ODETTE | MOETTI

MY ALARM ONLY needed to ring once before my hand had stretched out to turn it off.  It was years of routine that had trained me for being up this early and not feeling affected by it. 

I remember when I was younger, before I was in competitive swimming, when I'd hit snooze or sleep in. Some days I felt jealous of my past-self but when I thought about my future and all I wanted to achieve, I knew all the sacrifices would be worth it.

My bed cover slipped down the top half of my body as I sat up and stretched in bed. Light trailed in through the slips in the blinds covering the only window in the room. I yawned for a moment and rubbed at my eyes before rolling off the comfy mattress to kneel by my bed.

After praying and giving God thanks, I got up on jelly legs and dragged myself into the walk-in closet. The overhead lights had on sensors so the moment my foot crossed the threshold, they switched on.

"Ugh." I shielded my sensitive eyes at the sharpness of the rays above as I made my way to my section.

I knew Lesedi wouldn't be impressed at the zero thought I put into the clothes I pulled out. I glanced down at the grey trackies, top and underwear in my hands and shrugged. I would be the only one who saw it— I was up an hour earlier than normal to roller-skate after all. And it was a Sunday morning, so I doubted I'd see anyone out and about at five in the morning.

I grabbed a pair of flats from the shoerack on my way out before taking the outfit I'd put together into the bathroom. It was a large space, all cream and minimal but the colourful addition of everyone's facial, body and hair care things balanced it out.

I dumped everything on the empty space on the countertop beneath the mirror that took up the wall to my direct left. It didn't take long to pop on my shower cap I kept stored with my hair things and pick up my nature-scented body wash.

Making sure the door was locked, I hopped in the shower. I didn't take long, since I'd take a proper one after swimming practice which would start in an hours time.

After refreshing myself — all whilst keeping my hair dry — and changing, I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment. It was kind of hard not to, with the small row of lights installed into the top.

My eyes lingered on my hair before my fingers reached out to tug on a coil. I stopped after my brain reminded me of the possibility of causing split ends and looked with my eyes instead.

I'd cut it back in July, a day before the British Summer Championships that had gotten me noticed and recruited to England's team. It wasn't that long ago so it's length made sense. It was barely five centimetres but I liked it— it was healthy, it was thriving, it was me.

Shifting my gaze, I stepped back so I could see my full body in my reflection. My baggy pants hid my long, muscled legs, but my short-sleeve top highlighted my built arms. I usually hid the result of my years of training under hoodies or jumpers, but if I wore one while rollerskating I'd overheat.

I left the slightly steamed space and glanced at the numbers on my digital clock.

05:21. So I had sixty-nine minutes before I had to get to practice.

Conscious of the time, as well as itching to get on my wheels, I slipped on my flats barefooted. There were thick socks for skating in my bag and I liked shoes that made me feel like I was barefoot. I didn't know if that was the swimmer in me, but having my feet and toes evenly spread on the floor made me feel secure.

Or maybe I was just a weirdo.

I slung up my bag filled with my rollerskating stuff over my shoulder. A quick look around the dorm let me know I hadn't roused anyone since they were all still fast asleep.

I hadn't noticed before ( but that was probably because she hadn't finished unpacking ) but Aerona's bed was filled with an assortment of stuffed plushies. They were all tucked under her bed cover with her I couldn't help but smile. My browns lingered on Lesedi's face as she slept too. My face softened as I silently made my way to the door.

Cuties.

The hallway outside was silent, but I didn't expect otherwise; it was so early after all. My body didn't need my brain to be working at one hundred percent to make its way through the school— in fact it'd probably be fine at fifteen percent at the familiarity I had with the school's layout. With my parents providing school equipment and being benefactors, it meant that when half term breaks in the year rolled around they wouldn't be 'home' so I just opted to stay at St Everfields or at Lesedi's.

I lightly slapped at my cheeks and hoped the pain would make me forget about my parents for a while.

Last night, before I went to bed, I'd been on a mission trying to find a new place where I could skate. I'd been thorough in my search but I hadn't expected to slip back into the dorm after curfew.

Outdoors, the floors were cobblestone so that was an immediate no— unless I wanted to break my back. The tennis courts were level but held too much friction to skate on. Inside the school was another story: if there was a good space, it either wasn't open at five in the morning — understandable — or it was unreliable because it opened that early on different days.

