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Hey beth sorry Mike's story is in no fit state to be published! Hope you like this at least!
“Tatiana, love, what do you mean so sharp and snippy?”
She said, “When we met, I never cut you a break. Or when we would yell about stupid things and I blew up at you.”
I stroked a lost tendril as I whispered, “Oh Tati, that’s alright I do that sometimes too.”
She said, “Not to me you don’t Sky.”
I answered, “Because you are mine.” She laughed softly. This is what I love about my girlfriend Tatiana. She’s sweet and wholesome. I’d be lost without her love. I don’t want to have to think about what I’d ever do with myself if I lost her. But before I meet Tati life was different.
Sky Lords
200 Breaststroke in
two minuets thirty-nine seconds and four hundredths
2:39:04
Set on March fifth, two-thousand
03/05/00
It was my proudest moment as well as my Mother and Father’s. The butterfly was once up the pool and once back. It is one of the hardest strokes to do because it takes lots of energy. I did it in 1:25:03, about 3 seconds short of the record that stood at 1:22:30. Then with the 500 relay, there are 5 people on a team and each person goes up the pool once and comes back. We did it in 10:25:40 the record stood at 7:45:26 and the gold medallist in that event set an impressive 8:35:02. 500 individual is 10 times up and back it takes a long time. I set it at 31:25:00 the record is tied by two British twins at 29:03:08. The gold medallist set it at 30:01:25. These Nationals was reason enough to send me to Sigamour High because their swim team was rather exceptional. Then I would have a swim high school on my college application. I wanted to go to the University of California at Los Angeles. My Father hoped on a full swimming scholarship. That all changed after the final meet of my eight grade year. I was warming up and noticed a knot in my back. I went to Coach Lauren and she cracked it out for me. I went around as normal did the warm up lap with much ease. So I never assumed anything would go wrong. I was so wrong and little did I know it! I mounted the block to dive off for the 300 freestyle, in our pool that was 12 times up and back. I felt the cold knot return I didn’t have time to fix it. The whistle blew and I dove off my platform. As soon as I hit the water I knew something went wrong. My Mother says it looked like I hit my back at a bad angle. To top it off I tried to swim the 300 freestyle on it. After 4 times up and down I gave up I pushed myself out of the pool. I could only compete a 100 meter. My parents rushed me to the emergency room. The doctors said I had a pinched nerve inside my bone and only with surgery it could be fixed. They said I wouldn’t be able to swim again if I didn’t have the surgery. So I did and it didn’t help. They couldn’t operate on it because it would have cut my spinal cord and I would have been paralyzed from the neck down. So they added a plate of fake cartilage so my nerve wouldn’t bother me on a normal basis. From that day on I couldn’t compete competitive swimming. It was like a tower of cards and it all came tumbling down when my father told me I couldn’t swim anymore. I remember just feeling blank as though life wasn’t worth living anymore. After that hard year my parents thought it best to transfer me to Bon Stature High. It was a tiny school 10 minuets outside of Boston. I didn’t want to go there. I begged and pleaded not to go. I said anywhere but there. For one they wore uniforms, one of the only public high schools to do so in the whole United States. Two most of the kids would be rich snotty kids and not very nice. My second intuition proved accurate. I was a lonely freshman and had absolutely no friends. This was because I went back to my no fun, study all day lifestyle. Most of the kids did not appreciate brains or my family money. My grades were still phenomenal and earned me class valedictorian of the Freshman class. I remember that night when I received my awards. It was a three hour long assembly and after I made my speech I looked at a guy in the front row. I knew he was Mike Richardo class jock. He won the award for gym. I talked to him after and learned he was a sports jock all the way. 6 different sports and set outstanding records in this is freshman year. I already knew this because, see this was the catch. I knew everyone but I was willing to bet half my class didn’t know me. That was fine with me. I slowly faded back into the shadows.
He grinned broadly and said, “Sky? Hey! I didn’t know you were gonna be here! Your parents make you come to?”
