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Chapter Sixteen

"It's freezing. You're a liar!" Marisa screeched.

I laughed as she threw a handful of icy pond water at me. "So what? It could not be as frigid as your soul." I declared, flipping her off.

Seth clucked his tongue. "Calm down children, or you will both be put in time out."

"That's right, Marisa. No warmth for you!" I proclaimed, shaking my finger at her.

Marisa gasped, throwing her hands up in defense. "You wouldn't."

I ran at her, tackling her into the waterhole we regularly swam in on Seth's parents property. A huge splash of water landed directly on Seth as we plummeted to the bottom of the shallow shore. My arms pushed myself to a standing position in the waist-deep water.

"You're sick." Marisa expressed, shivering as she pulled mud out of her hair.

Before I could respond, Seth jumped in with a cannonball. My limbs tried to swim away so I would not drown in the tsunami he created. I failed. The water flew in every direction, landing all over me.

"Gross." I spat, trying to knock the wetness out of my eardrum. "Okay, yeah, no. This is not working for me. I am going to go clean myself up."

I could not stand for any liquid to be in my ears, especially pond water. What if I get that brain-eating amoeba?

My knees did all the work to get me out of the waterhole. Once I got to the shore, it was a slice of pie to run inside Seth's house. His parents were not home, but as per usual they were on a business trip. The barn door to the bathroom slid open easily, my bare feet stepping on the cool tile.

I opened the vanity, successfully finding q-tips underneath. As I stood up and cleaned my ears, I stared at my reflection to check for any flaws I needed to fix. Mud sat on my cheek. I washed my face off and then dried it with a towel, making sure to step on it and retrace my footsteps I left through the house.

Once I got back outside, I creeped to the pond to scare Seth and Marisa. My heart fell to my stomach as I tiptoed to a sight I never thought I would see. My belly wrenched, a dreadful feeling sinking in me.

Seth clutched beneath her thighs with his palms as her legs were wrapped around his midriff. She had his face cupped between her hands, both of them sucking on each other's lips. I became violently sick, immediately bending over and hurling the contents in my stomach on the ground.

They both looked up at the noise, Seth dropping Marisa into the water. The blood left his face, a chalky color taking over. His long legs took great strides to get to me. I wiped my mouth, turning around and running from him. After I left the driveway, I walked home through a shortcut in the woods, sobbing the whole way.

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I blinked, pushing the terrible memory of the betrayal out of my head. Waves swooshed beneath the old dock. The dingy boards that were afloat appeared weathered, screws and nails sticking out of some of the thin cracks. Me and Lorenzo bobbed side to side as we rocked in synch with the slight waves in the lake.

The springtime heat gave way to a delightful warmth. I savored it as I laid on my stomach on the wooden timber. My chin rested on the very edge, arms limply hanging off as I touched the murky water. For it was cold, the sensation sending chill bumps through me.

I wonder what lurks in the shadows below.

Lorenzo let out a breath. "It is panoramic out here, isn't it?"