The walk to school wasn't a pleasant one as the sting on her cheek hadn't faded. The morning air was cool against her skin, but it couldn't erase the heat burning inside her chest. She walked fast, her bag bouncing lightly against her shoulder, her father's words and her mother's slap echoing over and over in her mind.
"We've been talking, and… we think it's time you stepped away from swimming."
Her fists tightened at her sides as annoyance filled her as those words replayed in her mind once more.
Sora: How could he ask me to do that?! After everything I've put into this for the past seven years?!
The answer to that question came speedily as she then began to recall numerous memories of her younger sister Naomi and then her earlier annoyance was replaced with a quiet sadness.
Sora: But… I'm not her. I'm not Naomi. I've been doing this for over seven years so there's no way I'm going to stop now.
Her mind briefly recalled the memory of the first time she saw people swimming on TV and her motivation returned.
Sora: It doesn't matter anyway… they don't get to decide what I do with my life because… THIS IS MY STORY.
She lifted her eyes to the pale orange sky, as the sun was just beginning to show itself. She thought about the water, the feeling of cutting through it, of her body moving in perfect rhythm with each stroke.
Swimming wasn't just something she did. It was who she was.
*****
There was no one in school by the time she got there, except for the security guard who gave her a tired nod before unlocking the gym doors for her.
The moment she stepped inside, the stillness of the empty space pressed in around her. The faint echo of her footsteps followed her across the tiled floor, but what struck her most was the color, the way the morning light filtered through the high windows and mixed with the reflection of the pool, washing everything in a soft, endless blue.
The walls, the ceiling, even the air itself seemed draped in it. It wasn't the dull blue of sadness but something deeper, heavier, like the world itself was holding its breath with her.
She tightened her grip on her bag. The silence was thick, broken only by the hum of the overhead lights and the faint lapping of the water in the pool. This ocean of blue was her sanctuary.
Without wasting a second, she ducked into the changing room. Her school uniform fell away quickly, replaced by her swimwear. She tied her hair back with practiced precision, every movement sharp, fueled by the lingering ache of her parents' words.
She inhaled once, deeply. Then she ran, her feet pounding against the tiles, and with a swift push off the edge she dove headfirst into the pool.
The world above shattered into bubbles and ripples. Down here, beneath the surface, there were no voices. No voices telling what she should do with her life, only the quiet embrace of water, cold and endless, wrapping her in its blue silence.
Here, she was free.
******
By the time Sora finally climbed out of the pool and showered, the world outside the gym had changed. The silence that had cocooned her in blue was gone. An hour had passed, and now the school hallways pulsed with life.
The corridors were loud, filled with chatter, laughter, and the occasional slam of a locker door. Sora slipped through the crowd with her bag slung over her shoulder. She walked quickly, her eyes fixed straight ahead, pretending not to notice the way conversations shifted as she passed.
And as she passed, people who took notice of her began to talk in whispers and the topic of the conversation was obvious.
"Oh look, it's Sora."
"Does she ever talk to anyone?"
"I don't think so…"
"She's so cold… I tried asking her something once and she just ignored me."
"She thinks she's better than everyone because of swimming."
"Maybe she's this way because of what happened last school year?"
"Naah… she's always been like this."
"Even before that incident…"
Sora's jaw tightened, but her stride never faltered. She'd heard it all before. The looks, the gossip, the judgments, they had long become background noise in her life.
It wasn't that she hated people. She just didn't see the point of wasting time on meaningless chatter when her goal was so clear in her mind. Swimming demanded everything, and she was willing to give it everything. If that made her "rude" or "cold," then so be it.
As she walked into class, the air felt heavier. The whispers trailed off but the eyes didn't. Sora made her way to her usual seat by the window, her sanctuary where she could drown out the world.
But today, someone was already there.
Standing quietly beside her seat was David Wale. His posture was straight, his bag neatly tucked by his side, and his expression was calm, almost unreadable.
Of all people, he was the one person she couldn't seem to shake. Everyone else stayed out of her way whispering, judging from a distance but David… David always tried to push his way through the walls she built for reasons she didn't know.
David: Morning Sora.
Sora stopped for a moment and scanned him with her eyes before she spoke.
Sora: Move…
He nodded and stepped aside, unbothered by her tone.
David: Still as friendly as ever, huh? Anyways, I thought I'd check in on you considering how last school year ended and…
Sora: I told you before, I don't need anyone checking on me. I'm fine.
David watched her put her bag on her desk and take her seat studying her face and her expressions before he spoke again.
David: I know… but that won't stop me from asking anyways.
For a moment, she met his eyes. There was no smugness or pity in his eyes, just a sincerity that unsettled her more than any gossip ever could. She turned away quickly and then looked out the window beside her.
Sora: (mutters) Stubborn.
David smiled and with that, he walked down to his own seat which was in front of the class with his own friends waiting for him there and Sora took a quick glance at him before she turned away and focused on the scenery outside the window.
*****
The cafeteria buzzed with voices, laughter, and the clatter of trays, but Sora sat tucked away in the farthest corner with her lunch. She always chose the table against the wall, where no one would bother her and no one would see her unless they wanted to.
She ate in silence, eyes fixed on her food, the noise around her dissolving into background static.
Then a shadow fell over her table.
She didn't need to look up to know who it was. David set his tray down across from her, his movements calm and deliberate as usual.
David: Mind if I sit here?
Sora looked up and didn't say anything and hoped that her silence would be a good enough answer for him but it seemed to do the opposite as he didn't make any attempt to leave, instead he began to eat his own lunch.
Sora: Why?
David: Why what?
Sora: Why are you sitting here again?
David shrugged and started peeling open his juice carton.
David: Because you look like you could use company. Also… (leans forward a little) ...you eat the same thing every day. Spaghetti and meatballs. Don't you get bored of it?
Sora sighed, her fork pausing midair.
Sora: (sighs) You're doing it again.
David: Doing what?
His tone was casual, but his eyes stayed on her, steady as always.
Sora: Following me, trying to talk to me. (looks up) Haven't I made it clear enough already?
David leaned back slightly, but his expression didn't falter.
David: Maybe. But I thought sitting with you wasn't a crime.
Sora: It is when I've told you not to. (sets her fork down) Listen, David, don't bother me again. I can't associate with anyone who doesn't seem to have goals or take their future seriously... You don't fit into the kind of life I'm building.
The words hung heavy between them. For a second, she thought he would snap back, maybe even finally leave her alone for good but that only seemed to make him more curious.
David: And what kind of a life is that?
Sora: (narrows her eyes) A life with direction & discipline. Every day I'm getting closer to where I want to be. And people like you... people who drift through life without purpose... People like you only slow others down.
There was a long silence between the two of them as David began to process everything Sora had just said and instead of feeling bad like Sora had hoped, he smirked instead.
David: People like me, huh…?
Seeing that this was getting nowhere, Sora herself stood up and left the table and David and walked away.
David: Darn it... Guess I'll just eat lunch by myself again.
Unknown to David, some of his friends saw the whole ordeal happen from a few tables away and so on their way home from school that day, they asked David why he kept on talking with Sora even though he knew the outcome every time.
David: Well, how do I put this… I guess you could say that I'm drawn to her…
This confused them and they began to wonder if David was a Masochistic or something but he never replied to any of the questions they threw at him.