I laughed and said, “Yeah we know my parents.” Then out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a short blonde girl. She was trying to enter the cabin with a huge suitcase. I ran over to assist her; she looked apprehensively at me.
I said, “Hold on let me get outside and lift it for you.”
She answered, “Oh that won’t be necessary! I’ve got it and besides, it’s way to heavy for you.”
I ignored her advice and went outside the cabin then I said, “On the count of three. One, Two Three.” She pulled and I lifted.
Then as soon as we got it up over the threshold and I returned she said, “Thank you for your assistance! I’m Tatiana Yagudin.” I was knocked dumbfounded. I looked fully at her. She was shorter than me and had the prettiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. She was wearing a red sweater with a white blouse underneath it and had black capri pants on.
I answered, “You’re Welcome Tatiana. Nice to meet you, I’m Sky, Sky Lords.”
She said, “Don’t take me the wrong way but that’s a rather awkward name for a boy.”
I said, “Why? Tatiana is a bit weird also.”
She said, “Well in Russia that’s a nickname for Skyler and usually that’s a little girl.”
I said, “Oh! I get it you’re a foreign exchange student!”
She said, “No, not really I moved here when I was 7.”
I answered, “Sorry.”
She said, “How can you be sorry you’ve never meet me before! So how would you know? It’d be like me saying I hate your mother and I’ve never met her so how can I say that?” I laughed Tatiana was great and took that in the best way anyone could have.
I went back to Mike and started talking he said, “So who’s the petite blondie who brought everything but the kitchen sink? And is a walking advertisement for Abercrombie?”
I answered, “Says her names Tatiana Yagudin.”
Mike gasped, “Tatiana Yagudin? Are you sure?”
I answered, “Yeah, so what?” Mike gave me a look like ‘ how can you say so what?’
He said like it was as plain as the day, “She’s only one of the most renown junior ice skaters. Really good competes all over the world. Went to Japan last year for Junior Olympics. Won bronze and lost to a little 7 year old French girl. It pissed her off for weeks.” We watched as she started unpacking stuff. Then she pulled out a poster of Sasha Cohen and tacked it up next to her bed.
I said, “Yeah so what she’s good? You’re good at 6 different sports, aren’t you?”
He answered sharply, “It’s not the same, she’s fantastic at what she does. I’ve seen her perform. I’m telling you there’s nothing else like it. It’s like she was born to skate. Like there’s only her and the ice and that they are one in the same.” I laughed. Tatiana had now pulled out a pair of ice skates. Mike said, “I told you, girls like her take skating so serious it’s almost sickening.”
I said loftily, “Oh Mike I think you’re taking this too far!” That night we meet the other kids we were sharing our cabin for the week with. Awkwardly enough all of us went to or were going to be going to the same school. With the exception of Tatiana who was only going into the eighth grade at Saint Claire’s. Tristan Davies was going into his Junior year as a homeroom representative. He was also a tremendously talented football player. He said he wasn’t going to play cause he got caught doing something wrong. He wouldn’t tell us what. Later I found out and helped him change that. Then there was Molly Conner a girl that was in our class who was extremely gifted with playing the violin. She was a total fashion freak, clothes were her life! Then Mike and me. The incoming Freshman were: Marty Walsh a really good basketball player. I watched Michael Riley Memorial Elementary School games on the local TV station. Danica Mc Kuller was another talented athlete she was a runner. She competed cross country and track & field. Joe Langford was more my kind of guy. He was a very gifted in computers he said it was his Dad who turned him on to it. Joe is very quite and laid back and studies a lot. He said in college he wants a dorm with somebody who only leaves for classes, goes to eat, and goes to the bathroom. The girls roared with laughter when he said this.
Danica said, “Nope not me! Party in my dorm till 4:00 then work!" We all laughed at this. Then the eighth grader Tatiana Yagudin. She is very loud, very spunky and very, very good at ice skating. I had fallen in love with her. Later that night Mike pulled me out of bed to talk to me about what I thought of the girls. I told him I really, really liked Tatiana.
He whispered, “Good luck, Prince Charming, you’ll never get next to the likes of her.”
