Chapter 38. Drowning

ARDEN

I arrived at the swimming pool and noticed that the class had already begun. The men were shirtless, clad only in their swim shorts, while the women sported tankinis in the school’s colors. Spotting Tessa, I waved at her, and she smiled back.

Mr. Thompson merely glanced in my direction before gesturing toward the bleachers, silently indicating that I should check the papers there. Nodding, I quickly got to work, stealing glances at my classmates from time to time. Surprisingly, the process of checking papers proved to be quite enjoyable, and I found myself breezing through them with ease. I was on the last set when Mr. Thompson’s voice caught my attention.

“Alright, now we’re going to hold a competition,” he announced. “You’ll have the chance to win 30 points for this. One winner from the boys and one from the girls.”

Excitement buzzed among the students, and I couldn’t help but look more frequently at the unfolding scene than the papers I was meant to