In the Deep End (8 page)

‘So, what do you reckon’s going on down at Explore! then?’ Angus asked.

‘I don’t know,’ said Hannah. ‘If I’d been able to open that data stick, we might know a lot more.’

Hannah watched Gabby close her eyes and sigh. It was probably the last thing she wanted to talk about at the moment. Gabby reached into her swimming bag down near her feet, pulled out her iPod and started fiddling with the controls. Just for one day she wanted to focus on one thing and one thing only—tonight’s race.

While E.D. had been having his hair-raising adventure in the black tube, Gabby and Pat had been fine-tuning last-minute details for the race.
Gabby had arrived home from school to find a note from her mum on the kitchen table.

Darling—over at Rosie’s. The pool rang to say that there’s a place for you in the States tomorrow night down in the city—something about you being the fastest non-qualifier? Someone had to pull out. Pat and I will take you—bring along a couple of friends and we’ll have a bite somewhere afterwards. Pat will be here by 5. Mum.

Gabby closed her eyes, wondering whether Andrea Simpson was behind them or in front on the road to the State Aquatic Centre. As long as she was behind at the end of the race, she thought, before letting her mind be taken away by the music.

Hannah settled back into the plush seats of the four-wheel drive Gabby’s mum was driving.

‘I just can’t believe E.D.’s story,’ she whispered to Angus, not wanting to disturb Gabby.

‘What do you mean
can’t believe
? E.D. wouldn’t lie,’ Angus said, turning to look at his friend.

‘I know that. I mean, what an amazing trip. The black tube. I’m sure glad it wasn’t me.’

Angus smiled. ‘He’s just so lucky he never got caught. And I reckon they might be replacing Cabana.’

‘Cabana?’

‘The security dog.’

‘Oh yeah,’ Hannah smiled. ‘Probably replace the security guard too.’

Gabby turned and glared at them. Her nervousness started to rub off on the others in the car, and soon everyone was silent, staring out their respective windows.

Angus and Hannah had never been to such an impressive-looking stadium. They stared up at the domed roof and the glass walls on the far side. Gabby’s mum took them to some seats high up towards the back of the stand, while Gabby and Pat headed for the recovery pool to start her warm-up.

Officials rushed about near the main pool, setting up the podium steps for the place-getters and organising plastic tubs for the swimmers to put their clothes, water bottles and towels in. An electronic scoreboard flashed
information and the noise in the crowd grew as the seats filled.

‘When’s Gabby’s race?’ Angus asked, gazing at the entrance where people were streaming into the stadium.

‘Fifth race of the night.’ Hannah looked at her watch. ‘Six-fifty.’ Angus opened the program Hannah passed him.

‘Wow, there’s a lot of events,’ he said, flicking through it.

Gabby had completed her main warm-up—some stretching, a 400-metre swim, 100 metres with a kickboard, some one-arm pull-throughs and then three dive sprints. She was now sitting beneath the grandstand in the marshalling area, mentally going through the race. She and Pat discussed breaking it up into three sections—the start, strong and mean; the middle—firm and steady with a focus on form; and the end—R and R: Respond as Required.

Gabby hadn’t seen Andrea yet but she would soon, and this time she’d be ready. This time she was prepared. It was Andrea who’d be in for the shock of her life; assuming she didn’t know that Gabby had been called up at the last minute. Gabby still felt ashamed when she remembered
how she’d reacted seeing Andrea line up in her race the previous month.

‘Under 16 400 metre freestyle swimmers over here, please,’ an official called, standing by the door to the pool. Gabby’s chest tightened. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, grabbed her towel and took a nervous sip from her water bottle. The other swimmers gathered round.

Andrea hadn’t noticed Gabby, who was standing back from the group, behind one of the other swimmers. Gabby glanced about. They look huge, she thought. Broad shouldered, long legged. The best in the state.

‘Right, listen up everyone. Here are your lanes. Gabriella Hunter, lane one,’ the official called. Gabby felt a wave of disappointment. She was replacing the second worst of the eight swimmers.

Andrea Simpson spun round. Gabby noticed the surprised look on her face. Andrea quickly smiled, even giving Gabby a little wave, but she hadn’t been able to hide her shocked expression. Gabby acknowledged her with a slight nod of the head.

Andrea’s name was the fourth to be called—lane six. Fourth-fastest time, Gabby thought, avoiding the stares from a tall girl standing next to her.

‘You sure you’re in the right age group?’ the girl asked, a moment later. She sounded concerned, rather than sarcastic. Gabby looked up at her and smiled.

