this fire

 

chapter five

 

“I don’t know how they expect me to be able to watch this movie in Greek.  A person cannot watch The Lion King in Greek.  The songs are weird and it’s just awful,” Brooke mumbled two nights later.  Laney had swum in the two hundred meter backstroke semifinals and had the best time of both semis that day, so they were hanging out in Brooke’s room.  They’d rented movies from a movie rental place they’d stumbled upon down the street.

 

“I’m sorry, Brooke, but that’s what happens when you’re in Greece.  Just like you wouldn’t find the Greek version in America, you won’t find the English version here.”

 

“Damn people who don’t speak English,” Brooke muttered.  “I should turn this off.”  But she made no effort to.

 

“There are subtitles.  Suck it up.  I’m interested to hear ‘Can’t Wait to Be King’ in Greek.”

 

Brooke hit Laney in the face with a pillow, and the girls would have started a full-fledged pillow fight were it not for a knock at the door.  Laughing, Laney leapt out of the way of Brooke’s pillow and flung the door open.  She jumped to her right as a pillow flew at her and hit Aaron in the face.

 

“Win a gold medal, and all you get is a pillow in the face.  Thanks so much,” he muttered, flinging it back to Brooke. 

 

“Sorry about that.  I was aiming for Laney,” Brooke said, tossing a glare at Laney, who just grinned.

 

“Anyway, before I was assaulted, I came to find out if you two wanted to hang out with us.  We’re having a party.”

 

“We were just about to sit down and watch The Lion King,” Laney said sadly.  “In Greek.”  Brooke elbowed her.  “But of course we’d like to come.  Who else is there?”

 

“I think everyone.  Michael, Ian, Ian, Brendan, Grant, Amanda, Kaitlin, Libby, Brooke...shall I go on?  Oh, and me, of course.”

 

Laney rolled her eyes.  “Thanks.  I didn’t know you would be there,” she said sarcastically.  Aaron just laughed.  “So are you coming, or what?”

 

Brooke stood up.  “Definitely.”

 

They both looked expectantly at Laney.  “I don’t know.  I have a big race tomorrow.  And supposedly I have a good shot at it.  I think I should get some sleep.”  She paused.  “And by sleep, I don’t mean ‘video games’; and by sleep, I don’t mean ‘a party.’”

 

Aaron chuckled.  “Right.  Well, then good luck tomorrow if I don’t see you before then.”  He held out an arm for Brooke, who took it.  “Bye,” they said to Laney before leaving.  She sighed.  She wasn’t sure what to do.  Everyone she knew was at the party, and she knew Amanda was.  If she went back to her room, she’d probably be woken up by Amanda at whatever time it was she came back.  But if she stayed in Brooke’s room, she’d be woken up by Brooke.

 

Sighing again, she grabbed the DVD that was in the player and headed back to her room.  She still wanted to watch the movie, even though she knew she’d probably fall asleep during it.

 

She didn’t really feel like herself anymore.  Since she’d come to Athens, she’d passed down three or four chances to party and flirt with some really hot swimmers to sleep.  Or play video games with Michael Phelps.  Not that there was anything wrong with playing video games with Michael Phelps.  She’d beat him every time and he kept asking her to play again like he had a shot.  She shook her head and smiled to herself as she opened the door to her room.

 

“Oh.  Hi,” she said to Amanda as she walked in.  She was shocked.  “I figured you’d be out partying with everyone.”

 

“Nope,” Amanda said.  “I was tired, so I thought maybe I’d get some sleep.”

 

“You and me both,” Laney said.  She’d discovered that Amanda wasn’t quite as bad as she’d thought.  She was actually quite nice, though she was a partier and was even more of a flirt than Laney herself.

 

“Is that a movie?” Amanda asked.

 

“Yeah.  You care for Disney in Greek?”

 

Amanda laughed.  “Worth a shot; put it in.”

 

Grinning, Laney stuck the DVD in their player and climbed into bed, fully planning on falling asleep halfway through the movie.

 

*

 

If she thought she was nervous before the two hundred free, she was a wreck before the two hundred back.  She was starting to think maybe she should have gone out partying the night before instead of staying up half the night talking with Amanda Beard.  “Bad idea, idiot,” she muttered under her breath as she bounced around while in line to go out to the blocks.  As the top qualifier, she was in lane four, which just made her more nervous.

 

“Are you nervous?” Ian had asked her a couple of hours before.

 

“Absolutely terrified,” she’d replied.

 

“You don’t look it.  You’ll be fine.  I’ll still love you if you come in seventy-first.”

 

She gave him a look and walked away, leaving him, laughing, behind her.

 

Now as she heard the crowds and got ready to go out, her nerves had started to calm a bit.

 

A very very tiny bit.

 

Finally they started to go out.  She went over to the fourth lane and sat down in the chair, adjusting her swim cap and glancing around at the audience for her cousin and Brooke.  She saw them sitting with Aaron and a very tired looking Michael Phelps, who’d just won the one hundred fly.  She stood and jumped up and down a bit, bouncing on the balls of her feet.  She swung her arms around to stretch them out a bit, and raised her arms to wave at the crowd when she was announced.  No one really knew who she was, and she still got a huge scream, especially from the numerous United States sections.  She grinned as she waved, and then got serious, undressing and stretching a little more.  A few minutes later, she jumped in the pool and grabbed the bar, ready to start the race.

