Swimming with the fishes
I fill Elena in on what Joey's diet is looking like. Soon enough she sent me out back to where the boys are playing soccer.
"Princess we need another player come on."
I step in front of this man. "Easterbrook, what did I tell you about running?"
He pouts. This is a grown man.
"No, you are not playing!"
"Cousin trouble in paradise?" One of the guys says.
I can't be bothered, "who are you and why are you intruding this conversation?" I glare at the guy, this is my niceness before I tick.
He shies away from my contact.
That's what I thought.
"Are you hungry, by now you would've started your third meal?" Joey says mocking me.
"Joey I'm being-" he threw me over his shoulder.
He starts walking, "Princess, say I can play or go swimming with the fishes."
"Joey put me down!"
"Izzy say I can play."
I hit his back, "I'm trying to help you! Not make things difficult. Why can't you listen for once!"
He steps on the dock. "Joey stop it." I start freaking out.
I don't like being submerged in water. I start fussing around in his grasp.
I see a lot of eyes on us.
"Princess last time before I'm tossing you in."
"Joey I'm not-" I scream as I get thrown into the air.
I take a breath before hitting the surprisingly icy water.
This is a horrible time to say that I can't swim. I try to get to the surface.
Why in the world is this lake so deep?
I really need air. Water fills my ears. I let out the air I had trapped inside and I slowly lose consciousness.
...
I begin coughing up water like crazy. I am freezing and I open my eyes and see Carlos, Bev, Able, and Jen all around me. They are all soaked.
"What happened," I cough out.
"Miss Jackson, Joey threw you in the lake and after you didn't come up in 30 seconds I dived in followed by the girls, Jen found you down there unconscious," Carlos answers me.
"Thanks, Jen." I croak.
"It's my job." She says back.
Bev hands me a towel. "What happened to everyone? Where's Joey?" I ask.
"We evacuated the area, I did not think you'd want a ton of people you don't know crowding you. And as for Joey... Darnel took him inside and is guarding him." Able says.
Darnel is a tall buff quiet man who looks like a bouncer in the movies. He appears frightening, but I think he's actually friendly.
"I want to see him."
"Izzy we don't think that's a good idea. I suggest that you stay at our hotel tonight." Jen suggests.
"You guys I'm fine, really." I object.
Bev counters, "Isabella you could've drowned and lost your life today. We are lucky that this lake is fairly clear to see in. If you hadn't responded to Carlos' resuscitation he would've been forced to break a couple of ribs just to get you breathing again. You would be in the hospital. Please come back with us, Tom is close by and needs to check up on you."
"Fine, I'll stay with you guys until tomorrow. And can we get some food I'm starving." I give in.
"Of course whatever you'd like," Carlos says.
We all dried off fairly quick. The sun beat down on us harshly. I look so pale. I need some lotion or sunscreen.
The hotel is about a fifteen-minute jog from the Easterbrook home. I wanted to run, I paced myself. I didn't want to waste money on a taxi or Uber.
When we get to the hotel we walk through a side door and enter a room. I assume it's a medical room. Tom is there waiting for us.
He is a doctor and he is the captain of my security team.
"Izzy how are you feeling." Tom attaches a blood pressure machine to my arm. While the rest of the group exits.
"I am great. I feel okay." I say nervously, the last time I was with a doctor they told me I could never be on a track again. He releases the air.
"Calm down, do you feel any shortness of breath or feeling like your chest is heavy?" Tom asks.
I shake I head no.
"Just remove the towel for a moment." I take the towel off my shoulders and he extends the end of a stethoscope to different areas of my chest and back. I shiver slightly.
After various questions, everyone and I walk out to the lobby. Where my whole team is waiting including Darnel.
I see a lot of food. In their hands.
"Come on everyone we got the penthouse," Olu says as we all squish in the elevator.
When we get up I am in awe.
"So I could've had this?"
"Miss Jackson you can have whatever you'd like and right now we have, two burgers, a large fries, wings, and a salad for you, along with a litre of water." Carlos shoves a large bag in my hand.
"What kind of burger, what dressing for the salad and what sauce are the wings in?" I question him.
"You are simple. Breaded chicken with lettuce and mayo all in a sesame seed bun. You despise dressing, your salad is dry. And the wings are honey garlic, all drums." He says walking away.
Oh, they are good considering they only had about four hours to learn the basics about me before getting on the plane.
Afi chose well with these people.
There are 11 of my security. And there are six rooms. Each of them are grouped or paired up except for Carlos and Tom.
I insist on sleeping on the couch and yet everyone is so willing to give up their room for me. It's flattering but they don't need to act like this.
"You guys I'm just an ordinary girl you don't need to be there if I break a nail." I exaggerate.
"Izzy we like you. You are nice, you don't order us around like a pack of dogs. You are easy to reason with and so we are happy to serve you." I whip my head around and lock eyes with Darnel. That's the first time I've ever heard him speak. He didn't even participate in the name game on the plane.
"All of you are so sweet. Now someone please tell me where I can use a bathroom I need another shower."
Jen and Bev show me the way.
I have never used a bar of soap in my life before. And all I can say is the struggle.
I step out of the shower and realize that I don't have anything to sleep in.
And those fish clothes have got to be burned.
Luckily the hotel provides the penthouse with robes. I slip one on and walk out feeling refreshed.
It's really quiet.
"Is anyone here?" I yell into the open space.
"Oh, Miss Jackson they went to explore the hotel. I stayed back in case you needed anything?" Carlos emerges from one of the rooms.
I feel no shame in asking, "do you have a shirt I can wear?"
Carlos' wardrobe is all v neck shirts. I can't possibly wear one of those because the v is a bit too longing wide for my liking.
"Hold on I have a jersey." He says digging through his suitcase.
The jersey goes up to my knees.
"Do you happen to have a belt I can borrow?" I joke.
He gave me a plain black belt. All together Carlos' jersey kinda looked like a dress on me.
This man is reliable. I like that.
"Okay let's go catch up with the others." I grab his hand exiting the penthouse suite.
Well Izzy almost died. Like that was so anti climactic 😂
Anyways I think the next chapter is a short one, I'm decided I'd I wanna hit y'all with a double update... I'm lowkey not but we'll see
Thoughts? Predictions?