It was bucketing rain as I hopped off the bus outside the rusted gates, and I sprinted for the relative shelter of the outdoor locker area. As usual, there was a mess of people going on, but I navigated the crowd with ease, dodging the unfriendly glances thrown my way. I was used to them, but they still hurt, and I counted my lucky stars unfriendly glances were all I got these days. I'd been bullied mercilessly when I'd first transferred to Blackgate High, but after a few meetings with the headmaster, my bullies had left me alone, though they still liked to call me names as I made my way through the drafty halls which were very reminiscent of an 18th century castle - as indeed this place had once been. Situated on a hill, it presented a commanding view of the countryside, and though it was a nightmare to navigate, it had plenty of nooks and crannies where one could hide if one was feeling slightly overwhelmed.
The warning bell soon rang, and we made our haphazard way inside. Not all of the castle was in use, but what could be converted into classrooms had been, with the rest of the castle supposedly "off-limits". Not that it ever stopped the more adventurous among us, and the staff generally looked the other way whenever someone went exploring during lunch, just so long as no damage to person or property occurred. I myself didn't explore much, preferring the company of books to people, but sometimes, if I felt brave enough, I'd venture up into the westernmost tower and pretend I was lord of the castle. 98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwP2W6s5m13
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"We're going to be covering the reign of King Henry VIII today," Mr Gladstone announced in his dry, rusty voice. He'd been almost beaten to death as a child, and his vocal cords had never recovered. Despite that, he was a very good teacher, and if any of them could be my favourite, it was definitely him. "I presume there won't be any issues?" he added, casting a stern eye over the class. Jerome and Joe, two of my bullies, shrank down in their seats; Mr Gladstone could give bollockings in the most measured, even tone imaginable, and it had far more effect on the recipient of said bollocking than shouting or swearing. Jerome and Joe had been the two worst tormentors, but Mr Gladstone had given them an extra hefty bollocking, and they were meek as lambs now whenever I was around, as if fearful of getting a follow up.
Mr Gladstone nodded. "Good," he said. "We are all here to learn, gentlemen, and even though most of you don't care to know about our country's ancient history, there are those who do. If I hear of stolen essays, damaged library books, and smashed USBs, I'll be very sure who to look at first."
Phil leaned over. Someone's on the warpath, he signed. Phil had been born deaf-mute, and though his deafness was now mitigated by the use of hearing aids, his muteness had never been cured. Phil more than made up for it, though. I suspect our friends over there might be seeking other pastures now that you're off limits.
I rolled my eyes. That's a them problem, I signed back, taking advantage of the brief lull as Mr Gladstone addressed a few questions from the boys at the front of the class. So long as I'm out of the firing line, I don't care. Though their new targets might have something to say about it. 98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TC7tGQ2I7
Agreed, Phil signed. 98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQJvjwz0Zp
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At lunch, Jerome and Joe came storming up to me as I waited to be served. "You been snitching again?" Joe demanded, glaring at me from his not-very-impressive height of five-foot-two. I'd once been terrified of him, but nowadays, I wasn't really scared, not when I topped him at five-seven.
"Me?" I said. "I've got better things to do with my time."
Joe glowered but let it go. "You keep your mouth shut," he warned, balling up a fist and waving it under my nose. "Or there'll be more than just a knuckle sandwich waiting for you at the end of the day. And don't think you'll get away with it by sucking..."
"Ahem."
Joe looked behind me, went white, and made a run for it, with Jerome following after. I raised an eyebrow. "Nice work," I said, turning to my rescuer. Dominic had the face of an angel, the mouth of a sailor, and the temper of a fishwife all rolled into one. He also had a severe lack of tolerance towards sexual innuendos. Joe in particular had been on the recieving end of some truly nasty words, and since then, he'd avoided Dominic like the plague. "Thanks for that," I added.
Dominic shrugged. "Anything for a friend," he said. "Besides, I figured little Joe was backsliding a bit. Figured it wouldn't hurt to remind him of where he stands on the pecking order of people I want to punch in the face."
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After lunch, I was more than happy to join my next class; swimming. Coach Jess - the only female teacher in the school - was a former Olympic swimmer, and when she found out how good I was in the water, she'd taken it on herself to turn me into just as good a swimmer - if not better. Phil and Dominic often teased me about being the favourite, but Coach Jess believed in fairness, teaching everyone equally, while adding a few tweaks to the more promising students, without making it look like she was favouring one student over another.
In short order, we were set to work on our different drills, and as the other boys got to work, I settled my goggles firmly, adjusted my cap, and dove underwater.
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At once, the surface world was silenced, and it was just me and the water. Nothing else existed but the ripples of light over the tiles, the muffled gurgle of the water in my ears, and the slowly increasing burn in my lungs as the air slowly depleted. Coach Jess had told me never to push myself, however, so, after two and a half laps, I surfaced, and the world crashed back in on me once more. Coach Jess gave me a thumbs up. "2.31," she said, holding up her stopwatch. "You came very close to breaking your personal best. Take a few deep breaths and then go again."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpn9rIlCcC
I nodded, holding onto the side of the pool as I got my breath back. Coach Jess also stressed the importance of taking deep breaths after being underwater for a prolonged period of time to flush the excess carbon dioxide from one's system, and when I felt ready, I swam back to the shallow end to go again. 98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gC3XXc2u4
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Again the surface world vanished, leaving only peace behind as I concentrated on the immediate sensations around me once more. Here, I was free; there was no one here to torment me, or bully me, or call me names. And there was definitely no one here to ignore me, or to leave me to more or less fend for myself. Underwater, I was prince of my own private world. 98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyb1iKBrLB
But I couldn't stay under forever, and eventually, I had to come to the surface again. "How'd I do?" I called. 98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKK9VCRi4S
"2.54," Coach Jess said, smiling as she showed me her stopwatch. "You're getting much better. I'll have you try some static apnea tomorrow, but I must say, your dynamic apnea is very good. You could easily become a freediver if you really wanted to."98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmsHZ80LOn
I felt myself blushing, and not just from the praise; Coach Jess was a very attractive woman, and many were the nights when I fantasized about her whilst - ahem - attending to business. But I knew I wasn't the only one; even Dominic, who'd been a victim of sexual abuse from his mother and older sister, spoke highly of Coach Jess, and he'd admitted more than once that perhaps she'd be kinder to him if such things happened. Not that it would, not for any of us, but it was still nice to have fantasies. "Thanks," I said. "That means a lot to me."
Coach Jess nodded. "I know the feeling," she said with a rueful smile. "You feel up to doing a couple more laps?"
I glanced at the big clock - class had around ten or so minutes left. "Sure," I said. 98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvil28QlkB5
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