The Renovation Complication

It turns out that Katherine is in most of my classes, and she is extremely friendly. I've already been introduced to half of the cheerleaders and everyone who ever visits the library. The captain of the cheer squad has a soft spot for literature.

"You work at a library?" The librarian gives her a warning look, though chuckles as if used to her antics. "Oh, that's amazing!" she whisper yells.

Isn't it though.

Yes, I am sixteen.

Alex and Adam are my brothers.

Yeah... these are my real cheekbones...

Next thing I know, it's Gym class and everyone is lined up beside the pool. This is one of my two classes without Katherine. The coach looks as if she's had a lifetime of everyone's attitude and stuffed it into her own.

"You will swim and you will not whine to me!" She shouts before blowing the whistle. "Swim suits are in locker rooms. Be back here in ten."

It's now or never. My heart rate increases with every step I take nearer to the water... Or the coach. I can't be sure. I feel something swelling in my chest as I see blue liquid lapping up at the sides. The smell of chlorine fills my nose. I can't do this.

"Uuh, Coach Dawson?" I put on the sweetest, most pleading tone I can muster as I draw closer to the stocky woman. She doesn't look like she wants to hear a word of what I have to say.

"Aspen, just because it's your first day don't think you can weasel your way out of class." Her beady eyes narrow, "I know that brother of yours... Alex. Yeah, he's a piece of work and I don't need another like him."

Have you met my brother Adam? I want to spit at her. It's not my fault my own flesh and blood is a total asshat. It's not like I hand picked him.

I open my mouth to defend myself, but something interrupts me.

"Talking about me, Coach?" Alex tumbles into the scene and slings an arm around her shoulders, much to everyone's distaste. He's here with the class above my own, coincidently filled with every single one of his steroid-induced buddies. 

"Get your mits off me, Aspen, before I get you expelled!" She snarls.

"Anyyyway," With the milligram of intelligence in his head, he drags his bare bicep off the now red faced Coach. "I'm just here to welcome my baby sister to the pool."

He smirks at me. An evil, horrible thing that only means torture for me. Oh God no.

I feel strong arms throw me over a shoulder and I'm screaming, I'm screaming, I'm screaming but no one can hear me. All I can make out is the world spinning and I think a lot of people are laughing but here goes my dignity, here goes my metaphorical easy way of living, here goes my soul.

Please, Mother Mary Moses God, help me.

I'm screaming at this reincarnated Shrek to put me down. Put me down anywhere but in the water, I'll even go to the pits of hell and work for Satan himself as a SheDevil and –

Gulp

I can't breathe

Gasp

There is no air underwater, did you know?

I'm screaming a traumatic song that is so wrong because chlorine is muting it out. There is absolutely no one on the planet that will hear you when you're underwater.

That's why I never wanted to learn how to swim, because it just felt like such a lonely hobby. You are so alone when you're underwater. So alone and cold and what's the point of exercising where you can't breathe?