Gadina stood in the dressing room of the indoor swimming pool. She looked at the swimsuit in her hands. It was a plain one-piece. There was no patterns or stripes on it, only a string of white letters that represent the S.D.A's abbreviation at around the chest area.

  It's a traditional and low-profile swimsuit. It even seemed a bit tacky. With this swimsuit on, even a person who's confident about their features would not want to come out with this.

  However, Gadina was still unsatisfied. No matter how normal and unremarkable the swimsuit can make her look in the troop, it still won't be able to cover up the scar on her back. The scar reminds her of her past self.

  She gently removed her clothes and changed into the swimsuit before walking out of the dressing room. Outside was a row of sinks with a huge spread of mirror hung on top of them, eliminating any hiding spots in the room with the reflection catching every single corner.

  Gadina looked at the person in the mirror. She viewed herself. Because of the design of the swimsuit, her back was completely exposed. Although the private parts of her body were covered securely, she still felt naked. Conspicuous, even. She isn't normally like this, and she doesn't like being this way. Yet the scar made it hard for her to upkeep her normal self, to maintain her self-confidence.

  The other door of the dressing room was pushed open, and out walked Hanister. Her eyes immediately met with Gadina's.

  Gadina glanced at the girl then averted her gaze without speaking a word. Her limbs and body were just like how she expected her to be. Clear and smooth, as if they were made of porcelain. There was no traces of Hanister being injured before, or at least not to the point where it leaves scars.

  A body of a normal person.

  She thought, and suddenly felt the irony in her heart. She had always been emphasizing the fact that Hanister was weird, but then it seemed like she was the one who's different.

  Gadina lowered her head and silently walked past Hanister, who was glued to the ground.

  "Wait, Gadina! You..." She opened up. Her call stopped the leaving girl.

  "You see it now." Gadina stopped in her tracks with her head slightly turned back.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't think that you-" Hanister looked at Gadina's exposed back, where a long scar was plastered across. It went all the way from her shoulder blade to her waist.

  "You don't actually hate swimming, do you?" She asked, suddenly feeling stupid. "You just hate having to put on a swimsuit."

  "Now you know," Gadina answered coldly, then left the washroom.

  Hanister was frozen for a second before she quickly caught up to her. Unfortunately, the instructor outside for the class had already started to gather up the troops for a quick warm-up before diving into the water.

  Hanister grudgingly followed the others' steps and lined up next to the pool. She moved around while looking forward in the line. A lot of male trainees were starting to look over to the girls, and those guys were generally of a younger age. The minimum recruit age requirement of the S.D.A is 18, and so a lot of people received their recruitment notice right when they just turned 18.

  It is a fairly normal thing for adolescents to desire others' affections, especially for boys. However, the S.D.A was strict on this matter. Although a lot of people have expressed through their eyes, none had taken things too far and did something that crosses the line.

  Hanister had also noticed that a few guys were looking at her, but she didn't care for much. Perhaps it was because she had grown up in the suburbs. Her mother had always said that she is a bit 'slow' on this aspect. Or it could be that she really wasn't in the mood now. She looked straight to the row in front of her, somehow understanding how Gadina feels.

  She must hate getting looked at like this.

  She assumed.

  She had seen the scars on her arms when Gadina was changing, but she never brought it up. As for the scar on her back, that was the first time she had seen it. That specific scar was a lot more conspicuous, and a lot harder to cover up.

  No one can erase their past.

  Hanister thought. That was what Gadina had said that time she ran into her in the bathroom.

  She had only briefly talked about her past that time. However, the messages that her scars carry were very transparent and undisguised. The story behind them wasn't particularly hard to get, she just never speaks about them.

  Hanister looked at the marks that were almost like they were branded on her. She couldn’t tell what exactly happened in the past, but they certainly weren’t happy memories.

  "Everyone listen up," the instructor suddenly yelled, wrapping up the warm-up. “Boys to the first to fifth lane, ladies to the sixth to eighth. Those ones that can’t swim get to the last two.” He ordered.

  "Now!"

  As soon as the troops dispersed, Hanister immediately walked to the direction of Gadina. However, the girl didn’t turn back to look for her. Instead, she just jumped into one of the lanes on her own.

