Anaesthetic Heart

Sighing deeply, I lifted my hand and knocked on the door infront of me. It had been a while since Dad and i had last talked, seeing as he was always at council meetings or something else. He opened the door to the washroom, light pouring out. He smiled and pulled me into a hug, "Danielle, we should talk. Lizbeth told me about what happened between you and Faron. Whats gotten you so down about him?"

I sighed, "Its stupid, Dad. He made this huge fuss over some kids I was hanging out with, saying they weren't 'good'" I snorted angrily, making air quotes with my fingers, "It just wasn't right." Dad nodded, running a hand over his face.

"Do you think you'll forgive him?" Dad asked warily and I shook my head no, "I'm not saying you have to, but it may be nice. I suspect your waiting for an apology?" There's the ticket, I nodded. He just smirked a little and nodded his head. He moved, letting me step into the washroom as he headed back downstairs. I turned the tap of the sink and scrubbed my face gently with the warm water. I turned the water off, humming under my breathe as i dried my face and brushed through my thick tumbles.

My cellphone vibrated on the counter and i smiled as i flipped the phone open, "Wistful thinking, here for your service." I smiled at the lame joke of my last name.

"You'll never guess what just happened, " Wish gushed through the phone, her voice happy and loud in my ear. I just waited, and inking feeling that I already knew what she wanted to tell me. She breathed in deeply on the other line, "Mack asked me out! And I said yes." I laughed. They'd be cute together.

"That's fantastic, Wish." I smiled into the receiver, as I pulled my hair into a high pony tail. I looked out the small window of the bathroom and noticed it was snowing. Only three weeks until Christmas. "Will you pick me up again? Mack had to leave early this morning, and I'd rather not ride with Faron and them." I still wasn't talking to him, and things we really awkward between lizbeth and I. Only two weeks here, and I've messed up.

"Sure, no problem," I could hear her giggle on the line, as a little tug pulled inside me. I was quickly becoming attached to her, "Anything for you, Sexy." She purred seductively in my ear, and I burst out in laughter as I left the bathroom to make my way downstairs. Gran was in the garage tinkering with something loud, Dad was in the kitchen frying eggs, and Lizbeth and Faron were sitting around the island with textbooks in front of them.

Still on the phone, I dug in the fridge for some juice and sat down on the edge of the counter by Dad. Things were getting much better between us, and he stopped to pat my leg as I continued to chat away on the phone, "Did you finish the biology homework?" I gulped down the sweet liquid of the apple juice.

"No, but I don't care," She laughed, making me giggle. I felt eyes on me, and looked up to see Faron staring at me with a sour look on his face. I just returned the look and went back to my conversation, "But at least we won't have Pyhs-Ed outside anymore. They've repaired the Gym enough for us to use the pool this week." Her voice continued through the ear speaker.

"You mean I have to swim?" I groaned, chasing down a few tylenols with my juice, hoping to scare away the bit of a headache that had been palgueing me. I could hear Wish telling me it wouldn't be that bad, and that we'd suffer together. I just giggled my goodbye's and hopped off the counter, kissing Dad on the cheek as he watched me go. I went upstairs and finished getting ready. Two beeps outside told me Wish was waiting in the drive, and I raced down the stairs to join her, "Bye Dad!" I yelled, slamming the door on my way out.

Wish smiled the whole way to school, telling me about how she'd been talking to Mack non-stop the last couple days, and making sure I was okay with my two close friends dating. Beaming, I reassured her I was more than okay with it. Mack deserved an amazing girl, and Wish deserved a supportive guy. They fit like that one missing puzzle piece, perfectly. We pulled into a parking space and headed inside, going straight to find Mack so they could rendezvous. I leaned against my locker, as Mack whispered to Wish and they knotted they're hands together, both grinning wildly. "Ms. Wist,"

I turned and saw Zhen standing a few feet to my left, and I broke off from the couple to talk to him. He smiled, and the sharp pain rampaged my temples, "Hey Zhen. How are you?"

"I'm fine," His voice was quiet, but I could hear him perfectly, "Yourself, Danielle?"

I blushed a little at the sound of my full name, as Mack and my family were usually the only ones to call me that, "I'm just swell, thanks for asking." I rolled my eyes teasingly and his laugh filled my ears.

"You truly are something else, you know that?" He asked, as we headed off to first class biology.

