Chapter Six
By: Sokai
Disclaimer: I, Sokai, do not claim ownership to the workings of W.I.T.C.H. -- I leave that honor up to Elisabetta Gnone. However, I can and DO claim to own this story and its inspired ideas FROM said series, as well as the original character, Sitara/Amandella.
Note: Chapter Five sucked in MY opinion, but a lot of you fancied it, all the same (Sweet! LoL). Thanx for that. LoL And then a few of you, it seems, are getting impatient as to finding out what this story's TRULY about, and what Amandella's deal is. It happens. LoL But, SERIOUSLY, here: if I already revealed that, it'd be SO rushed and pointless that NO one would continue to read on. But expect much more of the plot (if not the entire plot) to be revealed by the seventh or eighth chapter, most likely. Enjoy! LoL
This chapter was written/created in April 2006.
"Great practice, everyone! We're sure to win next week's swim meet! Now, hit the showers!" Wilhelmina's swim coach, Gracie Foster, cheerfully bellowed to the swim team variously emerging from out of the spacious, Olympic sized swimming pool in Heatherfield's Recreation Center.
The team had just finished concluding yet another successful practice, with every member performing at their peak best. And despite its usually rigorous routine, Wilhelmina still had energy to do a few more laps if she'd wanted -- which she'd readily decided that she would.
"You guys go on ahead; I'm gonna stay in and squeeze in some more laps," she announced as she put her swimming goggles back over her brown eyes, the only one left within the pool.
Gracie merely shook her auburn colored head and chuckled lightly before leaving.
"You know, Willsers, if it were actually possible, you alone could make up the entire team and still win, if you had it your way. But, as my star 'fish,' I don't want you to overdo it -- only two or three more laps, at most, you hear?" she declared lightheartedly as she referred to her student as the nickname she'd branded her with despite frequent protests.
Wilhelmina smirked gaily at the older woman before releasing her grip from the side of the pool.
"Yeah, yeah yeah -- and that's Wilhelmina, not 'Willsers,' for the billionth time, Grace. Catch you later!" she called out to her friend and coach as she watched her begin to head towards the locker room.
She giggled softly once she saw Gracie slightly cringe at having been called "Grace" instead of her preferred name of "Gracie."
And now you know how it feels, my friend: you hate being called 'Grace' because you think it makes you sound like an old woman, just as I hate being called anything but 'Wilhelmina' now, because it makes me sound younger and less authoritative if I am, Wilhelmina mused to herself silently, waiting until the older woman had completely vanished behind the door to the locker room before tearing her eyes away and focused them back onto the lapping water surrounding her.
Now that swim practice was over, the pool was now reopened to the general public at that time; however, despite that, Wilhelmina was still the only one currently floating within it. This posed as a good thing for her, for then she could concentrate better on her more weaker swimming techniques, such as the dreaded (in her opinion) butterfly stroke.
"Actually, it's too bad no one's entered the pool just yet -- I could use someone to compete against to help push me to improve," she murmured thoughtfully to herself, about to recommence swimming.
Suddenly, as if on cue, Wilhelmina heard a great splashing sound emitting from her left. Turning her black swim cap covered head, the young woman caught sight of another, slender young girl effortlessly swimming a great distance underwater before at last coming up for air by the halfway mark of the giant pool and continuing on freestyle.
"Whoa . . . I've never seen anyone move that fast before -- well, maybe except for myself on the videotapes of past meets, or Irma back when she was . . . well, 'normal,'" said Wilhelmina to herself in surprise, as her white colored goggled eyes remained glued to the increasingly small, wavy figure of the female newcomer.
"Now, that's someone I could honestly consider great competition . . ."
In mere minutes did the lone swimmer come back to the other side of the pool where Wilhelmina remained treading water, completely stunned at the champion like display.
Waiting until the girl had properly caught her breath and relaxed a bit to say anything to her just yet, Wilhelmina merely began to study her as discreetly as she could. Wearing a one-piece black colored swimsuit, white swimming cap and black tinted goggles over her undetected colored eyes, the red head honestly could not make out much, physically speaking, save that the other girl was considerably pale by comparison.
