Drowning

Chapter 3

"She needs to eat" Before Kiara could open her eyes she could feel cold hands grabbing her and lifting her up into a sitting position.

"Who... am I?" Kiara mumbled, she couldn't remember anything. All she knew was the pain she felt, it spread all over her body but the worst of the pain was in her chest. 'Why does it hurt so much?' 'Why am I like this?' 'How do I make it stop'
"Your giving her the best part?!?" Another shocked voice said off in the distance, Kiara didn't pay any attention to it.
"She needs it. Just like you needed it when you first got here" whatever they were talking about came to a sudden stop. Kiara could feel hands on her face, forcing her jaw to open. She tried to resist it but the fingers dug in and the pain was too much to ignore. Something slimy and cold was shoved into her mouth, the metalic taste sliding against her tongue was enough to make her gag and try spit it out but the hands covering her face held her mouth shut.

"Eat. Good will come when you eat" the soothing voice said, it was hard to resist. With only a few bites to try make the food smaller Kiara tried to swallow it quickly and get the taste out of her mouth. A warm feeling enveloped her body as the food passed down to her stomach and she finally opened her eyes. A woman, pale blue skin and even bluer lips floated in front of her. 'Wait... she's floating?' Kiara thought in a panic as she took in her surroundings. Sitting at the bottom of the ocean floor she watched as the woman waded in front of her, another woman hiding behind a rock. 'Wait! How am i breathing?' She wondered in shock as her memories started coming back to her. Bubbles cascaded out of her mouth as her hands went around her throat, her fingertips touched deep cut marks around the side of her neck. As she inhaled, the cuts took in water and she calmed down slightly when the water didn't burn her throat.

"Gills" the woman said softly noticing the panicked look in her face. As more and more memories flooded her mind, her eyes shook as her head swam from the overload of information, she closed her eyes to try and stop the pounding in her head but all she could see were the memories that were flooding back to her.

The quiet library had become a safe haven for Kiara, while everyone was out for lunch or hanging with her friends she would go to the library and read. It was a place where she could go and not feel judged, where she could be alone without getting weird looks from other people, she didn't have to be any one but herself.

As she nestled into the dark corner in between two rows of shelves, she grabbed the book she had almost finished reading and put her feet up on her backpack. 'Finally' she thought as she opened up to the page her bookmark held for her and began reading but it didn't take long for someone to disturb her peace. Letting out a small sigh she looked up and saw someone in her row.

He was tall, tanned skin and black hair that swooped to the side. Looking down at her a smirk playfully danced across her face, Kiara scoffed and looked down at her book. The boy looked taken aback as she ignored him but quickly regained his composure.

"Hi, my name is.." he started but Kiara cut him off quickly,
"If I'm in the way, I'll move. But if not I don't care for your pleasantries" she stated matter of factly.
"No girl has ever talked to me like that before...." He said shocked, Kiara paused on the word she was reading. 'Shit this is going to make another bully' she thought realizing she spoke without thinking again, it made her a lot of enemies.

Kiara slammed her book shut and looked up at him, the annoyance written all over her face but if he was about to fight her she wanted to be ready.
"Usually girls throw themselves at me but you're the first who has absolutely no interest" he said looking at her in amusement.
"Why would I?" Kiara asked as disgust flashed across her face, she had a hard time hiding her feelings and at times like this it very often led her into trouble.

"What is going on here?!?" A teacher said turning the corner into Kiara's section. Panic spread across the boys face as he saw her and started fumbling for an answer. Kiara recognized this teacher as the one who spend her lunch time at the library looking over the kids who had detention, 'so this was why he was slinking around the library and came all the way back here' Kiara thought as she stood up, dusting her clothes off as she did.

"I am sorry Mrs. Jerkins I saw him here" she said pointing her thumb at the boy, "and dragged him back here to work out some things for an english project we have together"
"Hmm well just next time be sure to tell me Kiara, that is what they are here for" The stern look from her face disappearing before she herself turned around to head back to the miscreants she was looking after.

"How did you do that? She never believes me!" The boy said in shock.
"Yeah, it helps when you don't lie and do dumb shit like skip school" Kiara scoffed.
"But schools so boring" he whined as he leant against a bookshelf, Kiara couldn't help but roll her eyes, he was acting like such a child.
"Look I have to go, don't think this will happen again" Kiara said putting her book in her bag and began walking away but he stopped her.
"Wait! My names James, whats yours?" He asked.
"Kiara" she said curtly before continuing her stride.
"Bye Kiara! See you again sometime!" James yelled after her causing her to look down in embarrassment. She couldn't help the feeling that grew in the pit if her stomach, 'he is going to be trouble'

"Kiara!" James's voice rang out across the courtyard as Kiara was making her way to school that morning. Heads turned her way and she tried to put her head down and keep walking but James called her again.
"What?!" She hissed at him as she walked up to his group of friends sitting out by the edge of the courtyard. Three of them stood smoking cigarettes, in the one place where smoking was allowed. This was known as the smoke pit and only the worst kids hung around here.
"Everyone. This is Kiara, she's going to be hanging out with us from now on" James stated bluntly.
"Says who?" Kiara bit back in shock, this was not what she signed up for.
"I just have a good eye for people" James said slinging an arm around her shoulder which she quickly pushed off causing a few of them to laugh in response.
"And I just know we are all going to be the best of friends" Kiara wished she could slap that stupid grin off his face.
"It's impossible to stop him" a girl who had been sitting in the back said after blowing out a cloud of smoke, "once he has his mind made theirs no stopping him".

Later she would learn the girls name was Katrina Christian, or Kat as she liked to be called. Much to her dismay, every morning they would call her over, they even started following her to the library which she hated and after school they would walk in the same direction as her for a while until splitting off separately to go home.  It got to the point where she stopped going to the library, she only went to be by herself but with a big group with her it was pointless, she started hanging out on the grassy hill beside the school. It was out in the open but also a place where the smokers of the group could relax and smoke without getting in trouble. It was weird to her, she never thought a day would come where she would spend her lunch breaks surrounded by friends, laughing, eating and just enjoying being around each other. As she stared at the people who quickly became her friends, She couldn't help but smile.

"That's the first time I've seen you smile" James said loudly causing a blush to spread across Kiara's face, she hated the attention.
"Aww she likes us" Kat jumped in and Kiara couldn't hold in her embarrassment.
"Do I have much of a choice? You won't leave me alone!" Kiara bit back and James laughed heartily, she had been warned.
"So.." Kat said, worming her way closer to Kiara, "since we are friends does that mean you will let me finally give you a make over? You always look so... bleh" Kat said making a weird face at her.
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Kiara asked looking down at herself.
"You look like my grandma dressed you, please" Kat begged. Kiara sighed and shrugged her head.
"My birthday is during summer break. I'll have enough money for it then" she gave in, kat had been bugging her for a while.
"Yay! It will be your glow-up!" Kat promised.