SOUL DORM

22

A little less conversation, a little more action, please...

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CHAPTER 22:

GOGGLES, SWIM CAP, SOULMATE

I felt the tremble in my limbs. The fact that I was only in my swimsuit and bathrobe contributed greatly to this situation. But the main reason for my uncontrollably shaking body was my ridiculous decision to follow Tarben's idea. At the crack of dawn, I was in the pool, hunting my prey.

"It's simple," Tarben had said last night while explaining how to get Mars come around.

All I had to do was meddle with his work, especially his music. I would shadow him, disrupt his plans, drive him crazy, and not stop until he agreed to take classes with me. It didn't seem like a bad plan when I heard it from Tarben. Now, standing half-naked at the edge of the pool, I couldn't believe I had agreed to it.

I was here, because Tarben said Mars started his day at the pool. I had to make his life miserable from the moment he opened his eyes until he closed them, or else my plan wouldn't work. Of course, this meant missing all my classes. But I couldn't get anywhere on my own anyway... If I succeeded this plan, my soulmate would finally be back in classes with me. At least, Tarben was convinced of that.

I took a deep breath. Mars hadn't showed up yet. I wished I could be as reckless as him, but stress had kept me from getting a wink of sleep. I rubbed my hands together and jumped in place to warm up. I sat on the benches against the wall, stood up, paced back and forth, watched the garden through the windows. I walked a bit more. Sat down again. Got up again. Jumped in place once more.

After repeating all this more times than I could count, I was sure Mars wouldn't be coming today. Amazing! My plan had already fallen apart before it even began. And strangely, that relieved me. I didn't want to see that guy or play silly games. Even though I knew I should go change and continue my mission, my feet wouldn't move.

When my gaze drifted to the pool, I felt the water calling out to me. Okay, I knew, Tarben was right. If I wanted to achieve my goal, I had to speak Mars' language. But... would it hurt to take a couple of laps before continuing with my plan?

Without waiting for my logic to answer, I tossed off my bathrobe and left it on the bench. I couldn't even remember the last time I had time to go swimming. My heart raced with excitement as I stood at the edge of the pool. I took a deep breath, stretched, and dove headfirst into the water.

I hadn't brought goggles or a swim cap. It had already taken ten minutes just to explain to the closet that I wanted to wear a swimsuit anyway. Still, I opened my eyes to see underwater. I felt like I was gliding through the sky as the tiles slid beneath me. Weightless, limitless, free... I surfaced and swam the remaining distance. When I reached the end of the pool, I dove back down, did a somersault, and continued swimming in the opposite direction.

Holding my breath for an extended period was one of my proudest abilities and evidently, I was just as successful at it in this realm. I could see the end of the pool. I pushed myself forward and gracefully glided the last meters underwater, like a mermaid. When I reached the edge, my hands found the tiles, pulling my body upward. As I surfaced, a foolish grin adorned my face. I took a deep, delicious breath. But the moment my eyes fluttered open, that breath caught in my lungs.

"You're a swimmer, huh?"

I coughed and awkwardly tumbled back into the water. Despite the shock I experienced, I managed to resurface immediately. Mars was crouched at the edge of the pool, watching my pitiful struggle with a smirk on his face.