Listen to What If by Johnny Orlando x MacKenzie Ziegler

This chapter is dedicated to @meosjinyeoja_19'cause she's sweet.

Meera Bagwat

Present

It's been a whole week since I ditched Stella in the swimming pool after our...kiss.  I'd retired to my bedroom with treys of alcohol to accompany me.  

My life is fucked up again.  I'd gone back to being miserable invisible chalkdust again.  Ranjit pretended to be concerned for a day or two, but then he went back to ignoring my terrible self.  

I've been to the pool with Stella for only two days, but something about her constantly kept her in my mind.  I could not stop thinking about that twenty-four hours in which I didn't drink even a sip of alcohol.  It was after the first day after we met at the pool.  Something about her wanted to make me feel sober and sane.  I haven't felt like I had to be in my right mind for a really long time.  I can't even remember the last time I put effort to impress someone.  

But Stella unconsciously demanded these from me, and I let her.  

Suddenly, I wanted to see her.  I wanted to see her face, her smile, and I wanted to let her try and try again to get me to talk to her.  

All at once, I found my self hurrying towards Stella's house.  I banged my fist sharply on her front door.   Breathless, I wondered why I was even here.  

I waited, trying to search for an excuse to be here, but my brain had stopped functioning several minutes ago. But just when I was about to turn and leave, the door open.  

A tired Stella stood in front of me, rubbing at her eyes when she saw me.  Her lips parted in surprise.  "Meera?"

I gulped when I finally took her entire posture in.  Stella was a breath-taking beauty.  Otherwise, she wouldn't be looking flawless in a pale red shirt and old shorts.  

"Hey, I'm sorry.  I was just...taking a nap." She said when I just stood there dumbstruck.  Her wild curly hair was everywhere.  

"Uh," I looked around, still unable to find something to say to her.  

What would I tell her?  Hey, I kinda like you and I just wanted to see your face?

"I--well, I am going to the pool.  I wanted...to ask if you wanted to come with me." I blurted.  

Stella stared at me in confusion before her expressions snapped.  "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah!  I'm coming."  She puffed in exhilaration.  "I'll just go get my swim bag." 

I thought I blushed when I saw how much I affected her.  

While she huddled inside to get her bag, I ran to my own house to pull out my swimsuit and other stuff.  When I came back outside, Stella was waiting by her porch, spinning her car key with a finger.  

"Uh, hey!  I thought..." I started, uncertain if I was demanding too much, "...maybe we could walk." I said.  

_

When Stella came out of the changing room in her swimsuit, I shamelessly stared.  I clearly knew that I shouldn't be doing it, but she was drop-dead gorgeous.  My imaginary pants dropped to the floor. 

Shit, shit, shit!  Meera!  

Get it together, I scolded myself. 

But the fact that Stella stared too made it harder for me to control my hormones.  She absorbed my face with her intense gaze, moved down to my neck, my bosom, my abdomen, the entire length of my legs before they met my eyes again.  

When she realized that I've caught her staring, I smirked.  

An amused smile spread across her full lips.  "I guess we both need to stop ogling each other." she mocked.  

I rolled my eyes.  

"Meera, did you see this poster?" Stella suddenly spoke in an excited voice.  "It's for a local swimming competition," she said when I turned to see what she's pointing at.  

It was a big blue poster that looked like someone had hastily stuck it there with the least amount of cello tape as possible.  The sides of the paper poster fluttered with the wind.  

I read the title.  Local Swimming Competition with a twist

"Mmm," I mumbled as I read the instructions lazily.  

Aren't you tired of competing against each other?  Are you tired of finding a Relay team?  Don't worry!  Here's the perfect competition for you.  You'll have to be a team of two.  You can compete in this race with your spouse, your best friend, your swim partner or just about anybody.  Go grab them and start practising.  

"We should enrol." Stella remarked, her eyes gleaming at me with expectation.  

"Uh, I don't know," I drawled.  "I really lost a lot of my speed." 

Stella scoffed.  "There's so much time to practice.  We have around three months." 

"I'm not really a 'competition' kind of person." I uttered, trying to escape this trap.  I have stayed a bland life for a very long time that any new challenge sounded like a battle to me.  And I was scared of losing.  

"It'll be fun," she begged.  "Don't think of it as a competition.  We can do it for fun." 

She just stood there, putting her hands on her hips.  When I turned to face her, she was glaring at me.  Her pretty dark eyebrows were pulled together in a disappointed grimace.  

"What?" I cried, looking away immediately.  

"Meera," her voice was deep and serious.  "Look at me." 

Embarrassed, I gazed at her eyes.  

"I want to participate with you.  Will you swim with me?"

"Okay, fine." I surrendered to her protests.  "Don't cry." 

"Yes!" she squealed.  

Even though I never ceased to wonder why in the world she liked me, I still liked this feeling.  At least a little. 

"You're the best," she jumped and I thought she was going to hug me when she advanced forward.  

But when her hands reached my shoulders, they pushed me back.  I flew back towards the pool, flailing my arms and legs to grab something but I only caught air.  Then I sunk into the electric chill water, gulping water into my lungs in shock. 

"You bitch!" I laughed when I had composed myself and had come to the surface.  

"Fooled you!"

_

"It was fun today." I smiled at her as we walked back home.  

Her eyes locked with mine and she beamed.  

We walked in silence for a while.  It wasn't awkward.  In fact, it was a satisfied silence of mutual understanding. 

"Thanks." I mumbled.  For what, I didn't know.  

Stella did not reply, but her hand slid down to touch mine.  

Knowing that I won't be drinking today, I intertwined my fingers with hers. 

Please vote and make me smile.