Moving Forward • •

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

The classes and the exams might have been over for another year, but there was still one more diving competition to go before the coach would let the team rest for the summer break. If anything, he had been pushing them harder for this final meet with the reminder that they had no excuses now to miss practice or slack off during the hours spent in the pool. It had meant a few switching of shifts, but Chloe deemed it worthwhile. She wanted to keep her place on the team into her next year at school and she had every intention of practicing more over the summer months, perfecting those little things that the coach usually called her on during training.

The final competition was a little too far out of the city for the usual carpooling and meeting at the pool routine, so Chloe found herself standing outside the university campus in her usual sportswear with a packed gym bag full of the things she needed for the trip which included an overnight stay at some hotel. It was a routine she had done once or twice before so thought nothing of it as she tied back her thick hair that always felt heavier in the heat of the summer. She had considered cutting it, but the very idea was like something out of a nightmare for her after everything and she’d rather spend the extra time fighting the frizz and coaxing the strands into high ponytails or messy updos. Chloe greeted her teammates as they arrived, laughing at the odd one or two who had managed to turn social drinks the night before into a full scale party and had turned up with monster hangovers. They all shared their usual banter until their coach arrived and instructed them all onto the mini-coach.

During the journey, Chloe sat with one of the girls. It always seemed to be that while the team got on and had a great time as a whole, they always instinctively drifted towards their own genders. Still, as the conversations continued as the city fell far behind them all, her dark eyes kept travelling across to where Spencer sat just a little further in front. They had been spending a little more time together since the storm had hit just before the end of the semester. She liked his company and always felt like there wasn’t enough time spent with him before one of them had to be at home or work. Chloe didn’t know quite what her feelings were for him, but there was definitely something there, at least on her side of things. Turning back to the conversation around her, Chloe managed to drag her thoughts away from Spencer for the time being; matters of the heart weren’t exactly the things she wanted playing on her mind in the build-up to a competition. Just before the heat in the mini-coach grew unbearable for one or two of the people trapped on it, the vehicle rolled up to the hotel where the team were supposed to be staying and they hopped out, stretching before grabbing their bags and proceeding to make their way into the lobby and wait for the coach to check them all in.

[/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 577
OUTFIT! Sleepy Swimmer!
LYRICS! Beautiful Soul - - - Jesse McCartney
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer was looking forward to this mini-vacation. It may've only been for one night, and may've not technically been a vacation, but, for the hard working young man, even this small break was a miracle. He was glad for the time with his closer friends who shared his passion for sports, and, he would admit, it was always fun to spend time with the team's female participants. There would no doubt be the usual back and forth with them, and even some of the other competitors from the different teams coming to compete this weekend.

The bus ride was nothing special; long enough for a short nap and some practical joking, but nothing wonderfully grand. He chatted with his friends about classes next year and summer jobs to fill the newly freed hours, but, mostly, he snuck glances at Chloe. Spencer thought, for the millionth time, about how pretty she was, and how he really shouldn't be thinking things like that; they were friends, and that's how it should stay. But, the feelings creeping into his heart weren't those for a mere friend, and, suddenly, Miss Haynes was the most beautiful girl in the room; always. Her smile errupted butterflies in his gut, and her laugh always made him want to join in; he was falling hard for the little diver, whether he wanted to or not.

What he hadn't planned on was sharing a room with the girl. When the coach had asked, he couldn't say no; it would've been rude to demand another room or squish more of his male team mates onto the tiny hotel beds. But, truthfully, he hadn't wanted to say yes. He loved spending time with Chloe and enjoyed every moment he had with her, but rooming together was a whole new level of awkward, and one Spencer didn't want to tackle in the early state of their relationship, whatever that relationship may be. He took his key though, and headed up to the room while Chloe chatted more with her friends. Spencer took some heat from the group of guys, but he brushed it off, letting himself into the hotel room. He blinked as he opened the door, staring wide-eyed at the single bed on the wall; well, the weekend was certainly going to be interesting.

