Summer and Forever

It was cold down here. The water enveloped my head and because of the blow to it I found myself dazed and in an upside down position. I lay there lazily, ignoring the bursting feeling in my chest or the dizziness engulfing me.

I felt a disturbance in the water and everything shimmered. I shut my eyes and relaxed into the water only to be disrupted by hands gripping my waist hard and forcing me to rise to the surface.

I kept my eyes shut against the spiked pain in my head but inhaled a deep breath of sweet fresh air as soon as my head broke the surface. I had to cough up water first though. I almost bit my tongue and so I shut my mouth to stop from trembling.

I felt like a truck had hit me.

“Ah.” I groaned.

As my senses began to open up again I found that a strange surface was keeping me afloat. The surface felt like material and was extremely wet but gave me something easy to cling on to, so cling I did. An arm supported me against the material and finally I realized I was leaning on the chest of Kevin Jonas.

“Are you alright Sarai?” He asked worriedly. He was treading water and holding onto me, an amazing feat in my books.

I responded my coughing again and replying weakly, “What a way to start the day.”

He chuckled and I heard it rumble from his chest. I winced as the noise stabbed through my head.

“I have a headache.” I muttered.

“I’m not surprised.” He towed me to the surface and dragged me onto the bank where he helped me to my feet.

The other girls clambered around us all squealing and talking.

”You disappeared and didn’t come up!”

“You’ve got a bruise! Were you knocked out?”

“How did you fall?”

I looked around for Ingrid and saw her standing at the edge of the group smirking. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you Skunk?” She hissed when she got closer.

I shook my head weakly. Her hand gripped mine hard. It might have looked friendly but it sure as hell didn’t feel friendly. “Don’t go crushing on the famous boys. You leave them to me.”

“Why, you going to do them all at once whore?” I replied darkly. She gasped and stepped back as if she’d been slapped.

I turned my back on her and made my way to my clothes, grabbing them and pulling them on.

“Where are you going Sarai?” Melina asked worriedly.

“I’m going to sleep. I’ve got a headache.”

“You should go to the sick bay.” Kevin was right behind me.

I frowned at him. “I’d prefer not to.”

“I’d prefer that you do. You hit your head pretty hard.”

“So you saw that?” He nodded. “You also saw why I fell?” He shook his head. I sighed in defeat. “Don’t worry.”

******

Kevin insisted that I go to the sick bay and when I confessed that I didn’t know where it was he insisted on showing it to me. “I’ll need to report this anyway.”

The other girls went off to their next activity with the next counselor.

“Can you walk?” He asked.

“Yeah, of course.” I scoffed. I strode up the path as resolutely and angrily as I could but found that I was unsteady. I stumbled off to the side and was caught up in Kevin’s arms.

“I thought so.” He said with a hint of amusement in his voice. I muttered dark words but didn’t protest too much. Anything to piss off Ingrid, I guess.

Kevin carried me all the way to the sick bay though I told him it was unnecessary. “Whoever said chivalry was dead?” I quipped when he put me down finally. He grinned sheepishly.

“It’s the way I was raised.”

“You were raised right then.” He opened the door for me and mock bowed me in. I laughed even though it hurt my head.

The nurse looked me over and told me I had to take it easy. I shrugged. I’d been planning on doing just that anyway. Now I had a medical excuse.

Kevin reported the incident and did some paper work that bored me then smiled apologetically. “I have to go and take care of another group now.” He said, his voice laced with guilt.

“Sure.” I lay back on the bed nonchalantly and watched him leave.

Hmm. Kevin Jonas. Interesting person and possible entertainment for the hellish month I’m supposed to be here.

I went to sleep with a slight grin on my face.