Warnings: Swearing
I don't know how to swim. It's slightly embarrassing yet when I was little my brother drowned in a public pool. So many people around yet he still wasn't saved. I was so young, only 6, but I can remember every single moment of when the lifeguard pulled his lifeless body from the bottom of the pool. I'll never forget it. Nine years later and my fear of swimming has only grown larger, the fear of being so close to people yet no one noticing my body sink down to the ground.
I watched as the rest of the losers swim in the quarry. The hot summer sun beating down on my bare arms and legs. My skin growing hot and sweating under my shorts and tank top.
"Y/n come in!" Beverly shouted out to me, she waved her arms in the air making water fly all around her.
"I uh just ate! I have to wait thirty minutes!" I called back, a forced laugh leaving my chapped lips.
"You do know that's a myth right?"
"Rather be safe than sorry." I waved my arm. "I'm okay right here."
"Suit yourself." She turned back to Richie and Stanley, splashing them with the cool water.
I tucked the loose strands of hair that fell in my face behind my ears, sweat dripping from the side of my face from the heat. I watched my friends splash around the shallow end of the quarry. Maybe it would be okay if I just stepped in? I shook my head, no. It doesn't matter. My fear started to creep back into the front of my brain.
"You ok?"
I looked behind me to see Richie who didn't have a drop of water on him.
"Oh I thought you were just in the water?" I furrowed my eyebrows. I went to turn back to the water to see if I had just been seeing things from the heat.
"Nope, I didn't want to leave you out here alone." He sat next to me, pulling my attention straight back to him.
"Oh, thanks." I gave him a small smile.
"Come on, I wanna show you a nice spot." He smiled sweetly, his glasses propped on his nose.
I gave him a warm smile back. We stood up and he interlocked our fingers together. A swarm of butterflies flew around in my stomach. He's never been one to be affectionate, and definitely not towards me.
"Where is it?" I asked him.
"Just up here." He pulled me up a hill, through a small patch of woods until we got to the edge of the cliff above the quarry.
"Woah this is so pretty." I looked down at the water. The heights didn't scare me, it was the water below.
"Not as pretty as you." Richie put his hands on my waist.
I felt my cheeks burning up, maybe it was from the sun... but I knew it wasn't that.
"Go a bit closer, I got you." Richie told me as I started to inch a bit forwards.
"Rich.." I softly spoke, my voice just above a whisper.
"Yeah?"
