Chapter 23 SHIFTING TENSION
Godiva’s POV
I wanted to confront Jerald so badly, but Leo’s presence just sort of complicated things, it made me feel frail.
To avoid him, I quickly got down from the rock and approached a group of 11th graders who sat in a circle close to the water body.
“Can I join you?” I asked politely. “Why not?” they replied, adjusting.
I was happy to finally be away from Jerald.
My joy was cut short the second he picked me up from the ground and headed to the water.
What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Jerald? I felt my overfamiliarity with him had made him take me for granted, always doing things to me out of his own volition.
He didn’t answer me, he just carried me like a baby in his arms.
I knew that gesture alone meant trouble.
Hearing the murmuring and cheers from other students meant one thing, “probably Rachael or someone was coming for my head.”
“Please Jerald, put me down,” I begged in between screams and laughter.
Ignoring me, he threw me into the water, which caused a louder cheer, making everyone join the party.
“I can’t swim,” I snapped angrily at Jerald as I crawled out of the water. “You’re lucky I didn’t drown,” I added, walking away as if I didn’t just enjoy it.
Grabbing me by my waist, he picked me up and carried me back to the water, but this time around, he didn’t throw me. He held on to my waist and led me to a deeper part of the water. .“I’m coaching you on how to swim right now,” he said, smiling and revealing his one-sided dimple. “You should be grateful,” he added, slowly letting go of my waist.
Before I could protest, he held my waist again, burying our heads under the water. I tried resisting, but I couldn’t break free from his tight grip.
This was indeed a confusing moment. He wasn’t forceful in any way. I was enjoying it, but at the same time, I wasn’t. My mind was wandering around.
What if Leo is watching? What will he make of this? Wouldn’t he call it flirting?
For a second, I stopped trying to resist because his firm grip around my waist made me feel a little relaxed, it gave me a feeling of comfort I had never felt, it made me forget all about Leo for a second.
Slapping myself back to reality, I struggled and broke free from his grip and walked out of the water with my heart thudding. I couldn’t even look back to see his reaction.
Everyone sat in a circle, waiting on the warmth of the sun to dry their clothes when someone suggested a truth and dare game.
My heart began to pound loudly, almost bursting out of my chest because I finally saw Leo. And he approached, he might have probably watched all the subtle flirting with Jerald.
“Or I was probably just overthinking things. But Jerald is a flirt! This minute, he is with Rachael, the next he is with toxic Liz. Oh my God, what have I gotten myself into.” My mind was a mess.
The game began, and my nerves almost popped out because Leo joined in.
As the game progressed, Dina and I kept giving eye signals to leave the game. Truth and dare had never been our thing, we called it a “chaotic circle.”
I was about to stand up to leave when the bottle stopped spinning, facing me.
“Truth or Dare?” everyone chorused. “Truth,” I answered, looking confused. “What has been the best part of the trip so far?” Huldah, an 11th grader, asked.
I was mute for a second. Memories of the best part of the trip quickly flashed through my mind, and Jerald was in all of it.
How was I to tell people the best part of my trip was being on Jerald’s back, or dancing with Jerald, or minutes back when Jerald’s warm hands held on to my waist firmly.
“When my boyfriend got me a gift,” I answered with a sarcastic smile.
Everyone began clapping and cheering “Leo.” I guess that’s the price I had to pay for dating the captain of the school’s basketball team.
Dina and I decided to stay back when we realized the circle wasn’t so chaotic after all.
The next series of spins became chaotic once more. It stopped on Brenda, and she stood up for a dare. She picked Jerald, and the unthinkable began to unravel before my eyes.
They forced her to give Jerald a lap dance, and he didn’t even feel shy. This was a girl we all called the school flirt.
Today she was with Hakeem, giving him a hickey, tomorrow she was in the hands of Williams, desperately kissing him as if her life depended on it, and then before we could fathom it, she moved on to the next victim.
When they gave the dare, Jerald looked unnaturally calm. He glanced at me for a few seconds, and I was sure Leo caught sight of the tension between us.
I saw him whisper some words to Dina, and her body jolted.
What the heck was my precious boyfriend telling Dina? I was deep in thought when the applause from the class broke the silence.
Brenda had suddenly begun grinding on Jerald’s lap, and I wasn’t even able to do anything about it. After all, it was a dare. Nothing harmful.
After five minutes, the dare was officially over, and I heaved a sigh of relief.
Jerald tried to explain himself, he mumbled something to my ear, but I wasn’t having it.
I tried to change my seat, but then Hakeem rudely interrupted.
“Stick to the sitting pattern, Goddamit! Stop breaking the rules for your childish drama,” Hakeem shouted.
I wanted to punch him in the face, but nothing prepared me for the next spin and the turn of events that followed.
The host rolled the bottle, and it spun sporadically.
I could hear my heart skip a beat the second the bottle faced Leo.
“What moment of the trip do you wish to rewind?” Ben asked Leo, who was already smiling.
“The irreplaceable moment I assisted my love down the rock,” he replied, blushing without wasting a second.
What the hell? Which love was Leo talking about?
He escorted Dina, not me.
What the hell is going on?