C3

The next day at school is for the preparation of the school club's registration. Mitchell Marcellus and his gang of four Lucas, Owen, Wesley and Marcellus himself headed down to get their names registered.

Jocelyn held onto Olivia as they made towards the swimming contest.

"The last semester I tried this, I almost die. I wouldn't be allowed to participate in swimming this year." Olivia explained.

"Well, that's pathetic. So, what are you signing up for?"

"High jump."

"Race? Race is no fun Olivia. There is no fun in it as others."

"That's where sooth my fragile bones."

"And you think those with fragile bones are meant for jumping?"

"Maybe. But,at least i will not be mocked for choking."

"Good for you."

They stood by the net at the football field waiting for Gwendolyn when Zoe and her gang showed up lining up with swimming contestants.

"Here comes the fish." Olivia retorted.

"Who?"

"The blonde girl. Nobody as ever matched up with her swimming skills. She had maintained the lead for the past four years in the school. And nobody has ever won her over. At least, nobody in history."

"Whao! There is actually someone."

"You can't beat her in this Jocelyn. She is meant for it. Who knows, she might be a mermaid."

"Or she might not." Jocelyn said.

Soon, Gwendolyn caught up with them breathing heavily.

"I had checked you up at the cafeteria. " She said panting.

"You really don't expect us to wait over there for you." Jocelyn fired.

"Cool."

"Where is Layla?" Olivia asked.

"She wouldn't come." Gwendolyn answered.

"So which club are you?" She asked Olivia.

"She isn't in any club. She wants sports. She is so scared to get involved with the clubs." Jocelyn explained.

"Why Olivia?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Gotta stay where I belong. And you?"

"Probably singing crew. Jocelyn?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Swimming."

"Sport? Why?" Gwendolyn asked furiously.

"Because that is what I want." Jocelyn answered.

Gwen grabbed her hand and dragged her to the back of the hall.

"You dare not join that sport Jocelyn. "

"Why shouldn't I?"

"You know what I mean Jocelyn. "

"I can cope if that is why you're so scared as if you want to shit your pants." She teased.

"This isn't funny Jocelyn. You have to desist from it. You can't do it."

"What are you Gwen? My Mum?" She asked angrily.

"I will inform father if you did not desist Jocelyn."

"Then go ahead. I wouldn't hesitate to inform him of what you are up to about Noah William. That will make us even."

Gwendolyn didn't talk for some seconds. She held onto her head and shook it vigorously.

They are going to be in a lot of mistakes if anybody find out their nature.

"Okay. Just be careful out there." She said at last.

"Now you are talking. Probably you should sign up for sport too. Your voice is woeful and you don't know how to play any instrument." Jocelyn advised.

"I will learn it Joce."

Gwendolyn watched Jocelyn walked back to the stadium to meet Olivia. She sat down on the chair thinking of the possibility of what might happen if the secret leaked.

She stood up and headed to the football pitch. She watched Jocelyn and Olivia queue with the swimming contestants. Not thinking twice, she headed to the music group.

"Hi ! I'm........ Gwen. Gwendolyn. I wanted to sign up for music." She told the girl at her front holding a violin.

"Yeah. That's cool. Nice to meet you. I'm Eleanor."

"Nice to meet you too Eleanor."

"Yeah. Do you have an instrument?" She asked her.

"No,I don't have one."

"Do you play any?"

"Not for once."

"Whao! Novice. Music?"

"Trying."

"That's a hit. If your voice is good you are welcome in my band."

"You have a band?"

"Of course. I play violin for them. Don't really have a good voice. But if you're good enough you might be lucky to find your way through to the Mitchell band. They badly need a female lead singer. That will be a hit. They are the most popular hit band in the campus." Eleanor explained.

"That's.....pretty cool." Gwendolyn said inhaling hard. She didn't know whether to smile or frown. What good will that make her? She would love to keep a low profile. Who cares about the Mitchells anyways? She just wanted to join a club and definitely not swimming.

Olivia waited as Jocelyn finished with the registration and walked up to her.

"Hi! Have you registered for your sport?"

"Of course. Zoe wants to see you." Olivia reported.

"Zoe? Who is that?"

"The fish I told you about. At my back." Olivia whispered.

Jocelyn looked through Olivia's shoulder and her eyes met that of Zoe and of her friends.

"What did she want?" She asked Olivia.

"How on earth do you want me to know that?"

"She might have hinted you."

"To hell with hint Jocelyn."

"Great. Let's go before she pluck my eyes off with those stupid and vicious eyes of hers."

Jocelyn grabbed Olivia's hand and they both walk down to the trio, Zoe, Penelope and Claire.

"Hi. I'm Jocelyn." She introduced.

"I know. Zoe" Zoe said.

"Nice to meet you Zoe." Jocelyn said.

"It has been a tradition of mine to test the ability of new intake in the swimming contest. Now it seems you're the only new intake this year. I bet you just got admitted. How about you show us your skills? Did you care for a challenge?" Zoe asked.

By now,some students had gathered to watch the scenario.They all know what Zoe is capable of doing. As for Jocelyn, she knows she dare not accept such challenge. It's been a while she had entered the water last and she wouldn't sell herself off by doing so now unless she wanted to show everyone the unexpected transformation. She knew if she mistakenly stepped into the water now, there is nohow she will avoid transformation and she will never let that happened. She looked at the swimming pool beside them and looked back at Zoe.

"I'm sorry. Swimming is really not my thing. I will probably drown." She said.

"Then, why signed up for the contest?" She challenged.

"Probably because I wanted to feel the water. It's just like a sport to me and a way to cool down the body. Why the stress? She retorted.

Claire and Penelope laughed hysterically and Zoe chuckled mischievously.