• • •

WORDS: 403!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: Field Trip, The Pool
LYRICS: Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe had no problem with sharing a room, usually. She spent most of the night before a competition just relaxing with her sketchbook and pencils. Whoever she bunked with usually had the evening to themselves to do whatever they wanted to do; whatever their routine might be. She knew some of the girls liked to have an evening of gossip and manicures and some others liked to lose themselves in a good book. The small brunette was aware of the numbers and the complications that came up whenever someone was out with injury or couldn’t make the competition for other reasons, but with every room came two beds, normally, so she didn’t see the big deal.

A few people made a comment or joke, but Chloe had never been involved in the high school teasing of that nature so it all just slipped over her head and she kept her mind focused on the competition fast approaching. She might have had growing feelings for Spencer, but she hadn’t told anyone about them yet. They were still so new to her and it seemed to have happened so fast; one week she saw him as Spencer and the next week he was the guy who could get her heart racing with just a small smile. A distraction might not be beneficial tonight, but she might be able to figure out what she wanted or if Spencer harboured similar feelings for her.

Glancing around, she noticed that her hotel companion had left with most of the other divers already. She walked with her friends up to the floor all of their rooms were on and said goodbye to each of them in turn until her dark eyes fell on the tall figure that was Spencer. Smiling, she crossed over to their room and poked her head through the door, her jaw falling slack at the sight of the single bed. Chloe froze for a moment, but then slipped around the doorframe, dropping her gym bag to the floor as she moved over to the bed, smiling at Spencer as she dropped to her knees. “It’s probably a pull-out.”

[/color] She said, trying to be optimistic as she peeked under the mattress. What she didn’t expect was to see straight through to the other side of the room. “Or not.”[/color] Sitting back up, Chloe brushed her hair from her face and then smiled at her roommate for the night. “Nevermind; I spend most of the night sketching anyway.”[/color] He could take the bed if he preferred an early night and Chloe would be happy enough sitting by the window sketching until she gradually passed out.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 479
OUTFIT! Sleepy Swimmer!
LYRICS! Beautiful Soul - - - Jesse McCartney
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

This was exactly how the two of them needed to spend the night before a competition. Usually, Spencer would enjoy the evening joking with his friends and editting film clips to unwind, texting his little sister all the while just to make sure she was surviving without him. But, apparently, some higher power was against the normal routine and it desperatly wanted him and Chloe together.

Spencer tossed his bag down in front of the closet door, running a hand through his hair as he surveyed the single-bed room. It definitely wasn't a big bed; even if they somehow agreed on sharing, it'd be a tight fit, and they'd practically be right on top of each other. No, not on top of. He didn't need to be thinking about positions like that.

He looked up as Chloe came in, giving her a smile as he tried to be as optimistic as she was about their new rooming arrangement. "Looks like it's going to be an interesting night," he muttered as she went to check the bed. Blinking at her, he quickly shook his head as he put her words together. "No way. You think I'm really going to let you take the floor? C'mon, Chloe, give me some credit," he laughed awkwardly. "I'll chill with a blanket and pillow down here. You can have the bed." He pulled one pillow off the bed, along with the throw blanket draped over it, and tossed them into a corner. Even if he killed his back spending the entire night on the rock-hard floor, it'd be worth it to make sure Chloe got a decent night's sleep.

• • •

WORDS: 400!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: Field Trip, The Pool
LYRICS: Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe knew that returning to reception to try and switch rooms would be a pointless plan. The hotel was probably fully booked with the diving competition on and the start of the summer; why else would coach have asked if she was okay to share with Spencer? Obviously their coach probably hadn’t thought they’d have a single bed room, but complaining rarely got results and it wasn’t Chloe’s style either. The weekend might have been awkward, but they were here to compete and one night couldn’t be enough to ruin their friendship; could it?

Her feelings for the tall and handsome film student certainly seemed to be changing, but Chloe was ignoring the quickening of her heartbeat as she realised the reality of their situation. There was nowhere else in the room to hide a pull-out and it seemed like the bed she was sitting next to really was the only place to spend a night. Rolling her dark eyes, Chloe smirked across at him before pushing herself back to her feet. “I’ve survived worse things than a night on a hotel floor.”