Wilhelmina briefly marveled at how the two seemed to be direct opposites in that respect, as well as attire, as Wilhelmina's own swim wear consisted of the same items except reverse in color.
At last satisfied with her inspection and before she had known what she was saying, Wilhelmina suddenly blurted out,
"So, you wanna race me, or what?"
Wilhelmina wasn't sure who was more surprised at that moment, herself or the now understandably startled girl (who apparently hadn't realized that she was being watched, let alone with another pool occupant).
Where had that come from? It wasn't the proposal that now had Wilhelmina wondering, because she had been honestly thinking of asking the other woman to do so, regardless. However, it was the way she had asked, with such harsh, aggressiveness she truthfully didn't have the faintest where it was coming from.
Where did that come from? And why do I still feel on edge and so defensive all of a sudden? That's not like me . . . I was feeling so relaxed and soothed the entire time before, she questioned herself inwardly, forgetting for a moment that she was no longer alone as she began to dive (no pun, intended) deeper into her reflective thoughts.
". . . U-um . . . Excuse me? You want to race me, you said? I, uh . . . I don't know. I mean, I just swim for fun, you know? To relax and enjoy it . . . It's sort of a rare passion of mine, if you will . . ." the girl meekly stated, trailing off after she slightly put emphasis upon the word "will" for some odd reason.
Having done so seemed to daze her, for she raised a wet hand from out of the sloshing water up to her equally drenched forehead and rested it there for a few moments. Wilhelmina, however, remained undaunted as she slowly swam a little closer to the apparently apprehensive young woman and lightly frowned.
"Come on. What's the worst that could happen? I'm only asking because you seem pretty good, and since I know I'm good, better even, it'd only serve as a good warm up for me, and . . . perhaps motivational experience for you," she replied with the same tenseness from before, her mind still not completely registering the mysterious transformation but could do nothing to prevent her mouth from speaking in such a manner.
Looking from Wilhelmina to the other side of the lengthy pool she'd just finished swimming across in seemingly record time, the coy girl sighed lightly before nodding in consent.
"Good! So we'll do this the same way that you did -- freestyle," instructed Wilhelmina a bit mischievously, as freestyle was her personal best style, as well as favorite.
That'll definitely give me an edge over her, even if she can swim it pretty fast, herself, she thought logically, gearing herself up to begin as the other did as well, however a bit insecurely.
"On the count of three, we'll go. Ready? One, two, three!" shouted Wilhelmina heatedly, immediately submerging her entire being under the water as the two women began their race.
She couldn't see the other girl or the progress she was making, but she didn't care. She never did whenever competing against others during her meets, so why start now? The only thing that mattered was making it to the other end of the pool first to win . . . another thing that was greatly peculiar to the cardinal haired woman.
Whenever competing in her different events, Wilhelmina honestly never focused upon winning, but only upon finishing and giving it her all. So, why was it that, all of a sudden, that seemed to be the only thing that mattered, when it honestly shouldn't be?
After Wilhelmina had made it across to the other end of the pool several minutes later, she immediately lifted her head up both for air and to see if she'd come out of the race victorious. Unfortunately, however, that was not at all the case.
There, much to her dismay, clinging to the floating, plastic lane dividers for support (not that she needed it, it appeared, given that Wilhelmina was the only one of the two to be breathing heavily in exhaustion), was her unidentified and mysterious competition.
"Uh . . . I guess this means I win? Don't feel bad, though, because it wasn't by much -- only by about . . . three minutes," the triumphant girl declared softly in an apologetic manner that Wilhelmina was not at all in the mood for at that moment.
Holding onto her own lane divider, herself, Wilhelmina merely stared at the other girl incredulously a few moments as her brain gradually registered what had been verbally transmitted.
