Treat Me Gently

Chapter Three

I was only gone for a moment. For a few agonizing seconds I felt the weight of the ocean crushing my body, then I woke up again. I wasn't sure how deep I was, my anxiety was keeping me from thinking clearly. I kicked my legs and tried to keep myself steady with my arms, but my mind became weak with fear.

Suddenly, an arm was snaked around my waist, and I was hit with a wave of absolute panic. Was I dreaming again?

I couldnt comprehend what was happening as I felt the person who was holding me try to rush us through the water.

I struggled in their grasp, still trying to kick myself back up to the surface, but the arm only tightened around me.

What felt like just a few agonizing seconds later, my head reached above the water, and I couldn't help but cough uncontrollably to the point where my chest and throat began to sting.

I took in sharp, deep breaths over and over. My heart was racing so hard I could hear the echos of it beating through my ears and felt the drumming all the way down to my feet.

"Are you okay? Breathe!" The voice said to me.

Their arm was still wrapped around me, slowly leading me back out of the water. When I finally started coming to my senses, I looked up at the person who had saved me from drowning.

It was the guy from earlier, the one who was sitting outside of Mr. Greene's office.

He gently helped me sit down on the sand until I could stop the coughs that kept managing to escape, at least I wasn't coughing out any water, I must have passed out in there from the anxiety.

My heart was still racing, I was shaking so hard from the cold and adrenaline, and I cringed at the feeling of my cold wet jeans sticking to the skin of my legs. I could smell the salt water on myself, and my perfectly white shoes were now covered in sand. I felt like I needed to take a million showers.

"Are you okay?" The guy said, standing over me. I looked up at him, still in shock. He was wearing the same clothes he wore to school earlier. His clothes were also completely soaked, and his dark brown, seemingly curly hair was almost draped over his eyes. He stared at me with a worried expression.

"You okay?" He repeated again, I didn't realize I was studying him so hard I forgot to answer.

"I think so..." I answered him, still trying to steady my breathing. "Thank you."

"I don't think you should hang out at the edge of the pier anymore," he chuckled lowly.

"I think you might be right," I shot him a guilty smile. "How did you even know I was down there?"

"Oh um... I saw your car and-" he hesitated to finish his sentence. "I was just worried that you might've been in trouble. As soon as I got out of my car to go check on you I saw you get up and fall into the water." He explained shyly.

I stared at him for another moment. I'm not sure why seeing my car would have worried him, since people come here all of the time. How did he even know what my car looked like, does he even know who I am?

Well there's a stupid question. Of course he does. Everyone in school, hell even everyone in town knew who I was by now. I was Ingrid Ortiz, the poor depressed girl who's beautiful, popular twin sister killed herself. I was the most pitied teenage girl of the town.

"You know me don't you?" I looked back down at my soaked shoes. I already knew his answer.

"I do Ingrid."

"I'm not gonna kill myself you know. I wasn't trying to, me falling was an accident." I said softly, he probably wouldn't even believe me.

"Okay. I'm still glad I made the decision to come check on you though." He let out a soft sigh.