Swimfan

Hey, Mickey.

- Don't tell Mom.

- Don't tell me what?

Nothing. I forgot to go

to the store. No milk.

Fresh one down in the fridge.

What's that you got

behind your back?

Mom, you should've

seen his face.

You're a pushover, young man.

- Good morning, sir.

- Hey, Ben.

- Sit down.

- Sure.

- How do you feel?

- Good.

- Did you swim this morning?

- Yeah.

What are your holding

for your hundreds?

Fifty plus on the minute-thirty.

Not bad.

I can get it under 45, I think.

Can you do it in time

for the Fillmore meet?

Why?

Stanford scouts are flying down.

For the next 8 days,

I want you living in that pool.

And when you're not swimming,

I want you thinking about it.

I want you dreaming about it.

- You hear me?

- Yeah.

I don't mean to put any

undue pressure on you.

What are we talking about here,

your entire future?

Right. Right.

Go and change.

Alright. Thank you.

California boy, can I

have your autograph?

Nasty.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

- Nervous?

- Yeah, a little bit.

- You're gonna kick ass.

- I hope so.

That is, until I outswim

your little punk ass.

And those scouts forget your name

and grant me the scholarship.

I just remembered why

we broke up, Josh.

You couldn't handle me in bed.

No, because you're an a**hole.

Ben just got good news.

The response is congratulations.

You're right.

Congratulations, d*ckhead.

- Let's not be mature today.

- I'm all for that.

Let's make it Opposite Day

and everybody be immature.

Hey, watch it!

Forget about it.

Hey, Dante.

He's crazy. He's a freak.

- Hey, congrats.

- Thanks.

- So...

- So?

It might actually happen?

Can you picture it?

Me in California?

- And me in Rhode Island.

- Yeah.

- That's 3,000 miles.

- I know how many miles it is.

- I love you.

- I love you too.

Nothing is going to change that.

- I bought you something.

- What?

Open it first.

- That is so beautiful.

- You're beautiful.

- You're so beautiful.

- Thank you.

I would even be here if it

wasn't for you believing in me.

This is a ploy to get laid.

Is it working?

Excuse me?

I can't get this thing open

and I'm late for English.

Do you think you could...?

I can take a look, yeah.

They gave me the combination, but...

I don't need it. I just need...

...that, right there.

- This?

Thank you.

Can't let you be late

on your first day.

Is it that obvious?

Thank you so much.

- Here.

- Keep it.

You never know when

I might need saving again.

I'm Madison Bell.

Ben Cronin. Hi.

What the letter for, Ben Cronin?

The letter is for swimming,

Madison Bell.

- Are you good?

- I'm okay, yeah.

See you around.

- See you.

- Bye.

- There's my swim champ.

- Mom...

Better get started with Mr. Tillman.

He's been asking for you.

Ben! Give me some good news.

Scouts are coming next week.

Girl Scouts?

No, swim scouts, from Stanford,

to see me.

I asked you to find me a woman.

It's hard to find anyone in

your age bracket still breathing.

Here you go.

I almost forgot...

That's my boy!

Anything else?

You guys okay?

- Did you miss me?

- Like crazy.

Wait. I've been thinking.

What if I didn't go to

Rhode Island next year?

What do you mean?

What if I went to Berkeley instead?

We'd be closer when you

go to Stanford and...

- We could get an apartment.

- Amy.

- I haven't gotten in yet.

- But you will.

If you hate the idea, it's okay.

No, are you kidding?

It's a great idea.

- Really?

- Really. It's a great idea.

Morning, Benjamin.

- A little early for you, isn't it?

- Yes, it is.

I thought I'd get a little

lane time in before the rush.

Got to look good for the scouts.

Yeah, right.

I know they'll be looking at you,

but the rest of us

will be in the pool.

The more the merrier, buddy.

So... Madison Bell.

What?

She's a senior, originally

from down South.

I plan to hear that Southern accent

when she moans my name.

Or when she applies

the restraining order.

- Do you want to hear or not?

- Sure. What's up?

The reason she's up here

is her family's in Europe.

She's staying here with her cousin.

Guess who her cousin is.

- Who is her cousin?

- Christopher Dante.

You're set. He loves you.

He's gonna put in a good word.

- Do you think he would, seriously?

- He really would.

- Think about it.

- No! No!

Sh*t!

I'm sorry. Are you okay?

- I'm fine.

- Are you sure?

- No, don't worry about it.

- I didn't see you.

- Really, it's all right.

- Here, here.

Thanks. It's okay.

- Let me give you a ride.

- No, I'm fine.

It's the least I can do.

- I'm fine.

- Please? I insist.

- Well, if you insist.

- I do. Come on.

I wasn't looking at the road.

I thought I saw somebody I knew.

That way?

How's that for service?

You're a handy guy to have around.

Yeah, handy all over the place.

See you at school.

See you at school.

Handy all over the place.

What is that?

It's a boy.

Hello?

Hi, Madison. This is Ben Cronin.

You left your notebook in my car.

Pretty sharp. Got a date?

It's just pants and a shirt.

I'll be back in half an hour.

How's it going?

You don't have to be nice to me.

She's already going out with you.

No, we're not going out.

I'm just returning her notebook.

I'll take it.

No reason to hold you up.

I'm sure you've got

more important things to do.

Christopher?

Why didn't you tell me

I had a visitor?

I had to get out of there.

It's so stifling.

You okay?

Yeah. I haven't really

eaten all day.

- Here's your order.

- Thank you.

You're welcome.

So, I've been dying to know...

How come a nice boy like you knows

how to break into girls' lockers?

I didn't used to be so nice.

That's hard to believe.

It was a long time ago.

Everybody's forgotten about it,

except the cops.

You don't have to tell me.

No, I had a situation

with drugs which

turned into a situation

with stealing.

I spent 6 months in juvenile hall.

It was the best thing

that's ever happened to me

'cause they had a pool.

This shitty lab pool that

hadn't been used in years

and I got assigned to clean it.

Soon I was swimming in it

more than I was cleaning it.

It was easier for me to

jump in the pool and forget about

all the mess going on around me

and just swim.

When I play music sometimes,

I just play cello,

and I float out of my body,

above the music where no one

can touch me,

hurt me...

I can escape.

Do you want to escape?

Yeah, sometimes.

But not right now.

Right now, I like where I am.

I should tell you something.

- You have a girlfriend.

- Yeah. Amy.

- Is it serious?

- Yeah, it is.

She's the other reason

I turned my life around.

Story of my life.

Can't expect the nicest,

most handsome guy to be single too.

Don't worry about me.

I got someone waiting in New York.

A great guy.

A really good shortstop too.

The Mets are pretty interested.

The Mets? Really?

- Yeah.

- Wow!

But until we can live

in the same place,

we agreed to see other people

and that's what I intend to do.

My friend Josh

would murder me and step over

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