Chapter 82

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.

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The days passed. The next day, as I had told Diane, I took her to see a movie at the theater—a completely new experience for her. She received everything with excitement, from buying popcorn and candy before entering the screening to being amazed by the number of seats and the size of the screen.

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 reaction to it much more interesting. Completely captivated and occasionally moved, she didn't take her eyes off the screen, even as she mechanically ate popcorn.

"What a beautiful story," Diane declared with a smile on her face as we left the theater. "So tragic and 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 between beauty and monstrosity—so Shakespearean," Diane continued 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 Georgie, 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 an extremely muscular man kicking ass.

"I definitely want to watch more movies," Diane declared, pressing my arm as she looked at me with an exaggerated glimmer of interest.

"We can always rent movies. There's a store next to the gym," I replied, shrugging slightly and smiling at her.

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

The next day, we went to mini-golf—a place I had visited before with my friends, where Alan had easily outshone everyone. The friendly competition made Diane enjoy herself immensely, and by the final hole, she was playing 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 machines.

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 completely comfortable.

"No, I think it's time for you to overcome your fear of the sea. I'm going to teach you how to swim," I declared, smiling, amused by her surprised reaction, though I felt a bit embarrassed myself.

"Swim? Where?" Diane asked, completely concerned.

"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 knew it was there. But thinking it would be a fun activity, it didn't seem like a bad idea.

"But I don't have a change of clothes, or a towel, or sunscreen, or—" Diane started listing excuses, clearly nervous and possibly afraid of getting in the water.

"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 fine. There's always a trained lifeguard on duty, watching over everyone," I reassured her, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "And besides, I'll be there too. I won't let anything happen to you," I added slowly.

I knew that even if Diane somehow ended up drowning or getting hurt, I had the tools and knowledge to rescue her immediately. Of course, I wouldn't take my eyes off her for a second.

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

"Excellent," I declared excitedly, clenching my fists, only then realizing I was still holding her hand. "Sorry," I said, letting go of her hand.

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

When I returned to 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 covering her from shoulders to knees—stood avoiding eye contact entirely, holding a bag that likely contained the 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 contact.

After paying for Diane's things, the clerk said with a big smile, "Thank you for your purchase. Come 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 large, 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 under the blazing sun, and I even recognized a couple of classmates from school.

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

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

"Yeah, I want to do this," Diane said with determination, apparently summoning courage, 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 turned to see my friend getting out of a truck.

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

"Here at the public pool? I always come here for a shower. Great water pressure," I said sarcastically, smiling.

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

"Hey, Mandella, what are you guys doing here?" Kat's friend Mandella appeared from the other side of the truck, joining the conversation.

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

"It's so hot today that I accepted Mandella's invitation to come to the pool," Kat explained.

"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 forgetting to introduce her. "Kat, Mandella, this is Diane," I said, smiling at the two girls as I introduced my friend.

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

"Nice to meet you," Kat said, forcing a smile as she stared intently at Diane.

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

As Kat silently scrutinized Diane, Mandella eyed Kat, while Diane stared 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 need to start my shift," Mandella 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 advancements of a mathematics problem I'm working on," Diane explained with the formality she always adopted when meeting someone new.

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

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

After paying a small fee and storing some of our things in the available lockers, we reached the bathrooms, following Mandella's lead.

"You have to shower before entering the pool. I recommend keeping your sandals on," Mandella 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 clarified for Kat and Mandella, who looked intrigued.

"You could've just said that," Kat said with a sarcastic snort.

"Come on, Diane," Mandella said with a wide smile, sounding inexplicably excited. Diane glanced at me nervously for a second before nodding and following Mandella into the women's locker room.

"Don't worry; we won't tell her anything embarrassing about you," Kat declared 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 minutes later, now dressed only in my swim trunks, I came out.

Since I had started exercising over five months ago, combined with the diet Case had put me on, I had visibly bulked up. My body fat percentage was low, and I had gained significant muscle mass, making my abs and the muscles in my arms and legs more prominent.

Standing outside the bathrooms for just a few seconds, I could feel myself becoming the center of attention for a few people. Trying to ignore the not-so-subtle stares of shameless onlookers, I spent the rest of the time waiting.

"Oh, look at you, Duncan. You need to go shirtless more often," Mandella said in surprise as she emerged first from the women's locker room, wearing her red lifeguard bodysuit.

"Sure thing, Mandella. 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," Mandella declared 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 contact.

"What?" I asked, confused. "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 glasses. 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, snapping me out of my daze as she stood beside Diane.