Except one: the basketball court. The floor was perfect for rolling on and I knew the natural light would be energising to exercise under in the mornings. Plus I doubted anyone would frequent the space before most trainings for teams began in the morning. The corridors being empty only reassured my thoughts and I couldn't stop the smile growing on my face at combatting the issue on my own.

The inside was as empty as I expected and I was buzzing to get on my wheels again. I popped my bag on the bleacher nearest to me before zipping it open. It was second nature for me to pull on my thick socks and pads. The drawn-out part was putting my skates on and lacing up the boots; no matter how fast my fingers moved, it took ages.

I usually wore my AirPods Max when listening to music, but since I was wearing my helmet I just went with my Airpods. I slipped them on under my helmet when I was sure it was secure. I grabbed my phone and opened Spotify to go straight to my Arctic Monkeys playlist. I made sure to start with one of my favourites before tossing everything into my bag and setting off.

I took simple strokes to the opposite end of the hall first, familiarising myself with the feeling of shifting my balance. It didn't take too long to find my rhythm for leaning side to side, especially as I had the drum-set of 'Batphone' thrumming in my ears.

Now that I was skilled enough ( well just about ) to ride and let my mind wonder, I did just that.

My calendar that I'd pinned on the wall beside my bed appeared in my head and I mentally sorted through my to-do list. There wasn't that much I had to do this week, but that was because it was the first week back and I was sure things would start to pile up as time went on.

It helped to note everything down and made me feel a calm that Lesedi didn't get. She thought it'd be more stressful to note everything that needed to be done and plan when to do it, but I thought the opposite.

If I didn't have control over my free time, then what did I have?

Before long, sweat coursed down my back and I had to keep tugging at the front of my shirt to keep it from sticking. I truly believed the only downer to exercise was the sweating part. Still, I took it as a sign to bring the session to a close as my legs grew weak. I slid down beside the bleachers I'd left my stuff at until I was sat on the floor.

That was definitely it for today.

While I tried to get my breath back, I unlaced my boots at a speed a snail would shake its head at.

I only fell over about five times so that was something. Just a bit rusty.

"Still better than my first time. . ." My lips curled at the memory of how I'd been on the floor more than I'd been standing.

It took a momentous amount of concentration to get out of my boots and I would have laughed at myself if I had the spare oxygen. My legs felt like jelly as I stretched to pull my bag into my lap. As I threw back my water bottle, I heavily deliberated taking a quick shower before practice.

I reached for my phone and let out a long groan at the time; I barely had time to get my swimming bag from my dorm, never mind shower.

I tugged off my elbow and knee pads and tossed them into my bag along with my skates and socks. From the pong that came off the thick cotton, I doubted I smelt any better. I peeled myself off the shiny floor and tried not to focus too much on my sweaty state. If I let it hang in my mind, it would be all I'd think about and I'd stress myself out.

Successfully slinging my bag over my shoulder, I headed out of the large hall. By the time I arrived back to the dorm, Lesedi was up. To be specific, her bed was empty and the bathroom door was shut.

Careful of the others in the room who were still resting, I dropped my skating bag by my bed switched it for my swim one. I quietly zipped it open to check I had everything.

Suit, cap, goggles, towel, sandals and shower stuff. Thank you God that everything is in here.

The door to the bathroom clicked open then and I couldn't ask my cousin for better timing. From a quick scan of things, she'd already showered and changed.

Lucky bugger.

She tugged her sports bag after herself and I deduced she was on her way out. She didn't jump at the sight of me, but her raised eyebrows said it all: I was cutting it close.

I only turned my attention on finding fresh socks and my comfiest trainers instead of responding. Chucking a change of clothes into my bag, I glanced over my shoulder to see Lesedi had already left the dorm. My laces were untied as booked it out after her. I didn't blame her for leaving me behind— after all it was my time-management at fault here.

Despite walking weirdly to avoid tripping over my strings, I matched her pace. "And good morn to you too."

". . .Morning." She put more concentration into tying up her braids than me and I snorted.

The day she was an early bird would probably be the day of the rapture.

Even though she was clearly grouchy this morning, I threw my free arm over her shoulder. "I see the Six Weeks ruined your sleep schedule."

