It's the end of the semester, again, projects and exams.

  For the first time I have to say that I have a couple of chapters prepared so I'm not under any pressure, I have the chapters for 3 weeks. So don't worry about a missing weekly chapter.

  Enjoy.

  ---

  The days passed. The day, as I had told Diane, I took her to see a movie at the theater—a pletely new experience for her. She received everything with excitement, from buying pop and dy before entering the sing to being amazed by the number of seats and the size of the s.

  As for me, I only caught bits and pieces of the movie. It was about a man with scissors for hands, but I found Diane’s rea to it much more iing. pletely captivated and occasionally moved, she didn’t take her eyes off the s, even as she meically ate pop.

  “What a beautiful story,” Diane decred with a smile on her face as we left the theater. “Sid romantic, don’t you think?” she asked, looking directly into my eyes.

  “Totally,” I replied, embarrassed to admit I hadn’t paid much attention to the movie, trying to sound as serious as possible.

  “A doomed love, society as the judge, and the duality betweey and monstrosity—so Shakespearean,” Diane tinued enthusiastically as we walked side by side. “Are all movies like this? Such powerful social critiques?” she asked, holding onto my arm with her eyes wide open.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle and shake my head. “I don’t think so,” I said, recalling the movies Geie, David, and Brock had shown me in the past. “At least, not as deep as your analysis,” I added amusedly. Someone might argue that _Rambo_ was a critique of the treatment of traumatized veterans and not just about aremely muscur man kig ass.

  “I definitely want to watovies,” Diane decred, pressing my arm as she looked at me with an exaggerated glimmer of i.

  “We always rent movies. There’s a store o the gym,” I replied, shrugging slightly and smiling at her.

  “That would be great,” Diane said, biting her lip and nodding.

  The day, we went to mini-golf—a pce I had visited before with my friends, where An had easily outshone everyohe friendly petition made Diane enjoy herself immensely, and by the final hole, she ying with a huge smile on her face.

  On Wednesday, we went to the arcade, where Diane won a giant stuffed animal thanks to a lucky shot I made on one of the random maes.

  On Thursday, with the temperature spiking, I made a bold decision: we headed to the mall.

  “Are we going to listen to music again today?” Diane asked with some excitement. Despite the heat, she was still wearing a sweater, looking pletely fortable.

  “No, I think it’s time for you to overe your fear of the sea. I’m going to teach you how to swim,” I decred, smiling, amused by her surprised rea, though I felt a bit embarrassed myself.

  “Swim? Where?” Diane asked, pletely ed.

  “There are public pools,” I said, shrugging slightly. I hadn’t swum in ages and had never been to Medford’s public pool, even though I k was there. But thinking it would be a fun activity, it didn’t seem like a bad idea.

  “But I don’t have a ge of clothes, or a towel, or suns, or—” Diaarted listing excuses, clearly nervous and possibly afraid of getting ier.

  “Diane,” I said seriously, taking one of her hands as I noticed she was starting to panic. I immediately interrupted her rapid string of excuses. “You’ll be fihere’s always a trained lifeguard on duty, watg over everyone,” I reassured her, squeezing her hand fly. “And besides, I’ll be there too. I won’t let anything happen to you,” I added slowly.

  I khat even if Diane somehow ended up drowning etting hurt, I had the tools and knowledge to rescue her immediately. Of course, I wouldn’t take my eyes off her for a sed.

  Opening and closing her mouth slightly, as if she wao say something, Diane nodded slowly with her eyes wide open. “All right,” she murmured after a moment.

  “Excellent,” I decred excitedly, g my fists, only then realizing I was still holding her hand. “Sorry,” I said, letting go of her hand.

  At the mall, I left Diah one of the store clerks in a sportswear shop while I went to buy the other essentials: suns, sandals, towels, and even a new swimsuit for myself, as the old ones were a bit tight.

  When I returo Diane, who was still with the clerk, I noticed the clerk smiling at me as she gently nudged Diane. Diane, now dressed more appropriately for the weather—with a straw hat and a long shirt c her from shoulders to kood avoiding eye tatirely, holding a bag that likely taihe clothes she had arrived in.