  "If you're here to comfort me then save it," Gadina said right when Hanister followed her into the water.

  "Wait up, Gadina!" Hanister had her hand on the wall at the starting line of the lane. "I know you mind those scars a lot..."

  "No. You know nothing," Gadina said as she put on her goggles. The pair of goggles had worked as a great gadget for her to hide her emotions in her eyes. "It's not that I think they're ugly. Some of those scars remind me of things, things that I am supposed to forget."

  "I—"

  "Everybody move!" The instructor’s booming voice came from the other side of the pool.

  "Don't let me see you stopping in your tracks to chat." He hollered. "At least twenty reps for the guys, fifteen for the ladies!"

  Hanister turned back around, only to see that Gadina had already ducked into the water, heading to the other side of the lane.

  "Hey!" She yelled at the splatters that were created. Hanister wasn’t sure whether Gadina could hear her in, but she was quite confident in her swimming skills.

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  She quickly grabbed onto the lane divider that was strung together by buoys. She flipped into the other lane from the bottom. Holding her breath, she dived, kicked the wall, and launched herself forward experiencedly.

  I can catch up to her.

  Hanister said to herself. She started to stroke and kick; at the same time she regulated her breaths.

  Hanister kept on swimming until her arm touched the walls on the other side of the pool in her lane. She emerged with a big splash before glancing at her neighboring lane. Gadina soon poked her head out as well. As soon as she saw the girl, her expression was dumbfounded. "How did you..."

  Hanister held on to the lane divider, pulling herself towards the side of the lane; but she didn't flip to the other side. "I'm pretty good at swimming." She batted her lashes, looking straight at Gadina, who was in the other lane.

  After putting on the swimsuits and swim caps, it seemed to be a lot harder to tell each and everyone apart, but she knew that Gadina did not think so.

  "Gadina." Hanister held on to the buoy. "Those scars aren't who you are, that's all I wanted to say." She stated before ducking back into the water. She headed towards the other side of the lane, which was the spot that she originally swam from.

  "Hanister..." Gadina's voice reached the girl, but it was soon interrupted by the splashes.

  Hanister knew that she wanted to give her a response, but she didn't wait to let her do so. It was partially intentional aside from that she doesn't want the instructor to catch them stopping.

  It's your turn to catch up to me.

  She thought as she kicked forward. She knew that Gadina would be after her.

  Soon, Hanister had reached the wall of the other side once again. She trailed along the smooth tiles and held on to the top, pulling herself out of the water. She didn't retrace at once. Instead, she deliberately waited, pretending like she had sprained her toe.

  As expected, Gadina rose from the neighboring lane in a short moment. She immediately started looking around after she had surfaced. Her expression fell grim after she noticed Haniter hanging on the lane divider. "You're wrong, Hanister," she said to the girl. "Those scars aren't who I am, they are a part of me."

  "Nobody cares about that."

  "Bullshit!" Gadina suppressed her voice. She glanced quickly at the instructors and assistants that were patrolling on the deck. "I told you, we can't—"

  "We can't change our pasts," Hanister cut her off. "I know, Gadina. I'm not trying to change what you believe. I just thought that maybe you should set your mind here, set it 'now.'" She suggested.

  "Look!" Hanister lightly tapped the surface of the water. "You're here, aren't you? You're with us," she said in a genuine tone. "No one would want to hurt you here." She nodded towards her. "I'll be waiting for you on the other side." Hansietr said. She went back to her position and swam away.

  Gadina watched as she left. She was stunned for a moment. Once again, she felt like Hanister had easily seen through her. She saw through the weakness she had kept hidden deep in her heart, which made her like a snail in its shell.

  Gadina soon caught up and ducked back into the water before she started swimming. She doesn't like to show her weaknesses in front of others, since when you've stumbled through a life in between crimes and money, you have to have a way to protect yourself.

  Therefore, Gadina had learned how to disguise herself and show her momentum. She had also learned how to bury her weak side in deep. They were habits that she had made, and also ways for her to survive.

  They were masks that belonged to me.

  She thought as she swam. Hanister was wrong about one thing. She doesn't hate all of her scars, since most of them expose her fierceness.

