OKAY SO I already knew which sport Alex participated in. If his constant basketball practice was any indication. Or wait, maybe it was the arrogance and cockiness that gave him away. I guess we would never know.

As for Liam, I would have simply pegged him for more like a chess guy but nothing about him had made him a straight up nerd. More like a modified version of a nerd if you catch my drift. But he was a genius so it was almost a given that he was also great in things that required him to use his brain a lot.

I found the pool a floor below the complex. Apparently it had always been there. I mean an entire floor that is. But hey I'd only been here for two weeks that's all.

I admired the hockey field as I passed it to another indoor basketball court. How nice. But I wasn't exactly sold on either of them. I chose this time to come down here when school had been over and almost everyone had already left. But it obviously wasn't the case as basketball and hockey players were practising. I told myself I wasn't looking for anyone when my eyes kept straining to the basketball court. Yeah I know. So keep your judgments to yourself.

The clear blue water didn't really call out to me as I stared at it. Probably because I couldn't swim. I could kick. Yeah that I could do efficiently. And Violently. But did it stop me from drowning? No. Sadly not. I didn't think anyone had time to teach a seventeen year old how to swim for her to join a school team. That boat had long since sailed in my books. No-one had time for that. I definitely didn't. So I didn't really bother with it. Since I had fulfilled my curiosity, it was time to bail.

"What the hell are you doing here? Are you following me?"

The angry voice shouted from behind me and it startled me so much that I whirled around in panic without properly calculating the move I made. I didn't have time to scream as I lost my footing and I unceremoniously tumbled into the swimming pool. I kicked as violently as I could but that didn't stop me from going under, bitter water getting into my nose and mouth.

"Fucking..." I cursed before I submerged again.

"Asshole!" Stars danced into my vision as I saw a figure standing there, gaping at me in absolute and complete horrific shock.

"She's fucking drowning you asshole!"

Yeah I am busy dying here.

I thought as I seconded the other person's voice. The guy really was an asshole. Watching me while I drowned to death. Imbecile. He should wait until I had my hands on him. I was going to beat him black and blue he was going to limp for a whole week. A month seemed more like it.

"Are you okay?!"

I gave a thumbs up just as the frantic voice asked. What could possibly be wrong with me? I was just casually chilling in the pool while cold nasty water filled both my nose and mouth. I was just dandy.

I heard a huge splash seconds before I lost my consciousness. Not really because I was half aware as strong hands grabbed me by my waist pulling me from my death. I would have been relieved if everything didn't feel so... far away.

"Move away. Give us some space." I tried to focus on the voice, the person desperately trying to call my name as I started feeling insistent pressure on my chest.

"Come on Lanaya. You're stronger than this!"

The pressing on my chest eased just as I felt something warm and wet on my mouth. My first instinct was to move my mouth over whatever it was until I fet air being pushed down my throat. Then the pressing resumed again before I connected the dots. The other person was applying CPR. But for some reason the urge to move my lips over the other person's lips became so strong as they pushed more into my lungs.

"Come on don't do this to me. You can't just die by drowning. That would be too embarrassing for you. Maybe being hit by a truck. But I doubt that would take you out either."

"You aren't doing it right. Move aside! Let me do it!"

"Like hell I would. You choose now to react. It's not like you weren't casually watching her drown to her death."

True that!

The voices were so familiar and so within reach yet so far away I didn't know what to do to stop the bickering. Or maybe even add a little bit of fuel to the fire. That sounded like a lot of fun.

"Please wake up."

The voice closest to me said and I could hear the fear and desperation before I felt his lips against mine again. Insistent this time. I gasped loudly before turning my head coughing up water, grimacing at how disgusting that was. Kids had their butts in that water.

"Yuck s-so grosss." I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, slowly opening my eyes.

"Y-you're okay? Of course you are."

A face started forming on top of me but before I could fully regain my vision, the sudden urge to move my lips over his from a few minutes ago slammed into me so hard I didn't have time to think. So I did the only reasonable thing I could do. I grabbed him by the neck, pulling him closer to me until his lips landed on mine. He froze for only half a second before kissing me back with a loud groan. He pushed his tongue into mine and I pushed mine into his, dominating the dance. He moaned as he pushed his lower body on me.

"Hey get off of her!"

Another voice shouted and it was like being woken up from a dream you weren't sure was either good or bad. I pushed his face away with a gasp before I swung, connecting my fist with his jaw. Whoever he was, his jaw was pretty damn hard.

"Fuck."

He groaned as he fell on his back but the sucker pulled me with him and my legs somehow landed up on either sides of his torso, straddling him. I shook my head to clear my vision and the face that assaulted my senses was that of Red toes, looking at me with a dazed smug expression. I frowned trying to remember why I was on top of him.

"You can punch me anytime and all you want if you can kiss me like that."

My eyebrows jumped into the ceiling as I scrambled off of him.

"Hell no. Oh no way."

I somehow kept slipping and falling when I tried scrambling away from him, until a strong pair of arms effortlessly pulled me away. I was suddenly roughly pulled against a hard chest and since I wasn't one to be coddled, I trashed against the new person holding me captive.

