Thrust Into His Arms

GWENETH

Today felt kind of off right from the moment I opened my eyes. It intensifies as I open the front door and get on the road to school. I cannot put my finger on it, but there is something in the air that doesn’t sit well with me. A shiver skates down my spine,

almost as if the universe is trying to warn me about something.

I painfully realized much later on that I should have fucking listened and not go to school that day. I foolishly pushed aside my intuition and paid a heavy price for it.

But would not going that day have changed the terrible fate?

"Hey." Maverick calls.

"Hey." I drone.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good. Why are you asking?"

"What Curry did was terrible. I mean—I did know from the start that she might not be a good person, but then later on I stopped to think that and accepted her like you did.

I never expected that she would do such a thing."

"Yeah, me too." I did not have to tell him anything when he had walked in on me and Curry’s physical argument. He heard enough to piece everything together.

He was so mad. He lashed out at her, saying that she was even more terrible than Courtney. And maybe she did deserve what happened to her. He took it a little too far with that. Curry bawls and kicks up a ruckus yelling hysterically at us to get out and alerting everyone who was present at the hospital. We left right after. Maverick tried to know the details of how it happened.

But I didn’t divulge. I just told him that I did not want to talk about it.

I will never be ready to talk about it to him.

"Where is Rex?"

"I don’t know. I have not heard from him." I have not seen him since when I told him about Calix and the blackmail yesterday. I called and sent several texts to him last night.

It was early this morning that he replied to one of them, saying that he was busy and did not see my calls. His phone is switched off now. It is so strange for Rex to suddenly behave like this, but then I can’t say I know him well enough not to.

The morning went on as usual. The monumental shock from Courtney’s death is starting to wear off. The principal announces that tonight is Courtney’s wake. I will not be attending. As much as I am sorry that she lost her life so early, I can’t get over what she did to me and how she tried to ruin mine.

It would have been like a death for me if she had succeeded in whatever she planned to do with my nudes.

I am holding myself back from feeling that she deserves it like Maverick said. There are rumors and theories that have been flying around that Brooke could have been Courtney’s killer because she had suddenly transferred right after Courtney went missing. Their made-up reason was because Courtney started dating Calix right after he and Brooke split up. She must have been mad about it and developed a motive to kill her. The two have been known to not get along as well. They all seem to believe it. Maybe I might have too if I did not know a fact that is hidden from all of them.

I am hearing that Brooke had transferred schools. I just hope that she meets the same hell there she had given me. I hope so with all my heart.

*********************

"Are you serious right now, Coach?" I stutter, my eyes bulging wide at the piece of amazing news that I might have just heard her say.

"Would I have any reason to lie about something this huge?" She responds with a wide, joyful smile. "You are this year’s top excellent swimmer. It has been years since I last saw students like you who were passionate about swimming.

I have no doubt that you would win the medal for us this year. Brooke has transferred to the school’s branch in Philadelphia—I’m sure you must have heard that by now. So there is no one to compete with you on the top spot here. The others just aren’t half as good.

You have been doing great Gweneth. Just double that up, okay? If you do, then I would have no doubts about you winning the gold medal." She states.

"You mean, I would be competing in the inner state nationals!"

"Yes!" She confirms again. "And that is just the tip of the iceberg." She holds my shoulders to encourage. "I know it is midterms, but I would advise you not to give a lot of attention to school work now. This is way more important now." She emphasizes.

"It’s not like you are in senior year yet. Let this competition be your priority now. There are a lot of important people sponsoring it this year.

If you only just catch the eye of one of them at least, it would change your entire future for the better.

This year’s own came on such a short notice. I got the news last night. It must be a ploy to make some half prepared. But with you, we’re good." Her hands leave my shoulders and hold my cheeks, and staring

at me in a warm and cherishing manner. The gesture momentarily takes me back to when mom used to touch and rub my cheeks like this when I was little, saying they were cute

and chubby. It has been a really long time. Even now I don’t remember the last time I hugged mom. She just isn’t much of a hugger. This woman just made me realize that I wasn’t too old for physical cherish and comfort. "You don’t necessarily have to come in first place. Not that we all wouldn’t love it, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t want you to feel pressure, hmmm?

The pressure to win is the reason many fail. Whatever position you emerge in would be great.

The competition is in six days. So just focus only on practicing and getting even better. Okay?"

"Okay Coach. I will."

"Excellent! Then can we start getting you better now?"