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CSLimeWriter

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            “Jump in, Courtney!” my friend, Rachel, called. She and three other girls, Kelley, Lisa and Hannah, were swimming in our neighborhood pool and talking. I was sitting on the edge of the pool with my feet dangling in the cold water, my mind transfixed in the book I was reading.  

            I shook my head and kept reading. I read for the next ten minutes while the girls talked more and splashed each other. Just as the main character in my book started to walk into a dark, deadly forest I heard –

            “Whoo-hoo!” Suddenly I looked up and saw my friend, Andy, cannon-balling into the pool. A huge splash followed, as well as two of his friends, also whooping. It splashed onto the girls and me, making them scream and causing me to get soaked and drop my book.

             I gasped. My green eyes widened and my mouth opened in shock and horror as I watched the water absorb the pages. I stood up, glaring at the boys and seeing out of the corner of my eye the girls back away to the opposite side of the pool; they knew what I was like when I was furious.

            “You idiots!” I screamed, and before I could stop myself I jumped in with my jeans still on. Madly I swam for where the boys were laughing, my intention to strangle Andy.  

            They were so busy laughing that I had time to grab Andy’s arm, wrap my hands around his neck, and start to drag him down before he even noticed.

            Just before we went under he choked and sputtered, not prepared to get yanked into the cold water in the middle of his laugh, while his friends themselves had a hard time staying above the water; they were laughing so hard.

            My jeans made us sink even faster, so fast that instead of strangling Andy I tried to climb on top of him and get oxygen back into my lungs. But I couldn’t. I tried desperately, but we were 8 feet under the water and it took everything in me just to keep hold of Andy’s hand as he swam for the surface.      

            Finally I managed to reach the top and gasp all the air I could get into myself. “You –” gurgle “–idiot!” – gurgle – I screamed, but not nearly with as much effect as I’d had earlier. 

            But, at least satisfied that Andy was gasping harder than me, I drudged over to my friends, each stop heavier than the last.

            “You’re the idiot,” Kelley said, offering me her hand. I took it and then leaned on her shoulder. Maybe she was right; that was a dumb thing to do. But he deserved it! And I told Kelley so.  

            Hannah laughed. “Yeah, it was kinda funny.”

            “Funnier if he’d drowned,” I muttered under my breath, still furious about my book. Looking around I saw it floating ten feet away. My legs still a million pounds heavy I made my way to it, every three steps getting another foot deep.

            Soon the water was up to my shoulders but just as I reached for my poor, ruined, not-deserving-death-yet book someone grabbed me from around my waist and pulled me down.

            I screamed just before going under, trying to free myself from the strong arms around me. I opened my eyes but then immediately closed them, the chlorine stinging them.        

            Finally, kicking my captor in the stomach and pushing myself up, I gasped for air and turned around to see my friends… laughing. I turned my head a little more to see Andy’s friends… laughing. But no Andy.  

            My eyes sparked fire at him as he surfaced beside me but I didn’t have the energy to yell or strangle him just yet. Slowly I made my way to the shallow end and sat up against the wall, hugging my knees, heart still pounding.

            Andy swam over, grinning, and sat beside me.

            “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

            Liar. “Go away,” I said through my teeth.

            “Courtney –”

            “You know what,” I interrupted him, shoving him away. “You’re stupid.” It was a lame comeback, but I couldn’t think of anything else.

            He seemed to think a minute, his bright blue eyes shining under his wet, wavy brown hair. “Actually, if that’s the best comeback you can come up with then I think that you’re the stupid one.”

            I stuck my tongue out, but then changed my mind and lunged for him.