Two Times Round | Calum Hood

prologue

This is the standstill, where you'd fear we'd remain forever.

July 2017

It's hot and sticky here, but it's hot and sticky everywhere. In Iowa the summers were unpredictable, even more so than the winters. It wouldn't have been so bad but when you had Ansley groaning every three seconds -

Fonnie it's like totally unbearable, we have to go to the lake.

It was a little harder to ignore the incessant heat. Which is how Fonnie had ended up at the lake, on a boat her sister's boyfriend owned -

Which is like totally hot, oh my god. Fonnie he can drive it. Like actually drive it.

Despite her protests Ansley wouldn't hear no for an answer, she was always like that. Persistent, and got what she wanted. Even when you had your mind made up Ansley could change it. And truth be told Fonnie had always been somewhat of a push over. She'd always been more reserved of the two girls.

"Are you sure this is safe? Can he actually drive it, drive it. Or?" Fonnie had found her whisper yelling into her bikini clad twin sister's ear. In fear Ansley's bleach blonde boyfriend could hear. She shouldn't have worried, he didn't pay attention to anything that wasn't about him.

"Topher's like an expert, aren't you Toph?" Ansley had giggled in that school girl way, looking all at once a girl in love and a girl unafraid of the world. How she could have been both Fonnie didn't know. But Ansley had always been like that she supposed.

"Of course babe, I've driven it like six times. I am practically over qualified." He chuckled, his voice full and resonating in that way it does when you have no cares in the world. When you know who you are and who you're going to be tomorrow. He had one hand on the wheel, and another wrapped around a cup.

"Oh great six times. Of course I shouldn't be worried." Fonnie mumbled under her breath as she traipsed away from the giggling couple. Topher had one of those nice boats, with the cushioned seats and decorative throw pillows. Well technically it wasn't Topher's, it was his dad's. But his dad didn't care one way or the other about it anymore.

Fonnie settled herself into the seats, glad she was wearing her obnoxious orange life jacket even if it was uncomfortable and as Ansley put it -

So disgusting, I would rather die than wear one of those.

But Fonnie never cared much about her appearance, at least not in the way Ansley did. For example Ansley's hair fell in perfect ringlets around her shoulders, not a single strand out of place. Despite the complaint that  -

It's so hot, and like omg Fonnie, I look literally gross. I would be so embarrassed if anyone saw me like this.

Ansley looked good. She knew she looked good because she always does. Where Ansley was perfect and golden and popular, Fonnie was perfectly happy to wear her frizzy hair in a low ponytail. Not worried that her orange life jacket made her look like a carrot, because being safe was more important. Being safe was always more important.

Fonnie had gotten about four pages into her book when loud whooping noises had brought her attention back to her giddy older sister. Topher was now hollering and cheering on Ansley as she stood at the edge of the boat where the railing reached the top of her thigh. She giggled and pressed dangerously close to it, begging Topher to go faster.

A nervous sick feeling settled it's way deep into Fonnie's stomach as she watched her sister, dangerously close to the edge. Dangerously close to falling in. She felt even worse as the boat picked up speed, they were miles away from the doc.

"Hey Ansley maybe you shouldn't do that." Fonnie heard herself call, her voice hoarse in the way it gets when you haven't talked in a while. She clears her throat. Ansley however must not have heard her because she flings her arms open wide and she lets out a scream.

One that promises never to end, and to keep going. One that declares we are young and free and this is our world. One that belongs to her and the world.

At this point Fonnie's stomach is doing flips, she has no support. One wrong move could send the girl hurtling over the edge. She abandons her book on the comfortable seat and cautiously makes her way to her sister. Worried that she might startle the girl into tripping over the edge.

"Ansley." Fonnie calls out carefully as she rests a hand gently on her sisters shoulder. The older girl looks down at her younger sister and smiles. One of those rare smiles she reserves only for the people she loves. Only when she is truly happy.

"Fonnie, it's brilliant isn't it? We own this world. All of it." She grins as she faces towards the churning lake water spanning out for forever in front of her forever. "I hope we're always like this." She grins wildly soaking in the sun.

"Ansley you're scaring me, come away from the edge please." Fonnie tries to reason with her sister, tries to bring her back down to Earth.

"Fonnie lighten up. It feels amazing. To be young! Oh I hope we're young forever." She cries happily. A girl with no fear. Never any fear.

"I am just scared you're going to fall in please. Let's go sit down or something." Fonnie rationalizes but Ansley shakes her head. Her loose curls flapping furiously in the wind.

"I am not going to fall; how can I fall in? How can anything bad happen when we're this free. Oh it's exhilarating."

Fonnie chances a look back at Topher who is only half steering, he's downing his cup of whatever the hell he has. Her nerves settle in deep in her stomach, twisting and low.

"Hey, Topher, slow down a little!" Fonnie calls to him. He looks up, but the wind is loud and so is the motor and he can't hear her. Or he can't hear everything she says so he chuckles and pushes the boat even further. The sudden lurch sends Ansley off balance and at the sound of her yelp Fonnie lurches forward to latch on her sister.

And then there is only pressure, deep, and wet and suffocating.

--

Hello and welcome!! I am so excited for this story, of course this is how I start all my author notes before I abandon the story forever. But I am determined this time! So hopefully you enjoy reading this, or well I guess I hope someone reads this. I hope it's worth reading ahhh I am nervous. I haven't wrote anything in a hot minute so it's rough but I hope you can stick through this with me!