Glitches (Ben Drowned x reader)

Ch.1 Pizza Night

-Your pov

"Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one    " I blocked out the sound of my team shouting out numbers and looked straight ahead. I was going longer than what I expected, but I couldn't keep it for much longer.

"Twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-" They chanted before I rose from the water to catch my breath.

"Four minutes and thirty-four seconds." The coach announced while my team stared in astonishment. I had the longest time. Not like it was ever a goal to be better than the others, it's just from experience. Swimming has been my favorite hobby for a long time. I mean games are another fun thing to do to pass the time. Especially since school is over, but I personally think swimming is better. We all got out to do our last exercise. We formed a line behind the largest diving board as the coach threw multiple rings into the deep end.

"Dive in whatever way you want. Collect as many as you can. Swim back to the surface slowly. I don't want to be sending anyone to the hospital." She said while throwing a couple more into the water one teammate started going up the ladder. Time seemed to last forever until it was my turn. I jumped several times to get more hight. I wasn't going to do anything fancy like the majority did. Once I was positive that I had enough height, I dived into the water. Faster than what I thought, but it gives me a little more time. The pressure was pushing on my lungs more than normal. I managed to ignore it long enough to grab them all. I was about to return to the surface, but a strange red light from the drain caught  my eye. I swam closer to investigate. The light was glitching as if if was a strobe light. There was a sound. Some kind of metal clanking against metal. I wanted to investigate more, but my lungs wouldn't allow it. I was fighting the temptation to swim up as fast as possible. My vision was slightly dark. The air touching my face and returning to my lungs made me feel proud, but I'm not sure if I'd do it again especially for that long.

"Oh thank god Y/N! I was about to call ambulance. Are you ok?" She asked. My mind was somewhere else. A question that I felt needed to be answered.

"Where does the drain go. Where does it take the water when drained?" I asked almost in a haze.

"I wasn't expecting a response like that but ok. The water is released into the river.    Now can you tell me weather you're ok or not?" She replied before I nodded my head. My coach sighed in relief and dismissed us.

"That boy in that reptile club. Nolan jumped and robbed him    again." One girl said as we finished changing. 

"I feel so bad for him. He looks shy and a little odd, but that's no excuse to bully him." Another added. I sighed as grabbed my bag.

"If you care,  why not help him?" I asked before everyone grew silent.

"I don't stand a chance defending a rabbit against a pack of wolves." She replied before the others agreed. It was pointless. If no one wants to help him, then I will. The timing must have been right because there he was crossing the road. He looked starving. I ran up to him and tried to say hi. He simply turned to me.

"If you're here to beat me then get it over with." He mumbled. I struggled to understand him.

"Did you eat today?" I asked before he nodded his head.

"Don't lie to me. We had the same lunch time. I know it's summer now, but still." I replied before he reluctantly gave me his honest response.

"Come on." I stated while beckoning him to follow me. I lead him to Casey's straight to the food and sandwich area.

"Grab whatever you want. I'll pay for it." I said before he looked at me surprised, but he didn't ask questions. He grabbed a bottle of water, a sandwich, and a bag of chips. I paid for his food before he went in the back.

"I need to clock in a few minutes from now. Thanks for the food." He said before entering the back room. I made my way towards the house before I stopped. I had to cross the bridge to get home. It always has an unnatural silence when I'm the only one in it's presence. I took a deep breath and held it as I started walking across slowly exhaling to keep myself "calm". I was halfway there when something splashed the water against the metal pole keeping the bridge up. My heart skipped and I ran without stopping until I reached the door to my house. 

"Had trouble with the bridge again?" My little brother, Jacob asked before laughing. I rolled my eyes and walked upstairs to my room. My room was the perfect view of the river reaching towards our backyard before returning back to where it belongs. I hate looking at it. I always had my curtains closed so that I don't have to see it, but then Jacob would open them again while I'm gone. My parents left an hour ago and won't be back until tomorrow evening. I'm stuck dealing with his little games till then. He constantly begged me to order him a cheese pizza. Eventually I gave in. 

"If I do this, do you promise me that you'll calm down before bed? You can watch a movie while eating." I said. 

"On the couch?" He said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes on the couch." I replied before he ran into his room and I grabbed my phone. The order didn't take too long I just hoped that it gets here soon before my brother tears the house down. I decided to turn the Xbox on to keep him occupied while I texted my friends. It was a long conversation, but not a good one. I jumped a little from the sound of the doorbell. 

"Pizza!" Jacob shouted from the living room as I grabbed some cash. I opened the door and was shocked. It was that boy I bought food for. I was struggling to find words. 

"Do you want to to come in?" I asked hesitantly. The boy looked around before coming in. 

"I clocked out before I left. I didn't know it was your house. Thanks again for the food." He said softly. I opened the box and my brother grabbed a couple pieces and put them on a plate before sitting down. 

"Do you want some? I'm not going to be able to eat all of this." I said before grabbing a couple plates. I gave one to him and we started grabbing slices. 

"Do you want to sit in the living room and watch the movie? Or do you want to sit somewhere else." I asked. He was quiet for a moment. 

"Maybe upstairs?" He said before I smiled a little. I lead him up the steps and into my room. We sat down on the floor quietly for a while. 

"I never got your name." I stated before the boy looked at me confused. 

"My name is Alex. What's yours?" He said before eating another slice. 

"Y/n." I replied before Alex looked towards my window curtains. I wasn't sure what he was doing until he opened them revealing the river outside. I breath hitched. 

"Please don't." I whispered before he quickly closed them. 

"I'm sorry." He whispered. 

"Is it the murky water?" He asked before I took a deep breath calming myself down. 

"The murky water, how deep it is, the Scarlet Trench. Who knows what lurks at the bottom of the trench." I replied before finishing my pizza. Alex took my plate and started walking towards the kitchen. 

"My mother says that a boat was passing over the trench. The two people paddling had two large crates overflowing with broken geodes. Inside each stone were crystal formations of all colors and types. They had only one Ethiopian opal geode. Both men wanted it. They fought and the canoe capsized. Some sunk straight down, others drifted a little further from the bridge. But all of them live in the trench now." He explained while washing the dishes. I checked Jacob's room to make sure he was asleep before walking to Alex. 

"Do you know what the Scarlet Dive is?" I asked before Alex shook his head. 

"It's a secret gathering that happens one night every summer. People sign a paper if they plan on going. They gather by the bridge. Some want to drive, others simply want to watch. Each diver is given a flashlight to see where they are going, and to find a geode. Some can't swim deep enough and return to the surface. Others manage to find a small geode. And then there's the ones who " I didn't want to think about it. There was always one that wouldn't make it to the surface. 

"Don't think about it. It's not like you go to those things. You don't need to worry." Alex said.      For the first time he smiled.