O N E
d a l l a s

When Dallas walked onto poolside for the first time in weeks she was welcomed back by all her team mates, but she knew they were only happy she was back because she was the star swimmer. Dallas was good at what she did because she loved it. She loved the water and she loved the rush of it as it washed over you at the dive. The best part was the adrenaline of the race and the joy of victory. So when she told her coach she wasn't going to be able to make the swim meet that weekend, he was shocked.

"What? But we need you, Dallas, you're the captain! You're the star!" He exclaimed. His booming voice echoed around the room, causing Dallas to wince slightly. But only slightly. Dallas wasn't easily shaken.

"I'm sorry, Coach," She said. "I just need some time to train. I promise I'll definitely come to the next one." And there was something about the way she smiled afterwards that could have made even the most perceptive being believe every single flick of her tongue.

"Alright," He sighed. "Alright, just get in and train before we're out of time."

Dallas nodded as she pulled her goggles down over her eyes. "I promise and you know I never break promises!" She told him as she stepped up onto the diving blocks. And when she dived in, not giving him a chance to respond, the rush of the cool water over her skin was undeniably the best feeling in the world.

-

She couldn't say she'd missed it because, despite not being in school for weeks, Dallas had been keeping up with her swimming. It was the only thing keeping her from going under after all.

She swam and she swam. Her limbs moving in routine. Within the rest periods, she did not speak to her team mates. Some asked where she'd been, but she ignored them like they weren't even there.

It wasn't until she was in the showers afterwards, one hand on the wall and her head bowed down to let the water run along her back, that the boldest girl approached.

Allison was a pretty girl. Her features were distinctively Chinese, thanks to her father. She was slender. Not thin, but athletic and strong.

She approached Dallas meekly, stepping into the shower beside her and pressing the button to release the warm water.

"Did you go on holiday?" Allison asks and looks at Dallas with her prying eyes.

Eyes that made Dallas want to scream. Composed, Dallas turns her face up into the stream of water and let's it run down her, running off her chin and down her aching body.

"No," she replies simply and without even looking at Allison.

"Oh," Allison seems disappointed with her answer. Dallas knew exactly why: Allison was a gossip. She liked to know everything about everyone, so why would she tell her where she really was? "So where were you then? Sick?"

"I suppose," Dallas responds shortly, her composure wearing thin. "But I'm sure that's not what you really want to be talking about, is it?"

"What?"

"You want to know why I'm not swimming this weekend. Surely you know I'm not, coach always asks you to step in when I can't compete."

"Well, yes," Allison sighs, resting her back against the wall. Her bright pink swimming costume was tighter than it probably should have been for training, but Dallas knew better than to comment. Allison was known for being sensitive.

"It's simple, really," Dallas explains. "If I'm going to compete, I want to be at peak fitness."

"So you're not at peak fitness?"

"Not yet," Dallas smiles. "But enough about that. Who's having the party this weekend? Come on, I know there's one. There's always one."

"You should know," Allison says with a smirk. "He's your boyfriend."

"I should know, but I don't." Dallas breathlessly laughs. "I'll catch you later,  Al, I have a class to get to and I'm sure you do too."

To say Allison was shocked would be an understatement. She watched Dallas leave with her mind spinning together all of Dallas' words.

The way she spoke belittled Allison. Made her feel inferior and stupid, which was the worst of it all because they were supposed to be best friends. They were two of the most popular girls in school and Allison wasn't ready to let that go. She couldn't let Dallas go because without Dallas Allison was a nobody.

Which was why Allison finished her shower and then hurried off to change into her uniform to catch up with Dallas before she left for class. By the time she'd finished, Dallas was already gone.

-

"Dallas, you're late," Mr Bird says, looking over the top of his glasses at her as she stood in the doorway. Her hair was still damp, tied in a bun on top of her head and her books were cradled in her arms, jumbled up as if she'd run.

"Sorry," She replies, her eyes already scanning the class for a suitable seat to sit in, but there was no seats with her usual friends. All taken. They shrug at her before they turn back to their whispered gossip.

"Yes, well, take a seat," Mr Bird sighs. He knew she didn't care what he had to say. He'd tried enough times to know when she was in an unresponsive mood.

Dallas stands there for a moment, her eyes darting around the room for an empty seat that wasn't next to one of the kids labelled weird.

The only one was next to one of the football players. He was leaning over the back of his seat talking to two of his friends. All that was visible as an indication of who it was to Dallas was the number seven and the name 'Minter' printed in white on his back.

She tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear before walking over to the desk, a wall of confidence pulled up high as she sits down beside him. Her textbooks and notepad pile on the desk and she starts to dig through her bag for a pen.

With a huff she turns to the boy beside her and pokes her sharp finger into his arm. His head snaps to her as if he's about to bite her head off, but his eyes soften when he sees Dallas beside him.

"Simon," She says lowly as if she were ashamed to be asking him. "Do you have a pen?"

The first thing that struck him was the fact that Dallas Edlen was sat beside him, her beautiful brown eyes looking right at him, no one else. The second thing was that she was asking him for a pen.

Wordlessly, Simon nods and reaches down into his bag. He is more than thankful when he finds one and hands it to her.

"Thanks," She says before opening her notebook and copying down every single note on the white board whilst Simon tried his hardest not to watch her as she wrote. Her hand moved slowly, but the words were intricate and worth the wait.

There wasn't a single mistake on the entire page. Just as he was about to turn back to Josh and Ethan, Mr Bird stood and dismissed the class.

Dallas was gone before he could even look to say goodbye.

-

I couldn't be more excited for this if I tried.
dallas is such an interesting character because there's so many things she says that mean so much more than they do at first glance, I suppose that's a hint.

love, lau x