"You've got to be kidding me." Zoe said and unexpectedly pushed Jocelyn into the pool.she screamed.

Seeing the scenario from afar, Gwendolyn skipped the line and run as fast as she can to the pool where the students had already gathered to watch the scenario. She jumped into the pool after her sister.

"Go down Jocelyn!!!" Gwendolyn cried as she swam across to her. She can sensed the transformation in her. Jocelyn dived to the bottom of the pool and Gwendolyn swam down to her. She cuddled her in her arms and they twisted together.

"Don't breathe." Gwendolyn said as she began to transform too.

"I'm sorry Gwendolyn." Jocelyn apologized.

"Don't f***** talk." She almost barked.

The students were staring down at the pool trying to catch a glimpse of them to no avail. Some where even taking pictures with their phone. Gwendolyn used her memory con to distract the network of their phones that some of the videos captured never showed and the pictures were blurred.Olivia was shivering.

Two minutes later when the tail disappeared, they both swam back to the top exactly when the school aid arrived. Gwendolyn and Jocelyn climbed out of the pool. Olivia run down to them holding Jocelyn.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked and Jocelyn nodded.

Gwendolyn angrily walked down to Zoe where she was laughing with her friends as Olivia walk Jocelyn away.

"You think this is funny?" Gwendolyn demanded standing nose to nose with her.

"Zoe is my name. And yours?" Zoe asked mockingly stretching her hands forward.

Gwendolyn thought of lynching her to death but she think otherwise.

She walked away from her as she tried to feign their insultive words behind her and quickly walked up to the registrar.

"Excuse me Ma'am. You haven't sort me." She said breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry Gwen. I have finished sorting the students. I'm afraid there is nowhere left to fix you."

"Nowhere?"

"Yes, unless you wanted to join the swimming contest......."

"Of course not. Please ma, fix me somewhere."

"Let me check. Unless you will like to join the Mitchell's band. That's the only place I can fix you." The Registrar said handing a note over to her and left.

"The Mitchell's?" She murmured. She looked back and Eleanor was looking at her. She shrugged her shoulder and Gwendolyn signed.

"Where can I find them?"

"Let me take you." Eleanor offered.

Eleanor took Gwendolyn down to the sixth block, room fourteen where the music group usually practice.

"Here. If you need to see me, I'm in eight." Eleanor said walking away.

Gwendolyn stood staring at the number fourteen for some seconds before knocking. She waited, when no answer came she opened the door and entered.

Everywhere was rough as different kind of boxers, shirts, trousers and belts were either hang or left carelessly anywhere in the room. Leftover food packages, containers, ice cream sticks and so many were left at each corner of the room. She covered her nose with her palm.

"This is what Jocelyn always meant by saying it stinks. Now, it truly does." She spits.

She saw another room widely opened. The second room was neatly packed and well arranged. That's where they keep their musical instruments such as violin, guitar, piano, harp, a drum set and a trumpet.

Gwendolyn felt each instruments. The name, Mitchell was inscribed in all of the instruments. She didn't know a group of four will be bearing and carrying the prestige of another individual.

She heard voices and footsteps approaching, she quickly left the other room and stay in the dirty unkempt room. Then,the four entered, Marcellus, Lucas, Owen and Wesley. They were shocked to see her except for Marcellus who seems as though he has been expecting her.

"How did you get in here?" Owen asked.

"I know her. A new intake. Perhaps she wanted to have a taste of her papa. Hope you don't think that's too early? I didnt have much time today. Or what do you think? You wanted?" Marcellus asked smiling while sitting down and other laughing hysterically.

Gwendolyn feigned their harsh words and stupidity as she thoughts. She tossed the note to his chest.

"Whoa! Are you the new recruit? Lucas asked walking round and sniffing her scent.

"You smell nice." He added.

Wesley left them for the instruments room. Marcellus opened the note,he didn't read it. He tore it into pieces.

"I don't want you." He pronounced angrily.

"Are you serious?" Owen queried.

"Can't you see how she tossed the goddamn note on my face? Walk her out of this place." He barked.

"Okay." Owen said trying to tip Gwen off. She yanked his hand off and walked out of the room vowing under her breath never to return.

"You shouldn't have done that Marcellus." Lucas said.

"That was an insult. My parents dare not toss stuff on my face." He said angrily.

"Look here Marcellus. This will be the fifth person you will chase away. Do you remember what the Principal said? She said this semester registration is our chance of getting a lead singer or else she will not assign anybody to us again." Owen highlighted.

"Yes, I chased them away. Do you think anybody can match up with Charleigh?" Marcellus asked angrily.

"We are not saying they can match up with her. But we have to give them a try. Nobody can replace Charleigh. We all know that. Let's just give it a try." Lucas admonished.

"But not this one. Maybe another." He said walking into the instrument room and start beating the drum set angrily.

Gwendolyn walked down angrily to where Jocelyn was sitting with Olivia.

"What's the problem?" Jocelyn asked.

"It's time to go home. Bye Olivia. "She said dragging Jocelyn away towards the school gate where Olivia looked on surprisingly.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Jocelyn asked angrily yanking her hands off Gwendolyn's grip.

"And what do you think back there before jumping into the pool?"

"I didn't jumped into the pool. I was pushed and you know that."

"You should have stayed away from it when I said so."

"And that makes you what? My mother? To be directing me everywhere because Leo said so? To be choosing for me as if I'm a kid or what?"

"And that is the outcome of your maturity Miss Jocelyn. Getting pushed into the water. I thought you should have done better back there without my help just to prove your seniority."

"And who asked for your help Gwendolyn?"

"And you think I will allow you to sell us off to the public just like that?"

"I see." Jocelyn said realising maybe someone had probably provoked her sister to make her seems to be boiling with rage. With no more comments, they headed home.