[/color] She said, as though the words could change Spencer’s mind. She watched as he threw the pillow and blanket on the floor and then shook her head, logic and that competitive streak of hers kicking in. “This is ridiculous. If either of us sleep on the floor we’re going to end up as stiff as a board come morning and we won’t be able to dive.”[/color] There was nothing worse than a crick in the neck or a bad back when you were trying to balance at the top of the ten meter platform. It was more than enough to screw up a great dive and Chloe didn’t want to end up with it costing the team the competition.

She glanced over her shoulder at the bed again and sighed. “It might not be the comfiest night’s sleep we ever have, but I’ll feel guilty as hell if you crash on the floor.”[/color] She admitted, turning back to look up at Spencer to try and read his reaction. “I’m kind of tiny; I don’t take up much room.”[/color] She could practically hear Leander screaming in her head at the very thought of sharing such a small bed, but it wasn’t like this would ever get back to him. Besides, it was just for one night and Spencer was a friend; a friend she was developing stronger feelings for, even without the aid of a single bed and a night in a hotel room.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 433
OUTFIT! Sleepy Swimmer!
LYRICS! Beautiful Soul - - - Jesse McCartney
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Honestly, Spencer would've preferred sharing a bed with Chloe for much different reasons than the current ones. Call him a guy for it, but he didn't want to be spending the night before a competition not sleeping because he had to share a bed with the girl he was crushing on. It wasn't Chloe's fault, and he knew that, but he wished Coach would've asked someone else to bunk with her, or that he would've just squished the two of them in with two different rooms. Still, they were going to have to make this work somehow.

Spencer shook his head. He'd be stiff, yes, but he'd pop an Advil in the morning and be done with it. If he slept on the floor, at least he'd be guarenteed some sort of sleep instead of obsessing over how close he was to Chloe all night. "So've I. And, besides, I don't want you ruining my chances at school by telling all the girls I made you take the floor," he joked back, not giving in so easily to her. She could fight him if he wanted; she'd end up in that bed somehow, and she'd be staying there for the night.

"And I'm four times your size, Chloe. We're gonna be on top of each other in that bed," he said, blinking as he realized how bad that sounded. A light red flooded his cheeks as he stuttered, "Not... not actually on top of... you know what I mean." Spencer scrubbed a hand through his hair and sighed, shaking his head as he looked at the bed again. This was not going to be fun. But, if something did spark between the two of them while they were crowded into the tiny bed... no, he had a competition to focus on. His feelings for Chloe could be saved for after they'd both returned to the comfort of their own apartments in New York.

• • •

WORDS: 400!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: Field Trip, The Pool
LYRICS: Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe didn’t even know why there had been this problem with the rooms. All she knew was that Coach had asked her if she wouldn’t mind sharing with Spencer and then the rest of the story had been mumbled. Truthfully, the tiny diver would take any chance to spend time with him and so she hadn’t even thought about asking questions or worrying that there might only be one bed in the room. When she had bunked with people it the past there had always been a pull-out somewhere, if there weren’t already two beds in the room.

Once Chloe’s mind was set on something it didn’t usually change; she could be pretty stubborn when she wanted to be. Right now she was refusing to give in and take the bed. She rolled her eyes, but kept the smile ghosting over her lips. “Yeah, because I’m about to go back to school and gossip about what happens in this room.”

[/color] She said dryly, folding her arms. It was still really odd territory to be in, but she wasn’t going to let him spend the night on the hotel floor. The butterfly uprising in her stomach was a result of just thinking about being that close to Spencer on the tiny bed, but Chloe refused to let that scare her away or back down. “I can do this all night, Spencer. If you won’t take the bed then neither will I.”[/color] It was childish, she knew that, but Chloe didn’t want people to think that she’d refused to share the bed. They might not get much sleep with either solution, but she’d rather both of them do the same thing; share the bed or share the floor, it didn’t matter.

Her cheeks flushed with colour at the image that flooded her mind with his words. She hadn’t been thinking quite like that, but now it seemed to be stuck there and her increase of her pulse didn’t help either. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad. And it is just one night.”[/color] Her voice was quieter this time and her thoughts were less focused on the competition now and more on what could happen in that little bed. One night might be too much or just enough; she didn’t know.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 417
OUTFIT! Sleepy Swimmer!
LYRICS! Beautiful Soul - - - Jesse McCartney
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer was used to stubborn girls. He had a little sister, after all, and had grown up with a mother who had as strong a mind as her daughter. It was nothing new for the college student. What was new, however, was arguing over sleeping arrangements with a girl. He was figuring she'd expect the bed; most girls would, after all. Then again, he was expecting there to be two beds, and that hadn't exactly gone as planned either.

