Love Under Water

Ariel’s POV Swaying my hips to the music and flipping my hair to the side, I lean toward my best friend confessing loudly in her ear, “I love Ed Sheeran.” “So do I,” Mia mouths back, giving me a thumbs up. The blasting music makes talking hell but we aren’t bothered as it's one of our favorite songs and hey, we’re having a blast, so who’s complaining? I turn my body towards the right and that’s when I see him, tall, tanned and muscular. Our eyes lock, his green ones with my blue ones. My breath hitches and my dancing gets slower as if I have been put in a slow-motion mode, “Mamma Mia, he’s getting closer and closer,” We’re mere inches apart when he says something, but due to the loud music, I don’t understand him. I shake my head, he leans in closer to me and literally yells at the top of his lungs, “Ariel Thomson, what do you mean by sleeping in my class?” And I fall off my chair. A loud thud echoes throughout the class, causing every student to laugh at my expense. I look around to see my classmates howling with laughter. My books, pen, and notepad are scattered on the floor, saving my laptop thankfully. “If you weren’t one of my top students, I would have dismissed you from the class.” Mr. Robert’s face is bright red with anger and I’m wondering if he’ll let this one-time mistake slip or not. “Ms. Thomson, why are you sleeping in my class? Care to enlighten us.” My cheeks burn from embarrassment. I murmur an apology and quietly get up, finger brush my hair back from my face tying it again in a neat ponytail, wipe my face of any trace of drool, open my book and try to get hold of what is being taught.  I am studying architecture and my major is landscaping. Yes, I am one of the ace students in my class, not because I am a nerd, but because I need scholarships. My parents work and so do I. They paid for my first semester and since then I vowed to work hard enough to achieve scholarships so as not to cause them any burden. Soon the bell rings and I start gathering my stuff, but before I can leave, Valerie pounces upon me along with her two pets, “What’s with you Thomson, trying to be the next big joker of the class?” and all three of them snicker as if she has just cracked the joke of the century. Her two pets, Brittney and Shauna, would never cease to disappoint her and continue to boost her ego. Before I can retort, my best friend, Mia joins me, “Yeah, at least she’s trying to do something unlike you, who’s not even able to give a single correct answer to the professor’s question. How dumb could you get!” “You watch your mouth.” Valerie is staring daggers at Mia, who seems to be enjoying making her angry. The class had gotten empty and I don't want to be late for my next lecture. I hold Mia’s upper arm and try to pull her away from any confrontation, but she doesn’t budge. “What if I don’t?” she answers back, and before Valerie thinks of a reply, I interposed between the two of them. “You guys can continue this conversation next time, right now we have to leave.” And I pull Mia away from the scene and leave the class. “Why were you trying to pick a fight with her, Mia?” I ask her once we are in the hallway walking towards our lockers. “Because she keeps giving you s**t and you keep taking it.” “No, I don’t” I reply not looking at her. “Yes, you do. Okay, tell me the last time you answered her back.” Mia stopped walking and stands in the middle of the hallway with her arms folded around her chest. “Look Mia, I need to get a scholarship this semester and Valerie is the least of my concerns.” I try explaining it to her, “I don’t have time for all the s**t she throws my way and my mind flushes it down as soon as it leaves her mouth.” “But I can’t watch her do this to you.” Now my best friend is pouting and I can’t help but laugh. “I love you silly, but we need to reach our next class before the professor doesn’t let us in.” I encircle an arm around her shoulder and start walking again. “I’ll treat you to your favorite mayo garlic French fries.” “In that case, I’ll let you go this time, but you have to tell me about your dream.” She quickly perked up. “How do you know I had a dream?” I turn to her. “You were saying Mamma Mia while asleep.” She rolled her eyes, which meant how obvious it was. This is so embarrassing, although Mia has been my best friend since fifth grade and we have shared our deepest, darkest secrets with each other, but I still haven’t told her about the guy I had seen a couple of days back during the swim classes. He was one of the swimmers there. I had no name, no semester, but would recognize him anywhere by the color of his eyes and those perfect cheekbones, his chiseled angular jaw and a body to die for. I adjust my backpack and before I can answer her, we have already reached our next class, thankfully, which keeps us occupied for another hour and a half. Mr. Dawson is one of my favorite professors, his lectures are always well planned, involving real-life examples and case studies. Today, however, his lecture got all of our attention when he mentions a certain internship. “Art Life, as you all know, is one of the top architectural firms in LA. Every year they give out two internships to extremely talented and hardworking students and I want you all to apply for them.” “Oh wow Ariel, Art Life is huge. Imagine if we land an internship there, it will be an awesome jump start to our careers.” Mia is excited and so is everyone else. This is a chance of a lifetime, “Yup, it sure is,” Feeling delighted myself. Once the class is over and everyone has almost left, Mr. Dawson asks me to stay back. I tell Mia I will meet her later in the lobby. “Ariel, I want you to apply for this internship. I will write a personal recommendation letter for you.” “Thank you Mr. Dawson, but won’t that be favoritism?” I was confused. “Not at all, Art Life has asked for recommendations for top deserving students.” Mr. Dawson speaks clearly. “So, fill out the forms, write a good pitch, then let me see.” “Alright”, I beam. I walk out of the class with a bounce in my steps. If I got this internship my parents would be so proud of me. This could be huge. I take out my phone and Mia’s text caught my eye,  ‘Not feeling too well, so heading home.’ Oh well, I might as well head towards the pool. As the swimming tryouts are approaching, it is my job to make sure everything is in order. Cleaning the pool, handing out lockers to swimmers, keeping extra keys in case anyone loses or forgets theirs, making sure the sauna is at the right temperature, stocking clean towels, and checking the Jacuzzi. These and some more are a part of my job responsibility. I take the huge swimming pool net, looking for any bugs that might have dropped in the pool. Next is the changing room, better check it before any swimmers come in, and re-stock it with fresh towels. Done One last look at the Jacuzzi, Done Lastly, check the sauna. As I enter it, I realize it’s too steamy inside. Someone has increased the temperature here. I could hardly look. I try to reach the thermostat, feeling my way around with my hands stretched in front of me when suddenly someone grabs one of my hands and pulls me towards him. I bang into a solid, hard body of muscles, I am in complete shock and a gasp leaves my lips. “I had been waiting for you.” He whispers into my ears and just then his hand comes up to cup the back of my head and the other one holds my waist tightly, his mouth slams down against mine. The touch of his lips on mine sends jolts all over my body, I touch his bare skin with my hands which is taut with muscles and my toes curl as in reflex. I am so close to losing myself, but a sound from somewhere outside brings me back to my senses and I push him away and run out of the sauna, heaving and panting. I am drenched in sweat and hide in the girl’s locker room. What did just happen there? Was it real? I glance at myself in the mirror, which shows my flushed face framed by wild hair. My lips still tingle from the assault on them. I’m breathing fast, causing my chest to go up and down rapidly.  I open my locker, change my shirt, smooth my hair, throw some water over my face and leave the locker room to go back to my job.