--+------------------+-- The Jinx --+------------------+--
Chapter Four – Tryouts
They had laugh at her, called her names, and irritated her to no end. But today she would silence them all. Donning a simple black one-piece, Beth stepped out of the locker rooms and walked purposefully over to the edge of the pool. Coach McFadden stood at a row of low platforms used for diving starts. Already lounging about were seven other girls, who turned their heads as one to watch her enter.
While most of the Bayville girls were willowy and sweet, Beth had a hard-set look in her eyes. Putting her hands on her hips, she paused to watch the coach for instruction. One of the other girls, a petite girl called Kitty, stood up and gave her a pleasant wave. Beth's determined face faltered for a moment and she allowed a tiny smile in return.
"Alright girls, listen up." McFadden waved a meaty hand at the shallow end of the pool. "Everybody in."
As the eight young teens slipped into the water, Beth thought she saw a flash of white out of the corner of her vision. "Pietro?"
"Now – Johnson, Pryde, Jenkins, Snodgrass, you're up first. I want two laps, as quick as you can." She tossed down four sets of swimming goggles. "And remember, I only need three of you; do your best!" As hair was tucked tightly into swimming caps and goggles were positioned over the eyes, the coach blew her whistle – the race was on!
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"Man-I-still-don't-see-why-we-hafta-be-here." Pietro complained, sitting in the hallway just outside the poolroom.
"You know why. Mystique don't need a drowned Hawaiian; she'd get water all over the floor." Todd chuckled, squatting on the clean tile.
"Besides – what else is there to do?" Lance had his hands folded behind his head and was looking at the ceiling, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Hey guys, you should see this." Fred interrupted; his dark little eyes bulged slightly. As one, the other three boys turned their attention to the scene within the poolroom.
Inside, Beth and her three competitors were just finishing up. As they climbed out, their four observers gave a collective sigh. Water cascaded down tan legs, swimming caps were pulled loose to release wet tresses, goggles handed over to the next group. Beth and the other three sat down casually, watching the competition and mentally critiquing each performance. Beth felt rather at ease in the water. Johnson, Kitty, and Snodgrass were milling about, leaning casually on some towels and extending long legs.
"That .… is so .… cool!" Todd exclaimed, already debating whether to risk a journey towards a large body of water if it meant he could get closer.
"Still wanna leave Pietro?" Lance asked, smirking and unable to take himself from the beautiful scene unfolding before him. His eyes found Kitty and he let his eyes take in every inch of her petite form, trying to commit the whole thing to memory.
"Not on your life, Alvers." Pietro said from somewhere close by.
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All-in-all the tryouts took less than half an hour. A few graceful dives and a mess of apprehension later and Bayville had its newest swim team members, though only Coach McFadden knew exactly who.
"Results will be posted tomorrow morning in the cafeteria. I'd like to thank everyone who tried out." She spoke only half-heartedly, looking rather distracted. As the girls filed off to the locker room, Beth found herself staying behind.
"You can come out now – I know you were watching." She turned brown eyes on the foursome by the door. "You boys need to be a little more discreet about your hiding places."
"Who says we were hiding?" Fred replied, looking longingly at the door to the girl's locker room.
"Besides, Hula-Girl, you-might-have-passed-out-in-the-water-and-Alvers-was-hoping-for-the-chance-to-perfect-his-CPR-technique." Pietro smirked and Beth flushed red. Glancing at the lanky speed demon, she mustered her best frown and pulled a pair of thin gym pants over her suit.
"Well at least I'm not in the locker room." Pietro spouted off, folding his arms and looking cross.
"Where's Todd?" Beth asked, suddenly noticing the little guy's absence.
"Get OUT!" A horrible screeching burst from the girls' locker room, followed closely by a scared-looking Todd. Lance, Freddy, and Pietro began laughing hysterically as their comrade's plight as Coach McFadden hurled herself out after him, yelling all sorts of horrible insults and shaking a fleshy fist.
