NASCAR oneshots!!

Chase Elliott- drowning

🚩Warnings: drowning, anxiety

Chase pov:
I was sitting on a beach in Mexico watching Ryan, William and Bubba swim in the ocean. Alex was sitting next to me, "wanna join them?" Alex asked when he saw me watching them, I shook my head,
"No I'm good, you can go if you want." I told him, he nodded and got up and joined them in the water.

Ryan for years had been trying to get me to go on a group trip with him, I had always come up with an excuse, or just out rightly said no. But a few months ago we made a bet that if Ryan won more races during the season I would have to come, of course with my luck he won one more race then me. So here I am sitting on a beach not enjoying myself. I wasn't just being antisocial or anything I genuinely hated going on trips like these, to places where the main attraction was water. I hate water, when I was a kid I fell into a river and almost drowned, ever since then I was petrified of water, my parents tried to make me do swim lessons but I always refused to get in the water. My dad had eventually had enough and thrown me into the shallow end of a pool but I freaked out and had a panic attack, so they had given up.

So now I'm a 27 year old with a massive fear of water, and I have no idea how to swim. It was one thing and probably the only thing Ryan didn't know about me. He knows I fell into the river as a kid and almost drowned, because we've been friends since we were kids, but he thinks I had swimming lessons that got me over that fear, because I'm amazing at making up excuses so we've never gone swimming together.

I was pulled from my thoughts when a shadow fell across me, I looked up to see Ryan standing in front of me dripping wet. "Your such a party pooper, you would have more fun if you came swimming." Ryan said, he grabbed a towel and sat next to me, I shrugged,
"Im not a fan of swimming." I said, which wasn't really a lie.
"Yeah but I feel bad for making you come if your just gonna sit here." Ryan said,
"I'm getting a tan." I defended,
"So am I, in the water." Ryan argued, I rolled my eyes,
"I'm having fun okay, I'm enjoying the view." I said looking out at the ocean.
"Of me? Thank you." He joked, I slapped him,
"Oh please, don't flatter yourself." I replied.

Ryan picked up a volley ball and threw it at me, I caught it and got up, we played pass with the volleyball till the others came and joined us and we played a game.

.

"This afternoon sun is killer." William complained,
"Yeah, and we've been in and out of the water, I have no idea how your standing it Chase." Bubba said, I shrugged, I was really hot, but I would rather be hot then be drowned.
"It's not that bad." I lie, Ryan rolls his eyes,
"At least come in to like your waist or something." He suggested, I shook my head,
"I don't feel like swimming today." I said, or any day, I added in my head.
"Please it'd be funnier with you." William begged, I held firm,
"I'm gonna pass." I said, the four of them glanced at each other before turning back to me,
"Please?" They all asked at the same time, I shook my head,
"Chase for the love of chocolate, please just stand in the water." Ryan begged, I sighed,
"Fine." I said, I walked to the edge of the water with them, but I stopped at the edge while they ran in.

"Chase!" Ryan yelled in frustration, when he saw I wasn't even touching the water, I sighed and swallowed back my fear, I slowly step into the water, it was cold and I had to admit it did feel good in the summer heat. But the father I walked in the more I felt the pull of each wave, I stopped when it was at my knees.
"That's as far as your going?" Alex asked not impressed,
"I can you back to the beach." I said,
"No!" William quickly yelled,
"Come on chase, at least waist high." Ryan said wading through the water to me. He splashed me with some water,
"Please don't." I said annoyed,
"It's water, it won't hurt you." Ryan said jokingly, oh if he only knew,
"It can." I said bitterly, Ryan frowned,
"I think you've had to much sun, your pretty grumpy." He said, I nodded,
"Yes I have, I think I'll go back to the hotel." I said turning around, Ryan grabbed my shoulders,
"That's not what I meant." He said.

I turned around d and glared at Ryan, he glared right back, "come on chase, it feels good, you'll have fun i promise." Ryan begged, I sighed and took a couple steps deeper,
"I hate you." I mumbled to softly for Ryan to hear,
"What's you say?" He asked leaning closer,
"Nothing." I said, he frowned, but shook it off, he grabbed my arm and dragged my deeper into the water, much to fast for my liking, I panicked slightly, and it took all of my self control not to freak out and run back to the beach. Ryan stopped when we reached waist deep,
"See not so bad." He pointed out, I tried to smile at him but I couldn't, a million scenarios of me falling and the waves pulling me out and then me drowning were playing through my head. I turned away from ryan to hide my fear and watched Alex, William and Bubba swim, they were quiet a ways away, out of ear shot of us.

"Jeez relax." Ryan said, I realized how tense I was and tried to relax a bit but it didn't last long cause ryan pulled me farther into the water, the water was now just above my stomach, Ryan was no longer standing, he gracefully started swimming away from me. I didn't move, my breath was speeding up as I started panicking, I wanted to get out of the water but I was to afraid that if I moved I would somehow loose my footing and then drown.

I glanced around me, I felt tears start to prick my eyes, ryan swam towards me,
"Chase?" He asked questioningly, I met his eyes, his eyes went wide when he saw the fear and panic in mine. "What's wrong?" He asked, he stood next to me, i shook my head,
"Nothing, it's just cold." I said, I tried to calm down, I forced a small smile at Ryan, who shrugged and swam away,
"Come on don't just stand there, your this far may as well swim." Ryan pointed out, I shook my head,
"I think I'll just stand here for a bit." I said, Ryan swam away, and I stayed put, I glanced around, I didn't want to move, I was to scared, but the waves were getting bigger as the wind picked up a bit.

I started to relax a bit more the longer I stood there, I was took to scared to move but I wasn't scared just standing there. I laughed as I watched Ryan and Bubba wrestle in the water. I glanced out towards the rest of the ocean and my eyes widened when I saw a big wave coming. I froze, not knowing what to do, time moved in slow motion as the wave came closer and broke just as it reached me, pulling in and under it. My nose and mouth filled with salty water, i flailed around, I was beyond terror as I tried desperately to find the surface but I was unsure which way it was and even if I did I don't think I would have known how to get there. My chest started aching from lack of air, this is it, I'm gonna die. I started choking on the water I had swallowed and any air I had before was gone as I felt myself start to black out.

I felt strong arms grab me under my arms and haul me to the surface, I gasped for air as I was held above the water.
"Holly crap chase." Ryan said, he was out of breath and I could here the panic in his voice, I started coughing up some water as Ryan swam us to shallower water. Bubba, William and Alex were not far behind,
"You almost drowned." Ryan said, I could tell he was still trying to process what just happened,
"I can't swim." I admitted, my voice hoarse,
"Wait what?!?!" Ryan yelled,
"I can't swim." I repeated,
"What do you mean? You never learned?" Alex asked, I shook my head,
"But you did, I remember you going to swim lessons after the whole drowning incident." Ryan said confused,
"Wait this wasn't the first time?" William asked,
"No he fell into a river when he was young and almost drowned so his parents put him in swimming lessons." Ryan explained,
"But I was to scared of water to get in and the one time my dad lost it and just threw me in, I had a panic attack and they gave up." I added,
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ryan asked, I shrugged,
"That's why you would always say no." Bubba said,
"Part of it yes." I said,
"I'm so sorry Chase, I made you come into the water." Ryan said, his voice laced with regret,
"It's not your fault I didn't tell you so if it's anyone's fault it's mine." I said.

"Let's go back to the hotel, I think we've all had enough water and sun for today." Bubba said.

A/n:
Request, and let me know if you ever want a part 2 for any chapter.