Chapter Twenty-One (Swim)

Sarah, Colleen, Janet, Bella and Gina found me muttering to myself while I was getting dressed into my bathing suit.1

“I mean what the fuck is she thinking about in that damn head of hers?” I said, putting my long t-shirt and shorts on over the suit. “Oh, she doesn’t, ’cause her head is full of freaking AIR. IDEALIST!” 2

“What the hell did you say to her?” Sarah asked, opening her locker. 3

“You DON’T want to know,” I told her, laughing. “Did you see her face?” 4

“Yes, we did,” Colleen said.5

Gina opened her locker. “You did call her a biatch, right?” 6

“Called her a bitch straight to her face. No stuttering or anything. I mean, why should I be afraid of a full vampire, right? My boyfriend is a full vampire, duh.” I gasped. “Shit…” I whispered, looking up. Lucky for me, none of them were listening. I sighed, relieved. 7

That was a close one, I thought. 8

“Alice is looking for you,” Colleen said as her phone rang. “Yeah? Yes. Um, no, where is she? She did what? Shit. Pardon my American, Alice… Wow. Okay. Yeah. Bye.” She closed her cell phone. “Alice said that Rosalie said that she was going to turn YOU, Dylan, into a vampire. A FULL vampire.” 9

“Cool. Because I am SICK and TIRED of having my period! Guaaah!” I exclaimed, putting my hand on my forehead. 10

“And then Emmett and Jasper sort of went nuts… VAMPIRE nuts…” Gina cocked her head, thinking, with a weird expression on her face. “Well, Jasper is the one who went vampire nuts… Emmett tried to stop him because…Jasper saw blood?” 11

“Shocker.” I raised my eyebrows. 12

The bell rang and we said our goodbyes. Gina, Sarah and I were first to get into the pool area. We sat on the bleachers while Coach Clapp checked the water to make sure there was enough chlorine.13

“That has GOT to be my favourite smell in the world,” Gina said, sniffing in the bleach-like scent. “It just smells so ‘bleachy’ to me!” 14

I groaned. Gina, what the hell? I thought, sighing. 15

Then the whole class came in. Rosalie glared at the three of us as she walked up. 16

“I hope you know you should be…CAUTIOUS from now on when you’re around me,” she said. “Because, you see, I don’t like being called a ‘female dog’, Dylan. Good luck trying to sleep in your new house from now on.” 17

“How the hell…?” I started. 18

“Alice had one of her visions, and, well,” Rosalie looked at her fingernails, “it seems that you said yes.” 19

“Shit!” Gina said. “That’s the only thing I HATE about Alice. She’s got the answer before any of us. Damn those visions…” 20

I gasped. “You hate me too, Gina? You are so mean!” I cried. “It’s not my fault I have visions!” 21

“No, I—” 22

“What part of ‘I can read minds’ don’t you get, Gin?”23

“I see my work here is done,” Rosalie said, walking away. 24

I screeched and pushed Rosalie into the water, who pulled me in while she was falling. 25

“Girls! Girls!” Coach Clapp cried while pulling us out of the water. “Show some respect to each other! What’s this school’s motto?” 26

Rosalie and I were silent as we were dripping with water. 27

“WHAT is this SCHOOL’S MOTTO?” Coach Clapp repeated. 28

“Have respect for one another,” Rosalie and I said in unison, rolling our eyes. 29

“I can’t hear you.” 30

“HAVE respect for ONE another.” 31

“I SAID I CAN’T HEAR YOU.” 32

“HAVE RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER!” 33

“That’s better. Now say you’re sorry to each other. BOTH of you.” 34

“Sorry,” I mumbled to Rosalie. 35

“For what, Miss Montgomery?” 36

I sighed, annoyed. “Sorry, Rosalie, for pushing you into the doggone, chlorine-filled water.” 37

“Rosalie?” 38

Rosalie sighed. “Sorry, DYLAN, that I pulled you in with me.” 39

“That’s better. Now let’s get this class started.” 40

I mumbled something unintelligible under my breath as I walked back to stand with my friends. It was going to be a long period, I could tell. 41

I jumped into the water quickly to show Coach Clapp my breaststroke. It was fast and simple, what she liked. Whereas for Rosalie, hers was slow and simple, not what Coach Clapp liked. Too bad, so sad. 42