‘You bet I am,’ she said quietly.

‘Right, line up in order, starting from lane eight and follow me out to the pool, please,’ the lady announced, closing her clipboard.

Gabby waited for another chance to stare at Andrea as she walked past, but Andrea kept her head down, avoiding eye contact.

She’s nervous, Gabby thought, satisfied. She joined the end of the line and headed out into the stadium. A huge cheer erupted from the crowd. This was one of the glamour events and there was a high degree of expectation about the race, with talk of a national record. Gabby glanced up at the scoreboard, seeing her name in orange letters alongside lane one. She felt her stomach muscles tighten. She was a total unknown. The stranger in a dud lane. The little kid from the country. Maybe four and a half minutes of racing would change that.

The crowd noise faded as Gabby paced around like a caged tiger at her end of the pool. It was just her and the lane of water in front of her. Pat’s words washed over Gabby as she stared
resolutely ahead.
One race, your race; one race, your race.

When Gabby’s name was introduced, she almost forgot to acknowledge the support from the crowd, waving her arm as an afterthought. She walked to the edge of the pool and scooped up a handful of water to splash over her face.

A whistle blew and the swimmers walked quickly to their blocks.

‘Take your marks!’

Gabby settled onto the block, her legs flexed, ready to spring like a gazelle and soar out into the water.

What was keeping the starter? Why was he hanging on like this? Gabby felt herself slowly begin to overbalance. Press the button, she pleaded. The girl next to her was going. There was a splash from the far end of the pool. Gabby and a few others dived in.

When she returned, Gabby noticed an official talking with Andrea; she must have broken. Gabby patted her face dry, threw her towel back into the tub and prowled the poolside, waiting for the call-up. The water had settled her. Now she was just hungry to race; burning to win. Or at least beat Andrea, who must surely be rattled after breaking.

The second start was clean. Gabby plunged into the water, her legs butterfly-kicking powerfully, before bursting out a few seconds later feeling a million dollars.

Form, she thought, determined to maintain a smooth, steady rhythm. Don’t get carried away with the moment. She settled into a gliding, easy stroke, surging through the water. She made a point of breathing to her right for the first 25 metres. There would be plenty of time to see where she was in relation to the rest of the group.

She shot into the turn, glancing across the pool as her body turned sideways. She was in front! Gabby pushed off the wall hard, stretching her body as thin as possible as she surged through the water before breaking again. She felt on top of the world. Gabby focused on her form. Her arms were working beautifully and her shoulders were rotating so well she thought her chin could almost touch them. With each stroke, Gabby concentrated on pulling her body over her hands, pushing them through the water rhythmically and preparing herself for the next stroke.

Down the pool she swam, elegant and graceful. Gabby snuck a look to her right. She was now a metre clear of the field and sensed she was edging further away from them.

The thought of pushing it too hard flashed into her mind, just like last time. Surely not. She cruised into the second turn, trying to block out the fact that she was in the lead. Pat called laps three to six the workman’s laps. Grind them out. Keep the rhythm and pace even. Focus on the stroke and maintain good height in the water.

Gabby spun into the third lap determined to follow Pat’s advice. So far the race had gone perfectly. Stroke after stroke, Gabby swum, seemingly effortlessly, up the pool. She was like a machine. The swimmers in the middle lanes were putting on a burst, sensing that the girl out in lane one was getting away from them.

Gabby occasionally heard the dull roar of the crowd.

Andrea was lying in fourth place, splashing and crashing her way down the pool in a frenzy of activity, but also making ground on the three ahead of her.

With two laps to go, Gabby still held the lead, though it was now less than half a metre. And it was Andrea, in lane six, who was challenging.

Sensing the increased noise from the spectators, Gabby started to kick harder and reach further out with her arms. She still felt
good—the extra training and over-distance work she’d been doing with Pat were kicking in.

The workman’s laps were over. It was time to break this race open. R and R.
Respond as Required.
In the space of 20 amazing metres, Gabby had suddenly surged just ahead.

The crowd gasped and cried in delight as the small girl in lane one powered away from the pack.

‘She’s inside national record pace!’ someone yelled. Eyes quickly turned to the electronic scoreboard. Every person in the stadium was on their feet as Gabby turned for the last time. Even the officials had dropped their clipboards and were racing to the pool edge.

‘GAB-BY! GAB-BY!’ Hannah and Angus screamed, and soon most of the spectators were chanting her name. Gabby was being carried along by the noise of the crowd. She was 30 metres away from the finish when a new gasp erupted from the stand.