The sound of her kissing her teeth made me laugh, but I let us walk in comfortable silence until we reached the side doors to the cafeteria that cut through the Quad. They slid open automatically and we paused a moment to take the view in.

From the slight hill the cafeteria was on top of, we were able to see the large, square open-space that sat in the centre of the school. The tennis courts and sports buildings were all visible so we were able to watch the affect the sunrise had on everything beneath. The dew on the grass glittered and the pink rays painted everything beneath in warm hues.

I was speechless for a moment but Lesedi's soft smile conveyed it better than I could ever put into words.

God made such beautiful things.

I pulled her by our looped elbows down the hill and thanked God that I was in trainers rather than my slip-ons. I definitely would have tripped and dragged Les down with me.

A quick glance at my phone showed we really were pushing it. We sped up to a light jog as we cut through the grounds to the swimming stadium on the right. It was a tall building that had been renovated into what it was today nearly four years ago.

As soon as you entered, you were faced with a large olympic-sized pool. On the far end of the building, was a smaller, twenty-five-meter swim pool. Above both ends of the fifty-meter pool were huge electronic time boards that were currently off, but I was more than familiar with the red digits that would float there.

Like expected, everything was draped in the school colours of navy blue, grey and yellow. The starting blocks and drains on both sides were a gunmetal grey that matched the horse on the school's emblem. However the lane ropes rotated in the colours and the walls held the three colours in a stripe that ran along their edge.

What made the stadium a stadium, were the huge sweeping grandstands that circled around both sides of the pool deck. They usually housed other schools, parents and scouts— especially since it was pretty much the best in the country education-establishmen-wise.

I definitely understood why other principals preferred for their teams to race here. The difference in wealth between us and others probably made them uncomfortable, especially when everything was in full swing for meets. The amount of time Lesedi and I had spent here was the reason why we weren't dazzled by the scale of the building. It was the best money could buy— and we did have a lot of it.

We heard chatter and laughter before we'd even stepped into the changing rooms. Still, Lesedi didn't let that stop her from walking straight in as if it was just the two of us.

Despite the years I'd been around the four inside, I'd never been able to tear down my walls completely and be myself around them. Maybe it was their fault for having such high expectations of me that I couldn't simply exist, or maybe it was mine for being scared of seeing how they looked at me when I failed to meet those expectations. Whatever the reason, I was stuck.

"Morning." Despite her tired state, Lesedi trudged up a hello that was more warm than the stare she'd given me earlier.

I offered the same greeting, but with "good" before it as we passed the lockers near the entrance. We were met with various responses from our fellow swimmers.

"Hi! You two doing good? You came a little late."

I wasn't surprised that Sharnaz Bhavsar responded first, the brown Breaststroker was a bubbly, caring girl at heart.

I answered for the both of us as Lesedi held a thumb up whilst she made her way to our usual changing spot. "Yeah we're doing alright Naz, thanks for asking. Just a bit of bad time-managing."

Sharnaz nodded as she shifted her attention onto her suit. Like the other four, it was a dark blue that held the school colours in a stripe down the side. The emblem sat on the hip and the stripe continued after it.

Cedella Palmers, the Jamaican girl beside her, who was attempting to stuff her curly — now ginger — hair into her cap, hummed. "If you're both quick, I'm sure Marsh won't notice."

The Freestyler was scoffed at by Puteri Nasir, who was stuffing everything back into her rucksack. "Just don't be late and it wont be an issue."

The Malaysian girl had a strong accent that I'd familiarised myself with over the years to decipher. Her dark eyes only fell on us for a few seconds before she started taking out the many gold facial piercings that decorated her face. From my time spent around her, I knew she was as prickly as she was skilled at the combat swim-stroke.

Needless to say, Remington — the second Backstroker on the team after Lesedi — didn't add anything to the convo from the opposite corner she was in.

There weren't many of us now, the numbers had slowly dwindled over the years and the six of us were the only ones who swam in the girl's category in our year group. I'm sure A-levels were a huge factor into it the decision to drop it, and I didn't blame them. If it wasn't my dream to make the Olympics, I probably would have done the same. Though the small voice in the back of my mind couldn't help but chip in; maybe they were so sick of seeing me win all the gold that they quit.