"Three minutes? Three minutes? My God, what are you, infused with mermaid DNA or something? No one's ever beaten me by that much, especially not in freestyle! That's my best event -- although, I suppose not anymore. Boy, do I need more practice," exclaimed Wilhelmina more so in shock than upset, before trailing off into a bit of a self-loathing mumble.
Her freestyle superior lightly smiled at this and blushed slightly.
"I'm sure you don't. Maybe you are just having an off day, or are just tired from swimming so much before," she softly reasoned, her body resembling a buoy as it began to bob up and down as a result of the pool's continuously moving water currents rolling around her.
Feeling less aggressive, however more sarcastic than anything else suddenly, Wilhelmina merely shrugged.
"How'd you know I was swimming before this?"
". . . Because your skin's considerably prune-like? And, since mine isn't just yet, as I just got into the pool, I just assumed that you've been in here a while," the girl clarified with an unforeseen and surprising edginess, as though the two women had somehow switched roles.
What is the matter with me? One minute, I want to throttle this girl for some odd reason; the next I want nothing to do with her; and now, I suddenly have a strong urge to squeeze the living daylights out of her with bear hugs, Wilhelmina mentally lamented, as the two continued to gaze at one another through their slightly water-blurred goggles.
These are the weirdest "growing up" hormone trips I've ever heard of and unfortunately have to go through first hand . . .
"Yeah . . . well . . . You're a pretty good swimmer, all the same. If you're not already on a swim team, you should definitely join the one at your school if it has one. That is, if your parents don't mind your engaging in sports or whatever -- mine don't, at all. In fact, they're a bit too supportive, come to think of it," she complimented, loosening her grip upon the dividers.
Apparently Wilhelmina had struck a nerve, for the other girl instantly tensed up at this.
". . . I don't go to school, and . . . and my parents . . . they're gone," she revealed a bit tonelessly, bowing her head slightly to gaze down at the water.
A wave of guilt washed over Wilhelmina the same moment another current of water caressed her back. However, she wasn't sure if it was guilt over her obviously having brought up a hurtful subject, or . . . because she was in school and still had her parents.
Regardless, however, the red head knew that an apology was in order.
"Hey, uh . . . I'm sorry . . . Sorry for everything, actually. My aggressive behavior earlier, I mean. I'm not honestly like that usually, so I don't know what happened," she apologized a bit morosely, watching the other girl continue to gaze at the water around them.
"I . . . It's all right. I'm actually usually not this passive, myself, otherwise I probably would've just ignored you or . . . well, curse you out as I usually do to rude people," she replied nonchalantly.
"And as for my parents, it's something I've lived with for a while now, anyhow . . . Oh, and I'm actually not in school because I've already graduated and am in college -- well, except I've decided to take the semester off, that is," the girl finished, looking back up at a surprised Wilhelmina.
This girl looks to be around my age, and she's already in college? Now I feel even more stupid and foolish than I did before, she thought to herself, eyes widened.
"Yeah . . . I wouldn't necessarily call myself some sort of prodigy or something, though . . . it's just . . . Well, I didn't exactly have a lot of friends to hang out with growing up, and so the only other thing left to do was to study . . . And I guess it sort of . . . stuck over the years."
Silence claimed the two young women for a few moments after that, as an awkwardness filled the air. Finally, the other girl cleared her throat and looked at Wilhelmina with softened eyes.
"You know what's funny? I'm truthfully never this open about my personal business with anyone . . . Yet here I am, 'gabbing away' to you like I didn't just meet you twenty minutes ago. This is also the most . . . 'at peace,' if you will, I've ever felt -- well, besides when I swim, but it's different . . . somehow . . ." she informed gently, causing Wilhelmina to smile softly.
"Actually? It's strange . . . but I feel the exact same way . . . Weird . . . But, since we seem to be hitting it off so well, we might want to properly introduce ourselves. I'm Will . . . er, I mean, Wilhelmina," she corrected, extending her hand out to the girl as she also felt curious of the sudden urge to refer to herself by her old nickname.
