Forbidden Lessons On Ice

Chapter 2

Now they say everyone is going to die, that no matter what we all are going to leave this earth. Well, I was very sure this was my day.

I mean, others even say that happiness brings sadness, and honestly throughout today I was so happy, excited to finally be with Ryan at the party, so I was very sure this was it.

That I was dying today. And for a moment it felt like it. I started losing consciousness until I felt someone bring me out of the water. When I opened my eyes, I was on the floor. Someone was performing CPR on me, bringing me back to the miserable life as I coughed violently, causing all the water that I had swallowed earlier to come out of me.

It was in this moment that I felt the water burn my nose as well as I sat up and coughed some more, forcing it out.

“Breathe, okay. Look at me,” the same person who gave me CPR earlier said, holding me with strong hands by my shoulders, steady. My vision was not clear, so I couldn’t make out the person yet. Also, I had just experienced a near-death situation. My brain wasn’t functioning properly, and at first the voice didn’t register. Until my vision cleared and immediately the voice did.

Kneeling beside me was Axel. Water was dripping off his hair as he looked at me. “What was that? Do you want to die?” he asked, his voice sounding irritated.

Okay, really, why would he save me? What joke was my brain playing with me? For that, I closed my eyes for a second, hoping, I don’t know, I was imagining it? Though it was weird to imagine this, when I opened them he was still there, now asking people who were looking to mind their business.

“Are you alright?” he asked again. His tone was subtle. I couldn’t quite catch it, but this was just ridiculous. Where even was his girlfriend? Did she just let him save me? I got to my feet, squeezing water from my sweater, my body shivering.

“Why did you just save me?” I asked. This was weird.

“I save you and all you ask is why?” He sounded annoyed. “s**t, you’re really just a b***h,” he said, and honestly his words didn’t hurt me anymore. I was used to them.

See, during high school he was a senior, so he always bullied me. Then I had two years to rest when he came to college, and as if my father was a weapon formed against me, he forced me to come to this college. Guess what? He was here and he got right back to bullying me.

But honestly, even if it wasn’t that, I was used to hurtful words. Ryan had just broken up with me. That was what mattered to me now.

Right then I turned around and started walking away, pulling the wet skirt down. “Mia!” I heard him shout my name, but I didn’t turn around. For what? For them to take more pictures? Well, I think they had taken enough. It should entertain them for the rest of the month for now, until something new and more embarrassing came up.

I was literally sprinting. When I got to my dorm room, my father being who he was, I didn’t share it with anyone, I got inside and closed the door behind me. I rested my back against it and tears spilled freely down my cheeks. I held my mouth to muffle the sobs when a voice caught my attention.

“I thought pool parties were attended in swimsuits?” The person sat upright, pushing a book aside.

“Freya?” I didn’t notice her. I quickly wiped my tears and walked to the fridge just so she couldn’t see that I’d been crying.

Freya was my best friend. Actually my only friend. Freya was more like me, though she was a full nerd, glasses and loved books more than me. I didn’t have glasses, but I spent a good amount in the library and with my awkward personality, how I couldn’t make friends like Sienna, well, I was considered a nerd too and I had no option but to wear the crown.

“Tell me, did you two finally do it?” she asked, getting out of bed as I threw myself on a chair, gulping down the water from the bottle I took from the fridge. “How was it? Oh God, don’t tell me you did it in the pool.” Freya actually covered her mouth. Gosh, she could be slow sometimes. Really, with my pink swollen cheeks, dripping clothes, shivering body, she thought I had just broken my virginity?

Freya pulled out her journal, ready to write it down as we were both virgins. She told me she would write it down when we all broke our virginities.

“Was it painful?” she asked again, and this was beginning to suffocate me. So I stood up and walked to the table. I didn’t realise I was barefoot, but I was glad that when I left for the party I left my phone here, as I’m sure by now it could have been damaged.

“Can you please go back to your room? I really need to be alone right now,” I told her, giving her my back. I don’t know, she was my friend, but I was so ashamed to tell her what happened. Sure, she was going to hear about it sooner or later from the college’s gossip blog, but for now I just wasn’t ready.

“My roommates are doing their cult thing again. I might sleep here tonight,” she answered. Yep, she didn’t have that privilege I had, so she shared her room with three other people.

I was about to warn her to stay out of my hair if she wanted to sleep here when my phone rang from an unknown caller. Really, I only picked up because I thought it was Ryan… calling to apologise, and my stupid ass was ready to hear him out.

“How have you been, Mia?” The voice I hadn’t heard for a month sounded on the other end, and that made my heart skip a beat. “I have news.”

“Dad?” I was somehow so glad to hear his voice but at the same time mad at him for abandoning me. I just… my feelings were mixed.

“I got married, Mia. Your daddy is a married man again,” he said so quickly, and my eyeballs itched. “Vanessa Donovan. You remember her, right?”

“Hold on, what?!” My voice raised. Okay, he had to be kidding me. “Dad, it has only been six months since Mom died and you go on to marry her friend?” I questioned. This was some joke. “My enemy’s mother for that matter?” I had to wipe my tears as I chuckled in disbelief. No, my dad was almost forty. This was probably old age catching up with him.

“Well, he’s your stepbrother now. I’ll send you the time and address. We are having a family dinner and you are going to be there.” And he ended the call, leaving me to stumble and fall onto the bed, gasping for air as it felt like the wet sweater I was in was on fire.

Not only did my boyfriend break up with me, and I thought that was all, no. My father also wanted to add to my pain by making the boy I hated with passion my stepbrother.

Yes. The worst day of my life wasn’t over. It was just beginning, and one of the villains was made the main character in my life!