It was a thought that held myself in high regard, but made my lips curve downwards.

I was good at the sport, I did excel in it, I had been recruited by the England team this summer. Still the thought of being the reason someone lost their love for the sport brought an ache to my chest.

A pinch to my arm made me yelp. I spun to my left to spot Lesedi retracting her arm from through the bars on top the benches that divided the open changing space in half.

Guess she was back to her old-self already.

I rounded the benches to reach her when she brought her arms up. "Stop!"

I paused at her request despite the suspicious smile on her face.

"You've not got time to get me back, we've got to change."

A glance to the red analog clock on the wall before the showers proved she was right; we should have already been changed by now.

Faux-huffing, I zipped open my sports bag and started stripping out my clothes. My limbs moved on autopilot to change and it seemed like in a blink, I was ready. I fiddled with the goggles on top of my cap as I tuned into the conversation the other swimmers were having.

"Yeah, I know right?" Sharnaz took out her earrings along the shell of her ear. "But a new guy is a new guy, so I'm excited to see what he's like."

Damn, people had already heard about Noor's brother? News travelled fast.

"You know we've got a minute right? There's always time to talk boys later." Puteri said "boys" like it was an insult and I hid my laugh behind a hand.

She was right though, the red analog clock was like a warning sign we were ignoring. Lesedi listened to it though and got up to leave, throwing a look over a shoulder that told me to follow.

I did— but I couldn't help but catch my reflection in the body-mirror on the way out. It wasn't my physique that made me linger, it was the scar that curved around the top my right calf. Years had gone by since I'd got it, so it was reduced to a dull beige colour, a few shades lighter than my skin tone.

I don't know why it called for my attention now, especially since the memory of getting it was far from pleasant. It made me glad that the others didn't even glance at it any more. But thanks to the magic that was airbrushing, ( per my parents demand ) when the new kids on the teams in other years saw it at meets, there was always someone who asked about it.

My excuse then and my excuse now was that I'd slipped on a springboard and caught my leg on the way down. Lesedi was the only one who knew the truth and I intended to keep it that way.

"Babes?" My eyes widened and snapped off the limb at my cousin's quiet question."You alright?"

I spun away from the reflection but I knew I'd been caught. "Yep, absolutely chipper."

Her blank stare at my over-enthused phrase made my lips twitch. I was going to say something that would ease her completely—

"C'mon girls! You should be out by now."

At coach Marsh's call that echoed into the space, I couldn't help but smile.

She was easily my favourite teacher in all my years here. Whether that was because I'd known her since I was eleven when she'd also coached the high school branch, or because she was a better mother figure than my own, had always been a mystery. One I didn't really care to solve.

I threw my goggles around my wrist and grabbed Lesedi so we led the line trailing out of the changing rooms.

"You all know what to do by now girls," I looked over to the side of the fifty-meter pool to see the twenty-eight year old as cheerful as ever. "Warm up."

Even if you played on the level we did, you had to warm up. Having an ego wouldn't help you much in this sport and Marsh made sure to keep us level-headed— and avoid unnecessary injuries. Warm ups usually consisted of eight one hundred and fifty meters in freestyle. It got our heart rates up before we shifted our focus to breath control.

The six of us took our positions on the blocks and I controlled my breathing as I stared at my number on the wall on the other side. I kept my gaze on the blue-coloured two as I pulled on my goggles.

In. Out.

In. Out.

And even slower now Odette.

I caught Lesedi shaking her hands out on block four and smiled to myself. Some things never changed.

"Three, two, one—!" Coach Marsh's whistle signalled the end of the countdown, but I was already in the water before she'd taken another breath.

When I hit the surface and delved into the blue depths, it was like finally coming home. The way the water slapped against my skin, my swift arm movements, the way I coasted through— I couldn't hear anything but my breathing and the water rushing by me.

I never felt more in control than when I was in the water.

The one hundred and fifty meters quickly flew by in heartbeats and bubbles. I'd long come to expect to be the first to finish, even if I did pace myself; I was just honed all these years for speed.

After my hand slapped against the wall, I pulled my self onto the tiles beside my block. My eyes darted to the clock and I quickly calculated my time. Even though it was something mediocre, I couldn't help it. It was instinctual.

