The Mad Powder

The Mad Powder

"Like seriously, your swimming skills are something else. I’ve never seen or heard of a swimmer like you, not even in the Olympics. Honey, you are the best! Can’t you see them gathering over there? They’re scared of you, yet you’re here, feeling scared of them? That’s hilarious."

"Listen, love, we’ve watched Kunle swim, and we all know he’s not on your level. After seeing you in the water, it’s obvious. And mind you, this isn’t just my opinion—I overheard some students saying that even the principal called you our new Merman. If the principal, who is supposed to be neutral, could say that, then what do you think your odds are against Kunle?" Cynthia said.

I won’t lie, I heard the principal say it too. He said that a new Merman had emerged. His words sent a wave of confidence rushing through me.

We were still talking when Bright strolled toward us, his face twisted like someone carrying the weight of guilt. His shoulders slumped, head tilted downward, as if he wanted to avoid eye contact. He looked completely defeated—a far cry from his usual arrogant self.

"Look at Bright o! It looks like he’s coming here," Chinwe said, noticing his direction.

As Bright finally reached us, he kept his head bowed, his expression unreadable. The sight of him like this stunned the other girls.

"Yes? What do you want, loser?" Charity asked with a smirk, rolling her eyes.

Cynthia suddenly clung to me, as if staking her claim—like there was a competition over me.

Bright hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Hmm… Damian, can I see you in private?"

Cynthia froze, eyes widening in shock. "Sorry, you want to see him in private? For what? So you and your new best friend can gang up on him again? If you have something to say, you better say it now," she snapped.

"Yes o! If you have anything to say, you can say it right here," Charity added.

Bright sighed deeply. "Damian, I’m here to apologize to you. Please, I know I’ve wronged you in so many ways, but I’m tired of this hostility for no reason. I want to make peace with you. Please, bro."

His head remained down as he spoke. He couldn’t even look me in the eye. I couldn't believe I was falling for this act.

Chinwe covered her mouth in shock. "Bright? So you can actually be humble? You can beg?"

Charity stepped back, hand on her forehead. "This is serious o!"

Bright continued, his voice low but urgent. "I just want us to be friends, Damian. I’m tired of all this unnecessary disgust, loathing, and hatred. I want us to team up and take down Kunle. He has robbed me of the swimming title too many times, and I’d rather someone else take it from him this time. Please, let’s work together."

Chinwe narrowed her eyes. "Hmm… I don’t know. I just don’t trust this apology. It feels too fake. For God’s sake, we just saw you hanging out with this same Kunle you claim to dislike."

"Exactly!" Charity agreed. "It’s obvious he’s playing both sides. Damian, please don’t fall for this his fake sermon."

I won’t lie, I also had doubts about his sincerity. But for some reason, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

As we stood there, a boy from Junior Secondary Three (JS3) ran up to us. "Damian, the housemaster is asking for you," he informed me.

Bright chuckled. "Oh, that man and his big grammar. You better go with a dictionary o!"

"Seriously," I muttered. "That man’s words are harder to understand than my textbooks."

I turned to the girls. "I’ll see you guys later."

As I was about to leave, Bright suddenly stepped forward and hugged me. The hug felt strange, unexpected. He patted my back like we were longtime friends.

I pulled away, giving him a confused look.

"Go, champ," he said with a small smile.

I didn’t know what to make of that, but I had no time to dwell on it. I made my way to the staff office.

When I arrived, I knocked on the door.

"Come in," the housemaster’s deep voice called out.

I stepped inside and sat down. The chair was surprisingly comfortable—almost like the one in Mom’s mini-library.

"My boy," he began, leaning forward. "Today is the day. I hope you are both mentally and physically prepared for this tremendous tournament. I cannot express how much I wish to see you succeed. You must be the new Merman. I have been waiting for this moment for years.

"For as long as I have worked in this school, I have struggled to find a student who could bring the Merman title to Yellow House. I need that Merman statue in my office! And from the moment I saw you swim, I knew—you are the one.

"So, my boy, let me make this clear: you have no choice but to win this competition!"

He looked almost desperate.

I sat there, processing his words. His vocabulary was too much, but one thing was clear—this man had placed all his hopes on me.

I wasn’t sure if his speech was supposed to boost my confidence or scare me more. The pressure weighed down on me like a heavy brick. So many people were counting on me, but I wasn’t even sure I believed in myself.

I suddenly felt… off.

Ever since Bright hugged me, something had felt strange. My vision blurred, my head spun, and I felt drowsy—like a drunkard struggling to stay awake.

At the time, I thought it was just nerves, fear taking on different shapes.

By noon, everything was set for the swimming competition. The pool had been divided into nine lanes, each representing one of the nine competing houses.

The crowd buzzed with excitement, but I still felt strange.

I turned to Cynthia. "I don’t feel too well," I admitted.

She frowned. "What do you mean? Where exactly do you feel pain?"

I hesitated. "I… I don’t know. I just feel weird."

Her response annoyed me. "Ah, Damian, please. You’re just suffering from atychiphobia," she said confidently.

"Atychi-what?" I asked, confused.

"Atychiphobia—the fear of failure," she explained like a professor giving a lecture. "It’s normal before a big competition. You’re just overthinking everything. You need to relax, take a deep breath, and trust yourself."

She started on another motivational speech, but I barely heard her.

Something wasn’t right.

This feeling… it wasn’t just nerves.

Something was wrong.