The first day of diving class was terrible. Their teacher was very rude and nasty. She made most of the students very uncomfortable. At the beginning of class, she told everyone they had to pick a partner for their diving and swimming classes.

"We will be doing open diving and open water swimming," Mrs. Hatten declared. "One of my top rules is 'never swim alone.'"

Tommy nervously went into the boys' locker room and ran into a changing room. There was no way he was going to let any of the boys see his scars. At the end of class the previous day, he asked Mrs. Hatten if he could wear a pair of longer swimming trunks. But that was a mistake.

"No, Mr. Oliver!" Mrs. Hatten yelled. "It's bad enough I have to teach you. All the teachers seem to like you and your girlfriend. All they have done is talk about how great you two are. But, I will prove them wrong. I will find something to show them that they were wrong about the two of you. You will still be required to wear 16 inch Speedo swimming trunks. I only work with students I like."

Tommy glances down at his white swimming trunks. They just barely covered his ugly scars. What if someone saw them? He knew that he could never explain how he got them. Kimberly knew about the scars. But, he was going to be her future king. Maybe he was just overreacting and things couldn't get worse. Or could they? Tommy walked out of the changing stall and left the boys' locker room. He walked down the hall until he reached his locker.

"So, how did your talk go with Mrs. Hatten?" Kimberly asked when he took a seat on the bench. She was dressed in a light pink one-piece swimsuit and she looked really beautiful in Tommy's eyes.

"I had no luck," Tommy confessed as Kimberly put her duffle in their locker. "I know Mrs. Hatten doesn't like me very much, she was nasty to me-"

"-I know," Kimberly interrupted as she took a seat next to him. "I saw she was nasty to you yesterday when she made you give up your locker to a girl named Sabrina. She either had to share a locker with someone, or she'd have to use a broken locker."

"If it wasn't for you agreeing to let me share a locker with you, I'd be stuck using an old rusty locker that smelled like rotten vegetables," Tommy stated. "It's bad enough that we have to have Mrs. Hatten has a teacher."

"I don't like her either," Kimberly whispered. "She does everything she can to find something to criticize you for. She got everyone laughing at you when she asked you if you tried to give yourself a haircut and messed it up."

"I still don't understand how she knew I had long hair," he told her. "There is something about her that doesn't seem right."

"I have that same feeling," Kimberly admitted when they took a seat on the floor.

"The only thing I like about this class is that you are in here with me," Tommy stated. "I'm glad that we have the same schedule and get to stay together all day."

...

Kimberly looked up at the sky, staring at the clouds looming on the horizon, "Do you think that they'll come this way?" she asked.

Tommy glanced at the clouds as well, "Probably, but not until later, unless the wind picks up."

"Stop grumbling," Ms. Hatten growled, "and line up, we're going to the lake for class today," she announced, looking straight at Tommy, "It is very important that you stay with your partner."

The wind howled around them, whipping towels from shoulders.

"It looks like that storm is moving in fast," Tommy called out, "Is it really a good idea to go swimming in this weather?"

"Are you teaching the class, or am I?" Ms. Hatten demanded.

"I'm just saying," Tommy insisted.

"Just get in the water, and stay close to your partner," Ms. Hatten ordered, "We're going to be practicing our open water swimming for the next few days."

Tommy and Kim looked at each other nervously, glancing at the fast-approaching storm clouds, as Ms. Hatten blew her whistle.

It did not take long at all for those far-off clouds, miles away, to suddenly become overhead, the current grabbing and dragging on the students.

Kimberly sputtered as she was dragged under for the tenth time and fought to pull her head back up over the water, "Tommy," she called out.

Tommy turned around, watching as Kimberly went under the water once more, before turning to Sabrina, who was swimming next to him, "Head to shore," he ordered, over the howling wind, "I'm going back for Kim."

There was a sharp whistle from the shore, "Everybody out," Ms. Hatten called out as the rumble of thunder cut through the sky. Even she knew better than to force the students to swim outside in a lightning storm.

Tommy ignored her order, as everyone else forced their way to the shore, most of them, having seen how dark it was getting had made it to the shallows before now. but Kim was still struggling in the water.

In no time at all Tommy found himself by Kim's side, "It's okay, I'm here," he announced, as a giant wave washed over them, pushing them under.

Kim opened her eyes to find her still underwater, Tommy next to her, trying to tug his swimming shorts loose from an old anchor that had snagged them. Kim quickly lunged forward grabbing his trunks, and yanked at them, ripping them free, before grabbing Tommy and pushing their way up to the surface.

Tommy spluttered as they broke the surface, gulping in large gulps of air, "We need to get to shore," he gasped out, striking out towards where he had last seen the teacher.

...

Tommy helped Kimberly up out of the lake as everyone came running towards them, as the clouds decided that they no longer could contain the water that they contained, dumping down on the already wet class.

"What's going on," one person called out.

"Look at Tommy's legs," another shouted.

Ms. Hatten stormed forward, grabbing Tommy's trunks and ripped the second leg off, revealing more scars.

"What happened?" another student asked, pointing to the scars that ran up and down on his legs.

Tommy froze, glancing at Kim, how was he going to explain this?