Chapter 37 Phobia
Chapter 37 Phobia
ARDEN
C
<b>+5 </b>Free Coins
What happened at the bus stop yesterday still lingered in my mind. The conversation had taken a downturn so suddenly, and even then, I couldn’t help but wonder what I had said so wrong for Cade to react that way.
It was strange how I was more fixated on his response than on the fact that he now knew I was a virgin. I didn’t know what he would do with that information. <i>Would </i><i>he </i><i>treat </i><i>me </i><i>differently</i>? That was how I predicted things would go. However, much to my surprise, he seemed to ignore my presence altogether.
“Earth to Arden!” Tessa eximed, cheerfully nudging my shoulder. I turned to her, still somewhat lost in thought.
“Yeah?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Alright, something is definitely wrong,” she finally said. “I thought you were just under the weather, but you’ve been in this absentminded state since the first ss.”
I smiled sheepishly. “Sorry about that. Yeah, there’s a lot on my mind.”
Tessa sighed in concern. “You can tell me whenever you want to.”
Feeling grateful, I turned to her as we walked to ourst ss–which, unfortunately, also had Cade in it.
I was about to head to the gym when I was suddenly pulled back by Tessa. “Where are you going?<b>” </b>
“To the gym,” I answered innocently.
“Didn’t you read Mr. Thompson’s announcement?<b>” </b>
I was too preupied with the encounterst night that I had failed to check the new announcement.
“We’re going to <b>have </b>a swimming ss today.”
The moment she mentioned the sport, my body went rigid. Suddenly, I felt myself being transported back to a traumatic past.
Of drowning. Of being submerged, unable to breathe until the capiries in my lungs felt like they were burning.
<i>“</i>Whoever <i>holds </i><i>their </i>breath <i>the </i>longest underwater <i>is </i><i>going </i><i>to </i><i>win</i>!<i>” </i><i>a </i><i>small </i>et <i>precociously </i><irge </i><i>Kieran </i><i>eximed </i><i>as </i>we <i>yed </i>in our new bathtub. Lucian was <i>outside</i><i>, </i><i>absorbed </i><i>in </i><i>another </i><i>book</i>. <i>Kieran </i><i>wanted </i><i>to </i><i>y </i>with him<i>, </i><i>but </i><i>the </i><i>older </i><i>brother </i><i>refused</i>, so in the <i>end</i>, <i>he </i>had coerced <i>me </i>into joining <i>him</i>.
Little old me liked it, of course. It was rare for my brothers to ask me to y with them.
“I don’t want that,” I remembered muttering in a small voice.
<i>“</i><i>Pussy</i><i>!</i><i>” </i>Kieran eximed. I was taken aback by his choice of <i>absurd </i><i>words</i><i>, </i>especially since <i>our </i>parents valued respectfulnguage.
He wouldn’t stop taunting me with such insults, so eventually, I relented. I had always liked ying in the water, but that moment changed everything. My lungs could only endure so much deprivation of air, so when I needed toe up for air after a couple of seconds. I couldn’t.
I was trapped.
Not because of my own body, but because someone was holding me back. I felt Kieran’s hands on my head, forcing me to inhale the water in the shallow tub Before I knew it. I lost consciousness, and when I woke up<b>, </b>I found myself in the general hospital of the West, receiving treatment for a water inhtion injury. I thought I would be consoled the moment I woke up. instead, I was with harsh words Kieran had twisted the <b>narrative</b>. He had med mypetitiveness and desire <b>to </b>beat him as the reason I had drowned. No matter how much I exined, it was futile. The me <b>was </b>already on me–<b>even </b><b>if </b><b>I </b><b>was </b>the one who had nearly died.
10:45 AM O
Chapter 37 Phobia
Since then, I had never attempted to swim again, despite my initial fondness for it.
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“Are you really alright?” Tessa asked, appearing more concerned now as she squeezed my arm. “Do you want to go to the clinic?”
I gulped and shook my head. “I’m… fine,” I managed to squeeze out. “But I was wondering if it would be alright not to participate for this ss<b>?</b>”
Tessa fell silent for a moment before a look of realization appeared on her face. “I’ll ask for you,” she said.
I shook my head. “I’ll ask,” I insisted. “Can you please… apany me?”
“Of course,” Tessa said supportively, leading me toward the swimming pool this time.
As soon as we arrived, the first person I saw was Cade, getting dressed on the bleachers. He removed his shirt, revealing a toned and muscr body for everyone to see. Tessa and I had to stop in our tracks, and for a moment, the fear of having a swimming sspletely escaped my mind.
His body wasn’t as muscr as Jaxon’s<b>; </b>however, it felt undeniably more defined. While Jaxon appeared more like a fighter, Cade emanated the essence of a Greek statue. Coupled with his striking handsomeness, it was quite the sight, and our ssmates didn’t hesitate to appreciate his visuals.
I quickly snapped my gaze away from him when Mr. Thompson finally arrived.
“Sir,” <b>I </b>called out to him, hoping to grab his attention. He stopped in his tracks, raised an eyebrow, and turned to me.
“Yes, Miss Stone?” he asked. “What can I <b>assist </b>you with today?”
Tessa stood right by my side<b>, </b>serving as my silent anchor through this ordeal. “Is it alright if I don’t participate in this activity?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
He frowned, clearly confused, but before he could articte a response, I interjected again. “I’m willing to handle any paperwork rted to swimming, or contribute in whatever way possible aside from participating in the water.”
