When Life Gives You Fins by Elaina H (most read books txt) 📕

Problem Needing Solving

            “Celia Jane Kendal?! Celia Jane Kendal?!” the teacher blares.

            My head lolls to the side; I lift up and feel the drool sitting on my cheek. My red hair is stuck sticking to my face. I wipe the drool from the side of my head, and hide behind my hair.

            “Celia, why do you insist on sleeping in my class?”

            Snickers erupt from across the room where Diana and her posse sit. I glance over and Diana has her hand resting lightly on Greg’s shoulder. I roll my eyes.

            Half (okay less than half) of my attention stays on the teacher. I feel eyes resting on the back of my head. I ignore the fact, and stare at the clock for the last 8 minutes of class. The bell rings and I stand up.

            I turn around and a girl I don’t recognize is walking toward me.

            “Can I help you,” I say sarcastically.

            She glances down. Yeah, I’ve been told I’m kind of rude, but I’m not having a good day.

            “I…I,” she looks away and walks out the door.

            I roll my eyes and mutter underneath my breath, “Hello, earth to CJ.”

            Unfortunately, I can’t ignore my friend, “Hey, Taylor.”             “You are unbelievable! We are sophomores now, are we not? You need to start paying attention,” she gives me the same lecture over again.

            “Don’t give me that speech again, I’ve told you already. Since this summer I haven’t been able to sleep at night, I can only fall asleep during the day. It’s like I’m nocturnal or something?”

            “Yeah, well, I guess that’s debatable? You could be some sort of vampire,” she says as she wiggles her fingers in my face.

            I shove her away and laugh.

            “There’s that smile I know and love!” T gasps.

            We walk into the old, fading, Falcons cafeteria. “Ahhh, this place serves crap, with a side of crap,” T complains.

            “Do you ever stop wining?” I retort as she grabs a tray for each of up.

            “Hey,” I start, “it’s fish today.”

            “Nasty!” she mutters.

            We pay for our lunches and head off to sit at our usual table. “Hey, CJ,” Jason calls.

            Taylor elbows me in the side and raises her eyebrows. She skips over to the table, leaving the seat next to Jason as the only seat left.

            I give her a hard glare, and Jason pats the seat. I smile, only because it’s nice, and sit down.

            “So CJ, what grade did you get on your Spanish Test, I got a 93%. Not to shabby,” he tells me.

            “That’s a really good grade,” I scoff, “wish I could have gotten that grade. My parents are going to be furious when they see my test. The teacher probably already e-mailed them,” I pause for a breath.

            Jason rubs his hand on my shoulder and I stiffen, “It’ll be fine, you are really smart, CJ. You just have to stay awake during class,” he finished with a laugh.

            I glance at his hand, but it doesn’t move, no matter how much I will it to.

            Taylor laughs a little too hard and a little too long. Emma and Jake’s eyebrows raise, but I know why she’s laughing.

            Emma and Jake are twins and moved here two years ago. Jason introduced us to them.

            Anyways, Taylor “knows” that Jason and I are meant to be together. But no matter how much she wills that to happen, it won’t.

            “Hey, CJ, you better eat we only have eight minutes left for lunch,” Emma tells me.

            “Oh, that’s fine I’m not really that hungry,” I give them all a half smile.

            Jason shrugs and starts eating my fries from my plate, I crinkle my nose and push my tray towards him.

            T giggles and picks her tray up; she stands and is pushed back down her seat. She swallows hard and turns to see Diana looking down at her. Diana smiles a sickly, sweet smile.

            “Hey, guys! How are you?” then she turns toward me, “Wow! CJ I’m just so surprised you’re not falling asleep on your tray,” she keeps her hand on Taylor’s shoulder daring any of us to make a move.

            We all stare her down; she has no beef with Taylor, Emma, or Jake. Her sly gaze shifts to Jason and her fake, purple contacts meet his.

            Her eyes move, searching his face for a sign. What sign? The awful sign that Jason still “loves” her.

            Jason raises his eyebrows and looks away.

            Thankfully, the bell rings and the five of us release our breath. Diana’s hand slides from Taylor’s shoulder, because she sees she’s out numbered.

            She humphs, and leaves the table, with a swish of her hair and a sway of her hips.

            “Wow,” Jake says. Emma slaps him upside the head, and shakes her head.

            Taylor’s blonde hair is a little askew from being shoved back in her seat.

            “She’s such a little….,”  I stop my sentence because Taylor doesn’t like when I curse.

            I here Emma finish the sentence underneath her breath, though.

            Taylor plasters a smile on her face and throws her tray out, we all look at each other and follow suit, depositing our trays in the trash.