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

"It's okay. Did you know that the first modern women's swimsuit was created in the 1860s and consisted of a long-sleeved blouse and a long skirt that covered the entire body?" Diane said, avoiding eye contact and 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 declared sarcastically, catching both Diane and me off guard.

Somehow, I had forgotten 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 sunscreen she had in her other hand.

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

Skin cancer is no joke.

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

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

"Sorry," Diane muttered, bowing her head in complete embarrassment.

Once I was satisfied with the sunscreen on the front of my body, I briefly considered asking Diane to help me with my back but quickly discarded the idea, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable. 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 sunscreen on my back?" I asked a rather large woman, likely around Mom's or Mrs. Cooper's age, making my decision.

"Oh, sure!" she said enthusiastically, practically snatching the sunscreen from my hands. She firmly grabbed my arm to turn me around and immediately began applying sunscreen before I had the chance to regret it.

I had made a terrible mistake.

"And you're done," the woman finally said after several seconds of slowly rubbing my back with unsettling deliberation. I could hear the smile on her face.

Feeling violated by a woman several years older than me and ignoring 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 cleanse my body.

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

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

"Nope," I said, making a mental note never to look in that direction again. I swam to the edge of the pool where Diane sat, dipping her feet in the water. "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 contact 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 Mandella," 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, Diane, the pool isn't that deep. My shoulders are above the water," I said, standing up to show her while ignoring Kat's joke. "No matter what happens, I can hold you, and you won't drown," I added, lifting my hands out of the water and offering them to Diane.

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

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

"There you go, relax," 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 your legs 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, ignoring the slight pain from her nails digging into my arms. "Just keep kicking slowly," I said, taking tiny steps underwater to gently guide her movements. I could feel the pressure from her grip gradually lessening as she grew more comfortable. "You're doing amazing."

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

"Now that you know how to float by using your feet, you're going 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, placing my hand behind her knees to 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.

"Relax, 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, allowing me to gently support her back. "Try not to tense up, relax 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, watching intently as she floated relaxed, letting herself be carried by the water's ripples.

So immersed was I in watching Diane's peaceful state that I forgot we were in a public space with other people. Two kids, likely racing, passed quickly by us splashing Diane.

Immediately, as water splashed on her face, panic overtook Diane. She began moving erratically, causing her to sink. Fortunately, I hadn't moved far and kept my hands close, allowing me to stabilize her and pull her toward me.

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

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

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

"Yeah," Diane murmured, slowly loosening her grip on my neck and pulling away, avoiding eye contact entirely. "That was scary," she added after a few seconds 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 and gesturing with my head toward the children still racing up and down the pool.

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

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

"Is Diane okay?" at that moment Mandela's playful 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. 

Mandella continued to watch me with an amused smirk.

"Yeah, I noticed... well, _everyone_ noticed," Mandella said sarcastically, shrugging slightly and gesturing 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 particularly interested in us—especially the women, who, for some reason, were smiling at me in a strange way.

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

"Just try to remember this is a public space," Mandella 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 need to keep going," I added calmly, raising my hand and waiting for her to take it.

Looking worriedly at my hand for several seconds, Diane nodded, seemingly encouraging herself to continue before taking my hand tightly.

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

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

The next day, Friday, during the last class period, I was focused on finishing the day's assignment when the PA system crackled to life.

"PJ Duncan, please report to the Principal's office and bring your belongings. PJ Duncan," 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 backpack and stood up, bracing for the inevitable mocking _"Oooohs"_ that followed immediately.

"Why do they always do that?" I heard Sheldon murmur as I passed him—the only person in class 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 on the other end of the phone call. He stood up and placed the phone on his desk, leaving it off the hook.

The entire situation 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 office and 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 seconds of silence, I started to think the call had been disconnected and was about to pull the phone away from my ear.

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

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

"There's a case. You need to come in," House said calmly, ignoring my question entirely.

"You're an idiot!" I exclaimed in a low voice furiously, holding my head in my free hand as the tension left my body in frustration.

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

"I can't believe this," I muttered into the phone, still trying to process what had just happened.

"Really?" House asked mockingly.

"No, you're right, coming from you I can believe it," I admitted, correcting 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 can't. I still have forty minutes of class," I replied, frustrated as I checked my watch, deciding to ignore his tasteless joke.

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

Shaking my head furiously, I pulled the phone away from my face before snapping, "I'll be there in ten minutes," and slamming it back onto the receiver, ending the call.

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

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Author Thoughts:

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

Another chapter has passed, so new thanks are in order. I would like to especially thank:

RandomPasserby96

11332223

Victor_Venegas

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

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