Jeremy's POV:

"We just have to run to the bathroom real quick," Amanda says, and Janelle gets up and starts to follow her. "Text me if Carter's about to go and we're not back."

I stare at her. "He doesn't compete for twenty minutes."

Amanda just smirks and begins to walk toward the stairs to get to the bathroom. Honestly, I'm not sure what women do in the bathroom, and why it could potentially take more than twenty minutes, and why they always go in groups.

I shake my head and turn back to face the pool. Well, actually, the side of the pool, where my boyfriend is standing, chatting with his teammates.

He's already competed in his individual event and he did as amazing as I knew he would; it's pretty much a definite thing that he's going to qualify individually for the semifinal meet, but we're not sure about his relay team yet.

They have yet to go, but I know they're going to do great. I've gotten to know his teammates a bit more over the past few weeks (since we officially started dating!) and I know they're all super hardworking and committed to their sport. They deserve to make it to the semifinals and hopefully win some kind of award for the school.

Carter catches my eyes from where he's laughing at something that one of his friends said. His expression brightens like it always does when he sees me. He waves at me and I see him shoot a playful glare at Ben before he punches the guy's shoulder and turns back to me, still smiling.

I give him a thumbs up, and he keeps grinning, blowing me a kiss before he returns to his teammates and seems to be discussing something with Leighton. I return to my phone and see a text from Jackie.

Jackie: Tell Carter that I say good luck (or good job, depending on when you talk to him)!

Me: Will do!

Jackie: Vincent and I want to take you two out on a double date with us at some point!

Me: ...Are you worried about mom and dad finding out?

Jackie: They won't find out. You're my brother and I want to show you that I care about you and I'm so happy you're in a relationship with someone you seem to be head over heels for ;)

Me: I'm not "head over heels"

Jackie: You are, based on what Vincent has told me. He says you're always glowing when you get home

Me: I'm going to stop responding now.

Jackie: Okay, night baby brother :))

I put my phone down just in time for Trenton, the guy that Carter really dislikes, sits down beside me. I'm a nice person, and I can keep my cool, but I would rather he leave me alone.

"Saw me swim?" he asks, his voice full of confidence.

"Mhm," I respond dryly. "I was watching Carter as well."

Trenton seems a bit annoyed by that, but he recovers and puts his smirk back on his face. "He qualified, huh? I did, too."

"Cool."

"I know we didn't start off the best, with all of the people at the diner, so would you like to restart? I'll take you out after the meet?" he suggests.

I shake my head. "Sorry, but I'd rather not, unless it's in a group."

"Why not?" he asks, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "You don't want to go on a date with me?"

"No, I don't think my boyfriend would be too happy about me going on a date with someone else."

Trenton pauses. "Your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, Carter? I figured you'd have known that, since you guys are on the same team," I say nonchalantly, even though I know for a fact that Trenton doesn't really listen to anyone.

He likes to talk to others, but he doesn't like to listen to them. It's always about him and his life; maybe he didn't get enough attention when he was younger, but I know that he always talks about himself from what Carter says. So, it makes sense that Carter wouldn't be able to say anything to him about us dating.

"He didn't tell me," Trenton says.

Should I expect an apology for hitting on me?

"Don't know why you'd go for a guy like him."

Guess not.

I give him a dirty look. "What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, scowling at him.

"Well, he's always preoccupied with something. He doesn't have time for you."

"He makes a lot of time for me," I reply, discreetly scooting away from Trenton.

Apparently I wasn't discreet enough, as Trenton moves closer to me and closes the little personal space I had left.

"You're in my personal space," I deadpan. "Scoot away."

He ignores me. "I don't know what your problem is."

"My problem?" I ask in disbelief. "I'm asking you to back away and stop badmouthing my boyfriend. That's it. It's not too hard to process."

"You don't have to be a bitch."

I'm about to shoot back when someone else sits beside me and I turn and almost audibly sigh in relief when I see Carter's dad.

"Hi, Mr Hall," I say appreciatively. "How are you?"

He's not very talkative, but this man can read the room better than anyone I've ever met.

"I'm doing quite alright, kid. I haven't seen you in a while so I decided to come say hi. Is this one of your friends?" he asks, nodding to Trenton.

He's lying; Carter and I had dinner with him two nights ago.

Trenton gets up and gives me an annoyed look. "See you around, Jer."

Only my friends call me that, but I don't feel like talking to him anymore than I have to. He's just an annoying prick who needs to find someone who doesn't like talking so he can talk their ear off.

"He's not one of my friends," I tell Carter's dad.