We moved on to a Breath Control Freestyle from seven-to-three that lasted five lots of fifty yards. The numbers ( seven, six, five, four and three ) signified how many breaths we'd allow ourselves to take during the sets. For example, in the first fifty-yard, I could only breathe seven times, in the second fifty-meters I could breathe six times, and so on.

Since taking deep but sparse breaths was a skill I'd honed over the years, it wasn't difficult. The hard part was sticking to the number of breaths I was allowed to take, and not taking any less.

Next was four lots of twenty-five meter "3 strokes". It was where we could only take three Breaststrokes strokes each twenty-five meters. It basically allowed us to focus on "gliding" through the water and making sure our movements were as efficient as possible. The last thing you wanted in a heat was to waste energy.

I ignored the temptation to stretch out my arms again when I barely reached the middle of my lane in my first go. Beneath my goggles, my eyes narrowed as I zoned in on the spot I was aiming to make.

One. I made sure my right arm dipped into the water as deep as possible.

Two. I repeated the move with my left arm.

Three. And again.

Four. I forced myself to propel forward with more force so I could make it.

I forced myself to propel forward with more force so I could make it. My fingers barely scraped the wall and I earned complaining muscles for my effort. Even though I was supposed to keep it to five strokes, I couldn't help but push myself. Breaststroke was great and all, but I definitely preferred the Butterfly.

Marsh's double whistle indicated the start of the cooldown, which was basically a way for us to rest while keeping our bodies moving. It was only one round of one-hundred yards but I still took it easy and let my muscles relax. I caught Lesedi's head slowly bobbing as she took a laidback breastroke.

I was in the middle of pacing my breaths when I caught Remington get out the pool and put on her parka. I guess it was too hopeful to think she wouldn't go straight into "captain" mode on our first practice back.

I ignored her and the whistle she'd somehow sprouted and turned my focus onto the straightness of my legs during dolphin kicks.

"Puteri watch your strokes! They're sloppy."

Though it was hard with Remington's voice rattling off in the background.

We were alerted that cooldown was over with another blow to Coach Marsh's whistle. "You're doing wonderful girls, now get back onto your blocks to start the three by hundred meter choice swim."

Even the brunette's voice was calming, and I knew I'd miss it when it in the practices where she wouldn't be present but Remington would.

I'd gotten used to the burn in my body now, especially as the cooldown had eased it slightly. It meant that my arms didn't shake as I lifted myself out of the pool and I didn't slip back in. I didn't even have to think about what stroke I'd use for this set; I'd use the one I'd been made for, Butterfly.

I dived into the pool, making sure my stomach faced the bottom of it when I slipped into the water. I brought my arms over my head and push them into the water to propel myself forward. As quick as I pushed them in, I pulled them out of the water. I made sure to coordinate the movements with lifting my head and shoulders above the surface of the water for air when I needed it. I kept my legs straight as they chopped through the water in sharp dolphin kicks behind me.

It was only due to the near decade I'd spent mastering the advanced swimming stroke, that I didn't make any mistakes, whether that was in timing my breaths or keeping my movements in synch. Still, it was as difficult as it was tiring, which was why my breaths were heavy when I tapped the wall on my last lap.

I was in the middle of squeezing my biceps and attempting to shake the burning out of my arm when our captain decided to turn her attention on me. "Your splits are slipping Moetti."

I pulled myself out of the pool, lifted my goggles onto my head, but I didn't spare her a glance. The only person who knew when I was going at one hundred percent was me— well, and Lesedi. And yeah, this wasn't my full potential; I was probably a bit worn from rollerskating earlier, nothing unexpected. I'd be back to normal in our next practice, no big deal.

I didn't bother shaking the water that was dripping down my limbs as I went to fetch hand puddles, snorkels and a buoy for the one lot of three hundred meters Pull. The goal of that was arm movements and before practice was finished. We'd gone through Breaststroke kicks and timings in addition to what we'd already done, and to say I was exhausted would be understatement.

Just the way Lesedi dragged herself to the changing room after me let me know she was suffering from the same pain across her body.

Somehow, I'd managed to tune out Remington till the very end of the two hours. My shower felt like a reward and the boiling setting I had my spray on did wonders for my muscles.

In an ideal world, I'd be here forever.

