Love Under Water

Untitled Episode

Ariel’s POV

Still limping, I make my way towards college with Mia next to me. We enter the main lobby only to bump into Valerie and her gang. This marks a great start to my day. I cant help but roll my eyes when Valerie starts coming towards me, a smile playing on her lips.

“Uh Oh, she’s upto something.” Mia whispers to me.

“Yeah, you can say that again.”

“Oh no, poor Ariel, what happened? Put your leg inside a s**t hole?” standing in front of me, she snickers along with her mates.

“Haha very funny Valerie.” And I continue walking.

She starts walking behind me, “So how deep did you fall? Did you get a taste of it too?” she and her cronies keep on giggling.

“Nope but I’m sure you had it for breakfast. That’s why you’re mouths talking shit.” Mia bursts out and I’m exasperated. I turn around and decide to confront her.

“What’s your problem Valerie?” I fold my arms in front of me. “Give it some rest will you? Everybody knows you’re daddy’s spoilt lil girl. Why prove it.”

“And what about you? Won't you tell everyone that your mom works for my dad and he pays her?” she answers haughtily.

“So what big deal, your dad pays all his employees, it's just not my mom he’s doing any favors. You know what Valerie, you’re so immature.” I turn around to walk away but she pushes me, causing me to lose my balance. I am about to hit the floor but I am saved by a pair of strong hands. There is silence in the huge corridor, I look up and find myself staring into those familiar green eyes. He looks pretty serious, not at all like the guy from yesterday.

“You okay?” he asks, his hands still holding my waist and his eyes looking into mine.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“Matt, what are you doing?” Valerie gasps. She looks surprised to find Matt here and frankly, so am I.

“Cleaning up your mess as always.” He looks at her sternly, silently challenging her to deny his accusation.

“No, you’re wrong, I didn’t do this. She tripped on her own.” Valerie tries to grab his hand but he pulls it away.

“Save it Valerie, I saw the whole thing.”

“No wait, you can’t embarrass me in front of the whole college, Matt.”

Ignoring her, Matt asks Mia to take me away from here. He himself grabs Valerie’s upper arm and they leave the college premises. Secretly, I feel jealous that he didn’t stay with me and took her with him. But then I remind myself that she is his girlfriend so naturally, he is going to be with her.

“Matt came to your rescue and gave Valerie a piece of his mind in front of everyone.” I can feel the elation in Mia’s voice.

I keep walking with my head down knowing everyone’s eyes are on me.

What a start to my day and now I’m late for class. I struggle in every class and after the fourth one I simply give up and head towards the library. I sit at the back and decide to work on my assignment. My brain just keeps messing with me, it keeps replaying the scene in the swimming pool and then the scene today in the corridor.

I don’t know what I was expecting, that Matt would see me and take me in his arms and ditch Valerie. Of course he wouldn’t do that. I face palm myself, what am I thinking how can I be so naïve? The guy was just being nice, being a gentleman yesterday and I took his actions the wrong way because I like him. The thought causes me to blush. I look up from my book and see Matt Cavanaugh walking gracefully towards me. He has a sportsman’s physique and no matter how many times I have seen him I still can’t have enough of him.

I’ve been thinking about him so much that now I’m imagining him in front of me, God save me.

“Can I join you?” he asks me nonchalantly.

“You’ve been invading my thoughts all day and now you need my permission to sit with me, haha good one.” I reply resting a hand under my chin and gazing at him.

He looks confused and then he gives that beautiful heart-crushing smile, “I didn’t know I’ve been keeping you so busy, is that blush also because of me?” he leans closer his breath fanning my hot cheeks. Suddenly, I realize he’s not a part of my imagination and very much present in front of me in flesh. I almost jump out of my chair, causing my books to fall down.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to startle you like that.” He starts collecting my books from the floor.

“Oh my god!” I put a hand to my forehead, not knowing how to rectify my blunder.

“Oh, I didn’t mean what I said right now.” I look away, not even daring to look into his eyes.

“You didn’t mean that you had been thinking about me?” from the corner of my eyes I could see a smile playing on his lips. “That’s a bruise to my ego, and here I thought I was the cause of the beautiful blush on your face.”

