Miss nobody strikes back

Beach day

Chapter ten.

   Hanna's pov.

The week has just been relaxing, Aunt and I just chilled, watched movies. The holiday has been quite well since I moved here, Aunt is like the best, she's literally the mother I never had. Today was the day we were all going to the beach. 

  "Honey are you ready?" I heard her voice from my room, I took my bags, phone and left, walking down the stairs Aunt spotted me. "You must be ready, did you pack everything, your swim suit?" Aunt asked and I nodded.

    "I love your outfit by the way," Aunt said and I giggled, it was just a causal T-shirt and baggy jorts. Uncle Jack came downstairs. "Are you girls ready?" he asked and we both nodded, we all went outside, packed out bags in the trunk of the car, We all went in and zoomed off.

      We haven't had any breakfast since morning so Uncle Jack decided to stop at a restaurant to eat.  After that morning breakfast, we continued our road trip. When we got to a place called Ocean City or Shore whatever the name is, it was a hotel with a pool with different fun activities.

     "Hello, we have a reservation for three," Uncle Jack said to the  receptionist, "You both can go inside, I'll handle it," he said and Aunt nodded, Aunt and I walked into the hotel, we were already given our room, it was nice and cosy, with two beds, a mini living area, nice bathroom and a very nice view of the pool.

      "wow, it's actually looks better in reality than on the phone" Aunt said, she placed her bag on the bed and sat on it. "yeah, I can't believe I'm in a hotel, wow" I said, "Well believe it or not you're here!, and first, we take a very nice shower, put on our swim suit and have fun, Okay?" Aunt said and I nodded.

      Uncle Jack came back with all our luggages and stuff, we all had nice showers and dressed in our swim suit, wait hold up, you did not actually think I would wear a bikini, never, it's too revealing for me and there are lot of hungry looking men out there. My outfit, strapped top and shorts, simple and not revealing.

      We all went outside where the fun began, Aunt and Uncle dived into the water while I just watched them, they were swimming and smiling, I sat on top of the pool, my legs in the water. "Hanna come on in, the water is so cool." Aunt said and I shook my head. "no need I am Okay like this?" I said to her, I know deep down that that's not the reason why I refused, I know you all are going to judge me but I can't swim, we just didn't have that kind of money to do stuff like this.

     "You're missing out on all the fun come on" Aunt said. "I like it better here, I'm just gonna sit down and read a book" I said, I stood up, ready to grab my book, but suddenly, the slick surface under my feet betrayed me. My arms flailed as I lost balance, and before I could even shout, I tumbled into the water. Panic surged through me as the cool liquid engulfed me. I kicked frantically, but my limbs felt heavy, uncoordinated. The more I struggled, the deeper I seemed to sink.

Water filled my ears, my nose, my throat—everything was blurry, muffled, and chaotic. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. My chest tightened, and fear gripped me like a vise. I couldn’t swim. I was going to drown.

Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me up. I broke through the surface, gasping for air, my lungs burning. I could hear Uncle Jack’s voice—calm, steady—telling me to relax, that everything was okay. He dragged me to the edge of the pool and lifted me out of the water.

As I lay on the concrete, coughing and sputtering, Aunt knelt beside me, her face etched with concern. "Hanna, are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft and comforting.

I nodded weakly, still trying to catch my breath. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my whole body trembled. "I—I’m fine," I croaked, though I didn’t feel fine. The experience had shaken me to my core.

Uncle Jack sat down next to me, his wet hand resting on my shoulder. "You gave us a bit of a scare there, kiddo," he said, his usual light tone now tinged with worry. "You really don’t know how to swim?"

I shook my head, feeling a mix of embarrassment and relief that he’d been there. "No," I whispered. "I never learned."

Aunt squeezed my hand. "It’s okay, sweetie. We’ll make sure you learn, but right now, how about we get you something to eat? You’ve had enough excitement for one day."

I smiled weakly, appreciating their kindness. The thought of food was appealing. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and a nice meal sounded like the perfect way to calm down.

We all dried off, and after I changed into some dry clothes, we headed to a nearby restaurant. The place had a casual vibe, with wooden tables and a view of the beach in the distance. I ordered a simple sandwich and fries, my appetite slowly returning as the shock wore off.

Aunt and Uncle Jack chatted happily, talking about the beach and the fun activities we could try tomorrow. I listened quietly, still processing what had just happened. As I nibbled on my fries, I couldn’t help but feel grateful. I might’ve embarrassed myself by falling into the water, but it didn’t matter. My aunt and uncle didn’t judge me—they just cared.

After lunch, we explored the area a bit more, strolling along the sandy shore and checking out some small shops nearby. The sun was warm on my skin, and I began to relax, the earlier tension fading away. Aunt bought me a cute seashell bracelet, and Uncle Jack took some silly pictures of us near the water. It was nice, spending time like this—just the three of us, no worries, no drama.

By the time we headed back to the hotel, it was late afternoon. We were all a bit tired, so we decided to relax in the hotel room. Aunt stretched out on one of the beds, while Uncle Jack flipped through channels on the TV, trying to find something interesting to watch. I settled by the window, staring out at the pool below, where other families were still splashing around, laughing and having fun.

Despite everything, I felt happy—content, even. Today could’ve ended in disaster, but instead, it turned into a reminder of how lucky I was to have Aunt and Uncle Jack in my life. They were my family, and they cared for me in a way I hadn’t experienced before. It felt... safe.

As the evening settled in, we all drifted off to sleep. The soft hum of the air conditioner and the gentle sound of the TV playing in the background lulled me into a peaceful slumber. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly at ease.

This holiday might’ve started with just a simple beach trip, but it was becoming so much more. It was a chance for me to learn, grow, and maybe, just maybe, find a little piece of happiness I hadn’t known I was missing and of course I did not forget to update jenny, I sent her the pictures and we chatted for a while before I slept.