The Not So Good Girl (Finished Until Further Notice)

1 ~ Hot Days and the Fancy Ways

I slowed as I reached the edge of the water, and when the tide pulled up the water washed over my feet, beckoning me in with its perfect temperature. I stepped in ankle deep, sighing in pleasure at the familiar feel of the ocean. But my pleasure wasn't long lived.

Someone slammed into me from behind with the force of a small bus, causing me to flip in the air and land in the water. I pulled myself out of the water, sitting on my butt with my knees poking out of the water and my weight resting on my hands.

"Hey! Sorry about that, you alright?" a large hand came into view, with long fingers.

"Yeah, I'm great." I mumbled as I took the hand and was lifted up from the water with ease.

"Sorry again, I was trying to catch the ball before it went to far out." I looked up into his clear blue eyes, his blonde hair slightly damp. He was gesturing behind him to a volleyball game, everyone there was staring at us.

"I said it's fine." I narrowed my eyes at him, jerking my hand from his.

"Oh, okay then." He looked at me curiously before running out of the water and back to his game.

I glared as he ran out, and then I decided not to let it get to me and to just enjoy myself. I waded out and saw some goggles floating along the water, no one else was out this deep so I had no idea whose they were. Glancing around once more I put them on and went under water.

I had loved scuba diving in California, and I preferred to scuba with my own abilities rather than an oxygen tank. I could stay under for a solid five minutes, six or seven on a good day. The sight under water was so much nicer than the polluted space us humans contained.

If I hadn't been holding my breath, I know it would've caught in my throat. A coral reef was out a little farther, and as I swam out to see it, I saw all of the bright colored fish milling around. They swam around me, and I stared in awe at the reef. It was different shades of red and blue, some yellow and green in there as well, most of the colors seemed faded but it was still a beautiful rainbow under the ocean. Something caught my wrist and I was jerked upward.

My head broke the surface and I heard someone talking to me.

"Are you alright? You were under for a long time so I came to help you. Were you caught on something?" a boy about my age, maybe a little older, was asking me.

"Are you a lifeguard?" I stared at the red float tucked under his arm and decided he was. "I'm fine, I was just checking out the reefs."

"Really? But you were under so long." He stared at me with wide eyes and I saw a couple of the volleyball players staring at us from the beach, the boy who bumped into me staring at us intently.

"Yeah, well I lived in California. I was a natural scuba diver, hated the oxygen tanks." I waved my hand and the lifeguard released me.

"Really? You're a free diver? That's pretty cool." He grinned. "My name's Peter."

"I'm Elle." We shook hands and he stared at me for a moment. "You know if you really want to admire me I will let you take a picture."

He busted into what I would claim to be uncontrollable laughter. "No, I was just thinking of something." He said between gasps, and continued once he hand calmed down. "You must be new, because I've never seen you before. Or are you a tourist?"

"I just moved into that place over there." I pointed to our house.

"But that's where the Martin's are going to live." I stared at him like he's stupid. "Oh." He mumbled, a blush creeping onto his face. "You're their daughter?"