Still, like all good things, it had to come to an end. I felt a million times better after I'd scrubbed the sweat and gunk off my skin and had changed clothes. I didn't regret the comfy large hoodie and tracksuit I'd thrown in this morning to change into. Especially not with the nippy September weather that we all met outside when we left the swimming stadium.

I threw Lesedi a smug look while the other girls went their separate ways to do whatever they did on a Sunday morning. My cousin only shoved my arm at my obvious look to the legs she'd had to bare in her buckled skirt. I decided it was better at trying to mount the hill and tackle the muddy grass with her outfit choice.

I looped arms with the gal and tugged her onto the paved path that lead to the Pavilion, another place we could go to grab something to eat. From the sound coming from Lesedi's stomach, I knew she'd appreciate the decision.

"What're we doing after getting some scran down us? You got any ideas?"

She pondered on it as we walked past the green gates that lines the sides of the tennis courts. Barely anyone was out and I could just spot Puteri darting towards the East wing.

She was probably going back to sleep, I didn't blame her.

"Let's go see Oaitse. She's probably in by now."

Oaitse was Lesedi's older sister, and my cousin too, by ten years. The large age gap and the fact that Oaitse had been out getting her nursing degree while Lesedi was growing up, was probably why they weren't as close as her and I. Still, they loved each other immensely and it didn't change the special bond between them.

Oaitse served as the school's head live-in nurse so she'd probably arrived today. She'd probably be in the middle of organising the Hospital Wing. The plan seemed great to me— as well as the prospect of irritating her. It was a hobby both Lesedi and I enjoyed.

With that settled, we made our way through the Quad until we arrived at the Pavilion. The smell of baked goods and coffee greeted us before we opened the door to the place we could get refreshments.

Even the smell inside was therapeutic.

The area was settled on the ground floor of the South wing, on the opposite side of the Quad to the cafeteria. Naturally, the place was a hotspot for students who wanted to give into their sweet-tooth or those who wanted to sit somewhere more quieter than the cafeteria but smelled just as good.

A tinkle welcomed our arrival and I was relieved to find the Pavilion empty. Battling for seats was the only downer to the space.

The space had a homey feel from the pale wooden tables dotted around the earth-toned space. They were empty for now but I didn't doubt that they'd be filled in a few hours. The walls were a muted beige, accented with white and dark brown. The large windows that faced the Quad, had tall stools and bar tables so you could sit and look outside. It also allowed natural light to fill the space and was probably why the plants hanging from pots about the ceiling were thriving.

We headed straight to the glass cases of freshly baked goods that were on display. From donuts to baguettes, there was a large range of options. I nudged Lesedi when I spotted the cranberry cookies in the last case before the till. Her eyes lit up immediately and I chuckled.

Food made that girl a whole nother happy.

She quickly asked Honey Taylor — the middle-aged lady responsible for the recipe and overseeing of these creations — for a single cookie before I elbowed her.

"Hello? What about me Les?"

She was clearly ordering for herself when she knew I liked them too.

She had the gall to throw me a look. "It is for you."

I didn't believe her and I knew my face carried my thoughts as she rolled her eyes and said, "My bad, make that three Honey."

The honey-brown-haired Canadian smiled at our antics before bagging the cookies for us. "Here you girls go, look after each other, okay?"

I went to take the bag when Lesedi swiped it first. Obviously, I gave her a jelly leg that made her stumble in return.

I held my cousin's gaze and smiled at the sound of her mutters. "Of course Mrs Taylor."

"Yeah, don't worry Honey." Lesedi shook the paper bag and gave me a sharp grin that reminded me she had it.

The woman laughed before shooing us out because our "bad vibes would affect business". We knew she just didn't want to have us scuffling near her treats so we left.

A well-aimed elbow led me to getting the bag back and getting a cookie. I managed to save another for Oaitse before Lesedi would consume them all.

The walk to the Hospital Wing consisted of us chewing away and making our stomachs happy. I wasn't surprised that Honey had a whole bakery chain called Taylor's Treats.

Lesedi was the one who held her ID card up to the scanner by the door. She was better than me since I'd left mine in the dorm. . . Probably not a smart idea when a lot of places needed ID to be accessed for safety.

