Chapter 4: The Unexpected Dip
"Okay, just a few missions, then I'm totally done with this rabbit stuff. How hard can it even be?" Manon mumbled to herself. Her brain felt like it was still trying to process the whole talking rabbit thing – Ray. And school today had been a complete chaotic mess.
Beep! Her smartwatch flashed, the screen displaying: First Mission: Talk to Robin. Now. Manon's stomach did a little nervous flip, like when you go down a small drop on a roller coaster. Only 30 seconds until the dismissal bell!
8, 7, 6, 5... Ring! The hallway instantly turned into a stampede of students rushing out. Manon, however, slipped away from the crowd and headed towards the indoor pool. It was huge, the water a sparkling blue, and thankfully, completely empty.
She sat down on the cool tiles at the edge, trying to come up with something, anything, to say to this Robin guy. Her mind was a total blank. It was like trying to catch smoke with her bare hands.
Standing up, she found herself drawn to the water. It looked so calm and inviting. Almost without thinking, she dipped her hand in. "Warm," she whispered, a small smile touching her lips. Then – thump!
Her foot caught on something, and the next thing she knew, she was tumbling forward, landing with a splash in the cool water! She sputtered, pushing strands of wet hair out of her eyes. "Seriously?" she muttered, turning around, completely annoyed.
Standing at the edge of the pool was Robin. He had dark hair that looked a little windswept, dark, intense eyes, and a face that was, well, undeniably handsome. But right now, his expression was definitely not happy. He looked downright annoyed.
"You're not supposed to be here," he said, his voice cool and a little sharp, like ice cracking. "This is for the swim team."
Manon's cheeks instantly felt hot. He was so… ugh, annoying! But also, if she was being totally honest with herself, kind of… mesmerizing? Nope! Focus, Manon, focus!
He held out a hand towards her. "Need a hand, or were you planning on doing some impromptu swimming in your uniform?" There was a hint of something in his voice, maybe not quite amusement, but not as cold as before.
His touch, when she took his hand, was surprisingly warm and firm. He pulled her up with ease, and Manon tried to ignore the little jolt that went through her arm. "Thanks," she mumbled, her gaze fixed on the wet tiles at her feet.
"You're shivering," he observed, his voice losing some of its icy edge. "And your face is… really red."
Manon could feel her cheeks burning even more fiercely. "I'm fine," she said quickly, turning away and taking a step. "Just… a little damp."
Her wet shoes slipped on the tiles, and she almost went down again. In her flustered state, she didn't notice the delicate bracelet on her wrist slide off and fall to the ground.
Robin watched her hurry away, a small frown creasing his forehead. He glanced down and saw a small, delicate bracelet lying on the wet tiles. It definitely wasn't his. He bent down and picked it up, tucking it into his pocket.
Manon ran until the pool was completely out of sight, her breath coming in short gasps. "Never again," she whispered to herself, her heart still pounding in her chest like a drum solo.
Beep! Her smartwatch screen lit up: First Mission: Robin. Complete. Below it, a new message appeared: New Mission: Make him fall for you.
"What?!" Manon exclaimed, stopping dead in her tracks. "Make him like me? That cold, annoying, handsome… jerk? No way! Absolutely no way!"