Gazing at her hand for a moment, the other woman nodded lightly as she began to extend out her own.
"Wilhelmina? That name sounds . . . cool. I'm S . . . um, Amandella. Nice to meet you . . ." she murmured, before smiling back and finally seizing the other girl's hand.
Suddenly, before either girl knew what was happening, the world around them went black as all energy left their bodies and they felt them sinking slowly underneath the water . . .
YYYYYYYY
"Honey, can you get that, please? It might be David! I keep missing his calls -- I don't want him to think I don't want to see him anymore!" Cornelia heard her mother call out to her excitedly from the kitchen the moment she'd walked through the front door.
"Sure, thing, Mom! Because I only just got home from the gym and am beat, but okay then -- I'll be your secretary for taking any and all of your new boyfriend's calls," the irritated, sweaty and fatigued blonde mumbled under her breath as she headed into the living room to answer the obnoxiously ringing telephone.
"Hello? Hale and Wells's residence?" she said a bit flatly into the receiver, collapsing down onto one of the big sofas placed within the area.
"U-um, may I please speak to Cornelia?" asked a frantic, shaky and petite sounding voice.
Cornelia narrowed her blue eyes in curious suspicion, despite the voice sounding rather familiar.
"Who is this? If I know you, why didn't you call my cell phone, as I prefer all of my personal calls are received there instead? And if I don't actually know you, how did you get this number?" she asked with hostility, rubbing her forehead in a soothing manner to lull her growing headache away.
"I-I did call your cell phone, but it was turned off and I needed to contact you now. And, you do know me, C-Cornelia! It's me, Hay Lin!" revealed the now sobbing voice on the other end, causing Cornelia to sit up at this.
"Hay Lin? That is you, isn't it? What's happened? Why are you crying?" she inquired, her own nerves becoming tense and alert.
True, the two had fallen out and it didn't honestly seem like the younger girl cared much for her any longer as she barely tried to keep in touch, but that didn't mean that Cornelia would ever wish ill of her.
Hay Lin could be heard taking deep, calming breaths before she replied.
"I . . . I'm crying . . . I called to . . . for a reason, but . . . But, now I've called for another: Will's been rushed to the hospital!"
-- End of Chapter Six
(A.N. OMG, Will's in the hospital? What happened? I'm scared! LoL Not really, no. LoL I was gonna write more beyond that, but that's a pretty good cliffhanger, and now Will fans might cry and lose sleep over this, worrying if she's dead or alive. LoL And I KNOW the scene between Will and Amandella might have seemed a tick confusing, and that's just fine. TRUST me, if what's in my head before I wrote it continues to pan out, then you WILL get it later . . . I hope. LoL Knowing MY luck, probably not. LoL When my friend read it, he was like, "Dude! Will and Amandella have a crush on one another now, I just know it! Look at the effect she had on Amandella, who's usually btchy and distant! I'm TELLING you!" I could just laugh, because he was that adamant about it LoL He has a point though. But then again, he ALWAYS thinks EVERY chick in stories or whatever has a crush on another chick. You're crazy, Matt. LoL
But, yeah, I'm getting a bit anxious for chapter seven, because SO much is going to happen in that one, that I'm not really confident it'll work out well. I've been thinking it over for a few days now, and running it in my head, and every draft I've written hasn't worked out fluently. So, yeah. Wish me luck! LoL Oh! And if/when you review, please tell me more than it was a good chapter. That is, I'd also love to know your opinion of what happened in it, and just plain feedback, you know? That way, I can/cannot improve on the story. Thanx!
Oh! P.S. LoL Since I don't honestly know what Corny's Mom's maiden name is as I do know Taranee's Mom's maiden name, I just made one up and said it was "Wells," after my friend, who ironically has the same first name as well,Elizabeth Wells. So, yeah. Don't leave a review saying it's wrong, because yeah. Just told you. LoL However, if you DO know what it is for real, feel free to let me know and I'll change it later on. Thanx!)