- the quarry oneshots -

ryan e. - appreciation

- word count: 1,432 || warnings: swearing, derealization || 2nd person -
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               I fucked up.

You never thought this would be the day you died.

You'd always wanted a calmer way to go out, maybe passing away in your sleep with those you loved surrounding you.

Yeah, you liked that much better.

Being a camp counselor at Hackett's Quarry Summer Camp seemed appealing to you. An outside experience to calm the anxiety you felt with the coming school year. After all, college was appearing faster than you wanted to.

So, you used this experience to fill you with peace and get your mind off of the silly worries about the future. How bad could a fun camp with little children be?

You were poorly mistaken.
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"Shit, shit, shit!" Your hands ran through your hair angrily, pulling at the roots.

This was not looking good.

"She can't be—" you paused, unable to hold your tears in any longer.

"Gosh. Poor Kaylee," Kaitlyn came up to you, rubbing slow circles around your back.

"Who the fuck would do this to Kaylee?" Ryan's voice raised ever so lightly.

"Nick.." Abi's quiet voice broke through Ryan's frustrated rant.

"Oh my—" he stopped, running his own hands through his hair, "what are we gonna tell Chris?"

You fell to your knees, taken in by the situation around you. An awful pit grew in your stomach. You felt hopeless.

Because she was your best friend.

Not many considered themselves a friend of Kaylee Hackett. It's not that she was incapable of making friends, it's just that she didn't let anyone in.

She was a kind, caring individual who could see the goodness in any situation. She always had the best advice and always knew how to help you. She always told you that she was lucky to call you her friend.

And, yet, you were lucky enough to consider yourself not only a friend, but a good one.

Despite Kaitlyn's compassionate embrace, you felt no warmth. Your body felt colder than ever before.

"GET OFF!" Abi yelled out, pushing Nick into the pool. Kaitlyn bounced up, perturbed by Nick's lack of appearance.

"I just-- I just wanted him to stop," Abi's frightened looks stirred you out of your episode.

Just when you leaned over to examine the water, the Australian boy flew upwards, flailing his arms around in the cold chlorine.

"What the--?!" you pushed yourself up to get better balance.

"Nick!" Kaitlyn yelled out, but the boy's responses were only screams and wails of pain.

"Hey! Dude!" Ryan attempted to calm the loud boy down, but it was not working.

Before Nick could hurt himself further, you ran over and pulled him out of the pool; Ryan aided you in the last pull upward.