| May. 23rd, 2009 @ 08:26 pm [one shot - the pool] |
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Current Mood:  cheerful
Tommy Longbottom was a kid who often went unnoticed and liked that just fine. Sure he wasn't the golden boy, or the princess, or even the baby anymore but he was their brother and that was good enough. Especially today, when, as he pulled on his black swim cap over his wispy blonde hair he could see his whole family, golden boy, princess, and baby included plus Oz, Caleb and Uncle Adam all cheering him on in the stands. He hadn't really thought Caleb would come to all his meets like he promised, but the teenager hadn't failed to deliver. Every meet, home or away, Caleb was there cheering loudly. It felt really good to know that his family was happy for his success even if it was just swim team and not breaking skateboard records or recording a CD. Tommy wasn't expecting to be the same kind of knockout his siblings were but he knew he was good at some things and he delighted in being at those things.
Footy matches had left Tommy feeling the same way, but people often didn't come to see him there, probably because they were long and at night. Swim meets were shorter but no less exciting. Tommy pulled his goggles over his brown eyes and glanced at the stands one last time. Oz grinned and shot him a thumbs up. Ku and River simultaneously shouted TOM-EEE! Tommy gave a thumbs up back and took his mark behind the post for the 5th lane. On the coach's signal he dove in the pool and swam the forward crawl as fast his arms and legs could navigate the water. When he touched the opposite side of the pool and turned he knew he wasn't first. He turned up the speed to catch up in the last few meters and touched the wall of the pool, sure he was last. His head bopped out the water in time to hear to shrieks from the crowd. When he managed to get his goggles on his forehead and catch his breath, it finally registered to him. He won the race. He was first in front crawl.
By the end of the meet, Tommy had another first place and two second place ribbons. His coach was telling his parents what a powerhouse swimmer the newcomer was. Coach bragged that Tommy was this year's star. Tommy couldn't believe it. He was the star that night. It felt weird and exciting all at once. The Longbottom and Faulkner-Grier clans walked out of the aquatic complex together, everyone's arms around Tommy. The second to youngest Longbottom couldn't think of a better night in his life. This even beat the night he and Oz ate fried slugs. |
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