He rose an eyebrow at her, sighing at her words. Girls had some freaky gossip train that allowed even the tiniest of secrets to get around; it'd been that way since high school, and was that way no matter where you moved in the country. Spencer knew Chloe wasn't as typical-chick as all that, but, nonetheless, some of her friends could be; he could already imagine the field day people would have at school with this information. "You never know," he answered with an innocent shrug. "Really, Chloe? Just take the stupid bed and be done with it already," he sighed in frustration. Spencer didn't want to fight with her, especially when they weren't supposed to be getting stressed out because of their competition in the morning.

He chewed his lip nervously as her cheeks flushed, and he looked down at the carpet awkwardly as he waited for a response. "But I don't want to crush you," he protested. Spencer shook his head, sitting on the edge of the troublesome bed. "How 'bout we worry about it later and relax until we're both tired? We can save the conversation for then," he said, hoping she would be too exhausted by then to protest when he tried to make her take then bed again.

• • •

WORDS: 400!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: Field Trip, The Pool
LYRICS: Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

She didn’t care so much about the bed arrangement as much as she did about Spencer getting a good night sleep. Chloe was tired of people sacrificing their own comfort and health for her. She had lived through it for years with her parents and Leander and the expensive medical bills she had racked up over the teenage years when she had been battling ALL. It might have seemed petty and childish to him, but for Chloe it was about proving she was alright, that there was no reason for someone to go out of their way to make her comfortable.

The tiny brunette wouldn’t tell anyone about this rooming arrangement. Her friends on the team would make jokes or remarks, but Chloe wasn’t about to invite them to the room for some girly night in and she wasn’t going to tell them about the bed situation either. She didn’t want the jokes to turn into gossip and she didn’t want Spencer to be a part of those whispers. He had a life of his own to live and probably a girl he liked somewhere who didn’t need to misunderstand something about this little trip. Chloe blinked her big eyes, a little taken aback by his apparently frustration with this argument. “Why is it such a big deal?”

[/color] She asked quietly, hoping that she wouldn’t annoy or upset him further; it hadn’t been her intention at all.

A smile tugged at her lips and she stepped closer to him, flicking her dark eyes up to meet his. “You won’t.”[/color] Her voice was quiet, but she hoped her words were enough to reassure him. Nodding her head, Chloe agreed, but she was still refusing to give up in the long run. “There’s not too much to do in here.”[/color] She voiced, glancing around the small room and crossing back over towards her bag. Unzipping it, she glanced inside and her lips formed a tiny ‘o’ shape. She had packed it out of habit, rather than thinking about what she was doing or who she was rooming with. The pyjamas folded into the corner were hardly able to be considered as such; a pair of tiny shorts and a cropped vest. She had planned on getting changed, but now she wasn’t so sure. She liked Spencer, had growing feelings for him, but she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable or look at her like she was some kind of cheap skank. She hadn’t packed them on purpose and so chewed her lip as her hands found her water bottle and small bag of snacks. “Want some?”[/color] She offered, turning back to the attractive diver perched on the edge of the bed.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 453
OUTFIT! Sleepy Swimmer!
LYRICS! Beautiful Soul - - - Jesse McCartney
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer wasn't the only one who needed sleep tonight. Chloe was competing in the morning, as well, and she deserved just as much rest as he did, if not more. Besides, it was practically ground into his bones to savrifice his own comfort for people he cared about. Chloe was slowly making her way onto that list, and, tonight, he wasn't going to let her suffer on the hard ground. Spencer went out of the way for the people he loved, even if he was putting himself at risk by doing it. Sure, he might screw up tomorrow if he was exhausted, but, really, this was all just a hobby for him anyways. Diving, sports in general, were a fun past time that he used as a stress relief; his life didn't depend fully upon it.

