'39 [Stanley Uris]

24: Take My Breath Away

"He literally barged into my room and started guilt tripping me on the spot! You have to be a really special type of person to be that manipulative," Stan frustratedly complains to Andi.

Andi patiently listens to him vent, she stares at him understandingly as the face each other on her couch.

"I hate him. I hate him so much," Stan continues. "Mainly I hate that I don't hate him at all because he's my dad."

"Parents are confusing, but I'm sure he thinks he's doing what's best for you. Adults do this thing where they feel like they know what's best for everyone when really they don't get to decide that," Andi responds.

"I just wish he'd stop," Stan sighs deeply. "I just wanted to have a good time with you, but now I'm just gonna be stressed."

"Oh hell no you aren't," she laughs. "We're gonna have so much fun that one of us will end up pregnant."

"I don't know if that sounds enjoyable at all in my case," Stan snorts.

"We're going for a hike," Andi states, pulling the boy by his hand off the couch.

Stan let's out a long groan, following her out of the house and into the dark of night. Normally, he'd be stressed by the curfew, but with her he feels invincible. Still, he's not sure he's up for a hike right now.

"A hike? Why a hike? Now?" He complains, holding her hand softly.

Nonetheless, he never stops her from piling things into the basket of her bike.

"Because I said so," she states, "and because you do what I say to make me extra happy."

"More like because if I don't you start guilt tripping—" He suddenly realizes something. "Oh my god! You're just like my dad, except I like you!"

"Oh please, I am not like your dad," Andi grumbles. "We make out. Do you make out with your dad, too?"

"I hate you, you're so gross. I will eternally have that picture in my mind," he jokes.

"Stop talking and help me," she giggles, handing him a towel and blanket to hold.

He doesn't pay mind to the towel, just holding onto the items and hopping onto the bike. They ride beside each other, discussing lip balm flavors until they reach the edge of the forest.

Andi parks her bike, and Stan follows.

She gathers all her stuff from her basket and begins to walk up hill into the trees.

"You sure you don't want me to hold anything else?" Stan offers, noticing the girls struggle as the continue on.

"Nope, I'm fine. We're almost there anyway," she stubbornly insists.

Literally twenty minutes later, they finally reach the place she wants to be. She is huffing and puffing dramatically, and falls onto the soft dirt.

"This is my life now," she dramatically states. "I have climbed this mountain and now I will die upon it."

"Shut up," Stan laughs, "we only been hiking for twenty minutes."

"Yeah, true," she agrees, sitting up off the ground. "The swim will surely be rewarding."

"Swim?" Stan questions, a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, we're going swimming," she bluntly states, standing up and pulling her clothes off.

"No no no no no no no," Stan shakes his head, walking over and preventing the girl from pulling her shirt off.

"Why not?" She frowns. "We didn't come all this way for nothing."

"If I knew this was part of the deal I wouldn't have come at all," he states.

"Well, too bad," she grins sinfully. "I want to get wet."

"Please don't say things that way," he blushes, turning away from her. "I don't have anything to swim in anyway."

"So take your clothes off," she suggests. "You did it once, I don't see the issue with doing it now."

"I wasn't alone then," he defends. "I don't want to take my clothes off alone."

"My clothes are off," she determinedly points out.

He says nothing, keeping his stance and crossing his arms. Andi thinks of what to do next, then it clicks that she can't even swim. She'll have to be risky.

"I can't swim," she states, backing towards the cliff without him noticing.

"Good, because I really didn't want to get—"

She completely backs off the cliff, calmly plummeting into the water below her. Stan rushes to the edge, watching her hit the water with a shocked look.

"ANDI!" He calls, staring down.

When she doesn't come back up, he pulls off his clothes in a hurry and jumps in after her.

When his body hits the water, he opens his eyes in search of the girl. The water wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough for her to be sat at the bottom with her eyes wide open and breath held.

Stan makes his glare as noticeable as possible under the water, she simply waves at him.

With all his strength, he helps her resurface to a shallower part of the water. They're both gasping for air, arms tightly spun around each other as they calm their breathing.

"I knew you'd come around about swimming," Andi whispers playfully, staring Stan straight in his eyes.

Both of their hair is slicked back, but Andi realizes just how handsome he is with it that way. She wonders if he'll straighten his hair anytime soon, she'd like that.

"Don't ever do something like that again," he demands, leaning in and kissing her softly.

She grins into the kiss before pulling back quickly and splashing away from him.

"I'll think about it, Stany!"

Above them, the radio continues to play the soft sounds of, "Take My Breath Away".