Key word: tried. A few inches before I socked him in the face, I encountered some kind of resistance that stopped my punch cold. Link then looked at me with a smirk, and then I felt the resistance begin to push me back fast-and hard. I flew back and landed in the pool, where I skidded on the surface for a second before I went under. I waved around for a moment before getting my bearings and swam up, sputtering for air as I surfaced. I heard giggles and turned to see Aileen covering her mouth, barely containing her laughter. I turned beet red and made a beeline for the boy's locker room.