  The clerk standing behind Diane exaggeratedly cleared her throat, opening her eyes wide at me.

  Very subtle.

  “You look beautiful, Diane,” I said, taking the clerk’s hint and smiling at my friend.

  “Thank you,” Diane said with a small smile, finally making eye tact.

  After paying for Diahings, the clerk said with a big smile, “Thank you for your purchase. e back soon.” Then, turning directly to Diane, she ominously added, “Good luck.”

  “Why did she wish you luck?” I asked Diane curiously as we walked through the mall toward the parking lot.

  “I told her I was learning to swim today,” Diane replied immediately—a good lie, though still a lie.

  Studying Diane’s profile, I decided not to press further, trying to recall where the pool was.

  After a few minutes of driving through the city, we arrived at Medford’s public pool.

  I immediately regretted my choice of day. On such a hot day, it was obvious other people had had the same idea.

  "We don't have to go in if you don't want to," I said calmly, looking Diane seriously in the eyes.

  The pool was surprisingly rge, with plenty of empty spaces, but outside it, nearly all the pool chairs were occupied by families eating sandwiches and chips.

  There were many kids running around chasing each other despite the lifeguard's stern warnings, women lying back trying to tan uhe bzing sun, and I even reized a couple of cssmates from school.

  "No... it's fine," Diane said with difficulty, nervously eyeing the crowd.

  "Are you sure?" I asked, ed, as it was obvious she wasn't fortable with the idea—and I couldn't bme her.

  "Yeah, I want to do this," Diane said with determination, apparently summoning ce, and quickly got out of the car.

  "Okay," I murmured, surprised by her sudden initiative, following her out with our things.

  "PJ?" someone called out from the other side of my car just as I walked to Diane’s side.

  "Kat?" I said in surprise as I turo see my frieing out of a truck.

  "What are you doing here?" Kat asked, fused.

  "Here at the public pool? I always e here for a shreat water pressure," I said sarcastically, smiling.

  "Oh, shut up, you smartass," Kat said, rolling her eyes in exasperation but smiling.

  "Hey, Mandel, what are you guys doing here?" Kat’s friend Mandel appeared from the other side of the truck, joining the versation.

  "Hi, PJ. I'm the lifeguard," Mandel said cheerfully.

  "It's so hot today that I accepted Mandel's invitation to e to the pool," Kat expined.

  "Makes sense," I said, nodding.

  "Hello," Diane said nervously, stepping closer and drawing everyone's attention.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry, Diane. Where are my manners?" I said, embarrassed at fetting to introduce her. "Kat, Mahis is Diane," I said, smiling at the two girls as I introduced my friend.

  "So this is the famous Diane," Mandel said with a smile, studying her closely.

  "o meet you," Kat said, f a smile as she stared ily at Diane.

  "Likewise," Diane replied, avoiding eye tad shifting nervously on her feet.

  As Kat silently scrutinized Diane, Mandel eyed Kat, while Diaared at the ground. The four of us suddenly found ourselves in an incredibly awkward silence.

  "So... shall we go in?" I asked, breaking the silence because I couldn't bear it any longer.

  "Yes, I o start my shift," Mandel said, suddenly remembering she had to work and gaining energy.

  "PJ told us you're from Boston," Kat said, still eyeing Diane as we walked toward the pool entrance.

  "Correct. I came to Medford as a guest of East Texas Tech to give a lecture on the advas of a mathematics problem I'm w on," Diane expined with the formality she always adopted wheing someone new.

  "Okay," Kat said slowly, dragging out the word as she gnced sideways at me.

  "Just give her time," I mouthed silently in expnation.

  After paying a small fee and st some of our things in the avaible lockers, we reached the bathrooms, following Mandel's lead.

  "You have to shower before entering the pool. I reend keeping your sandals on," Mandel said with a slight look of disgust as she grabbed her things.

  "Athlete’s foot is no joke," I said seriously, making Diane nod in agreement. "Tinea pedis," I crified for Kat and Mandel, who looked intrigued.

  "You could’ve just said that," Kat said with a sarcastiort.

  "e on, Diane," Mandel said with a wide smile, sounding inexplicably excited. Diane g me nervously for a sed before nodding and following Mandel into the women’s locker room.

