Chapter 9

Sheila and I went out Tuesday night, then went back to my room and fooled around again. Then she was off for Rio. I asked her if it was going to be on TV. "Yeah, on one of the ESPN's, but I don't know when. It might even be on after I get back," she giggled. "They don't show minor swim meets live."

Anyhow, she left. It was kind of disconcerting, only because things were so new. All of a sudden, I have my first girlfriend-and then, all of a sudden, she's gone for a week.

The football team didn't have a game that weekend-but they had a party Saturday night. Jake convinced me to go. Even without Sheila, I still had a good time. Not as good a time, of course, but a good time nevertheless.

What was amazing was that I got hit on! Leslie MacWhorter, a friend of Jake's. We were chatting, sitting next to each other on a couch, when I realized she was moving closer and closer. Then she was practically plastered against me! "Brendan, you're such a sweetie," she purred. "We should go out sometime. Or maybe we should just fool around." And she moved in like she was going to kiss me!

No, I didn't lose my mind. "Sorry, Leslie," I said, stopping her, "You're very nice, but I have a girlfriend."

"You do?" she said. "Then why isn't she here?"

"Because she's in Brazil," I laughed. "She's a competitive swimmer, and she's in Rio for a swim meet this weekend."

"Oh." Then she grinned. "Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Sorry," I grinned back. She smiled and shrugged, and that was the end of it. I was still stunned. I told Jake about it after we got back to the room, and he smiled and said, "See? Socially inept, my ass."

"You get used to being treated like a social leper, and you figure it's you," I said.

"I've seen your wrists," he said quietly. I just looked at him. "I figured it must have been pretty bad." I just nodded. "Things are different here. You're different. Well, I don't know what you were like in high school, but you're not a social leper, not here."

"I'm starting to figure that out. Sheila was one thing. Maybe I figured that was a fluke, that we just connected in some strange way. But Leslie coming on to me like that was extremely flattering."

"Yeah, but I'm glad the flattery didn't go to your head." I just looked at him. "You were flattered, but you turned her down anyway."

"Well, yeah," I grinned.

Jake just laughed. "You've got it as bad as Sheila does."

"You hadn't figured that out yet?" I laughed.

Sunday we just hung out. Ate, did some studying, watched football. The Packers beat the Bears-which meant I had to do Jake's laundry this week. Never bet on football. Especially when the Bears are involved. Anyhow, after an early supper, we were watching the ESPN Sunday Night game-which starts at 5:30 on the West Coast. We were watching, and it was a blowout by halftime.

"This sucks," Jake said. "What else is on?" He flicked up to the next channel-which was ESPN2-and I saw a swimming pool.

"Wait, wait, what's this?" I said. Then the graphic flashed-Grand Prix swimming from Rio de Janeiro. "Do you mind?" I asked Jake.

"Course not," he grinned.

"Oh, I just thought of something." I reached for the phone and dialed. "Hello?" I heard from the other end.

"Hey, Mom, what's up?"

"Brendan! How are you?"

"Great. Is Dad there?" Mom said he was. "I need you guys to do something. Are you watching anything on TV?"

"Well, it's on, but we're not all that interested in it."

"Good," I said. "Turn on ESPN2."

"It's Brendan," I heard her say, obviously talking to Dad. "He told me to turn this on. Swimming?" she said to me.

"There's something that's going to be on here in the next few minutes that I want you to see. So, how is everything?"

"Good, but we miss you, honey. How are you?"

"Couldn't be better."

"I'm very glad to hear that," she said. We chatted for a while, me with one eye on the TV, when they announced the women's 100 meter backstroke.

"OK, Mom, now the TV-this is what I wanted you to see." They suddenly showed Sheila, standing on the pool deck, adjusting her swim cap. "That's Sheila Mitchell, that's who I wanted you to see. She's the second-ranked women's backstroker in the world."