  The scars on Gadina were mostly from when she was in an underground criminal organization. For example, there was a scab from when she got grazed by a bullet. Those scars were proof of strength and courage. Although they were kind of an eyesore, they do make people respect her.

  However, that was not the case for the scar on her back. That certain scar would only remind her of her terrible childhood. It reminded her of a girl who couldn't fight back; she was tormented and humiliated. It reminded her of being weak. That side of her she hates, as well as disgusts her. Unfortunately, it was also the most distinct mark on her body.

  Gadina finally reached the wall on the other side. She lifted her head from the water and went back to a floating position, as she came closer to the girl waiting. "It's useless," she said. She watched Hanister, who was once again holding on to a buoy. She continued their previous conversation. "Some memories will pester you forever."

  Hanister did not respond immediately after hearing that, she only stuck out a hand. "I can teach you."

  "Teach me what?" Gadina frowned. "I already know how to swim."

  "Not just swimming," Hanister said. She waved her hand, signaling for the girl to come closer.

  Gadina hesitated for a second, but soon she crossed the lane divider and came to Hanister's lane. "Look." Hanister said after she had swam over. She fell back into the water with her facing up.

  "What are you doing?" Gadina looked at the girl who disappeared into the water with a confused expression.

  Moments later, Hanister's head poked out from a spot not far away. "Come on!" She waved.

  Gadina followed her, since she was going to turn back anyway. Hanging out near the deck for too long would only draw the instructor's attention. She flopped back into the water and started to paddle, bringing herself forward. At first, she thought Hanister only wanted her to follow her. However, she didn't see her coming out to the surface to regulate her breaths.

  Gadina switched into another position and dived down. The design of the pool was shallow on the sides, and deep in the middle. If you were simply swimming, you would only pass near the surface. However, there was still much space underneath.

  In fact, if you had held your breath and dived deeper, you would see a completely different world.A wide, spacious world that wouldn't be disturbed.

  Gadina stopped in the water and stared at the other person who was also down there — Hanister. She elegantly waved her limbs and moved her body around. It was as if she was swimming, but at the same time she wasn't. At times she spinned upwards, and at times she dived down. Sometimes she moved and sometimes she paused, just like she was originally living in the waters.

  Gadina watched and watched, somehow understanding what Hanister was trying to tell her. Unfortunately, the pressure she was feeling in her lungs interrupted her thoughts. She held in her breath and barely made it to the surface to breathe. Hanister also came up around the same time as she did. They glanced at each other for a brief second before diving back down simultaneously.

  Hanister swam facing up in the water, and so Gadina mimicked her position, slowly inching closer. The girl watched as she came closer. She paddled to keep herself floating, at the same time she pointed towards the surface.

  Gadina followed her gesture and looked up. She saw the other trainees swimming across on top of them, leaving trails of splatters and ripples. At this moment, it was like she was in an underwater tunnel with Hanister, watching schools of ‘humans’ swim across on top. She wasn't sure if she finds the view beautiful, but it certainly was a new experience for her.

  Gadina stared at the surface. Her body started to relax gradually, as if she was falling into a dream.

  So comfortable.

  She couldn't help but close her eyes, until all the air in her lungs were gone.

  Hanister and she breathed one more time before going back into the water. Thanks to the trainees that occupied the lanes, what happened underneath the water wasn't that noticeable.

  The two of them were no longer still in the water, they had started swimming around in different styles. This time, they dived deeper, and got closer to the bottom. Although there wasn't anything in the pool, Gadina had still just noticed that the feeling of breaking free was addicting.

  They were getting more and more playful, like two dolphins that were chasing and frolicking around. They couldn't communicate, but at moments like this, words are certainly unnecessary.

  What was fascinating was that Gadina had realized that she had thrown away the depressed thoughts from earlier completely away. She only noticed that when it was the fifth time Hanister and she went up to take a breath.

  She no longer cares about that disturbing scar on her back, and the annoying thoughts that come along. She had even almost forgotten how much she hates wearing clothes that expose her back.

  She felt like nothing matters anymore.

  Gadina only wanted to feel the water surrounding her, cupping her cheeks. She only wanted to focus on the freedom that was unconstrained.

  Even if it was just temporary, she wanted the water to take away everything. Even if it was just once, she wanted to have fun until she's worn out.]