‘Wow!’ someone cried. ‘Look at the kid in lane six!’

Andrea Simpson was whipping her way down the final lap in a frenzy of arms and legs, leaving six swimmers in her wake as she gained on Gabby.

‘GAB-BY! GAB-BY!’ Hannah cried even louder, trying to bring the crowd with her again, but now all eyes were fixed on the erratic, yet powerfully effective stroke of the girl in lane six, suddenly drawing level with Gabby.

‘Oh no,’ Hannah muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

‘C’mon, Gabby!’ Angus roared.

Gabby heard her name, heard Angus, heard someone…what was happening? She was swimming so evenly, so strongly. Concentrating on maintaining her form, she closed her eyes, putting on a burst of power. Was it a record? Or was it Andrea?

Gabby lifted her face for the last time, gulped in air, and stroked for the edge. Three, two, one—crash. Her arm slapped the side of the pool and a wave of water washed over her.

She spun around to look at the scoreboard. Lane one!

‘YES!’ she cried, slapping the water with a fist. She turned to look down the pool. Andrea was panting hard, and staring back at her. Gabby smiled. No hard feelings, she thought, as the other swimmers touched the wall to finish. Gabby duck-dived beneath the lane rope to go and shake Andrea’s hand.

After a few pats and handshakes from the other swimmers, Gabby finally reached lane six only to find that Andrea had already left. Only then did she take another look at the scoreboard. It was telling her that she’d missed a national record by just 0.06 of a second!

She looked up into the stands. Her mum and Pat, along with Angus and Hannah, were jumping, waving and cheering. She smiled and waved back. Then she looked again. A girl with long black hair was standing next to Angus.

‘Ling!’ she shouted, waving again.

Her cousin Ling smiled. Gabby felt an immense wave of satisfaction and pleasure as she left the pool arena. Ling’s come all the way from Sydney to watch me race, she thought. Uncle Rodney must have brought her down. So that means everyone’s here except Dad. At least Mum had the video camera.

She paused outside a closed door, suddenly hearing someone cry out between sobs.

‘B-but you s-said it was f-foolproof. You s-said I c-couldn’t lose.’

It was Andrea Simpson. Gabby paused, tying up her hair.

‘The kid’s almost swum a bloody national record. And we’re not going to risk your health
by giving you something too strong for your body. Now get over it, Andrea.’

‘I hate her. I hate you all!’ Andrea cried. The door burst open. Andrea stopped dead when she saw Gabby.

‘Hey, great race, Andrea,’ Gabby said, thrusting out a hand to her.

For a moment it looked like Andrea would shake her hand, but then she burst into tears again and ran down the hall to the change rooms. Gabby shrugged and looked into the room.

She was surprised to see the man who’d opened Explore! standing there, going red in the face, along with Andrea’s mother. The door was kicked shut. Quickly.

Gabby woke up the following morning feeling remarkably fresh. It had been a late night, even with their early exit from the stadium. Mum had insisted that they stop to celebrate. It was great to see Ling, and although the conversation was dominated by Explore!, Gabby had felt an inner thrill that Hannah, Angus and Ling had been there to watch her swim her way into the nationals.

They’d sat at a table by a window, watching the traffic and pedestrians rushing by. Hannah and Angus were very curious about what Gabby had heard immediately after the race.

‘So, she wasn’t just upset,’ Hannah persisted, flicking the ice around in her glass.

‘No. She was angry,’ Gabby said, recalling the moment. ‘Like she had expected to win. Like it was her destiny or God-given right to win.’

‘Weird,’ Hannah said.

‘And the man said something about not hurting her by giving her something too strong for her body.’

‘What man?’ Hannah asked.

‘The guy who opened Explore!’

‘Mr Taylor? Our principal?’ said Hannah. ‘Why would he be with Andrea?’

‘What?’ Ling said, eyebrows raised. ‘What’s going on? Is this girl Andrea Simpson on steroids or something?’

‘No, I don’t think so.’ Gabby looked up. ‘But she’s got an ordinary swimming stroke. Pat’s always been amazed how well she does. I think she’d secretly love to coach Andrea and fix up her stroke. She’d be a world beater. She says Andrea must have a heart the size of Phar Lap’s.’

‘Or amazing willpower,’ Ling said.

‘Or both,’ added Angus.

‘Or neither,’ Hannah said softly. The others looked at her.

‘What do you mean?’ Gabby asked.

‘That she’s just an ordinary kid, who’s a pretty good swimmer, but not great. Something
else is helping her. Maybe it’s something to do with Mr Taylor.’

