Page 79 of Lost Boy
All the blood drains from my face as fear squeezes my heart in a death grip. It’s like a blizzard sweeps through my insides, freezing every cell, nearly immobilizing me.
“He can’t swim, you fuckingidiot!” My voice sounds like it’s coming from someone else.
I frantically push through the crowd of public school cunts, and make a break for the cliff’s edge. I don’t even hesitate. I dive off, even though this is a jump-only spot. There’s no time.
The impact is startling, the cold water rushing up my nose and causing my muscles to stiffen. I open my eyes underwater, searching through the murky depths for my boyfriend. My heart is hammering against my ribcage, and my lungs burn as they warn me to take a breath.
Fuck! Where is he?
I can’t see anything!
My hand snags on something, and I grab the fabric, pulling him to me and desperately swimming toward the surface.
I break through the dark water, and we gasp and cough for air. The sound of his breathing is a fucking balm to my soul.
I can’t lose him. I just found him.
I band my arms around him, speaking in soothing tones so he stops panicking. “I got you. It’s me. Just relax. Don’t panic. I’ll get us to shore.”
I don’t know why I just told the panicking boy not to panic, like that’s actually a thing.
He doesn’t hear me anyway, thrashing against me as I try again.
“Blue, I got you. You’re okay. I got you.”
I start paddling against the current toward the other side of the shore, straining my muscles and gritting my teeth as I kick with all my might and desperately clutch my boyfriend to my chest.
“You’re okay, Blue. You’re okay.”
I chant the words for his benefit as well as my own.
“Hurry up! Before you slow our time down even more!” Dustin hollers back at us like a fucking asshole. Seth and Rich are right behind him, casually backstroking and laughing.
Pricks!
Jamie and Cole catch up to us, keeping pace and helping Fallon and me make it to the other side of the river.
As soon as my feet touch solid ground, relief washes through me. This part of the river has Class Four rapids, and you never know when you can get swept away.
I glance back at the cliff’s edge where the rest of the teams stand, staring in disbelief.
Yeah. I can’t believe he just pulled this shit, either.
They’re trying to provoke me. Get me disqualified. Make me lose. Push me until it affects my basketball game.
And the fuckers are getting close.
Because, of course, I don’t see Dale, Mindy, or Sam as I scan the cliff. They didn’t see anything, and they’re going to think we allchoseto swim.
So if Dustin isn’t getting punished by the authorities, I’ll have to do it myself.
Fallon stands not long after me, but I hold his soaked shirt because he’s small, and this river is wild. The loose pebbles of the riverbed slip beneath our shoes as we wade toward dry land.
“Fallon. Talk to me.”
“I’m fine.”
He’s not. He’s shivering, and not just from the cold. But I don’t argue with him.
