1 | ONE BREATH | MINIMINTER ✔️

SEVEN

SEVEN
d a l l a s

Sometimes, counting to ten just didn't hit the mark. So she'd hit ten and carry on counting; counting until her jaw unclenches, her fingers uncurled and her mind's fuzz lessened in intensity. The static dying with it.

Her record was two hundred and three. That was when she'd found out about Allison trying it on with James and she'd punched the wall, breaking a knuckle in the process, and had to count in order to preserve her remaining knuckles.

But when the counting didn't work altogether, there was few things that could calm her down.

The first being simple: focusing on breathing. In and out, that's what the school's councillor told her. In and out, in and out. Feeling the icy touch of the oxygen as it filled her lungs, relishing in the rush of the exhale, forgetting the bubble of the anger in her veins.

Sometimes not even that worked because the breathing only made her remember why she was angry in the first place.

At that point, there was only one thing that could calm her down and that was the gentle touch of the water. Rushing to strip down as soon as she got into her bedroom, pulling on her swimming costume and running down to the swimming pool they owned thanks to her father. She would dive in, thriving in the water's embrace and not surfacing until her lungs burned hotter than her anger.

When she surfaced, she would draw in a large breath and lie back in the water to stare at the ceiling and think about the death she could have lived if only she'd held her breath that little while longer.

But she didn't want to die. Not yet, not while she still had so much she wanted to do. So many things she wanted to scream into the air and allow the wind to carry to the ears of all those who may bear witness.

After speaking to Allison and walking out of the hall, Dallas went home. She wasn't to the point where she could hear the pool beckoning her, but she did listen to herself breathe as she walked home.

The first thing she did when she got into the house was start cooking dinner in an attempt to avoid the happenings of the other night. The bruise still hurt to touch.

As soon as she'd finished, she'd been seeking relaxation and had barely lay down on the sofa when her phone rang obnoxiously from her pocket.

With a frown, she answers the call from the unknown number. "Hello? Who is this?" She asks, her voice slightly raspy. The phone is cold against her cheek.

"Hi," The voice replies. "It's Simon. I was just calling to let you know that me and the guys can come to the party this weekend." She could hear the smile in his voice. He was always so happy and she was jealous of that, to an oblivious extent.

Dallas laughs airily. "I'm glad you can," She tells him.

A silence follows. She glances up at the blue clock on her clinically white wall as she hears her mother stomping around downstairs.

"Simon?" She asks, biting her lip.

"Yeah?"

"Are you busy right now?"

"No."

"Then I'll see you in half an hour."

She hangs up the phone before he can protest.

Not willing to face her mum downstairs, Dallas pulls on her white converse, jacket and then climbs out of the window, shimmying down the tree trunk like she'd done too many times to count. She'd read many books at the top of this tree, sipping on lemonade and relaxing in the sun of summer, but now it was September and there was little sun to bask in.

Dallas didn't have to think long about where to go. She used to go to Simon's house all the time when their parents were friends, but her dad started working away and her mum over-indulged in wine, which marked the end of that friendship because no one wants their child in an alcoholic environment.

But Dallas couldn't help but wonder how different things could be fore her if she swapped places with Simon. He seemed happy. He had a good, caring group of friends. He had loving parents.

Three things that could never be bought, no matter how much money your family owned.

Taking a few of the small stones of gravel into her hand from Simon's drive, just like she always used to, she steps up and throws a few at his window. They bounce off, she throws another two and another two until the window opens.

Simon looks down at her like he didn't actually expect her to turn up.

Dallas grins up at him and asks, with the evening sun shining across her face in a glow of orange and gold, "You coming for a walk then, Minter?"

"Sure," He replies, patting himself on the back for playing it cool. If she hadn't smiled, he would have declined and told her he was busy. But the smile was how he always wanted he to look at him. It was just as golden as the sunlight.

Radiant in every way possible.

Burning bright before it's time.

-

This book is almost at 1K and I'm so happy because I love it so much, even though I say that about all of my books. I literally don't even care because I do love all my books.

Also, I'm about to self-promo real quick! You guys should go and check out my Josh (Zerkaa) fic that I started recently called Strangers. It's going to be emotional and sad but i'd really appreciate it if you could check it out.

Thank you <3