"Hey ease up big guy. Let go of me!"

I groaned when I was suddenly turned around and my face steeled when I realised who it was.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anyway? Oh My God, I am so sorry." Liam ran his hands over my face and I glared at his show of concern.

"Mhh. So there is a fox in my henhouse."

I turned my glare on full force at the guy who had kissed me a few minutes ago. It was enough that I still felt his lips against me.

"Shut up. And you."

I whirled around to the ashen faced Liam.

"I'm sorry Lan I..." I glared harder.

"It's Lanaya!"

I said at the same time as Alex did. I hated nicknames but I didn't know what his excuse was so I chose to ignore him.

"I..." Then his face contorted to that of anger.

"What on earth were you even doing here? It's your fault that you fell in. Like seriously, why would you even come here when you don't even know how to swim?!"

Oh so he was shamelessly playing the blame game. I didn't have time to think about consequences as I pulled my foot back, placed it on his chest and pushed. Hard. He screeched as he fell backwards into the pool, which made me smile with some odd sense of relief. Alex started laughing so hard I had half a mind to push him in as well.

Like a swimming champion who was born in the water, Liam effortlessly sprung out of the water and came up within seconds.

"Hey what was that for?" He threw his hands at me accusatory.

"For being an asshole!"

I glared at Alex when he said that at the same time as me again.

"Do you even have to ask?"

He chucked but I ignored him facing Liam who was climbing out of the water.

"Do you even have to ask? You nearly killed me today you know that right?"

"That wasn't on purpose."

"Not only did you cause me to fall into the pool, you just stood there while I was drowning. To my death!" I was exasperated.

"I panicked okay. I didn't expect to see you when I came from the locker room. And you falling into the pool was the last thing I expected. I mean how could you not know how to swim?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You're the swimming champion but how could you silently watch her drown."

"To her death!"

Alex shouted as the same time I said.

"To my death!"

I groaned facing him.

"Would you just stop? What are you even still doing here?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe I'm probably still too dazed from a punch I received a while ago for saving your damn life!"

He rubbed his jaw then gave me a mischievous grin.

"Oh but the kiss though, that kiss sure as hell covers up the bruises. What do you think? Do you want to practice more of those kisses behind the school?"

He wriggled his eyebrows to make his point.

"Would you shut up already? I was unconscious so that doesn't exactly count for anything. The only time I'll probably ever consider kissing you would be when I'm drowning and half unconscious. And the chances of that happening again are mmh...."

I pretended to think about it.

"Slim to none. So I wouldn't hold my breath if I were. Unless of course you want to. Then that would be of great help because I wouldn't have to commit murder. Imbecile."

"So in other words, eight o'clock? My house?"

He winked with a smirk which I so desperately wanted to wipe off.

"Would the both of you shut up?" Liam's nose flared as he looked from me to Alex. Then back to me, his earlier annoyance slightly seeping away.

"Look, I'm sorry Lanaya for scaring you..." Liam started but I raised my hand to stop him from running his mouth.

"Okay, stop right there buddy. Who said I was scared? I wasn't scared. Not at all. Not even the tiniest bit. I am never scared." Alex chucked but closed his mouth when I shot him another glare.

"Okay then for um..." Liam bit his lip searching for a better word and for some sick reason, I thought that was pretty adorable.

"Okay, for startling you. I'm sorry about that."

"Damn right you should be. You startled me. I am never l startled!"

"I bet you aren't."

"Just shut up already!"

Liam and I said it together this time. Alex pouted playfully but turned it into a glare at Liam. I sighed looking around for my things.

"Got a problem?" Liam sneered.

"Yeah. A huge one. With you. But I know of a great way to solve it." He retorted clenching his fists. Liam smirked dryly.

"Of course violence would be your solution. What would you do without your fists?" He said in a mocking voice.

They continued to exchange a few heated words and I groaned totally over it. They behaved worse than children. Whatever their problem with each other was, it didn't pique my interest. Curiosity, maybe but that was in the smallest amount unimaginable. When their standoff didn't seem to let up anytime soon, I looked around for anything that might be mine ready to hit the road. Sunbathing seemed rather fitting in my current state.

"Both of you are hopeless. As much fun as watching a kitten fighting a hyaena is, I'm rather not in the mood to witness any of it. So you can argue when I'm gone. See yah."

My bag was in my locker, thankfully, which meant I just had my phone.

"Hey, where are you going?" Liam asked gently.

"Home obviously. Where else?"

"I can drop you off." I raised an eyebrow before rolling my eyes.

"No way. Not happening." I raised a finger when Alex opened his mouth to offer.

"You came here because you wanted to say something. What is it?" Liam asked looking annoyed by the second. I rolled my eyes.

"Not to you. I said bye."

**********

Damn that took a while. Three months since my last chapter.

I hope that won't be the same on my next chapter.

5 March 2024.

So a little shout-out to Scandal for that little fox comment. I laughed so hard when I watched that scene. Fitz was so funny.