  "Don’t worry; we won’t tell her anything embarrassing about you," Kat decred maliciously, raising an eyebrow as she walked backward behind the other two girls.

  Smiling in amusement, I headed into the men’s locker room.

  A few mier, now dressed only in my swim trunks, I came out.

  Since I had started exerg over five months ago, bined with the diet Case had put me on, I had visibly bulked up. My body fat pertage was low, and I had gained signifit muscle mass, making my abs and the muscles in my arms and legs more promi.

  Standing outside the bathrooms for just a few seds, I could feel myself being the ter of attention for a few people. Trying to ighe not-so-subtle stares of shameless onlookers, I spent the rest of the time waiting.

  "Oh, look at you, Dun. You o go shirtless more often," Mandel said in surprise as she emerged first from the women’s locker room, wearing her red lifeguard bodysuit.

  "Sure thing, Mandel. From now on, I’ll go to school shirtless," I said, shaking my head with a chuckle.

  "You’d be doing a lot of people a big favor," Mandel decred unabashedly, still staring at my body. "Okay, enough," she muttered to herself, returning her gaze to my eyes. "Get ready," she added seriously, narrowing her eyes before walking away, maintaining intense eye tact.

  "What?" I asked, fused. "Get ready for what?" I asked again, only to get my answer.

  Diane, for the first time since I had met her, came out of the locker room without her gsses. She was wearing a yellow two-piece swimsuit that revealed much more of her incredibly pale skin on her abdomen and arms—parts I had never seen fully exposed, as she always wore a sweater.

  I didn’t know why I was so surprised; I knew perfectly well what was going to happen.

  _Cough, cough._ Kat exaggeratedly cleared her throat, snappi of my daze as she stood beside Diane.

  "Sorry," I said quickly, realizing Diane was obviously unfortable and embarrassed by my stare.

  "It's okay. Did you know that the first modern women's swimsuit was created in the 1860s and sisted of a long-sleeved blouse and a long skirt that covered the entire body?" Diane said, avoiding eye tad slightly blushing as she rubbed one of her arms, seemingly trying to hide her embarrassment with facts.

  "I didn't know that." Fortunately, those days are behind us. Struggling to swallow, I replied, avoiding saying what I was really thinking.

  "Well, now you do," Kat decred sarcastically, catg both Diane and me off guard.

  Somehow, I had fotten Kat was there.

  "Oh, here, we already applied ours," Diane said, finally looking me in the face as she handed me a small bottle of suns she had iher hand.

  "Thanks," I replied, staring into Diane's eyes and doing my best to keep my gaze from wandering below her .

  Skin cer is no joke.

  While applying suo my torso, I noticed both Diane and Kat staring at me, much like I had probably just doh Diane moments ago. "My face is up here," I joked, despite not being much better myself, surprising both girls t degrees.

  "Shut up," Kat immediately dismissed the joke, rolling her eyes with an exasperated huff.

  "Sorry," Diatered, bowing her head in plete embarrassment.

  Once I was satisfied with the suns on the front of my body, I briefly sidered asking Diao help me with my back but quickly discarded the idea, not wanting to make her more unfortable. For an equally brief moment, I thought about asking Kat, but for some reason, that also felt wrong, so I dismissed the idea entirely.

  "Excuse me, could you help me apply suns on my back?" I asked a rather rge woman, likely around Mom’s or Mrs. Cooper’s age, making my decision.

  "Oh, sure!" she said enthusiastically, practically snatg the suns from my hands. She firmly grabbed my arm to turn me around and immediately began applying suns before I had the ce tret it.

  I had made a terrible mistake.

  "And you're dohe woman finally said after several seds of slowly rubbing my back with uling deliberation. I could hear the smile on her face.

  Feeling vioted by a woman several years older than me and ign Diane's incredulous look and Kat's amused grin, I walked to the edge of the pool and rigidly let myself fall into the water, needing to se my body.

  Almost immediately after me, Kat also jumped into the pool. "Hey, lover boy, yirlfriend is looking for you," she said teasingly, pointing discreetly with her gaze from where she swam o me.

  Uo resist, I gnced over my shoulder and saw the same woman sitting on a pool chair, smiling at me.

