Justin sat through the rest of Science class and then after that, Geography. Seventh period was Social Science and then finally a study hall. However, by the time the final bell had rung, he had forgotten all about the note and was looking forward to his after school meet and how it might affect the match on Saturday.
"If I can still go," Justin thought gloomily to himself as he remembered his mother's punishment.
However all that was driven out of his mind the moment he stepped into the gym and was immediately greeted by the coach for the swim team and about ten girls.
Looking at Coach Vicky, Justin smiled and muttered, "Sorry. Wrong gym." and attempted to make a hasty exit before anyone could say something.
Before he could leave, Coach Vicky held up a clipboard and replied, "No. I have your name on the sign-up sheet and you have been coming to the meets the last three weeks. So I think you do have the right gym."
Justin, unsure of what to say, remained standing in the doorway, looking at the swim coach. As he tried to come up with something to say, coach Vicky said to him, "There are only a couple more girls we're waiting for and then we can get started." Looked at her clipboard again and then asked, "So, are you excited about this weekend and out first event of the school year?"
Numbly, Justin muttered, "Yes ma'am," while behind him the door to the gym opened and three more girls entered. Smiling, Coach Vicky looked at the group and blowing the whistle around her neck, she called out, "Can I have your attention please. I have some announcements to make before we begin."
Slowly the dim in the gymnasium quieted and then as everyone took a seat on the floor, the swim coach started with, "First I would like to welcome our newest members, Julie, Jennifer and Tanya."
Scattered applause and a couple girls whooped as three girls stood, waved and then retook their seats. After it quieted back down, Coach Vicky continued. "I would also like to announce that the middle school has finally fixed the leak in the pool and as of today we will be able to take out practice there rather than here in the gym."
A couple more whoops and cheers and Vicky said, "You'll find your swim uniform, a locker number and combination on my desk and shall each receive one shortly."
But what else she had to say, Justin just could not pay attention to as his mind kept drifting back to the note and what he had written. Looking at the sea of girls, Justin suddenly began to question what he had written, but before he could dwell too much on it, he realised that coach Vicky had finished and everyone was lining up to get there uniform and locker information.
Sighing...something Justin thought he had never done before...he stood and followed the rest of the girls to the coach's office. There he collected a one piece, dark navy blue swimsuit and the number for the locker he was to use and the combination to it.
Looking at the piece of paper, he listened as coach Vicky said, "I expect you all to be changed and ready to go in fifteen minutes. See you by the pool."
Sighing again, he followed the rest of the girls into the locker room and sighing again, he located the locker and then paused as everyone else began to get undressed. As the feeling of trepidation crept over him, the locker next to him opened and looking over at the girl, his heart nearly skipped a beat as he saw Nadine.
To his surprise, she began to talk to him as if they were close friends and he found himself talking back. As he did this, he undressed and without giving it much thought, tucked his privates back and pulled on first the swimsuit and then the spandex shorts.
Swim practice after that went by in a breeze and Justin thought that maybe his wish wouldn't be so bad. Afterward, he showered with the girls, redressed and exited the locker room. As he was leaving, he suddenly bumped into one of the guys on the softball team. Muttering an apology, Justin excused himself, but suddenly found himself feeling shy the moment he made eye contact.
Grinning, the boy said, "No problem. It is my fault entirely. I should have been watching were I was going."
Unsure of what to say, Justin merely stood there, aware that there was an uncomfortable silence growing. And then just as he was about to say something, the boy asked, "Ummm, if you are not, like, doing anything, you want to go out sometime?"
Thinking suddenly that the boy was cute, Justin blushed and then quietly said, "Sure."
Grinning, the boy extended a hand and said, "I'm Paul."
Taking the offered appendage, Justine quietly replied to this with, "I'm Judy. Most of my friends call me by my middle name, Jupiter," and then began to blush some more.
Paul grinned and said, "It's very pretty," and then immediately began to shift his feet about.
At that moment Nadine exited the locker room and Justine found an excuse to excuse himself. Telling Paul, "See you later," he rambled off his number and then turning, he called out, "Hey Nadine. Wait up."
Running after the girl a couple of feet down the hall, Justine asked himself, "What the heck did I just do? And why did I tell that guy all that? And why did I give him my phone number," but all these questions where driven from his mind the moment he caught up with Nadine.
As the two of them walked down the hall, they struck up a conversation and had Justin been paying full attention, he would have realised that is was mostly about Paul. That and the normal stuff two girls would talk about.