 

Somewhere around two minutes and six seconds later, she touched the wall.  She lifted her head up and took her goggles off, looking up at the score board.  She was completely floored.  She was first.

 

“Gold medalist with a world record time of two minutes and six point four eight seconds is American Madelaine Thorpe,” said the announcer over the loudspeakers.  Her fan club went crazy, but all she could do was smile, as it still hadn’t quite sunken in.  She pumped her fist in the air and swam to the side of the pool to get out.  As she walked past the media area, she was accosted by a reporter.  Again.

 

“Madelaine Thorpe!  How does it feel to set a world record in your very first Olympics?”

 

“Oh wow, I can’t even tell you.  It hasn’t really sunken in yet,” she panted.  “I barely thought I would win, to tell you the truth.  I figured eighth would be good.”

 

“What was going through your mind before you started?”

 

“I knew the field was tough, and I just wanted to jump in the pool and swim my best.  I never dreamed of anything like this.”

 

“I bet your cousin Ian is very proud of you.”

 

Laney grinned.  “I’m sure he is.  I heard him screaming after I finished.”

 

“Well, it’s good to see the Thorpe legacy continuing; congratulations,” the reporter said with a smile before Laney walked away.

 

This time she was able to get in and out of the changing area before she saw anyone she knew.  She was in line for the medal ceremony twenty minutes later and there was still no sign of Ian.  She sighed.  She’d known this was a possibility, but she was starting to get really sick of being asked about him every time she did something good.  She was just waiting to be asked if she trained with him, if she took some special kind of Ian Thorpe pill to swim the way she did.  That was why she’d chosen backstroke and worked her ass off at it.  It was also the reason she’d chosen to be on the US team.  She thought maybe she could separate herself from her famous cousin.

 

She was starting to see that wasn’t a possibility.

 

Before she had a chance to dwell on it, she was standing up on the medal platform, accepting her gold medal and listening to the US national anthem.  She couldn’t seem to wipe the goofy smile off her face.  When she stepped down and walked off, waving at the crowd, she began to get suspicious.

 

Normally Ian would have attacked her right after her swim.  Something very strange was going on.

 

She was even more suspicious when she got all the way back to her room and opened the door and there was still nothing, but she figured maybe she’d take advantage of it and take a nap.  A few minutes later, Amanda strolled in, a grin on her face.

 

“Very nice, Laney,” she said.  “Here, watch this.”  Amanda put a tape in and hit play on the VCR.  A picture of Ian popped up on the screen.  He was smiling and had a set of headphones and a microphone on.

 

“We’re here with Ian Thorpe,” said Rowdy Gaines, “Australia’s swimming champion.”  Laney rolled her eyes.  “It’s nice to have you.”

 

“It’s nice to be here.”

 

“I imagine you’re very excited for this race, Ian, as your...cousin?...is swimming.”

 

“Yes.  My British cousin who swims for the States,” Ian said with a laugh.  “She’s the favorite in this event, and she’s got a good chance to break the world record.”

 

“Thank God I didn’t know that before I swam,” Laney muttered.  Amanda chuckled.

 

“Did you and your cousin ever train together?” Rowdy asked.

 

“Not really.  We actually didn’t see each other very often when we were kids, as she lived in the States and then in England, and now in the States.  But we’re quite close, which is why I can tell you with utmost confidence that she’s going to punch the next reporter who asks her about her cousin,” he said with a grin.  Laney laughed.  He knew her so well.

 

Rowdy chuckled.  “Well, it’s certainly good to see another Thorpe out there, even though it’s a little strange talking about a Thorpe who doesn’t swim for Australia.”

 

Ian laughed and they picture changed to Madelaine herself as she stretched and then as she greeted the crowd when she was introduced.  “I told her she was blaspheming, but she’s got a mind of her own and I don’t expect her to start listening to me now if she hasn’t for the last nineteen years.”

 

“She’s a great swimmer – she’s got very good form on the backstroke, and her turns are very strong.  I think she’s got quite a good shot at winning the gold medal, if not breaking the world record.”

 

“I agree,” Ian said, “and not just because we’re related.  I’ve watched her for a long time, and she’s one of the best backstrokers I’ve seen.  She could swim against any of the men and beat them – she’s got long strokes and a very strong kick.”

 

“That’s important, especially in a field like this,” Rowdy agreed, “with swimmers like Coventry, Nakamura, and Komarova, not to mention Hoelzer, the other American.  She’s gonna need that speed and that strength.  As much as I say she’ll probably win, I don’t think it’ll be by more than a few hundredths of a second.”

 

The commentary continued for the length of the race, with Rowdy getting more and more excited and yelling more with every second.  Laney couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“And she’s won it!  And broke the record!” Rowdy yelled after she touched the wall.

 

“YES LANEY!” Ian yelled.  They showed him, and he was positively glowing.

 

“You must be so proud of her,” Rowdy said to Ian once the excitement had died down a bit.

 

“I am extremely proud of her,” Ian said with a huge grin.  The tape went black, and Laney sank into her bed.  Amanda slipped out the door, allowing someone else in.

 

A few seconds later, Laney found herself wrapped in the arms of her cousin.

 

“Not bad, Baby Thorpe,” he said into her ear.

 

She grinned.