Swim Again Read Online Free Page A

again.
    Outside, Kaz was posing by the passenger side of his double cab truck.
    “I see some things stay the same,” I said.
    He laughed, and opened the door for me to get in.  “Need any help?”
    “Nope.”
    I felt eyes on my behind as I climbed in.  Turning around, I saw that Kaz was still standing there.  “What are you doing?”
    “Making sure you got in alright.  It’s a little ways off of the ground.”
    “Right.”  Kaz never did that in all of the years that I knew him.  A couple of quick glances gave him the OK to close my door.  I questioned if I had woken up that morning as I waited for Kaz to climb in, close the door, and deliver my treat.
    “So,” Kaz said, placing the bag in between us. “Ladies first.”
    I took out a sandwich and sank my teeth into the warm bread.  “Mmm,” I said, savoring the seasonings and closing my eyes.  “I’ve missed this.”
    “I don’t know how you could live here and not go every week,” Kaz said and tore into his.
    Not speaking at all was customary when we got of those types of delicacies.  I should have asked him to get the brownies too because those were the best I ever had.  Kaz and I made a game of it, searching for bakers with a better treat, but no one stacked up.  Not even when he went to all of those various locations for competition.  I was able to tag along with him a few times and after he finished swimming, it was our mission to find the best bakery in the area.
    “So,” Kaz said after we were finished.  He rolled his head to me.  “It didn’t feel right, stopping by Mrs. Joan’s without your favorite.  He reached into the back seat and brought out another bag.
    My eyes lit up.  “You got my brownies!?” I said.
    He smiled and handed me the bag.
    “You did!  Wow Kaz, you are the greatest!”
    “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”
    “Why?”
    “Because you don’t tell me enough.”
    I chuckled.  “Well, I have to get back to work.”  I took a bite into the brownie and smiled.  “I’m carrying this back in there with me.”
    “I understand,” Kaz said and checked his watch.  “You were always good at timing.”
    “That’s all I was good at,” I said.  “Unfortunately it wasn’t a substitution for speed, and I was left sitting on the sidelines to cheer all of y’all on.”
    “Do you still swim?”
    “Every now and then.”  That may be a lie.
    “That’s great.”
    “Well, it’s good exercise.  It was nice seeing you today Kaz.”
    “I’m glad I happened to stop by.”
    Tell him how much you’ve missed him.  Say you never want him to leave you again even though there is no point because he’ll be back to his regular sleep around patterns.
    “I’ll see you around somewhere, sometime.  I’m sure,” I said and opened the door.
    No!
    “How does tomorrow sound?” he said. 
    Yes!  And the next day, and the next day, and the next.
    “Tomorrow?” I said, whipping my head around.
    The glistening in his eyes returned.  He knew he had me.  “Yeah, tomorrow.  I’ll bring you a coffee, wish you luck next week on your tests, and ask you what you’re doing for the rest of the month after school.”
    “Wait a minute.  You’re OK with staying here for a month?”
    “I hope I am.  I moved.”
    I closed the door.  “ Here?  Last time you said you’d never come back.”
    “To Pinewood, down a few more sets of streets.”
    “In a house?”
    “No, absolutely not.  There’s plenty of security.  I’m on the top floor.”
    “But why?”
    Kaz sighed.  “There are some things that are very important to me that I missed.  I had to come back.  I had no choice.”
    “Swimming,” I said.
    “Yeah, and—”
    “Specifically the pool that we spent so many hours training in.  You’re really going to try again?  Go for gold.”
    “That’s the plan.  I got fifth place in the last competition.”
    “Forget about the Olympics; do you think you can even qualify at