Coach Dave divided it into 4 x 50 meters freestyle with 10 seconds rest in between laps, 4 x 100 meters counting your strokes per length with 20 seconds rest in between laps (aiming to take one fewer stroke each round), 4 x 50 meters kick with the board with 15 seconds rest in between laps, 8 x 50 meters alternating sprint freestyle (odds) and sprint stroke count (evens) with 10 seconds rest in between laps.

I wasn't going to lie I was dying by the time I finished the last set. Before swimming my cool down I sat on the edge of the lane I went through my phone answering some text messages from my sister Emma. Even though I was focused on answering the texts I could hear the echo of heels as they touched the concrete floor. Soon enough I could see a small figure standing at the entrance from the corner of my eye.

"Hey," Everest awkwardly said grabbing my attention. I looked confused when I saw her in her current clothes. I was speechless. Everest looked hot with that black pantsuit and don't get me started on the red lipstick. As soon as I realized I was staring I dismissed my thoughts. "I'm going to change and I'll be right out."

I nodded. She must've noticed I was staring. Idiot. "You can take your time, I have 400 meters left to complete my training and then we can get started with yours."

"Okay, thanks." She replied.

She looked pretty embarrassed at the way she replied. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. I was finished up with my training session once Everest walked out of the locker room. She had her BGU swimming cap on and her goggles at hand. "I'm all ready to go."

"Great, you can warm up if you'd like but it's really up to you. For today, I want to see how you swim under pressure. Meaning that we'll start off with 50 meters and you have to swim as if you were competing, so you have to give me 100% on that one. That allows me to see what is holding you back and I can help you correct anything that is wrong with your technique as well." I replied.

"Okay, that's perfect. I'll just start with a 200-meter freestyle warm-up." She said getting in the water and I just nodded. I noticed she looked tense, she was obviously nervous so I reminded her that there was no need for her to be.

"You don't have to be nervous Everest, you look tense. I'm not here to scrutinize or judge. I just want to help you out."

She nodded and began to swim the warm-up. I was one hundred percent behind what I said to her. Even though I had no choice in the matter, I still wanted to help her out. I did see the potential Coach saw in her and I knew that if she fixed her technique problems she would be taking a few medals home this season.

It took her around twenty minutes to finish warming up before she told Connery she was ready, to begin with, training. "So, we'll be starting off with the 100 meters correct?"

"Yes," I replied. "I'll be taking your initial time so you can see your progress as we progress with every training session. Also, I was hoping you didn't mind if I film you." As I finished my last sentence I hoped she didn't misinterpret what I said.

"I don't mind, I'm just a little confused as to why you would need to do so." She replies.

"It's not what that pretty little head of yours is thinking Everest, it's for professional purposes only. If I film you that way you can rewatch the videos and see for yourself what you're doing wrong. It doesn't work out the same if I just explain it to you, it's not the same if you don't see it for yourself." I explained myself, I didn't want her to go thinking I was a creep.

"I understand, let's give it a go." She replied understandingly.

"Perfect, I'll be underwater, you can start whenever you want."

I went underwater with my phone at hand and I began to film her. It didn't take long for me to realize that this was going to be a lot of work. Her kicking was too wide and her timing was way off. By the time she reached the end of the 50 meters, she was little out of breath and I could see the worry in her facial expression. "I was horrible wasn't I?"

I let out a small laugh. How could I say that it was horrible without hurting her feelings? "If it makes you feel any better, you definitely swim better than Dant."

And that wasn't a lie.

"How did I do on time?" She asked.

"The time meter reads 20.41," I replied looking at the time the timer read on my phone.

"I say it again, I was horrible. If I was actually competing I would've come in the last place and I'd have to bear Coach Jennings's face of disappointment." True.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Everest, you've got a long way to go but you'll get there. I see the potential Coach sees in you." She half-smiled. I could already tell Everest didn't believe in herself or capabilities, I on the other hand did believe in her. I just had to figure out how to make her believe in herself too. "Now, come here. I want you to see what you're doing wrong."

.

Two hours and many drills later we finished off the training for the day. "It was a great practice, Everest, you just have to be patient. I sent you the videos so you can rewatch them and incorporate them during practice. Also, I erased the videos from my camera roll. I can show you if you want me to."