  "Nope," I said, making a mental note o look in that dire again. I swam to the edge of the pool where Dia, dipping her feet ier. "Are you ready?" I asked, floating in front of her and smiling, trying to calm any fears she might have.

  "I think so," Diane replied, nodding slightly.

  "Ready for what?" Kat asked curiously, not far from us.

  "PJ is going to teach me how to swim," Diane responded easily, now maintaining eye tact with Kat. It seemed they were getting along.

  "Oh," Kat said, lifting her head as if she'd finally solved a puzzle. "I'll go join Mandel," she added with a small smile before swimming slowly toward her friend at the lifeguard stand, not without first murmuring just loud enough for me to hear, "Goody two-shoes."

  "See you," Diane said, biting her lip slightly as she waved at Kat.

  "Look, Diahe pool isn’t that deep. My shoulders are above the water," I said, standing up to show her while ign Kat's joke. "No matter what happens, I hold you, and you won't drown," I added, lifting my hands out of the water and them to Diane.

  "All right," Diane said nervously as she slowly took my hands and gave a small hop to ehe pool.

  Standing fully upright, I was well above the water, but due to the height differehe water came up to Diane's chest.

  "There you go, rex," I said, holding Diane by her forearms to help her keep her head above water. I smiled reassuringly as I felt her fingers gripping tightly into my arms. "Kick ys slowly, that’s it," I added, nodding at her movements.

  "Don’t let go," Diane implored nervously, moving her legs.

  "I won't," I assured her calmly, ign the slight pain from her nails digging into my arms. "Just keep kig slowly," I said, taking tiny steps uer to gently guide her movements. I could feel the pressure from her grip gradually lessening as she grew more fortable. "You’re doing amazing."

  "What now?" Diane asked proudly, smiling after a few seds when she realized she wasn’t sinking.

  "Now that you know how to float by using your feet, yoing to float without moving," I said, gently pulling one of my arms free from her now much weaker grip as I moved to her side. "Sorry," I apologized, pg my hand behind her ko position her.

  "PJ," Diane said nervously, pressing firmly on the arm she still held as she felt her body shift to a more horizontal position.

  "Rex, I need my other arm. I promise I won’t let you sink," I said softly, leaning closer to her and speaking in a calming tone, waiting for her to feel safe enough to let go of my arm.

  After patiently waiting for a moment, Diane finally released my arm, allowio gently support her back. "Try not to tense up, rex your body. I’m right here, don’t worry," I said calmly as I adjusted her position.

  Once Diane was calm and still, I slowly removed my hands, watg ily as she floated rexed, letting herself be carried by the water's ripples.

  So immersed was I in watg Diane’s peaceful state that I fot we were in a public space with other people. Two kids, likely rag, passed quickly by us spshing Diane.

  Immediately, as water spshed on her face, panic overtook Diane. She began moviically, causio sink. Fortunately, I hadn't moved far a my hands close, allowio stabilize her and pull her toward me.

  Feeling something solid to hold onto, Diane immediately ed her arms tightly around my neck while using her legs to g to my torso, breathing heavily near my ear and coughing.

  The suddenness of the situation forced me to quickly regain my bao prevent both of us from sinking. Supp her by her back, I waited patiently for her to calm down.

  "Better?" I asked softly after a long moment, once Diane had finally rexed.

  "Yeah," Diane murmured, slowly loosening her grip on my ned pulling away, avoiding eye tatirely. "That was scary," she added after a few seds of silence, her hands still resting on my shoulders as she finally looked at me, embarrassed.

  "Yeah, sorry, I didn’t see the kids," I said, holding Diane by her waist auring with my head toward the children still rag up and down the pool.

  "It’s okay. You got me," Diane said softly, nodding and maintaining eye tact.

  "I said I would," I replied seriously, momentarily lost in her eyes.

  "Is Diane okay?" at that moment Mande's pyful voice was heard from the edge of the pool.

  "Yeah, she’s fine, just a scare," I answered, releasing Diane, who was clearly embarrassed, stretched out to grab the edge of the pool.

  Mandel tio watch me with an amused smirk.

  "Yeah, I noticed... well, _everyone_ noticed," Mandel said sarcastically, shrugging slightly auring toward the rest of the people in the pool.