"Maybe we should be going." Beth called, watching as Todd scrambled up the high dive on the far end of the pool.
"And miss Wart-face getting creamed by Miss Testosterone? No way!" Lance laughed, letting Beth tug on his arm. Beth sighed and calmly donned a T-shirt and her flip-flops as the coach's tirade continued. With a silencing splash, Toad landed in the water. Coach McFadden seemed satisfied and sauntered back into the girls' room.
"Oh and Jenkins – you should know you made the team." The Coach called over her shoulder. Pietro commented quietly that some of the other girls had looked better in their suits and that's what really counted.
"Now that he has that out of his system, can we get going?" Beth whined, listening to a sputtering sound coming from the surface of the water as Todd scrambled out of the pool. She was trying to hide a grin and failing rather miserably. As they all turned to go, she felt Lance's hand on the small of her back. Somehow, even with Todd's little shenanigan, the night had turned out rather well.
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It was three in the morning and somewhere in the lower floor, a commotion was stirring. Beth groaned, and pulled the blankets over her head. Across the room, Aimi slipped out to investigate. Beth was slipping off into peaceful slumber once more when an argument broke out that seemed to shake the condemned old house to its very foundation.
But wait – that wasn't an exaggeration. The house was rumbling!
"Earthquake!" Beth shrieked and bolted downstairs, ignoring her lack of trousers. Taking the steps four at a time, she found Lance and the rest of her housemates gathered there and threw her arms around the nearest one to protect herself.
"Damn it, why does Alvers get all the luck?" Todd scowled, envious of the scantily clad woman clinging fearfully to the one she saw as 'Team Leader'.
"Hey Bet'! Easy! Is no big deal!" Aimi called, placing a diminutive hand on her roommate's arm.
"What?" Beth questioned, her mind finally awakening. "What's going on?" She tried to throw her legs over the edge of the bed and was disconcerted to find she was already standing and in no fact anywhere near the bedroom. What she had thought was a nightmare was still staring her right in the face. Another tremor passed through the house and Beth shrieked as a dusty old painting fell off the wall. The dust settled, and the house fell silent.
"Beth?" Lance questioned, watching the younger girl struggle as though half-asleep. The terror in her eyes moments earlier had been quite vivid. "It's alright; it was just a little tremor." He soothed, patting her head and looking rather at a loss.
"No, the house was shaking … Avalanche." She muttered, hardly hearing herself. Her voice was lower than normal. "Miss Darkholme said to watch your temper."
"Yeah no joke, Lance. Mystique's still ticked off from the last time you-" Todd recalled but was quickly silenced with a furious glare from the taller teen.
"It's okay; I have control of her now." Beth's voice was oddly dark and her words were clearly not her own. "Put her back to bed." A dark figure appeared at the top of the stairs, watching the collected group. He remained silent but a feeling of eerie calm passed over the group. As one, Beth and Aimi turned their eyes from him, unable to see him.
"You're not supposed to be out of your room, Whitstaff." Lance narrowed his eyes. His mind told him to behave but the suddenly-swooning girls angered him beyond the calming effect the young man upstairs was giving off. Todd and Fred left, mindlessly wandering through less confusing parts of the house.
"Just put the girls to bed, you git." Beth replied, her voice suddenly accented with a hint of British flair.
"Let them go." Lance gritted, being forced to one knee by some unseen force.
"When the Lady's done with them." The words, still coming from Beth, sounded odd – as though they were being forced out.
Lance let the girl go, watching as she tumbled to the floor. His hands met threadbare carpet to help hold up his quickly tiring body. "Let us go."
"Not a chance." Beth murmured, despite looking rather unconscious. The dark figure descended the stairs easily, pushing more of his energy against a struggling Lance. A cape of black and crimson billowed around him and bright eyes shone sinisterly in the dark.
Lance's knees quivered beneath him. His anger mounted and he reached out weakly even as his body dropped to the floor. A low rumble sounded from somewhere deep beneath the house and at last, all was quiet.
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