Chapter 6

"What's up?" Sarah whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

"It all went well," I said to her, my voice a low murmur.

Sarah raised an eyebrow, her gaze expectant. "That's all?"

"The woman actually likes the fact that I hit him," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Sarah's eyes widened. "Really?" she squealed, her voice barely contained.

"Yeah," I confirmed, a slow smile spreading across my face. "She didn't even reprimand me."

"Wow," she breathed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"And guess what?" I leaned closer, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Nick mentioned that Oliver's grandparents founded the school."

"How did you know about that?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"He might have said something concerning that when he was bragging about how he would be favoured in the counselling room," I explained, a mischievous glint in my eyes.

Sarah grinned. "I'm glad I came here around this time," she said, her voice filled with excitement.

We concentrated on our lessons, the air in the classroom charged with nervous energy. I felt a strange sense of anticipation, a thrill of excitement that I couldn't quite explain.

After what felt like an eternity, the bell finally rang, signalling the end of class. Students rushed out of the classroom, a tidal wave of bodies surging towards the exit.

"Swimming or cheerleading?" Sarah asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Which one are you interested in?" she clarified because i was slightly confused by her sudden question

"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it?" she teased, her eyebrows raised in mock surprise.

"Hmm, not really," I admitted, a slight blush creeping up my neck.

"Oh, come on," she urged, her voice laced with playful exasperation. "We have to try something new."

"I think I'll go swimming," I said, a sudden thought occurring to me.

"Cool. Then let's get going, we need to register," she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the exit.

As we walked towards the swimming pool, a strange sense of unease settled over me. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss.

"Nats," Sarah called out, her voice laced with concern. "Are you okay? You seem a little…spaced out."

I blinked, startled from my reverie. "I'm sorry. I just…I don't know."

She followed my gaze, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh shit," she breathed, her voice barely a whisper.

My eyes were fixed on a scene unfolding by the pool. Oliver, the boy from the hallway, was locked in a passionate kiss with another girl, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

My heart sank. A wave of disappointment, a strange mixture of hurt and anger, washed over me. Why was I feeling this way? We barely knew each other. Yet, the sight of him with another girl…it felt like a punch to the gut.

"Nats, come on," Sarah urged, her voice gentle. "You're staring too long."

"But…but you've got this," she said, her voice laced with encouragement. "Show this son of a bitch what you've got."

I looked at her, my eyes wide with disbelief. "I shouldn't be angry at him," I protested, my voice trembling slightly. "We have nothing together."

"Yeah, actually," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "but I know why you're reacting this way."

"And what is that?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"You like him, Tasha," she declared, her voice firm. "It's obvious."

"No, no, no," I denied, my cheeks burning. "He's a playboy, Sarah. I can't get attached to someone like him."

"Your taste is a bad little genius," she teased, a playful glint in her eyes. "Even in movies, you get attracted to the bad ones."

"Let's do this, Sarah," I said, trying to distract myself from the unwelcome emotions swirling within me. "Enough of Oliver. Let us show him what we've got."

We walked towards the pool, my heart pounding in my chest. I had to focus on something else, anything else, to distract myself from the unwelcome feelings that threatened to consume me.

"Hey," Sarah greeted the lifeguard, a friendly smile gracing her lips. "We're here to join the swimming class."

The lifeguard, a young man with kind eyes, smiled back. "Welcome. Let me get you registered."

As we filled out the registration forms, I tried to focus on the task at hand, to push the image of Oliver and the other girl from my mind. But it was difficult to ignore the whispers and the curious glances directed our way.

Suddenly, a loud splash echoed through the pool. A boy, still dressed in his school clothes, had jumped into the water, sending a wave of water crashing against the sides of the pool.

He resurfaced, laughing, completely oblivious to the startled gasps and the annoyed murmurs from the other swimmers.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I exclaimed, my voice sharp.

The pool fell silent. All eyes were on me.

"Why the hell did you jump into the pool like that?" I demanded, my voice rising. "Apart from splashing water around like that, you just contaminated the water with your body germs."

The boy, a tall, lanky figure with a cocky grin plastered on his face, stared at me in disbelief. "Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?" he sneered.

I felt my blood pressure rising. "Does my identity have a thing to do with your nasty behavior?" I retorted, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

I was so angry, I could feel my hands trembling. I hated dirt, hated the feeling of uncleanliness. And this guy, this arrogant, inconsiderate jerk, had just ruined the entire experience for everyone.

"All you G-7 or whatever you call yourself," I continued, my voice laced with contempt, "seem to attain a certain level of stupidity."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the pool on me, a mixture of shock and amusement in their gaze.

"Let's get the hell out of here, Sarah," I said, my voice trembling with anger.

"Leaving so quickly?" a familiar voice drawled.

I turned to see Oliver standing by the pool, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Get the hell out of the way," I said, my voice surprisingly steady.

He seemed taken aback by my outburst. His smirk faltered, replaced by a look of genuine surprise.

"Cleanliness is the first thing in swimming," he said, his voice surprisingly calm. "We will get the pool water disinfected or changed."

I stared at him, speechless. He was actually…apologizing?

"Good," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "Until then."

I turned and walked away, my head held high. Sarah, her eyes wide with a mixture of amusement and disbelief, followed close behind.

As we walked out of the pool area, I felt a strange sense of exhilaration. I had stood up to him, to one of the "Seven," and I hadn't backed down.

But as we walked away, I couldn't help but wonder what Oliver was planning. His smirk, that unsettlingly confident smirk, lingered in my mind, a constant reminder of the power he wielded, a power that I was slowly but surely starting to understand.