She pushed open the double white doors to the familiar plan of the nursing Wing.

"Excuse me?" Lesedi approached the first person we found out of the many who were dotted about the sterile space, organising everything in sight. "Have you seen Head Nurse Ngoy today?"

He must have saw the resemblance of Lesedi to Oaitse's because he pointed us to the opposite end of the Wing, past the waiting area and chairs to where beds and medical equipment were.

Lesedi thanked him and I did the same before trailing after my swift-footed cousin. She nodded at the nurses she passed, as if she was the one in charge of the place instead of her sister, and I chuckled to myself.

It didn't take long before we heard soft singing in Setswana as we neared the storage cupboard at the ends

"Hey, sis?"

We passed the last blue curtain and bed when she appeared. The nurse turned away from the shelves of medicine she was sorting through and a smile lightened her face when she saw us.

"Ah, look who it is! Thing One and Thing Two."

My lips curled at the corners at the nickname she had for us both.

Lessdi rolled her eyes despite the upwards tilt to her lips. "I'll have you know we have government names, Ozzy."

She sat atop the counter that served as a barrier between the medicine stores.

Oaitse rolled her eyes as she stepped back and closed the sliding door behind her. "Yet you keep calling me Ozzy."

I stepped forward with the treat bag and handed it to her. "For you, O. How's everything going with moving in?"

"Ah!" She placed a dramatic hand on her chest and her large smile highlighted the similarities between the sisters. "Two for me? It's nice to know somebody cares."

Two? Had Lesedi not eaten hers?

But I couldn't think on it further when Lesedi gestured towards the closed drug cabinet. "Seems like you all are really busy, do you think you'll be done by Monday?"

Even with the fruity goodness she had in her mouth, the head nurse managed to pull a face at her little sister. "I've done this for years, I know what I'm doing."

"Hmm," Lesedi dragged her gaze to the unmade beds and loading of things going on further up the Wing. "Sure looks like it."

Her sarcastic tone wasn't lost on Oaitse, who after finishing her second cookie, pointed Lesedi with a stare. "If you came here to bother me, you can leave."

"What happens if I love bothering you?"

Oaitse turned to me. "Please take this girl out of here Odette."

I read Lesedi's expression and dipped my head slightly.

The pout I placed on my lips barely lasted due to its twitching. "What happens if I love bothering you too, O?"

She glanced between the both of us before chucking the scrunched up paper bag at Lesedi. "Then you can both get."

"Hey!" Lesedi's hands cradled her head as if she'd been hit by a shoe. "Why didn't you throw that at Odey?"

I couldn't even stifle my snort if I tried. "She loves me more, that's why."

Oaitse kissed her teeth and I almost laughed at her expression. Point one to us.

"No, I love you both equally which is why you both need to get gone." The way she said love, definitely wasn't the emotion she was talking about.

"Why do we have to leave?" Lesedi's fake heavy sigh almost made me laugh. "I thought you loved us sis?"

She whipped her laser glare onto her. "I love you enough to chuck you both out, yeah."

At the look in her eyes that we'd achieved, neither of us could help it— we burst out laughing. We weren't stupid enough to stay, so we darted out of there before she could put her words into action.

I lifted a hand to Lesedi as we headed out the Wing. "Point to us?"

"Defo." She delivered a solid hi-five to my hand. "Any ideas on what to do now since she'll have us banned if we try something."

I hummed as I thought. "Let's have a nap now and then gym to do land exercises later, yeah?"

Lesedi hid a yawn behind her manicured hands, "With Bible study after?"

"What d'you take me for?" I threw an arm over her shoulder so we brushed each other's sides with every step. "Of course."

EL SPEAKS !
big chaps from here on out gangg,, you'll meet cai in the next 🤭 it will be filled with the silly boy trio and you'll get to see more of their interactions (can you tell how much i love them? ☺️)

and thank the lovely swimmers on tt who helped me with all the terminology to keep this as realistic as possible 🙏🏽😔 yall real ones fr💯
and don't think every time odey goes swimming it'll be this detailed 😭 this is js so you have a picture now of a general practice in the beginning so i won't have to go into sm deph later 😋
VOTE and COMMENT or ill stalk you or sum 🥰 hope you have a good day/ night 🫶🏽

( posted; 02/03/24 )