I Fell In Love With The God Of War (Boy x Boy)

Chapter Five: Not What It Seems

I hadn't tried to move for what seemed like minutes. Frozen underwater, lacking vision, lacking oxygen. I was sure I was going to die, if I wasn't dead already. I just floated there, somewhere at the bottom of the pool.

I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't see anything. I was sure I was dead. If I was dead, what was that crème colored face speeding at me?

"James!" a voice called from somewhere in the distance. "James, wake up!"

I opened my eyes, half expecting to see heavenly clouds. Instead, a pair of innocent and prim brown eyes blinked above me. Water spewed from inside me, gushing out of my mouth like a fountain, and then it hit me. This harsh and heavy feeling, which shocked me back to life. All the fear and panic detonated over my skin once again.

"Oh my god!" I choked, bolting upright, running my sopping fingers through over my face.

"James. James, are you OK? I thought you were dead, James."

I tilted my head to the side.

"New kid?"

"I prefer Dean... But, yes," the new kid told me. He had one of his hand on the back of my head. "Keep your head up, in case you need to choke up some more water. You were dead, you know. You actually died."

"I know. I felt it. I felt my lung burning. I couldn't move. I felt myself die. Something drowned me!"

"No one tried to drown you," Dean reassured me, helping me to my feet slow and steadily. "You must have hit your head or something."

"I didn't hit my head," I said. "I'm a good swimmer. Something strange happened. The water.... It did something."

"It didn't do anything, James. You're just in shock, OK?"

Squinting, I looked out across the pool. It was calm and clear. The water was nearly inside the pool, and there was no sign of it ever flooding.

"I can't explain it, but something happened to that water. It turned cold. It attacked me."

Cold and dropping wet, I looked deep into Deans eyes. He looked so concerned. He'd just saved me. He'd just saved me from drowning.

"There's something I need to tell you, James," he said. "There's something you need to know about me, I -"

"What's going on here?" Dad questioned from the corner of the room, scanning Deans dripping clothes from top to bottom. Obviously it made sense for me to be wet, but why would a fully clothed boy be soaked? "Are you boys having an argument?"

"No, coach.... Dean saved me. I must have hit my head, and I nearly drowned. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably be dead."

"Dean, if you go up to the locker room, there should be some spare clothes under my desk. Do you need a lift anywhere?" Dad asked him.

"I'm fine, coach. Thanks," Dean said. He looked at me, smiled faintly, and walked off towards the stairs with an awkward limp. When he'd disappeared upstairs, Dad started to walk away.

"I thought you were lacking in class. First, you get a bloody nose in dodge ball, then you get knocked over in the ring. Now, you nearly drown. What's wrong with you?" He stopped at the stairs for a moment. "I'll make sure Dean gets home. Go get changed in one of the other gyms and go get some sleep in your bed."

"Yes, coach."

All night, I tossed and turned. Loathing dreams of angry water drowning my body, haunted my sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about that night. How everything had unfolded so mystically. And, one question burned in my mind. What was Dean going to tell me?