  Aside from the kids, who were too engrossed in their own games and fun, many others seemed particurly ied in us—especially the women, who, for some reason, were smiling at me in a strange way.

  "Yeah, okay..." I mumbled unfortably, sinking slightly into the water.

  "Just try to remember this is a public space," Mandel added with a sarcastic smile, motioning with her hands in front of her.

  "I’ll keep that in mind," I said, nodding slowly, still embarrassed.

  "Yeah, you will," she said smugly, winking before returning to her lifeguard chair, clearly amused.

  "Sorry about that," Diane said, still holding on to the pool's edge, clearly ashamed.

  "It’s not your fault," I reassured her, smiling warmly. "We o keep going," I added calmly, raising my hand and waiting for her to take it.

  Looking worriedly at my hand for several seds, Diane nodded, seemingly encing herself to tinue before taking my hand tightly.

  For the couple of hours, I patiently taught Diahe basics of swimming, ending the day after another shower in the public facilities and saying goodbye to Kat and Mandel.

  I took Diane back to the ranch before heading to the hospital for the rest of the day, where nothing really important happened.

  The day, Friday, during the st css period, I was focused on finishing the day’s assig when the PA system crackled to life.

  "PJ Dun, please report to the Principal’s offid bring your belongings. PJ Dun," the familiar monotone voice of the school secretary announced.

  Having seen how people reacted when someone was called to the Principal’s office, I packed my things into my backpad stood up, brag for the iable mog _“Oooohs”_ that followed immediately.

  "Why do they always do that?" I heard Sheldon murmur as I passed him—the only person in css who wasn’t staring at me.

  Amused, I left the room under Mrs. Ingram’s permissive gaze.

  When I reached the Principal’s office, the secretary looked at me sternly and motioned for me to enter.

  For some strange reason, the atmosphere was heavy.

  "PJ is here," Principal Petersen said seriously to whoever was oher end of the phone call. He stood up and pced the phone on his desk, leaving it off the hook.

  The euation was making me incredibly nervous.

  "Talk to your father," Principal Petersen said cryptically putting his hand on my shoulder as he passed me, leaving the offid closing the door behind him.

  Something bad had happened.

  "Dad, what’s wrong? Is Mom okay? Teddy? Gabe?" I asked quickly, feeling my heart pounding in my ears as I grabbed the phone.

  Breathing heavily, I waited for a response, but after a few seds of silence, I started to think the call had been disected and was about to pull the phone away from my ear.

  "Did you run? You sound out of breath," a voice joked oher end of the line.

  "House?" I asked incredulously, immediately reizing the void knowing he was the only one capable of such a 'joke.'

  "There’s a case. You o e in," House said calmly, ign my questioirely.

  "You’re an idiot!" I excimed in a low voice furiously, holding my head in my free hand as the tensio my body in frustration.

  "Wow, someone owes a dolr to the swear jar," House replied sarcastically. "I just said there was an emergen home, I didn’t lie, your director was the one who made up the rest of the story in his head."

  "I ’t believe this," I muttered into the phoill trying to process what had just happened.

  "Really?" House asked mogly.

  "No, you’re right, ing from you I believe it," I admitted, correg myself.

  "I know, I’m always right," he said smugly, I could practically hear the smirk on his face. "Anyway, there’s a case, and I need you here now."

  "I ’t. I still have forty minutes of css," I replied, frustrated as I checked my watch, deg to ignore his tasteless joke.

  "Ah, I see," with obvious falsehood in his words House submissively decred. "There’s just a man dying and a very sad family. No big deal. I’m sure your basic algebra css is far more important," he added a moment ter, his words dripping with sarcasm, making me ch my jaw.

  Shaking my head furiously, I pulled the phone away from my face before snapping, "I’ll be there in ten minutes," and smming it bato the receiver, ending the call.

  ---

  Every good story has a 'beach' chapter, in this case the pool.

  ---

  Author Thoughts:

  As always, I'm not Ameri, not a doctor, not a fighter, not Magnus Carlsen and not Michael Phelps.

  With that said,

  I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I'll correct them immediately.

  Thank you for reading! :D

  PS: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.