LILY WHITE

SEVEN (pt. 2)

We're at the creek, a place where I've never been before. The water is green and murky, bushes and trees are surrounding the water. The sun is still bright. It's still morning, maybe afternoon by now, I don't want to ask.

Tommy and I prop up our bikes on a nearby tree and I'm looking at him, searching in his eyes for what we're supposed to do now.

He's taking his shirt off.

He's now only in his navy pants and before I know it he is jumping inside of the water. He stays submerged for a second, then I see the top of his head come back up to the surface. He's waiting for me to get in.

"I don't want to get my clothes wet."

"Then take them off." Tommy covers his mouth after he's said those words, in embarrassment. I think this is the most emotion I've seen come out of him. I don't even mind that comment anymore, I'm fascinated.

"I didn't mean it like that I-" He doesn't complete his sentence before I take my shirt off. Leaving only my bra and shorts, I'm jumping in right next to him.
The water is cold, but it feels good against my skin. It's deeper than I imagined it to be.

I had to learn how to swim by myself, I almost drowned multiple times. My parents never took me anywhere, no pools or creeks, no other places either. I had to learn how to swim by going to the beach just outside of the house and hoping my body would make the right movements to survive the water.

There were times where I would get washed away by the waves into deeper waters. I remember that I just let it happen once, I let the waters drag me out to sea, I didn't squirm or wave my hands out for help. Somehow I managed to get back to shore but I almost let myself die.

The memory sends goosebumps to my skin, but I glance at Tommy and he is floating through the water on his back. I splash some water on him, it seems to scare him a bit until he splashes back.

We're splashing water on each other now, back and forth. Sometimes I play foul and keep splashing him when he's trying to splash me back. I giggle and laugh, but he only smiles, doesn't make a sound.

We slow down, still smiling. The water starts settling and the sunlight bounces off the water.

Specks of water stay on Tommy, glimmering against his skin. Something about him seems so unguarded. He looks genuine, it's strange seeing him this way, relaxed.

I get used to the temperature of the water, it turns itself refreshing. It's washing away everything from this morning, even if the water isn't its cleanest, it makes the memories of the arguments fade a little more.

We're both just playing in the water now, moving it around with our arms, kicking our legs to stay afloat. I swim a little closer to him, dunk my head in the water again.

"I've never been here." I break the silence.

Tommy looks at me in awe, he's startled, confused, maybe. "This is your hometown," he says, "and you've never been to this creek?"

In reality, I've never heard of this creek before, even though it was a 15 minute bike ride away. "No, I haven't."

"How?" He's genuinely curious.

"My parents never took me." I start, "I never had friends that wanted to go."

"Lillie." he utters, but it sounds more like a question. "What's the deal with your parents?" His face shows concern, it's full of it, distress.

The question makes me think, makes me want to all the sudden be alone. I retreat to isolation but Tommy's still there and I can feel his eyes glaring at my back when I turn away from him. He's waiting for an answer.