"I've a vague recollection of that, yes." I smirked, letting my sarcasm slide across my words. Zhen just curled the corners of his lips up, his eyes bright with amusement, "Honestly though, I'm surprised you're talking to me."

"Oh really?" His smirk dropped a little, as he held the classroom door open for me.

"Yes, really, " I laughed, trying to get that smirk back onto his lips, "I've heard of you Zhen. You don't speak much. You mostly spend time with the Cradsaw's and them, or spend the majority of your time in the library." i sat down on my stool.

"Or the gym," His smirk continued, as he took his seat, "I hear the rumors too, you know. In fact, I support them." His golden eyes smiled, as students began filling the room. I felt another sharp stab to my temple, and looked up to see the blonde girl and Faron standing just inside the doorway whispering.

"Who is she?" I asked Zhen, running my hand absently over my temple. He shot his eyes to the door, his smirk fading.

"Naia," His voice was low as he crossed his arms over his chest, his voice dropping, "She moved here three years ago." I just nodded, realizing that was why she looked unfamiliar.

"Did you move here, too?" I asked, as more students filed in. Mack and Wish laughed from behind me, as Zhen cast his eyes over to them.

"I moved to Graghat the year you moved away," His smirk returned, and I found myslef smiling, happy that I had made the impossible smirk appear again.

I fought a small laugh, "It seems everyone knows about me here." I pushed my bag under the table, and leaned against the cold top of the marble. Zhen leaned gently against it as well, as Faron and Naia made their way to their table. He didn't say anything more, just looked at me curiously as the other two continued to mumble. I was about to say more when the teacher entered the room, her eyes bored as she surveyed the class. I could feel her eyes rest on me for a beat too long, but ignored it as my migraine returned with a vengeance, making me focus my attention on the work set in front of me.

When class was done, Mack found his way to my side and bumped his hip into mine, jolting me slightly, "Oh Hey, lovey dovey." I smiled, nudging him back. He just grinned. We made our way to the gym, finally excited to be inside from the relentless winter wind. "No Wish?"

He shook his head, and shot a longing look behind us, "Are you enjoying yourself?" Mack asked, as we pushed past the double doors that led to the largely lit indoor pool.

"With what?" I smirked, glancing around us. All the other students were piled on the bleachers on the far side of the pool house. There was a complete glass roof from which you could see the snow sweeping across the sky, the white pouring in and lighting up the room. Right when he was about to reply Parshly game in, a small smile on her face.

"Bathing suits in your destined size are in your lockers, and swim caps and goggles are in the bins provided. Change quickly, and start doing warm ups." She smiled, as we filed into the change rooms. I stepped past the doors, still searching for Wish. At my locker, I pulled out the black speedo everyone was holding. I slid on the one piece, and finished quickly. Back into the pool house, I saw students diving into the pool quickly all donning black and goggles.

A group of sour looking students glared at the pool from the bleachers, beside a group of long haired girls who looked on dreamily. My head throbbed, as I pulled my hair into a swim cap, and let the latex snap into place. My goggles were on, and I met Mack by the end lane. It was nearly empty, and we both dived in for warm up. The water was cold, but there wasn't much we could say. After twelve lengths, we pulled to a side and waited for Parshly's orders. "We'll be doing diving practice, so line up." Groaning, everyone climbed from the pool and down to the deep end.

We lined up 'Girl boy, girl boy' as each student took a chance at the proper diving form. Mack stood in front of me, and we joked at the back of the line. Someone came to stand behind me and I laughed when I saw a smiling, dripping Zhen. I noticed how skinny he was, but not untoned. His stomach was scultped and the gentle lean of his back told how graceful he was. There was an intricate tribal looking band that wrapped over his shoulder and chest, and another on his upper arm that looked like a little dagger and a word I could not make out. There was another on his other arm too, am I staring? I bit my lip and let my eyes roll on. His long hair was braided back, but not put up into a swim cap. "You look fantastic in a one piece," He winked at me. Mack leaned around my side and jokingly glared at him.

"Watch my girl, there." There was a serious tone in his voice, but his eyes were kidding. Zhen held up his hands defensively and conversation continued as the line moved. By the time it was my turn, i could see Mack climbing out and got ready to make my dive.

The water consumed me, and I kicked my legs gently underneath the surface. I was about to come up, but an ear shattering scream kept me under. When I did pull my head to the surface, everything was calm. No screamer was insight, but Parshly's lips were in a tight line. And as I finished the rest of my day, the scream rang through my ears.