New Romantics

Chapter 12

And I could do anything if I tried hard enough.

The icy, frothy waves were a shock to my system. My body recoiled from the cold, the world brightened and then shifted beneath my feet as the receding water yanked me forward, the momentum of Sasha and Dani's run shoving me face-first into the salty water.

COLD! COLD! COLD! My body screamed.

The alcohol blanket wasn't enough!

"Woohoo!" Dani hooted. We grinned from ear to ear.

Students rushed into the water around us—in a mass of legs and arms—-a leg slamming into my thigh when someone dove under the waves, sending me onto my knees just as twin waves collided with my torso, spaying the cold, salty water into my eyes, nose, and mouth.

"Watch where you're—" I began just as the water receded quickly, knocking me onto my stomach, and another wave blasted over my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch my footing. I grabbed and grabbed at the water around me. Just as I stood, another stray arm whacked the back of my head, and stars blossomed behind my eyes. "Dani—!"

No, no, no, no, no. This isn't happening.

This couldn't be happening.

But my hands caught nothing—touched nothing—and the cold became overwhelming. The tide wrapped tight around my ankles and dragged me forward. The water refused to give me a moment of peace. Disoriented, panicked, and too drunk for my own good, I tried and failed to stand again. Laughter went in and out, light and dark crashed together, and I became painfully aware of the way the sand at my feet grew further and further away as the waves tugged me further and further out. My drunken mind couldn't understand much from the fact that I needed to swim and kick and keep my head above water.

Help! HELP!

Swim! Swim! Goddammit! But I couldn't swim in this! I couldn't—

"Help!" The word tore painfully from my raw throat. I kicked my legs toward the beach. Toward people. "Help!"

"Aria!" Sasha's shrill shriek pierced the air. More water poured into my mouth and up my nose. I fought. And fought and fought and fought. But my body tired too quickly. My legs cramped and my clothes dragged me down. My mind reeled. An ancient, primal part of my mind refused to stop fighting.

It would not end like this. Not when the sun shone in a cloudless sky. Not when I barely had a chance to live life. Not when there was so much that was supposed to happen.

With another mighty kick, I fought against the water over and over again. As though sensing my might, a wave propelled me forward, and I pressed my lips in a tight line, swimming harder than I thought was possible. Seagulls screamed overhead.

Faster! They said, Faster! You're almost there!

"Aria!" Dani's voice pierced the blood pounding in my ears.

A strangled sob tore from my chest. I'm here! I'm here!

Red flashed in my vision from the blinding pain that tore into my lower legs. No!

But just as my body trembled, just as exhaustion slowed me down limb by limb, light dancing on the surface, in my eyes, a haze filling my mind, strong arms wrapped tight around my body.

"Easy!" a female voice said when I jerked. Suddenly, I saw a different red: a life preserver. The woman held me tight, murmuring something I couldn't quite understand between the waves, my heart beat, and the strangled, gurgling sobs that wracked my body. "You're okay! You're okay! Keep your head up, sweetie. Good, good."

Time moved quickly, then. Just as the lifeguard dragged me into shallow water, I sunk my fingers into the sand and clawed toward the surface, thrashing, exhausted, desperate.

"Aria! Oh, my God! Aria!" Dani sobbed. This time, the sound was distant. My eyelids fluttered. Hands came at me from every direction.

"Give her room!" the lifeguard ordered. The corners of my vision blurred. Sasha's terror-filled face swam into view. Another lifeguard in a red t-shirt tugged me onto something hard and—cold!

"No!" I screamed, seizing up. Not the cold! Not the water!

"It's okay!" Sasha cried.

But I fought against the hands. Fought and kicked and gasped for safety until my body went limp on the board.

"Please..." I whimpered.

"Just give her some room," another voice said. At the sound of protests, they repeated, "Just give her some fucking room for a minute! She's breathing! She's fine!" A warm hand swiped against the hair in my eyes. Pure, unadulterated fear shone on Leo's face. And then, Dani's. Sasha's.

"Aria," Dani said. "You're okay. We're here."

What happened? I wanted to ask. I wasn't being reckless. I thought I wasn't being reckless.

"It was a riptide," Leo said. Did I speak aloud?

A riptide.

So close to shore?

My mind reeled. Sunlight glinted over the droplets in Dani's hair. In Leo's eyes. Despite everything, I couldn't catch my breath. I needed to tell them I was okay. I needed to apologize for scaring them.

"I—" I croaked. But words failed to form on my salt-stung tongue. Tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes. Above me, Leo's face softened. His warm fingers brushed my cheeks.

He leaned forward and brought his face close. "It's okay, Aria," he murmured. "You're safe. There are EMTs coming. They're going to check to make sure you're okay. Just rest, okay? You're safe."

And so I did. Closing my eyes, I yielded to the darkness.

If only for a moment.

♡ ♡ ♡

Riptides are no joke, people. A lot of very strong, very skilled swimmers struggle to keep up with them, too. If you ever go to the ocean, always make sure to read up on what to do if you ever get caught in one. It could truly save your life. What do you think is going to happen next?