Mr Hall laughs lowly. "Yeah, I know. Carter's told me all about that guy and has said how irritating he is. I saw you looked uncomfortable so I figured that a big trucker looking guy would chase him off."

"How'd you know he's the guy that Carter's talked about?"

"He's the only ginger who walks around like he owns the facility," Mr Hall says. "Well, that I've seen so far."

I smile to myself; even though he's usually really quiet, Carter's dad is really fun. I'm pretty sure he's not trying to be, but he's funny to me.

"We're back!" Amanda announces and she and Janelle come back, and I catch a whiff of cigarette smoke from her and weed from Janelle. "Oh, don't give me that look. I've been stressed."

Carter's dad pats my shoulder and nods to Janelle and Amanda. "Well, I'll be getting back to my seat. Nice seeing you, Jeremy."

"You too!" I exclaim, grinning at my boyfriend's dad. As soon as he's gone, I turn to Amanda. "You disappeared on me to get high?"

She brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "I'm not high. Janelle is."

Janelle nods and gives me a thumbs up. "Don't worry, Amanda's driving and we're probably all going to crash at Ben's place."

I'm a bit nervous about the after party at Ben's place; it was pretty well known that someone was going to qualify from Rowan, so Ben planned a party at his apartment. The last time I was at a party, I did meet Carter, but I also was stuck with the wrath of my parents. Plus, the last time I drank is still living in the back of my head.

The announcer speaks into the microphone and states that the relays are about to start, which gets a round of applause from the room.

Leighton and all of the other backstroke swimmers are told to get into the water, which they do, jumping in and positioning themselves.

Carter and his other two teammates are standing behind the dive block, and I can see their mouths moving. They're probably stating for the hundredth time that they need to be in the top three of this meet to make it to finals.

There's a few other meets happening across the state right now, and the top three from those events will get to compete at the semifinals as well, and then the top six from that meet to to the finals and get to try to win for their school.

The announcer calls to take their mark, and then the ringing start sound echoes overhead and the swimmers take off.

Leighton is quick; their team is in lane five, which is traditionally the second place lane, but I'm hoping they get first so they have a chance to compete at semifinals.

Maybe even finals.

Carter gives me a nervous smile when Wesley dives in, because he's next.

I try to reassure him as best as I can, smiling and blowing him a kiss (even though that's really cheesy).

He grins and when his turn comes up... I've never seen him swim so well before. He's on the tail of the first place swimmer, and it all comes down to Ben.

Everyone is cheering, and my eyes are locked on Ben, and he has to be less than a half second behind the first place swimmer. My hands are shaking and Janelle and Amanda are shouting next to me.

When he finishes, cheering erupts from both teams, but as I look at the board, I know Carter is going to be disappointed; they lost by barely half a second and he hates close races more than anything.

As I assumed, he's frowning as he looks at the board, but he forces a smile when Wesley slaps his shoulder and says something to him.

Since they're done swimming, Carter and his teammates come sit with us to watch the remaining events.

"Hopefully they don't catch us," Ben says nervously. "This would be the first time in six years that a relay team gets to finals..."

Leighton rolls his eyes. "We still have semifinals to worry about."

"Be optimistic," Ben grumbles as the next relay group gets ready to go.

Carter has his swim jacket on and he still smells like chlorine, so I know he hasn't rinsed off yet. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and lays his cheek on the top of my head.

"You're going to get water all over me," I inform him, making no effort to move.

He chuckles. "You mean I managed to make you wet?"

"Not in public please," Janelle says, tossing a bag of fruit snacks at Carter but missing and hitting me in the face instead. "Oops, sorry."

She's not sorry at all.

Carter picks up the bag and starts to eat the fruit snacks, meaning his arm is no longer around me. He sees my pout and just gives me a cocky grin as he continues to eat.

We all are sitting on the edge of our seats after the third heat, because there was an upset and in the second heat a team placed higher than both Carter's team and the team that beat them.

Which leaves them in third.

Right before the last race.

Carter grabs my hand, staring at the pool.

We're all silent as the race starts, our silence tense as everyone around us shouts and whoops for the current swimmers. We look at the time and nervously watch as the first place teams has stayed pretty consistent with our team's time.

"Come on," Wesley whispers, just loud enough for us to all hear.

We all watch the freestyle swimmer, our eyes shifting between the clock and the swimmers. When he finishes and the time is lit up on the board, cheering erupts from Carter, his teammates, and me.

"Fuck yeah!" Janelle shouts.

Carter pulls me into a bone-crushing group hug with his teammates. "We qualified!" he shouts. "Fuck yeah!"

Ben is grinning widely. "Looks like we have a good reason to celebrate tonight!"

I couldn't agree more as Carter kisses me, smiling the whole time.