I WAS SWIMMING faster and harder than I normally do. I was pushing myself further and doing more laps than usual. It was the easiest way to clear my head. All I had to focus on was the water, my strokes and myself. I was going back and further, lap after lap, without stopping. 

And when I finally did, I thought i was going to pass out. I rest my arms on the side of the pull, placing my forehead against my hands and breathing heavily. It was almost eleven and the pool was void of any other person. It was my favourite time to come swimming. 

The sound of hands clapping booms through the interior of the natatorium. I glance up instantly, slightly startled to see Chase slowly walking along the side of the pool with his usual smirk plastered across his lips. 

I laugh at him, "What are you doing here?" 

"Here's a better question, what you are doing here? Swimming at half ten to eleven?" Chase question as he crouches down in front of me. I rest my chin on my hand as I stare up at him. 

"As my asshole of a roommate once said, I needed to blow off some steam." I repeat as Chase chuckles, amused at my little dig. He glances around quickly and clasps his hands together, reaming crouched low to the ground. 

"Vera brought over some spare sheets as well as a few pillows and a comforters while you were gone." Chase explains as I smile softly at my best friend. Vera, Penn and I spent the entire afternoon cleaning up my room. It was a struggle but we finally did it in the end, "She said you can use them until the weekend because apparently you're going to shop till you drop. Her words, not mine." 

"Yup, that sounds like V." I laugh lightly to myself as I push off the inner wall of the pool and float back, stretching my arms out beside me, "Jump in Everett. The water's warm."

Chase chuckles as he stands up, pulling his leather jacket from his body and dropping it to the ground as he kicks off his shoes and socks. His shirt is the next to go and I sink lower into the water, my eyes just above the surface as I shamelessly watch Chase pulls his shirt off his body. I always enjoyed looking at his tattoos. 

Even though they scream danger and run, I was drawn to them and I wanted to reach out and touch them. 

Chase makes a running start towards the pool before curling up and cannonballing into the water. It splashes around widely and a large wave slaps me in the face. 

I was laughing uncontrollably as he bursts to the surface, shaking his head as he whips his wet hair out of his face. He spots me and begins laughing as well. He glides across the water towards me and stops a few inches away. 

"Hi." I giggle at him. 

Chase smiles widely as he stares at me. The blue light reflecting off the water and the light reflecting from his hazel eyes mixed together so gorgeously and I was speechless just gazing at him like a total dork. We tread water for a few minutes while facing each other. 

"Why do you like swimming so much?" Chase questions with a small smirk as I move my arms back and forth, creating mini ripples around my body. 

I shrug and glance down at the surface, "I use to believe I was a mermaid when I was little." 

"Well, you'd make a very pretty mermaid." Chase smiles so softly and I swear to god I almost drowned myself right then and there. Why the hell am I acting like this? I've seen Chase shirtless multiple times yet I started having damn heart palpitations when he took his shirt off earlier. 

It goes quiet and I continue to play with the water as I roll so many thoughts around inside my head. I bite my lip nervously as glance up, "Hey, thanks for fixing everything earlier. I know I wasn't the most understanding and cooperative person when you told me to leave but I was honestly drunk on rage." 

I was locked in my dorm room, warded by Noah, as we waited for Chase. When the teacher's rushed by us as we were leaving, Chase had apparently convinced them that two guys got into a fight and ran off. He made damn sure that no one else or Lea talked about the fight which I was really thankful for. 

"As you should be. What Lea did was a fucking awful thing and I'm sorry she did it. But there's a time and place, and today was neither the time nor the place. You could've gotten expelled." Chase explains as I listen intently, trying to hide the smirk urging to stretch across my face. He cared. "And fuck going through the whole damn process of having another roommate." 

I couldn't stop the smirk from spreading, "You'd miss me too much." 

"Eh, I'd get over it in a day. You're not that special, Jones." Chase jokes with a cocky grin as my jaw drops and I gasp, extremely offended. I launch forward, grabbing onto his broad shoulders and dunking him under the water. And thus started our very competitive water fight. 

And I never fucking loose. Especially to Everett. 

♤♤♤♤

We agreed on a truce about fifteen minutes later when we resembled drowned rats more than actual humans. We slowly glided towards the side of the pool to catch our breath. I sink down further, resting my head back on the tiles and stare up at the roof. 

I roll my head to the side, watching as Chase rests his chin on his forearms and is staring off in the other direction. 

