Call of the Water (COMPLETE)

9. AVOIDANCE

"What is the meaning of this?" Professor Fortius seethed through clenched teeth.

I said nothing. I forced myself to withstand his stare even though I was trembling with fear. I knew I was in trouble.

"Do I have to remind you of what I said on your first class?" His cold stare froze me on the spot. He then turned to the rest of the students and asked, "Did anybody else forget?"

None of them said a word. Not even Opal.

"The goal of my classes is not to teach you how to be the best you can. The goal is to make sure you do not attract unwanted attention to yourselves. I thought I made that very clear, but I suppose I was wrong. Because, clearly, miss Azora needs to be reminded again! Do you know," he returned his stare to me, "what is the current world record in 200-meter freestyle swimming?"

A huge lump in my throat prevented me from speaking. Unable to respond verbally, I just shook my head left and right. No, I did not know the answer to his question.

"For women it's just over one minute and fifty seconds. For men, one minute and forty seconds. Do you know what your time was?" he asked in a quieter voice, tilted his head to the side and looked even deeper into my eyes.

I shook my head again. The droplets of water flicked away from the wet strands of my hair, and danced around my face only for a split second before the gravity pulled them towards the blue tiles.

"You finished your two hundred meters in one minute and twelve seconds. Do you see the problem?" he addressed me as if I were a child.

"Yes," I said quietly.

"You do. Well, I'm glad you do. Could you then explain what possessed you to sit comfortably on the bottom of the swimming pool?" His massive figure towered over me, casting a shadow across my face.

I remained quiet. Unable to withstand his stare any longer, my head bowed.

"Do you know how many humans could do what you just did? Sit for several minutes at the bottom of the pool, in water less than three meters deep?" His gruff voice seemed to have paralyzing effect on my vocal cords, so he answered his own question. "None! And do you know why?"

"Buoyancy," I murmured.

"Yes, buoyancy! Tell us what it would do to human beings." He took a few steps back to make sure the other students could see me. It was a lesson for them too; crossing Professor Fortius was a bad idea.

"It would lift their bodies up," I answered despite the fear that was threatening to consume me.

"Exactly," Professor Fortius emphasized. "And how come it doesn't affect you in the same way?"

"My bones are denser," I managed to say. My eyes remained glued to the light blue tiles that bordered the pool.

"And why is that so?" His voice became softer but it wasn't enough to diminish the fear within me.

"Because I am not a human."

"Yes! You are not a human!" He approached me again. "Don't you think that they might find your Aquantien abilities strange?"

I bit my lower lip and crossed my hands in front of my body, to reduce their quivering.

He must have noticed it, because a tone of sympathy snuck in his voice when he said, "I heard about your human parents, but let me assure you, not all humans are as open-minded as them."

Why did he have to mention my parents? I lied to them. When I had spoken to them just a few days ago, I told them everything was fine. The truth was, everything was not fine. Nothing was fine. I knew it, and now Professor Fortius knew it as well because the next thing he said to me was, "You are excused for the rest of the class."