Care For Me ✔️

16

L I L Y

Standing by the edge of the dock, I begin to question my life choices.

My friends splash around in the water, acting like a pod of orcas rather than humans as they seem unaffected by the cold.

They must be freezing!

The rest of the kids called it a night, not wanting to swim in the bitter water. I feel them. I'm not exactly fond of the idea myself. Plus, I can't swim which I think is a must for this.

But, despite all the negatives, I want to join in. I don't care about how cold it is and that I'll probably, without a doubt, get sick. I want to make memories with my friends. I want to be a normal kid. I want to live and do everything I'm not supposed to, plus everything I am.

But... what if I drown?

That would not be fun.

Sugar, I really am pathetic.

"You going in?"

I turn and face Leo, fidgeting with my fingers. Should I tell him? What if he thinks I'm a loser?

Leo won't think that. I know he won't. But still the thoughts are there...

Just tell him.

"I can't really, you know, swim..."

"I can teach you," he offers, shrugging like it's no big deal. "If you want me to of course."

I nod slowly.

Leo smiles and takes my hand, ushering me to sit at the edge of the dock. I do, following his lead as he sits down first.

"Just dip your toes in first, get used to the feel of it before we go in fully." He says, skimming his bare feet along the water ripples.

"It's cold," I chitter out, glancing at him from the corner of my eye as our friends laugher rings in the air. "You don't have to sit here with me, you know." I whisper. "I don't want you to miss out on the fun because of me. I... I don't mind just sitting here and watching."

I want to join in too, but not at the expense of Leo missing out.

"I don't mind, I wouldn't have offered if I did." He locks our fingers together so they're overlapping. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, not being able to swim. I couldn't until I was nine and I used to hate watching all my brothers in the pool, having fun and joking around whilst I sat at the side feeling left out of all the fun."

"How did you learn?"

"Well, I was a bit of a stroppy kid and too proud for my age so I didn't ask any of them for help. Which, in the end, done nothing but hurt me." He looks at me, eyes studying my face. "Ever heard of the saying you don't ask, you don't get?" I nod, lying. I've never heard it in my life but it's pretty self explanatory to understand.

"That's when I knew it was true. Thankfully, my second oldest brother, Grey, noticed my tears and told the rest of my brothers. They stopped playing around and swam over to me. I was still adamant that I didn't need their help, but my brothers are nothing if not persistent. They ignored my protests and pulled me into the pull, not leaving for the rest of the day until I'd got the hang of it."