The others let Hannah’s comments sink in before Gabby got the conversation back onto the race itself.

‘So, when did you think I had it won?’ she asked, as the oven-baked pizzas and salads arrived. The conversation stayed on Gabby’s race until they left, an hour later.

After dropping Hannah and Angus off, Gabby’s mum finally turned into their winding driveway just after midnight. Gabby fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

‘Phone, Gabby!’ her mum called from the kitchen, interrupting her reminiscing about the previous night. ‘Gabby?’

‘Coming!’ Gabby threw back the doona and hauled her weary legs out of bed. Probably Pat, she thought, throwing on a dressing gown and walking to the door. Or maybe Angus? Her pace quickened.

‘Hello?’

‘Gabby?’ a soft voice spoke into the phone.

‘Hello?’ Gabby called again, louder.

‘It’s me, Andrea Simpson.’

Gabby almost dropped the phone in surprise.

‘Andrea? Oh hi,’ she said.

‘I’ve got to tell you something.’ Andrea’s voice was tentative.

‘Sure, go ahead,’ Gabby said, suddenly curious. She settled into the big armchair in the lounge, nodding and smiling at her mum, who was pouring a glass of orange juice.

‘No, not on the phone. At Explore!’

‘At Explore!? Why? Just tell me now, Andrea.’

‘No, no. I can’t. I have to show you. At Explore! Can you make it? This morning?’

‘I guess,’ Gabby said, slightly disappointed. She took the glass of orange juice from her mum.

‘Meet you there in an hour,’ Andrea said breathlessly. The phone clicked. Gabby sat there for a moment, staring at the phone.

‘Everything okay, honey?’ her mum called.

‘Fine, Mum,’ Gabby said, taking a sip from her glass. She stared out the large bay window. What did Andrea have to say? Was this some sort of payback? Putting her glass down, she picked up her swimming bag from last night and headed back to her bedroom.

‘You eating, Gabby?’

‘Just going to get dressed, Mum,’ she called.

‘Hannah?’ she whispered into her mobile
phone a moment later, having shut her bedroom door. ‘It’s Andrea.’

‘What about her?’ Hannah’s sleepy voice was suddenly sounding sharper.

‘She wants me down at Explore!’

‘Explore!?’

‘In an hour. Will you come too?’

‘She wants you at Explore!? Why?’

‘I don’t know. She wouldn’t say. Will you come?’

‘Of course,’ Hannah said, wide awake. ‘I’ll ring the others. Let’s meet in the car park on the other side of the road. Forty minutes, okay?’

‘Okay,’ Gabby said, feeling better. She dressed quickly, grabbed a slice of toast and set off, telling her mum she was heading over to Hannah’s.

‘I say we wait here and see what happens,’ Angus said once they’d all arrived at the car park.

‘Too right,’ E.D. agreed, jumping up and down, trying to keep warm. ‘That black ride was really spooky.’

‘They got you out, E.D. They’re not monsters, you know. You were in the wrong being there in the first place,’ said Hannah.

‘Hey! I was there because I was doing a job on Dave. I was keeping an eye on him.’

‘He didn’t go into the black tube, did he?’ Hannah said.

‘Of course he didn’t, he wouldn’t be game. But I was caught. It was my only escape.’

‘Shut up, you two. I’ve got my mobile. I’ll just go and see what Andrea has got to say. If there’s any trouble, I’ll ring, okay?’

‘Yes,’ Hannah said, nodding. ‘Be careful, Gab.’

They watched Gabby walk slowly towards the building. She waited outside the green door to the Kids’ Head Start room.

‘She’s going in,’ Hannah said softly. They watched Gabby disappear inside and the door closed.

‘Well?’ Gabby asked, suddenly feeling impatient and wanting to be back with her friends. Andrea looked pale. ‘Are you alright?’

Gabby hadn’t been inside the KHS room before; she’d only seen it from the pink tube above. She glanced about quickly, avoiding Andrea’s stare. One wall was taken up entirely by an enormous mirror. Banks of modern-looking flat-screen computers lined the other walls, along with numerous plastic boxes, full of expensive-looking computer games, jigsaws and mind games. There was a life-size robot sitting on a chair in front of a
chessboard, its hand resting on a chess piece, as though waiting for someone to turn up and play.

‘Listen,’ Andrea whispered. ‘I don’t think he’s here yet.’ She took a step closer to Gabby.

‘Who? Who’s coming?’ Gabby asked, reaching into her pocket and feeling the phone there. Andrea glanced around again.

