State of Grace

Chapter 3: That Fuzzy Feeling

SKY

(Flashback)

I thought I had too much to drink at the party, even though my tolerance to alcohol is relatively low. I had no idea how long I was down for the count as I found myself lying on the couch in the great hall.

I shook my head, dumbfounded that they dropped me here instead of in my room. I slowly got up and looked around. The whole place was already quiet and dimly lit. I guess the party had wrapped up.

Wala akong matandaan kung anong nangyari nung nalasing ako ng todo. All I could remember was that I was chatting with Savannah Gabrielle over cocktails and chili fries, and then we danced together. She's undeniably adorable when tipsy. Her drunk blush was cute, and her giggle was music to my ears. In one way or another, she made me smile. Mali nga talaga ang first impression ko sa kanya.

I fished out my phone from the pocket of my beach-themed board shorts. I saw the time saying it was past eleven in the evening. I found no messages or notifications, so I just shrugged. Wala rin naman akong inaasahan anyway.

Without a warning, the silence of the night was shattered by a female voice shouting, shortly followed by a rather loud splash of water. Parang galing sa swimming pool ang ingay. What's going on?

I tossed my phone on the couch and got on my feet, never mind if my head was spinning. I was a bit struggling to walk steadily to the garden area to see what the commotion was about. When I finally made it to the poolside, I gasped in horror as my eyes caught someone sinking in the pool, drowning and losing consciousness. Nawala ang amats ko at walang alinlangan akong lumusong sa swimming pool para sagipin ang nalulunod.

Soon, we got back to the surface and I carefully laid that person down on the tiled poolside. The moment I saw the person's face, I was terrified. Because it was Sage who drowned! She already passed out. Her blush was gone as her face was pale white, and she wasn't breathing at all!

Panic rose inside my chest. I have to do something now to save her!

I gave her chest compressions by clasping my hands together and pushing against the center of her chest. Without reservations, I gaped her mouth open and covered it with mine to give her rescue breaths. Who would have thought that my CPR training from high school would come in handy in times like this?

"Come on, Sage!" I growled after giving her another rescue breath and pushed her chest a few more times. She was still not moving. "Wake up!"

"Oi! Anong nangyayari diyan?!" Someone called me out.

I looked up and saw my roommate, Yco Sebastian Gonzales, rushing towards us. Kasama niya ang mga pinsan niya na sila Owen Joshua Gonzales, at si Dara, na kapatid ni Sage.

"Nalunod 'tong si Sage sa pool!" I said frantically while I kept administering CPR. "Buti na lang nakita ko siya kaagad, kaya sinagip ko."

"Ate!" Dara got down on her knees beside her sister, she was clearly in panic. "Gumising ka!"

I did another round of rescue breaths and chest compressions until Sage finally coughed out water from her mouth and gasped for air. She's now awake! Oh, thank heavens!

She squinted her eyes at us, seemingly disoriented at her surroundings, and then she turned to me without a word.

I gazed at her and asked, "Okay ka lang?"

She stayed mute until she closed her eyes and passed out once more.

"Sage!" I exclaimed.