Chloe wasn't annoying him. This stupid fight, on the other hand, definitely was. Any other girl probably would've just given in and taken the bed after the first offer, but, this stubborn girl wasn't. It was one of the things Spencer liked the most about her, though it was a bit of a pain in the ass on this particular occasoin. "You are a girl. You deserve the bed," he said, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of a joke. "I'll be plenty comfy on the floor. Besides, that bed looks too small for me, anyways, and there's a lot more room down there," he added, nodding towards the carpet and relaxing onto the bed. "How much you wanna bet?" he said and smirked back at her. She may be tough, but, she was still tinier than he was, and he was anything but a still sleeper. If they ended up in the same bed, Chloe would get crushed.

He let the conversation go, hoping she'd let it be until they really did have to go to bed for the night. He watched her move around the room and forced himself not to notice, once again, how pretty she was. "We should take a shower," he said. It took another moment, but, he blinked as he realized what he'd said, practically stumbling over himself as he tried to fix the sentence. "I mean, not one shower; not together. Different showers. At different times." He cursed himself under his breath, wishing he had better control of his tongue, especially around girls like the one currently in the room. Spencer gulped back to awkwardness clawing its way up his throat, nodding in response to her offer of snacks. "Yeah, thanks. I think I've got some microwave popcorn in my bag, too, if you want that," he said, already up and off the bed and crossing over to his bag on the floor.

• • •

WORDS: 499!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: Field Trip, The Pool
LYRICS: Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe did take her diving more seriously than some. It was never some plan of hers to keep practicing and keep jumping from those high platforms, but she knew better than to make plans. Her high school dreams hadn’t turned out like she had planned and she wasn’t about to make that mistake again when it came to the rest of her life. Diving had been a lifeline back then and once her strength was back it had been one of the first stepping stones to getting her independence back and doing something on her own again. It might not make that much sense to anyone, but being able to somersault in the air and fall from the ten metre deck was indescribable, especially when she could still vividly remember the days when getting out of bed was near impossible.

Laughing, Chloe pushed her hair back from her face and nodded her head. “Yes, I am; thanks for noticing!”

[/color] She flicked her eyes back to the bed causing all the trouble and then folded her arms casually. “But that excuse doesn’t work with me.”[/color] She had been stubborn for as long as she could remember, but it had definitely gotten worse as she had grown older. This silly fight was getting ridiculous but she wasn’t about to settle with Spencer sleeping on the floor. However, she also didn’t want to have an argument with him right now either, so she just shook her head, but gave him a look that said this was far from over. Give her a bit of time to think of a plan and she’d insist on it. “How about dinner when we’re back in the city? Loser pays.”[/color] She challenged, arching an eyebrow and smirking across at him. It wasn’t like they hadn’t grabbed food before when they were hanging out.

She stared across at him, blinking and biting her lip as she tried not to laugh at how awkward the handsome diver suddenly seemed. Spencer looked adorable and she just smiled at him, ignoring the soft hue in her own face. “I got that.”[/color] She said, trying to help him out a little bit. “But, hey, conserving water is always a good thing, right?”[/color] She teased, unable to help herself as she dug her toiletry bag out. “Ooh, we should have our showers and then a pre-dive feast!”[/color] She grinned like a little kid.

After checking if it was okay to steal the bathroom first, Chloe took her things inside and locked the door, going through the usual routine before staring down at the pyjamas in her bag as she clipped her damp hair up and out of the way for now. She could just throw her normal clothes back on, but she’d have to get changed eventually, right? Sighing, she slipped into the darker and comfier clothes, tugging on them as much as she could to cover herself up, though it hardly worked in her favour. Grumbling under her breath, she tossed her hairbrush back into her bag and then took a deep breath. Playing it cool was really her only option and the time spent under the hot water had allowed her to think up a plan for the sleeping arrangements, too. Casually, she stepped from the bathroom and dropped her bag back to the floor, turning to Spencer and flashing him a smile. “So, I have a plan. We both chill on the bed, have our mini-feast of snacks and watch whatever crap we can find on the TV. If I fall asleep before you then you can move to the floor and I can sulk about it in the morning. If you fall asleep before me then it’s not a big deal and I will prove that the both of us can fit in there.”[/color] She said, folding her arms and waiting for his response.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 687
OUTFIT! Sleepy Swimmer!
LYRICS! Beautiful Soul - - - Jesse McCartney
NOTES! <3 <3 <3