"I will try but I don't make any promises. I'm a pretty impatient person." Everest said and I laughed. "And it's not necessary, if I didn't know any better you speak as if I thought so low of you Matthew Connery." From the way she sometimes looks at my friends, at me, I would say she did. I honestly don't blame her, the Alpha Sigma Phi boys don't have the greatest reputation.

"It's not that I swear, it's just it looks like you're not too fond of me in general." I honestly say. I speak nothing but facts. "The only person from your opposite gender that I've seen you give a smile to is Stensby and it's only been a couple of times."

What can I say? I'm a very observant individual. "It's nothing personal, I promise. And Stensby is an exception because he's my best friend."

"I see," I chuckle at her reply. By this part of our conversation, Everest and I were in front of our cars. I still had to ask her to help me out with my class, but for some reason, something told me she would refuse so I had to shoot my shot. I couldn't fail that class. "Everest, would you like to go and grab something to eat? I know a great taco place."

I was praying she loved tacos as much as I did at this point because she looked a little hesitant about accepting my offer. I mean everyone usually has me at tacos. You can never go wrong with tacos. "It's just tacos, I can drive you back so you can get your car. You must be starving, at least I know I am."

"Sure." And it went in just like Kobe's right-handed push shot.

She got in the passenger seat of my car and I drove away. While we drove to the taco place we made minimal conversation and we listened to a few songs along the way. To my surprise, Everest liked listening to Travis Scott, most of the girls I've hooked up with don't and I would have to end up changing the music. I decided to take Everest to my favorite (and Emma's) taco place forty minutes off-campus. It was a bit too far, but the tacos were worth the drive. I discovered this place with Emma when she came to visit me for the first time in my freshman year. Hopefully, by the time we ate Everest would have no choice but accept my offer.

"I've never been here before, how did you find this place?" A very curious Everest asked as she stepped out of my car.

"My sister Emma came to visit me on freshman year," I begin telling Everest the story whilst I slam the car door shut. "We started driving around and we had to stop once we found this place. We're both ridiculously obsessed with tacos."

"You can never go wrong with tacos." Right? Connery 1. Everest rejecting my offer 0. "Where I'm from we prefer empanadas, but tacos are just as good."

Everest's comment spiked a little bit of curiosity in me so I had to ask. She had a little bit of an accent that peaked through every time she spoke so I wondered what it was. "Where are you from exactly?"

Before Everests answers my question we both sit down at a table in the balcony of the taco place. "I'm from Arizona, Scottsdale Arizona. But if I had to take a guess you asked because of my accent."

"Guilty," I reply. I didn't know how to ask without making her feel uncomfortable.

"My grandma is from Medellin, Colombia. She moved to Arizona when she was about the same age as I am with her parents. That's where she met my grandpa and started a family of her own. Even though she has lived most of her life over here in the states she has always kept her traditions alive for me."

"She's from your mom's side of the family?" I curiously asked.

"No," Everest replied with a half-smile. By the look of her face, my question made her a bit uncomfortable. Maybe I shouldn't have pried. "She's from my dad's side of the family."

"It must have been pretty cool growing up in a bicultural family," I tell her. I wasn't just making conversation, well I was but at the same time, I was interested in getting to know her. If you ask anyone on campus Everest Green is a mystery to everyone (except Peyton and Stensby of course). "Have you ever visited Columbia with your parents?"

She stayed silent for a second. "No, I haven't had the chance to yet."

"I visited Medellin with my dad once, he was going on a business trip and he asked me to tag along with him," I say enthusiastically trying to change her mood. I loved it over there, it was one of the very few trips I have gone on with my father and the only one where we actually bonded. My father and I, now that's complicated. "Now, I will admit that that was the best food I have ever eaten."

I got a smile out of her, and I'm not going to lie she does have a beautiful smile. But of course, that is a way besides the point. "Now I like you even more."

So she admits she likes me? I knew she didn't mean it that way, but from her embarrassed expression written all over her face and the light shade of pink on her cheeks, I couldn't pass the opportunity of teasing her. "So, you admit you like me? I know I'm irresistible Everest Green but we barely know each other."

"Don't push your luck, Matthew Connery," Everest warns and I laugh at her remark. "I've got to admit, maybe this isn't going to be as bad as I thought it was going to be."

Once again I found myself deciding whether I should just shoot my shot or not. The chances of missing were just about the same as me making the shot so I didn't lose anything by just going to go for it. "Everest, I have something I have to ask you."

And without thinking about it twice I went for it.

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