𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮
in which the cliché of the star basketball player and captain of the cheer squad becomes a reality
𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐜
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𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 — laughter spilling out, hands entwined, the world finally in harmony. But just as the streets can turn from a sunny stroll to a storm-soaked dash, life, too, shifts in an instant. One second, you're at the top of your world, and in the next, you're staring into an abyss, wondering how it unraveled so fast. Suddenly, that bliss feels like a trick of light, leaving you wondering if you'll ever find solid ground again.
The cold air bit at Emiliana's skin as she stood, shaking at the edge of the bridge, her voice raw from screaming. "Nathan!" The water below surged and frothed, swallowing her shouts as if they were mere whispers. Panic gripped her, making her limbs feel leaden and useless. No sign of Nathan, Rachel, or Cooper. Just the haunting silence of the river, indifferent and vast. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the sweat beading her temples as she strained to catch sight of them.
A car pulled up behind her, and Emiliana turned to see Lucas and Karen screeching to a halt at the bridge. They bolted out of the car, eyes wide and wild with fear. Lucas's gaze darted from Emiliana's tear-streaked face to the turbulent water below.
"What happened?!" he demanded, breathless and already stepping closer to the edge.
"It's Nathan—Cooper—and Rachel—" Emiliana's words tumbled out in a frenzy, a storm of panic that drowned out coherence. Lucas took a split second to process the scene before turning toward the river, desperation settling in his eyes.
"Nathan!" he bellowed, his voice echoing into the night, more plea than command.
Without hesitation, Lucas yanked off his suit jacket, tossing it to the side. Karen shouted in alarm as he dove into the water, creating a resounding splash. Emiliana and Karen leaned over the railing, their eyes scanning the dark surface for any trace of Lucas, Nathan, or the others.
"Lucas, please, please..." Karen muttered under her breath, her eyes glistening with both fear and hope.
Emiliana's fists clenched around the rail, her knuckles ghostly white. Her heart pounded so hard she felt it would shatter through her ribs. Every second stretched painfully, each one without a sign of Nathan grinding at her sanity. The river swallowed Lucas's shouts as he searched frantically, his head bobbing above the churning surface.
Suddenly, a form broke through the water, drifting lifelessly. Emiliana's heart soared for a fraction of a moment—only to crash down when she realized it was Cooper. Lucas managed to push him to the shore where Karen quickly ran down and pulled Cooper out fully, gasping with relief. But Emiliana barely registered it, her eyes fixed on Lucas, still out there, searching.
"Lucas!" she shouted. "Keep looking!"
Lucas met her eyes, drenched and desperate. "The limo is empty!" he shouted back, his voice raw and strained.
