"Hey, is he seriously gonna wear that to the pool again?" Chase drawled, a smirk curling his lips. The red-haired boy swinging his jammers chuckled at the remark.
In the far corner, Eric sat in his usual spot, dressed in a long-sleeved surf suit, fitted swim pants, and black rubber gloves. He was just about to tug his cap over his curls when Jayden collapsed onto the bench beside him, panting like he had just outrun a cheetah.
"Dude, take a break," groaned the boy on Jayden's other side, wrinkling his nose. "You smell worse than a damn sewer." He stood abruptly, putting distance between them.
Jayden sniffed his shirt, eyes darting in mild confusion. "Not that bad," he muttered under his breath.
Eric ignored them both, slicking his curls neatly beneath his cap.
"Hey," Jayden nudged him with an elbow. Eric responded with only a scowl.
"I saw Natasha in the hall. Do you think I should confess today?" Jayden's words tumbled out in a rush, but Eric only stuffed his things into his backpack without answering.
"Maybe I should push her into the pool, then pull her out like one of those magazine superstars." Jayden gestured dramatically with his hands, acting out the scene. "And right there... right there, I'll confess." He clasped his palms to his chest and shut his eyes, sneaking one open to peek at Eric. Still, silence.
"Well, that's one way to guarantee a breakup." The guy with the red hair walked up to them while adjusting the swim trunk sitting tight on his thin waist just below his prominent abs. With a body that slick, it was hard to pass up the fact that he's a dominant alpha.
"Breakup?" Jayden's eyes widened. "Why would she break up with me? We're not even dating yet!" He whined.
"Exactly," he chuckled. "It'll end before it even starts."
"Josh, shut up if you don't have anything useful to say."
Josh only shrugged, grin widening. "Eric agrees with me"
Jayden looked at Eric with pleading eyes, silently begging for backup. Eric zipped his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and gave a brief nod.
"Yes!" Jayden pumped his fist into the air in victory.
Josh gawked. "What?! There's nothing fun about that plan. She'll dump you and your sorry ass in the pool!"
"Eric is never wrong," Jayden said smugly, sticking his tongue out.
Josh groaned. "You're such a kid. Go hit the showers before you make a bigger fool of yourself."
"Shut up," Jayden whined as Josh's laughter echoed through the crowded locker room. Eric shut his locker with a sharp clang, the sound lost in the surrounding noise.
"Is he really just gonna sit there and watch us swim again?" came Jayden's muffled voice from behind.
"Doesn't look like he's dressed for it," Josh replied, hands on his hips, gaze fixed elsewhere.
Eric followed his line of sight. Their attention was on the new guy, the one who kept showing up to swim practice in his school uniform and hoodie, never once entering the pool.
"That's bullshit," Jayden muttered with a sneer. "He's just gonna kiss the bench all day while we work? Doesn't even know what he's missing. He should pick another sport instead of being a pervert."
Eric said nothing. But his eyes lingered on the boy. Nalleyville was a town that fed on stomping the inferior ones. Most Omegas were being looked down on because of their genes. Easily bullied and fragile like they were nothing, that pissed him off the most.
A firm smack on his back snapped him out of his thoughts. Josh's smirk softened into concern. "You good?"
"Yeah," Eric murmured with a nod.
"Let's go."
"Sure."
****
The world had long since shifted into three distinct categories; Alphas, Betas, and Omegas.
Alphas were natural born leaders, strong, dominant, feared. They could claim their partners with a mark, a binding of body and soul.
Betas were the neutral ground, the middle force. They lacked pheromones, could not be marked, and had the freedom of choice denied to others.
And then there were Omegas, the deer among wolves. Fragile and weak especially when thrown off by an alphas pheromones. They all bore a black marking at the base of their spine shaped like an inguz rune. They carry scent of their own, but once claimed, it could be erased and replaced with their Alpha's.
Swimming was just part of a composure sport for all student.
"One, two!.... One, two! Keep it moving!" The coach's voice cut across the pool. His grey hair bristled beneath his cap, whistle bouncing against his chest as he clapped his hands. "Pick up the pace, boy!"
Bodies sliced through the water in practiced rhythm, students springing from one end of the pool to the other like sleek swans.
Eric was the second person to get to the finish line. Holding onto the edge, gasping lightly, he tugged off his goggles.
"Not bad," Josh said, extending a hand with his signature smirk. "You did good."
Eric grasped his arm, hauling himself out. The next team lined up on the starting blocks, ready to dive in. Across the court, the girls' team stood watching.
"Looks like this year's tournament won't be an easy win," Josh muttered, his gaze fixed on two broad shouldered boys near the coach talking in hushed tones, with their muscled frames drawing attention.
"They're just amateurs," Eric replied coolly, peeling off his cap and letting damp strands fall over his face. "Muscles don't mean sports."
Their eyes drifted to the sidelines. Jayden was perched beside a blonde girl in red swim pants, flexing his biceps and flashing his best grin. She looked utterly bored.
Josh scoffed. "Why'd you even agree to that dumb plan? He's digging his own grave."
"I tried to warn him," Eric said, gathering his things. "Better he learns with rejection now than later."
"She's sly. Heard her mother's a Magus."
Eric's brow flicked at that.
Magus were Alphas who dabbled in the occult, dark magic and rituals. They were dangerous, and they almost always ended up paired with Omegas.
"Where are you headed?" Josh asked when Eric started walking away.
"I'm done swimming for today."
Josh blinked. "You're kidding, right?"
Eric shot him a glare over his shoulder.
"…Oh. You're serious." Josh chuckled dryly. "Thought you'd stick around for a few more rounds."
"Not today."
Josh clicked his tongue, watching Eric disappear into the locker room. "I'll never figure that guy out." His gaze slid back to Jayden, who was now alone, staring dreamily at the blonde girl laughing with her friends. "urrgh, that fool."
****
Eric shoved the bathroom door open, stumbling inside. The wall opposite was mirrored glass, throwing his drenched reflection back at him with shirt plastered to his body, chest heaving in shallow gasps.
His eyes dropped to his gloved left hand, trembling uncontrollably. In his right was a small white pill canister.
With a sharp pull, he stripped off his gloves. His breath hitched. Black lines, thin as veins of ink, spiraled across his fingers in perfect, rotating patterns. They pulsed with unnatural rhythm, slithering beneath his skin, creeping upward beneath the sleeve of his swim shirt.
Horror clawed at him as he yanked the shirt over his head. The reflection revealed his bare torso, wet and trembling every inch of skin marked with the same black lines, circling outward from the base of his neck.
His hands shook as he popped the cap off the canister, spilling two green pills into his palm. He swallowed them dry, watching the glass with desperate eyes.
Slowly, the lines began to recede, retracting in reverse motion, until they all coiled at his lower spine, reforming into one stark, black inguz rune.
His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths. His reflection stared back at him.