"You know, you never got me a present for my birthday." I state as Chase glances at me out of the corner of his eye. He then sighs and fully turns to face me. 

"What do you want?" He questions as I rest my elbows on the edge of the pool. 

"A car."

Chase rolls his eyes, "Something I can realistically purchase." 

"You can realistically purchase me a car." I repeat his words in the same sarcastic tone as Chase laughs and flicks water at me while shaking his head. "Huh, fine. Then what can you get me?" 

"Let's see, I could get you some chips from the vending machine? A book from the library? Oh, what about the stapler from Mr Oliver's drawer. You know, the green one?" Chase explains and all I could stare at was his lips. Were they always this full and good looking or am I only noticing now. "Mrs Delaney is always stealing student shit I could break into—" 

"Kiss me." 

Chase freezes instantly as he stares at me in pure silence. Holy fucking shit. Did I just say that out loud? 

Welp. There's no backing down now. 

"That's free." I shrug, laughing slightly to try ease the tension, "We can forget about it tomorrow. It only stays here, just for tonight. I haven't kissed someone in a while and I'm not sure if I'm too good at it. Oh my god, that is the worst fucking excuse in the history of excuse is. You know what, just forget I said anything. I'm sure I'd  enjoy that stapler more anywa—" 

His hand cups one jaw while the other latches onto my waist. And before I know it, his lips are pressed to mine.

 I cling to him like oxygen as if I had forgotten to breathe. I wrap my arms around his neck, run my fingers through his hair and push my body against his. Our legs tangle under the surface of the water. Chase kept a strong grip on my waist and even though we were surrounded by water, I felt like I was on fire. 

I work my mouth against his, our tongues battling each other like a wrestling match. I couldn't quite grasp what I was feeling as he kissed me, but I knew damn well I shouldn't be feeling like this. There was something so right about kissing Everett that made everything so wrong. 

Chase breaks the kiss, leaving us both gasping for air as our eyes lock. His gaze was so intense that the already burning sensation that had covered my entire body intensified. 

A corner of his lips lifts slightly as he whispers, almost inaudibly, "What are you doing to me, Jones?" 

I open my mouth to retort when a loud sound of slamming metal explodes through out the natatorium. I jump, extremely startled and quickly grab Chase's shoulders and push him down into the water so his nose was just above the surface. 

"Oh, it's just you Hayden." Trevor smiles as he walks towards me and fixes his black belt, "I thought some other students had broken in." 

"Nope, just me." I smile as I feel Chase wrap his arms around my body and presses the side of his face to my stomach. I couldn't glance down but I knew he was having the best damn time of his life. 

"You're swimming later than usual?" Trevor questions as he folds his meaty arms. 

I nod, thankful that Trevor was standing as far away as he was. Otherwise he'd be able to see the top of Chase's head. I wasn't going to drown him, even though that thought has crossed my mind multiple times. "Yeah, school is kinda stressing me out at the moment." 

"Ah, I remember those days. Except my way of working out stress was eating it." Trevor chuckles to himself as I laugh nervously. He then glances down at himself, "Well, there's really no surprise there right?" 

"Don't say that, Trev. I swear that security uniform is getting looser." I brush through the air as a large smile stretches across Trevor's face. 

"Really?" He questions and I nod with two thumbs up, "Well, I haven't been eating less and I go for regular walks with my wife." 

I cheer, kinda proud of him, "Wow, go you! Every little bit counts." 

"Thanks, Hayden. I should let you get back to swimming." Trevor says, already heading back towards the doors, "Just remember to lock up and turn off the lights." 

"Will do." I wave before Trevor disappears behind the bleachers and I hear the closing of the door. 

Chase jumps up, gasping heavily, "Holy fuck, Jones, were you trying to drown me?" 

"Don't be dramatic. Your nose was above the water." I laugh as I pat his chest playfully. I then push away from him and climb out of the pool, swiping my cap and goggles from the ground. I glance over my shoulder as I grab duffle bag from the bottom bench of the bleachers. 

"I'm going to take a shower. You can have my towel." 

Chase grins cheekily as he floats in the water, "Can I join you?" 

"Ha, nice try, Everett." I laugh sarcastically before pulling my middle finger at him as I make my way to the showers. I hear him chuckling right as I push open the door and enter the girl's locker room. 

yoooooooooo another kiss. 

wonder if these little interactions are going to became a common thing? 

hmmmmmmm?