‘Uncle Richard,’ she breathed, so softly that Gabby barely heard the words. ‘The man you saw at the pool. After the race.’

‘Mr Taylor? The principal?’

Andrea nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. ‘He’s my uncle. He has never been around much—always overseas doing research. I’m not supposed to say anything. Just get you here then leave, but it’s wrong. It’s all wrong.’

‘What are you talking about?’

Andrea brushed away a tear then suddenly looked up.

‘Quick. He’s here.’ Andrea grabbed Gabby’s arms and dragged her towards the door. ‘Get in here,’ she hissed, sliding open a large wooden panel to a cupboard next to the door and pushing aside a stack of board games.

‘I’m not—’

‘Hurry!’ Andrea said sharply, half pushing Gabby in. ‘Trust me.’

‘Geez, Andrea. This is so dumb,’ Gabby said, struggling to get herself semi-comfortable in the wooden cupboard. Andrea slid the wooden panel almost closed and quickly walked back into the room.

A moment later Gabby heard a door open.

‘She’s late,’ a male voice spoke.

‘She’s coming,’ Gabby heard Andrea say quietly.

‘Do you think she’ll be interested?’ the man said.

‘I don’t know. Like I told you already, she’s different. Gabby’s smart, plus she’ll tell her parents and friends. I just don’t want them knowing about all of this.’

‘Don’t worry. Here, take your boosters—I’ve strengthened them.’

Gabby watched through a small gap as the man passed Andrea a plastic bag with four bright orange pills. They looked like lollies.

‘I want you to arrange a race against this girl. Here at the Teasdale Pool. For next weekend. I’ll keep you on this higher dose all week, for you to peak on Saturday. You’ll blow her out of the water. We’ll have you back in the nationals before you know it.’

‘I don’t want to blow her out of the water,
Uncle Richard. I don’t deserve to be in the nationals. Gabby does.’

Gabby held her breath.

‘Don’t be stupid, Andrea. I haven’t spent five years on this research to have you suddenly start having doubts. You love coming first. You love being the best.’

‘But I’m
not
the best.’

‘Of course you are. It’s all a matter of balancing the natural ingredients into the correct dosage, that’s all.’

‘Why me? Why don’t you just stick to Dave Kelly and the green pills? You said yourself it was the brain ones that were going to be your fame and fortune.’

Gabby heard Mr Taylor sigh.

‘It’s one thing to have the pills. It’s another thing altogether to convince the parents that, one, they actually will make a difference, and two, that there are absolutely no side effects. That they simply allow people to realise their full potential.’

Gabby sat in the dark, her mind racing. It was all making sense. Andrea’s average swimming stroke. Pat barely believing she could achieve the times she did. Andrea’s confidence, bordering on arrogance. And now, her guilt. Gabby hadn’t
been racing Andrea; she’d been racing Mr Taylor and those wonder pills that Andrea was staring at now. Then Gabby realised another thing. Dave Kelly. Poor Hannah had been up against the pills, not Dave.

Suddenly she wanted to get out of that cramped space, breathe fresh air and tell the others what she’d just found out.

‘Just imagine, Andrea. That girl’s talent and my orange power pills as well. Now go and see where she is. Probably snooping around the car park with the other children. I saw them as we drove in.’

Gabby pulled her head back as Andrea walked outside. She held her breath, hoping Andrea’s uncle would follow, or at least go back out the door he came through. Gabby heard some papers rustle. Peering through the small opening, she saw that the little plastic bag of pills was empty. Had Andrea taken them?

Gabby thought she heard a door handle turn, then there were voices outside. Hannah? Slowly she slid the cupboard door open, glancing around the room. It was empty.

Wriggling out of the cupboard, Gabby raced towards the outside door, pushing it open, then froze. Mr Taylor was staring out, his back to
Gabby, talking to Hannah, E.D. and Angus. She caught Hannah’s eye.

Slowly Gabby eased back into the room. Now what? She wasn’t going back into the cupboard. Without thinking she raced across the room, flung open the door on the other side and ran through.

She was in an office. A series of coloured doors led in different directions. Were they the entrances to the tubes? Each one had the word MAINTENANCE written on it. From beyond she heard raised voices. Had the principal brought the others in?

Quickly Gabby opened the closest door to her—red—and went inside. The room glowed a deep scarlet. Perhaps her being in the room activated some sort of light, Gabby thought, walking over to the red tube.

The voices grew louder still. Gabby slid open the panel, stepped into the red tube, then took out her mobile phone and started typing a text message to Hannah.