Tatiana’s soft voice cooed, “Sky?” I hummed in acknowledgement. She said, “You know I love feeling like this. Like I did right after I met you.”
I said, “Tati, baby, what were you thinking?”
She said, “My first thought was he’s nice and rather attractive.”
I said, “That’s not what you said two months later!” She laughed softly. I loved when Tatiana did that, she was so cute.
She continued, “I always got butterflies even when I thought I didn’t love you. I remember I got so mad when I found myself thinking about you.”
I started singing, “I looked at myself and instead I saw us. Wherever you were just seemed like enough. And I saw a girl who was learning to trust. That’s what I saw through your eyes.”
She said, “Oh Sky why’d you move all those words to past tense?”
I answered softly as not to disturb even the smallest butterfly, “Because now I look into your eyes and I see us just not you. Wherever you are is where I am too. You’ve learn to trust me as well. These are now the things I see through your eyes.” She smiled and pulled herself into the crook of my arm.
She said, “You smell nice, Sky.” I pulled my arm up to cradle her softly.
Then all of a sudden Marty called out, “Who wants to play Chicken? Shoulder style.”
Molly shrieked, “I’ll play!”
Marty said, “Any other takers?”
I whispered to Mike, “What’s Chicken anyway?”
He said, “A meat you eat!”
I said sarcastically, “No really!” Then with all seriousness, “Seriously Mike, what is it?”
He said, “Well the way Marty means it is a girl gets on a guys shoulders and then tries to knock the girl off the other guys shoulders. HEY MARTY! I’m in!” He ran and did a cannon ball.
Danica who was laying on a raft spit out water indignantly and screamed, “Mike! What was that for?”
Mike called back, “I’m playing Chicken! I had to get into the pool somehow!”
She answered sarcastically, “I see that but did you have to get ME wet in doing so?” He went underwater as if to ignore her. He came up right under her raft and there went Dani, sunglasses and all into the pool.
He answered as she surfaced, “Yep, I couldn’t resist.”
She said, “Okay I’m going for whoever is on Mike’s shoulders!” I thought from that day out Danica and Mike would be together, they hated each other so much that they loved each other. Or so I thought, Danica and Marty wound up dating instead. Tristan volunteered for the other male position. Marty pointed out they could do it three way and have the three girls duke it out for swimsuit queen. So Marty practically volunteered Tatiana to play and himself to play. Tristan took Molly and Marty quickly told Tatiana to go on his shoulders so Danica would have to be on Mike’s shoulders. Danica screamed, “You ignorant brat! I hate you Marty!”
He screamed, “You said you wanted to take out whomever was on Mike’s shoulders, guess you’ll have to take yourself out.” He smiled and went under so Tatiana could get on his shoulders. He surfaced and Tati was sitting with her feet skimming the water. Tristan hoisted Molly up onto his one shoulder. She flung her other leg to Tristan’s other shoulder. Mike promised Danica he wouldn’t drop her. She looked apprehensively at him.
He said, “Dani you’ll be the only reason you fall.” This was relatively true! Dani would only fall off if she was knocked off clear off of Mike’s shoulders, or if Mike lost his balance from Danica trying to gain hers. Mike went under and hesitantly Danica jumped forward. Mike came up and said, “String Bean. Light as a feather.”
Tristan gripped, “Wish this one was.”
Molly sputtered, “Tristan I only weigh 120 pounds!”
Dani spit out, “120! Twig girl. I weigh 125” Tati was sitting quietly on Marty’s shoulders I have a feeling Marty had read her mind so that her weight didn’t have to be announced. Danica ruined that plan with, “So Tatiana, how much do you weigh?” Tati muttered a number. Marty nearly dropped her.
He screeched, “ONE HUNDRED! This is twig girl.”
She screamed at him, “Thanks Marty! Thanks a lot.”
Dani said, “She’s a skater she’s gotta be tiny.” We watched as Joe was getting ready to start it off. He nominated himself to be referee. I sat and watched.
