a new beginning, wavier

4. swim lessons

once the two made their way back to xavier's house, he once again was the gentleman for wednesday, opening her side of the door.

"there is no need for absurd chilvary, xavier." wednesday stated blatantly. "i know, just wanted to be kind to a friend," xavier told the girl, smiling. wednesday cringed at that comment. "let's go," she told the boy.

wednesday started up the stairs to go inside the house, but xavier motioned for her to follow him behind the back way. "wednesday, this way."

the girl followed him and looked at the pool. "i am not getting in there." xavier rolled his eyes. "i literally just bought you a bathing suit, wednesday. you're learning how to swim."

wednesday took the walmart bag and went inside to change. xavier changed in his pool house and was out before her. while he waited, he sat by the edge of the pool and dipped his feet in the water.

"are you addicted to water? it's much more enjoyable to be addicted to murder." wednesday commented as she walked out of the house.

xavier flashed her a smile. "you'll get used to it. c'mon, let's go to the shallow end."

"the shallow end?" she asked. "i'd much rather be in deep. then i can drown peacefully."

the boy got in first and the pool was colder rather than warmer, but the heat of the summer day made up for it.

xavier held out his hand for wednesday. she hesitantly took it as she got into the pool. "don't be afraid, you'll get used to it," the boy commented when he realized the girl was almost shaking from the temperature.

"i am not afraid. i am never afraid," wednesday told xavier, directly looking into his eyes.

that made xavier melt. for a second he forgot the circumstance and then realized he literally couldn't do anything about liking wednesday. he had to actually teach her how to swim.

"so, uh, you paddle your arms and legs like this," he said, showing her how to paddle. wednesday stared. "is that it? and i thought this would be rather complicated than simple." xavier chuckled. "no, there's more."

"you have to hold your breath. no breathing in, but breath out through your nose." wednesday's eyes flickered from xavier's face to the water. "i am not putting my head under water." he shrugged. "oh yes you are. it's a part of the experience."

"you can open your eyes, but i wouldn't recognize it if it's salt water. salt water will burn your eyes." wednesday understood. "because of the sodium," she commented.
xavier nodded.

"do you wanna try it?" wednesday's eyelid twitched but she agreed to take a chance.

she took a step towards xavier and he wrapped his arms around her waste as she flopped onto her stomach. she began paddling as he held her in place. "you can let go now," wednesday told xavier. he side-eyed her. "if you say so," he said and let go.

only two seconds after he let go, her face plummeted in the water and she started flailing and kicking. xavier clutched his stomach from the hardcore laughter he was bearing before heading over to help her.

as soon as wednesday could breathe again and was standing in the shallow end, she was glaring at xavier. "you said you could teach me." he laughed again. "yeah, but you don't learn something like how to swim in two seconds."

wednesday sighed. "again," she told him.

once again, only moments later, wednesday ended up flailing and kicking in the deep end. xavier swam over, wrapped his arms around her waist as she hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck and swam back to  the shallow end.

"we have quite a cycle going here don't we?" he asked through feverishly loud laughing. wednesday remained emotionless. "yes, i suppose we do."

it was just then wednesday realized her arms were still around xavier and he was still holding her. she slowly moved away.

"how did you learn to swim?" she asked him. "when i was a baby my mom took me to lessons at the YMCA. they taught me there." wednesday blinked. "how?"

xavier smiled. "if you let me, i'll show you. teach you the same way." he told her. wednesday reluctantly agreed to it.

he then continued to wrap his arms around her waste again as she flopped sideways onto her stomach. "this time, keep your head above the water. i'm right here for support. if you need to, lean on me," xavier instructed.
wednesday obeyed and swam perfectly, with xavier's support, from the shallow end to the deep end and then back to the shallow end.

"see?! i told you you could do it!" xavier exclaimed happily. wednesday stared at him and nodded.

for once, the two finally seemed to agree on something.

they did the same cycle twice more until xavier instructed something else. "okay, you've gotten good at the actual swimming. now you gotta practice holding your breath the right way." wednesday nodded.

xavier watched her carefully as she went under, still coincidentally holding her waste though he didn't need to.

"you got it, you got it," xavier affirmed wednesday.

seconds later, when she should've come up for breath, she wasn't. "wednesday! wednesday, come on!" xavier shouted.
he pulled her face up out of the water as fast as he could.

she was breathing, hardly, and xavier was now holding her closer than ever.
"hey, wednesday," he whispered softly near her ear.
she slowly opened her eyes, which then widened in fear realizing how close they were.
"thank god," xavier sighed a breath of relief, falling farther away from the girl.

he then suddenly grabbed her closer and looked directly into her eyes. "don't ever scare me like that ever again."

for the first time around xavier, wednesday actually smiled. "you can bet the next time will be even worse."

xavier, completely lost in the moment, ran his fingers down her right braid. wednesday found herself a bit skittish at the gesture but didn't pull away.

perhaps he was just grateful she hadn't died.