Chapter 46 - Ocean - Another Awkward Night

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Ocean

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I had competed in seven total events throughout the day and it left me feeling more than exhausted. It wasn't the swimming that got to me. That was the easy part. It had been all the waiting around and the bureaucracy of it all.

All day we had to wait for all the events to be set up and then all the heats to be completed one after the other. There were so many people competing in the tournament that it took from nine thirty in the morning until almost nine at night for it to all be done.

The venue provided us with a really good lunch and there were snacks provided for all the swimmers so that we could keep our stamina up and didn't feel a dip throughout the day. I just don't think they took into account that there were people who ate like me. Well, me and Makai. The two of us were probably the only ones who were feeling so damn miserable by the time that we left tonight.

All I wanted was to go back to the room, eat about six people's worth of dinners, take a shower, and collapse into bed. That would probably satisfy me at least a little bit. I am sure there were a few other things that I could think to do but I wasn't going to dwell on any of them at the moment.

I was once again sitting with Makai on the bus as we went back to the hotel for the night. We had talked a little bit throughout the day but not too much. He had congratulated me when I finished my individual events and I did the same for him. We high fived each other for making it to the semi finals for the individuals and our whole four man team had celebrated by doing a sort of handshake that turned into a hug as we moved from person to person. I remember that I had grabbed Makai more by the forearm than the hand and was pulled into a celebratory hug where he clapped his hand on my back twice. I did the same to him, two quick claps on his back like I had done to the others. I hadn't even thought about what I was doing, it was just routine by the time that I had gotten to him at the end of the line.

We had definitely been able to be around each other a lot more today than we had been previously. I think that we might stop our quarrelling or fighting, or whatever the hell it was, altogether soon. It really would be good to not have to worry about it anymore.

I nearly drifted off to sleep as I dreamily thought about the food I wanted to eat when we got to the room. I could almost taste it already and it was making me drool.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty." Makai shook my shoulder and roused me from my partial slumber. "Let's go. Coach was going to order pizza again but I didn't want that. I went online and ordered us something really good, it will be delivered soon."

I shook the sleep from my head and followed Makai off the bus and back to the room. I was kind of glad that we weren't having pizza again. I may be a teenage guy and all, but I was used to eating home cooked meals pretty regularly so I didn't like to eat pizza all that often. Once in a while was fine but that was it.

When we got back to the room I collapsed into the chair that I had slept in the previous night. I could tell that a housekeeper had been in the room to tidy up for us. We must have forgotten to put the do not disturb sign on the door before we left. They had remade the bed, putting the blanket that Makai had covered me up with back in its original place. The trash from the night before was all gone and everything had been completely freshened up. They had done a good job.

"Man, today was exhausting." I sighed as I slung my hand over my forehead. I wasn't feeling nervous right now since I had been around Makai all day and nothing bad had happened so I wasn't stuttering at all right now.

"Yeah. It wouldn't have been so bad if we didn't have to wait around so much." He agreed as he flopped onto the bed, laying flat on his back with his arms above his head.

I couldn't help but stare at him as he laid there with his eyes closed. He was a good looking guy. I had to admit that. His long dark eyelashes were striking against his pale cheeks. His shirt had been pulled tight over his chest and it helped to show and define every line of the lean muscles in his chest. His narrow waist that contrasted with his broad shoulders created a shape that just made me want to stare at him endlessly.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to keep looking at him because that was when there was a knock on the door and Makai's eye popped open.

"Good, that should be the food. I am starving." He smoothly stood up and moved to the door. As soon as he pulled the door open I could smell something wonderful. It was almost like heaven. I didn't know what it was he had gotten yet, or what restaurant it was, but I could tell that I wanted to eat it.

I was reaching for my wallet and the money inside of it before Makai was back in the main part of the room. He was carrying two very large bags with him as he walked toward me and the table that was next to me.

I watched as Makai pulled out several boxes of food. There was a massive appetizer filled with onion rings, fried calamari, french fries, and chicken wings. He pulled out two dinner platters with spaghetti and meatballs, two orders of steaks with corn on the cob, fried potatoes, and skewers of grilled shrimp, and there was even another two dinner sets with lemon pepper rainbow trout with rice pilaf and green beans. He had apparently ordered two of everything aside from the appetizer. He didn't know what it was I was going to want.

"This is awesome. I can eat so much now. How much do I owe you?" I was pulling money out so I could pay him back.

"Don't worry." He held up a hand as if he was going to refuse it and not let me help pay for my portion of it.

"Come on, don't be so difficult." I laughed playfully as I started to feel slightly uneasy. I didn't want to owe him anything. That could lead to issues down that line. I didn't like the way that made me feel. Why was I starting to feel nervous again? Was my stutter going to come back? Why was he doing this? What the hell was going to happen to the peace we had worked so hard to create?