Under the Sea *Book One* Water Trilogy

~Fourteen~

"So the whole school thinks you moved here because you've cheated before?" Finn held my face in his hands, wiping away the occasional tear with his thumb.

I nodded.

"But that's not true, is it."

"No." I shook my head. My blonde hair was playing in the wind. It had grown a little longer in the past few weeks, not enough for anyone to notice except me of course.

Finn thought about it for a minute.

"Why did you move down here anyway?" he asked. That thing called my stomach did some flips and then dropped. I bit my lip and fidgeted. Could I tell him?

I never liked to talk about the accident.

"I use to be on the swim team." I blurted.

"Okay-" I cut him off.

"It was earlier, like October. I was practicing in the schools pool like I did nearly every day," I took a deep breath. "I remember a girl named Victoria was sitting on a bench, which was weird because she always scheduled to practice whenever I didn't."

I shifted under Finn's gaze as he studied me.

"She didn't like me, even before we both joined the swim team our freshman year." I continued. "But I continued doing laps. Somewhere in the middle of those laps, I had needed to get out and send my mom a message that she should be on her way to come get me. This was before I had a car."

"And?"

"And I swam to the edge to pull myself out, but as I looked up, Victoria was standing over me." I could picture her red hair as she leaned over me. "I remember her saying 'every captain should go down with their ship' before she grabbed a hold of my hair and held me under."

"Why would she say that?"

"I didn't get it for a long time, not until a little after we went to court." I shook my head and rubbed my eyes, which were probably red from crying. "But I do now. I was planning on trying out for captain of the team. Vicky wanted to be captain. If she killed me, then her only competition would sink, much like a ship."

"Is that why you never get in?" The look on his face said it all. I could see the anger, the pain, and relief.

"Yeah," I gave a humorless chuckle. "Guess you could say I never really got over it. Neither could anyone in my household if we stayed in Michigan. My mom couldn't bare the thought of my brother and I going to and graduating from the same high school where I was nearly murdered."

"I want to help you."

"Help me?"

"Do you trust me?" I froze. His eyes were pleading and his hand was out stretched for mine.

"Y-yes..." I stuttered.

"Take my hand."

"But you're in the water-"

"Do you miss swimming?"

"Yes but-"

"Take my hand, I can help you." So I did. He didn't drag me in. Instead, he slowly pulled me, his other arm wrapped around my waist. I didn't panic when my feet went under, then my ankles. My heart jumped when a small wave came and pushed the water up to my knees.

"I can't, I can't," I sputtered. Finn placed my gently back on the dock. I gripped his arms tightly.

"You don't have to if you don't-"

"No. I want to." I whispered. Finn looked up at me.

"We can take it day by day then-"

"Olive!" I heard my brother Tyler call to me. Olive was the nickname he gave me forever ago and he continued to use it because he knew I hated it. Olive was created from my middle name, Olivia.

Finn ducked down below the dock.

"It's my brother Ty," I sighed.

"Olive?" Finn questioned.

"Stupid nickname," I said while rolling my eyes. "He knows I hate it."

"Understandable. Everyone in my family calls me shark bait," he grimaced. "It has to do with the shark tooth I wear around my neck but that's a story for another time."

Before I could demand for more he went under the water and was gone. Shaking my head, I stood up.

"What do you want?" I said as I approached the house where Tyler was waiting for me.

"Don't talk to me like that, I'm your elder." He said in a snotty tone.

"Shut up," I snapped. "You just turned twenty one."

"Still older than you," he taunted. "You're still not eighteen yet."

"I only have until the eighth of August," I continued with him, not sure why I was even bantering back and forth. "What did you want again?"

"I don't want anything," he said. I wanted to slap him. What a snot. "Mom and Dad need to talk to you."

Confused about what they wanted from me, I entered the house racking my brain for anything I could have done recently to get in trouble.

"Audrey?"

"Yeah dad?"

"Have a seat." My stomach did a flip as I sat.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Everything's fine," my dad laughed. "We have something else we need to say."

"Okay."

"You're father has to take a trip on Friday for work." My mother started for him. "Connor is going to go with James and Ty is going to stay here."

Tyler entered the room, his hands were held behind his back as he looked at me. As soon as I heard Ty was staying at the house I decided I wouldn't be.

"I'll go to Heidi's or something," I said without hesitation.

"Let us know when you find out. You can stay here if you want to-" my dad said.

"No, I'll find somewhere." I walked towards my room. As I passed by Ty I smelt smoke, like cigarettes, and gave him a look but from the one he was giving me I could tell he was daring me to say something. Of course I wouldn't. Shaking my head, I walked into my room and closed the door tightly behind me. I never knew why Ty always made me feel awkward around him, he was my brother for Pete's sake, but he did. I picked up my colored pencils and sketch pad and began to draw.