Joe said, “Okay go to each ends of the pool.” The pool was really big and had several different angles. It wasn’t a solid shape. Dani and Mike went to the steps. Marty and Tatiana went to the ladder and Tristan and Molly went into a jutted section.
Joe screamed, “Ready for the queen of swimsuit competition.”
Dani roared, “Hell YA!”
Joe said, “GO!” He sat down then stood up and said, “Oh Yeah, Fight nicely girls. No Bitch slaps!” Mike started roaring with laughter and dropped Danica. SPLASH! There went Danica.
She started screaming at Mike, “I THOUGHT YOU SAID I WOULDN’T FALL UNLESS I CALLED IT!”
Mike said, “Just get back on or you’re out.” He went under and Danica got back on.
I screamed to Dani, “Yeah well you did call it Hon! You were raised to Bitch slap Molly. That’s why Joe said that!”
She screamed sarcastically, “I’ll be sure to care!”
I answered, “Well you better cuz here comes MOLLY!” She turned and got hit in the face from Molly. She started wobbling around. Tatiana came up behind Tristan and Molly and kicked Molly’s back. There went Molly straight forward and in doing so she knocked Danica backward. Since Dani was still gaining her balance it wasn’t good. SPLASH! There they went they surfaced as Tatiana stood on Marty’s shoulders and dove backwards off his back.
Joe said, “And after 2 minutes Tatiana is the Swimsuit Queen!”
I said to Joe, “That didn’t take all day!” Tatiana was looking non-pulsate at her winnings.
That night we all ate around a large bonfire. Councilor Becky left us at 11:00 curfew was at 12:00. Who said we’d be following that rule? We never do, councilor Becky, when ever she leaves it’s for a long time. So since she had to check on another group we knew that we wouldn’t see her till breakfast tomorrow morning. We kept feeding wood into the fire.
Dani was the first to speak, “Hey why don’t we play spin the bottle?”
Tatiana said, “I whole heartily disapprove of the game since it’d be my first kiss and I don’t want it to be forced. Good night all.” At this she got up and walked across to the cabin. Dani looked appalled that any girl in her right mind would say that.
She said, “Okay, anyone else agree with Tatiana?”
Joe said, “Sorta but I’m game actually. It’s not hasty, it’s set up, it’s not like we’re mean and rude people.”
I said, “Well I hate to spoil fun things but I agree with Tatiana, and it’s late. Good night everyone.” A chorus of Goodnights followed. I was a bit surprised at all the cold gestures to Tatiana. When I said I didn’t agree they all said Goodnight as though nothing had happened. When Tatiana said she wasn’t happy with the idea they all let her storm off. I walked back into the cabin. Tatiana was in the bathroom changing.
She heard me open the main door she called out, “Who’s there?”
I answered, “It’s Sky.”
She said , “Oh, well look Sky, can you do me a favor?” She didn’t wait for my response, “Can you grab my night robe on the corner of my bed. I forgot it.”
"This white spa robe?” I asked picking it up.
She said, “That’s the one. Thanks.” I handed it to her through a tiny crack in the bathroom door. The camp was pretty nice and modern. It had running water, lights, sofas and air conditioning. Then Tatiana’s voice said, “Hey, why did you come in Sky any way?” I began to change to my pajama’s.
I said pulling off my shirt, “I agree with you Tatiana, it seems very forced. Especially for my first.” She came out I saw that she put the white robe over. She was getting ready for a shower.
She gaped at me and said , “So you don’t think I’m stupid for walking out?”
I answered, “No I think you’re pretty brave Tatiana. You’re right it’s too forced for a first. I want my first kiss to be so natural it’s going to be in my memory forever.”
She said, “It will, and that girl will be very lucky to have a guy like you kissing her.” She walked back into the bathroom.
She said, “Sky, can I go to sleep?”
I answered her, “Tati, do you really have to ask? You know what I’ll say.”
She said, “Your the best Sky!” She snuggled her head into the crook of my arm and started breathing slowly.
I whispered, “No, Tati, you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I don’t think she heard me.