Is this guy flirting with me? He’s probably coming back from being with Valerie doing whatever, and now he’s flirting with me. I sit back on my chair and he joins me.

“It’s a bit hot here, that’s all.” I start flipping through the pages of my book while he’s staring at me. I can’t seem to find the page I’m looking for and its getting frustrating cause the guy doesn’t stop looking.

“You know, you staring at me like that is making me conscious. Please stop.”

“I will once you look at me.”

I put the book down and look at him, his green eyes feel like they are penetrating my soul and I don’t want to look away.

“How are you feeling?” I see warmth in his eyes unlike the coldness I saw in them earlier.

“I’ve had better days, my leg still hurts but not as much.”

“I’m sorry about what happened in the morning. Valerie should not have said all that.”

“You don’t need to apologize for her, people like Valerie believe it’s their right to bully and belittle others. This wasn’t my first encounter with her.”

“Yeah I know how she can be. Her dad is a big shot in LA so she takes things for granted.”

“Are you trying to justify your girlfriend’s actions? Because if you are you can leave and it doesn’t change the fact that she tried to humiliate me in front of everyone.” Now I’m getting angry, how can this guy not see what she is and how she picks on everyone around her. I feel the tears stinging my eyes and threatening to fall, I quickly blink and look away.

Matt holds my chin and makes me look at him, his face only inches away. “I am not her spokesperson Ariel and I gave her a hell of a time for doing what she did to you. And for the record, Valerie is not my girlfriend.” We keep looking at each other. I don’t understand, I have seen them together several times looking really cozy and all, I couldn’t have misunderstood.

He sees the confusion on my face, “Valerie is my dad’s friend’s daughter, we’ve known each other since we were kids and have practically grown up together. You must’ve seen us together but we’re not going out.”

“You don’t owe me an explanation Matt, it’s none of my business.”

“But I want you to know so we can get this misunderstanding out of our way and move ahead.” He gets up and before leaving he adds, “And I am dropping you home after swimming.” Before I could answer he’s gone.

Matt’s POV

I am so pissed at Valerie, she was way out of line with all those words she was throwing at Ariel. Only I know how much I had to contain my anger when she pushed Ariel, has she lost her mind? That is it for me. I grab her arm and take her outside towards the parking lot.

“What do you think you were doing in there?” I snarl at her, like I said I am pissed off.

“She started it, she came upon me first.” I know she’s lying, she is continuously playing with her pony tail.

“It certainly didn’t look that way and then you pushed her.” I confront her.

“No I didn’t, she tripped on her own.” She’s trying to deceive me.

“I find you so pathetic right now Valerie, you felt threatened by a harmless girl. She couldn’t have harmed even a single hair on your body.” I start pacing around, if I tell Valerie how I feel about Ariel she will make her life hell, I have just witnessed a trailer of what she can do.

“Matt baby, please forget everything, let’s get back to how we were. I can come to your apartment tonight if you want.” She gives me a flirtatious smile but it completely turns me off.

“Valerie you are shameless, I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.” I pick up my backpack and start walking back to the campus.

I have swam twenty laps but still no sign of Ariel. She is supposed to be working maybe her leg had flared up and she had to leave early? I think to myself. I should call her, what if Valerie has bothered her again? Nah, she wouldn’t.

“So you’re coming to the party on Friday?” Ashton asks resting next to me in the pool. We are the captain and vice-captain of our college swimming team.

“Huh, what party?”

“Hey man, you couldn’t have forgotten already, the one at my place.” Ashton gives me a serious look, “What’s wrong with you Matt?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, “I’ve found her.”

“Huh, who is her? I am completely lost here so please elaborate.”

“The girl who I kissed in the sauna.”

Then it dawned on him, “Oh her, cool, where and how did you find her?”

“Not important but I know that I want her.” I can’t explain to him how serious I am about Ariel.

“Since when has that been a problem for you? You can get her in your bed without any trouble.” He slaps my back, “No one can resist my pals charms.”

“That is not what I meant.” I look at him annoyed, “I seriously like her, she’s different from the usual girls I’ve dated. She doesn’t pretend for me to like her, she’s the real deal. You know what I mean?” I look at him expectantly.