Flippers

• four; and the bear stepped into the honey trap •

               F O U R ; and the bear stepped into the honey trap

         THE STORM ARRIVED quicker than I expected.

         To be fair, it was a week since the confrontation with the devil; and it seemed that every time there was the slightest bit of a social gathering, I was within Alexandra's confinements. Anderson, however, wasn't anywhere to be seen. Two A's that my life seemed to surrounded around. To my surprise, there were no glares, comments, or hazing of any sorts.

        I had been too quick to assume everything had gone back to normal to let my guard down. I should have known.

       The very moment I stepped into the indoor stadium, I should have known, given that I was openly walking into the lion's den without any ammunition or safety equipment. My self esteem. My confidence. My ability to say 'No', among many others. It was the annual Inter Collegiate State Aquatic Championship, which was held every six months, where students from other colleges participated for the championship trophy, an event that was highly anticipated.

      Needless to say, one that acquired a lump-sum amount of income for Taradale High.

      "Do you know that Alexandra is off to search for a perfect guinea pig?" Merle Sanders started in her conversational tone. She was an acquaintance from my class, and was a sweet girl who had the gift of the gab. As I made my way across the Olympic Pool with Merle, I questioned my presence here. If not for Trisha's mother, Mrs. Moretti, who had invited me over the phone, with a plea that her daughter had personally asked for me to be present― an offer I did not have the heart to refuse, this would have been the last place I would be spotted at. Trisha was feeling relatively better, emotionally and physically, I had made sure of that.

     "What's it this time?" Alexandra was a huge lover of bets, and almost every year she had a poor soul trapped into her clutches.

      "The rumour is that the chosen girl will have to compete in the upcoming State Aquatic Championship, somewhere around August. Not an official entry, of course. The winner has carte blanche, and can ask the loser to do whatever she wants her to do. Pretty sweet, right? Imagine what'd happen if Alexandra loses."

     Yeah, right. The probability of her losing was close to zero.

     "The day that happens, is the day the Sun rises in the West and sets in the East. Has she selected anybody, as of yet? I feel bad for the person who has been." Spotting Trisha with her usual frilled costume, I waved my hand. Her eyes shone bright, and she ran towards my direction. She had her swimming cap on, and was in her complete gear, right to the sunscreen. She was taking part in 50 meters Freestyle, and it was her first competition. What a cutie. Suddenly, she froze in her spot and made a straight U-turn.

     "Yes, I have."

     Confused, I turned behind at the sound of the voice; and an involuntary 'oh' was all I could manage, all blood flushing from my face. Quickly, I scanned the surrounding. The enthusiasm in the crowd was evident, with the parents and the respective teammates surrounding the pool deck. The shrill sound indicating the jump start pierced the air, with beautiful bodies cutting through the heated waters. Arena and Speedo costumes led the branding of the experienced swimmers, whereas the lesser known ones were worn by the amateurs. It was extremely easy to spot the former from the latter. All the participants whose events were yet to start were seated next to the clerk of the course, who was busy announcing the event list and the participants in the heats.

     Currently, the 800 meters Freestyle, Group 1, Boys Under 18, had started.

     Among the boys sitting next to the clerk, was Anderson, and my heart skipped a beat. Probably focusing for his 800m Freestyle event. Long distance was his forte, and that had not changed. Quiet. In his zone. His earphones were quietly nudged, and he had his eyes closed. Eating a banana. Telltale signs of preparation for the race. He did not seem to be involved in this. Or at least, I hoped not. Turning my attention back to Alexandra, I stared at her, waiting for her to continue. I had this gut feeling that things were going to get ugly.

    Then, for the second time in this month, she dropped the bomb.

    "And it's you, sweetheart."

     My first instinct was to object. The second instinct was to ball my fingers into a fist and meet the surface area of her face. I was not clear which one I wished to suppress. 

     Not caring that I was facing the Sports Secretary of Taradale High and a royal bitch, I protested without thinking twice. It was years since I had swum competitively, and there was not even a sliver of chance that I could win this.

     The protest was so pathetic and faint, even a mouse had a louder squeak.

     "I-I don't... No way."

     "You didn't even listen to the dare yet." I tried to string words into sentences. I tried to remember how to be comprehensible. After a ten second pause, I started.

     "And I don't even want to. You have been the gold medalist for four consecutive years. You've already made my life a living hell. I cannot attend my classes without keeping a watch out for you or your posse, nor can I stand up for myself whenever you try to humiliate me, forget swimming against you. I might as well sign a death warrant." There was no way she could drag me into this.

     "Your life won't be a living hell, that's what this bet is about. We're both graduating soon, and we won't be around. After the race in August, there will be another semester. And that's it. That's the catch. I'll mind my own business and give it all up. I'll even ask the little ones to stop it after we graduate. No more 'bullying', like you so harshly like to put it, if you win."

     She seemed to be spewing out honey, with that melodious―yet spiteful― tone.

     "What if I say no?"

     "Nothing, you're not obliged to participate. It is always voluntary. I will simply choose another person. Perhaps somebody a little younger...My relationship with them has only been mostly verbal up until now.

    "The Moretti girl seems sweet. She reminds me of you when you were around her age. I'm not the only one projecting, Parsley. Maybe the sad demeanor does, but hypocrisy does not suit you." No, no, no. Not Trisha. She painted a picture so clear, that there was no need for her to continue.

     "I don't..."

     "Aw, what happened? Thinking twice about it now, are we? You will prevent all of them from being dizzy, dehydrated and mentally exhausted. Let's not forget humiliated too. Are you thinking of yourself, instead of them? You seemed so passionate before. How selfish." What. A. Horrible. Manipulative. Person.

     I did not know what to feel. It was perhaps, an amalgamation of fear and indifference. I knew I had walked into the sticky trap laid out by the queen bee. There was no way I was bringing Trisha into this. Tired and exhausted, I continued.

    "Let me get this straight. If you win, the bullying continues. And if I win, it will stop, right? That's your dare."

    "Precisely so."

     A minute passed. And then another. And perhaps, for the first time in my life, I genuinely prayed for my well-being.

     "Let's hear it."