“And why is that<b>?</b>” he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest, a look of skepticism spreading across his face. “I do not excuse students without a valid reason.”
I bit my lip, reluctant to reveal my phobia of swimming. Instead, I hastily concocted a different excuse. “It’s my time of the month,” I stated with surprising confidence. “The flow <b>is </b><b>very</b>, very heavy, by the way. It’s… quite bad,” I muttered, hoping my embarrassment didn’t show too much.
Mr. Thompson seemed taken aback by my candidness and momentarily turned away, clearing his throat as he collected himself. “Well,” he managed, regaining hisposure.
“The previous quiz for all the sses–could you check that for me instead?” he added.
A small sigh of relief escaped my lips as I nodded eagerly. “I’ll handle it really well, sir.”
Mr. Thompson pursed his lips before he finally nodded. “However, I am awarding points to the fastest swimmers today, so you’re missing out on that.”
“It’s alright, sir.” I replied without hesitation. It wasn’t as though I could earn the <b>incentive </b>even if I participated.
“Co to my office and get the papers,” he instructed, handing me the <b>keys</b>. “Thene back here toplete the <b>task</b>.”
I nodded, turning to Tessa, who offered me a subtle thumbs–up
“I’ll get dressed,” she whispered before joining the others. Meanwhile, I made my way to the teacher’s office<b>, </b><b>a </b>smile ying on my lips. I felt a wave of relief wash over me that Mr. Thompson <b>hadn’t </b>asked any further questions. I arrived promptly, <b>as </b>the gym was only a short distance from theirs.
<b>The </b>words “ONLY FACULTY ALLOWED were stered on the wall<b>, </b><b>and </b>for a brief moment, I hesitated. <b>However</b>, empowered by the keys <b>in </b>my hand, I unlocked the door and <b>stepped </b>into the <b>empty </b>room. I stood still for a moment, gaping
<b>2/3 </b>
10:45 AM
Chapter 37 Phobia
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at the expansiveness of the space. It was even wider than the gym! Dozens of tables wereid out, meticulously organized and uniform. I quickly scanned the room for Mr. Thompson’s table and grabbed the unchecked papers on it.
Just as I was about to leave, something peculiar caught my attention. Amidst the modern tables, there was one that appeared quite old, worn out, and distinctly out of ce in the contemporary interior. For a moment, I found myself entranced. There was something about it that drew me in,pelling me to take a closer look. So, I did.
As I approached, the intriguing nature of the table became even more pronounced. Just as I was about to touch the antique wood, a light yet startling voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Student? What are you doing here?”
I gasped and quickly stepped back, the stack of papers slipping from my grasp and tumbling to the floor. I turned to face the voice and felt my heart race with nervousness. “Headmaster Winters,” I stammered.
A slight frown adorned his brows, yet a small smile soon emerged on his lips. Somewhat disconcertingly, that contrast sent a shiver down my spine. However, his expression softened again, and he seemed kinder than before.
I hurriedly picked up the papers from the floor, bowing slightly in his direction. “I–I was just getting some quiz papers from Mr. Thompson’s table, sir.”
He tilted his head slightly and nced toward the old table. “It doesn’t seem that way,” he mused. “You were about to inspect the old table, weren’t you?”
I quickly shook my head, my heart racing. “No, I was just… trying to see it up close.”
Mr. Winters fell silent for a few seconds, his attention making me feel even more anxious than I already was. Then he suddenly chuckled, causing me to look up at him with wide eyes. He exuded an entric vibe that felt difficult to interpret. I had heard from Tessa that he was well–loved and respected by the student body for his down–to–earth personality, but perhaps I was simply unustomed to such warmth.
“No worries,” he eximed cheerfully, stepping over to the old table. “It’s just a table that holds a special ce in my heart, so I kept it here.” He opened the drawers and gestured for me toe closer.
“See? There’s nothing here<b>,</b><b>” </b>he remarked, his voice brightening the atmosphere.
I quietly nodded and stepped back, my hands held in front of me, my neck at a subtle tilt to show my respect.
“What’s your name?” he asked suddenly, breaking the silence that hung in the air.
I gulped, still with my head slightly bowed. “Arden<b>, </b>sir,” I murmured.
“Arden,” he whispered, the name rolling off his tongue with a certain fondness. “That’s a lovely name for a pretty girl. Somehow, it rings a bell, too. Where have I heard it before?<b>” </b>
He snapped his fingers searching for the answer in the recesses of his mind, but ultimately fell short. <b>“</b>Ah, as expected, I’m not as sharp as I once was. I can’t seem to recall such details. No need to worry, though–I’ll be sure to remember your name!”
“Now, Arden,” he continued, reverting back to his jolly self. “I truly appreciate your assistance with Mr. Thompson, but the sign on the door clearly states that this room is reserved for faculty members only. Keep that in mind, alright? I’ll be lenient this time, but the next moment I catch you in here, I might not be <b>as </b>forgiving.”
He delivered thest words with a cheery tone, but beneath it, I could sense his seriousness. I quickly nodded in acknowledgment. “I apologize again, sir.”
Mr. Winters shook his head and waved me off. a gesture meant to reassure. “Of course, everyone makes mistakes. Ipletely understand.”
“Now, off you go. Mr. Thompson must be waiting for you.”