            The rest of the day I float through, only falling asleep twice.

            When the final bell rings I go to my locker. Jason leans against my locker waiting for me. I consider ditching my Spanish book and just going straight to the Georgia coast for a swim. But I really need an A on that assignment.

            I sigh and head over to my locker. “Hi Jason,” I grab my book and close my locker.

            “Hey, can you drop me off at Brunswick beach?” I ask.

            “Yeah, sure, do you want me to come?”

            The answer is no. It’s mid-April and I only have a few weeks before happy families of four start taking road trips through Georgia to get to Florida. What I really want is to be alone.

            I guess my pause is too long because Jason looks away, “That’s fine, I  have homework anyway.”

            I feel bad, but not bad enough to change my mind.

            “Thanks!” I say.

            “No problem.”

            We walk out to his car and I throw my bag in the back seat. Out of the corner of my eye I see Diana walk out of the school.

She stares at me and laughs with her friends. “So,” Jason starts, “you turn 16 in three days?”

“Yup, I don’t really care though.”

            “That’s cool,” Jason lies.

            We pull up to the Brunswick Beach and park. I smile at Jason, “Thank you so much!”

            “You know you can call me if you need a ride home in an hour or two. This place is not that far from my house.”

            “I said thanks, Jason, I don’t want to bother you anymore.”

            “Okay, then, see you tomorrow,” he awkwardly waits for me step out.

            I open the door, and step out. I grab my bag and wave him off.

            Once I’m out I shield my eyes from the sun and stare at the waves of the ocean.

            I jog to the women’s restroom and pull my orange sport swimsuit out of my bag.

            I make haste and change. I stare in the mirror and hold up my red hair. Diana makes fun of my hair. It’s red, when I say red, I mean red. My hair is as red as the sunset my dad used to say.

            And my freckles are more prominent than ever with all this sun I’m getting.

            I run out onto the sand and leap into the ocean. The water relaxes me, I feel the coolness spread over me. I suck a breath in as I duck my head under the water.

            I open my eyes and the water is so clear I can see ten feet out in front of me. The ocean waves touch me and lull me. My heart is at home in the ocean.

              I look beneath my feet at the sand and see a shell. I pick the shell up and my throat starts to burn. I feel my toes burn and I grasp at oxygen.

            I push off from the bottom from the bottom and make my way towards the surface. Just as I start to break the surface an undertow catches me, and I suck in a breath of water.

            I feel myself drowning. I feel tears push out the corner of my eyes, then I also feel the water swirl around me.

            It forms to my feet then my thighs, and it creeps up my body. I notice hands grab me around my waist, I feel myself be pulled to the surface.

            Then I black out.

And Then…I Almost Died!

            I wake up and start coughing up water. I throw up water for what feels like an hour.

            I pull myself to my feet and stumble over to my bag.

            Opening my bag, I walk over and pull out my cell phone. I go to my contacts and click on Taylor’s number.

            The phone rings, and rings, and rings. Then I hear her voice, Taylor I ne…..,” then I listen as her voicemail finishes up.

            I go back to my phone and reluctantly dial Jason’s number.

            The phone barley has a chance to ring before Jason picks up the phone, “Yes, CJ, what do you need?” he sounds like he’s mad, really mad.

            “I am so sorry Jason, I just need you to pick me up. Taylor won’t answer her phone. Again I’m so sorry,”  all I’m doing is giving Jason hope. And I resent every word as I say it.

            “Hey, calm down! I’ll be there in ten minutes.” The phone clicks off and I realize he sounds almost happy.

            I sit down in the sand and put my head in between my knees. I cry only slightly and quietly as possible.

            I look at my phone it’s been fifteen minutes, great! I roll my eyes and flop back down onto the sand, looking up at the sky.

            “Hey?”

            I look up and scream at the boy standing in front of me. His hair is sandy blonde and his eyes deep blue.

            His tan arm stretches out toward me, “Need help up?”

            I sigh and grab his hand, “Thanks, my ride was supposed to be here five minutes ago.”

            He shrugs, “It happens,” and flashes me with a brilliant smile.

            I raise my eyebrows after I’m standing, I start busting out laughing. I double over clutching my stomach as I laugh. I feel like a complete and utter lunatic, but hey, it’s been a long day.

            His white smile falters, but only for a second. He steps back slightly and puts his hand up, “Sorry?”

            I stand up and contain my laughter, “No, you’re fine. I’m sorry! I don’t know what has gotten into me.”

            He steps forward again and picks up my wet hair from my shoulder, “Your hair has a pretty color. It looks just like the sunset.”

            My eyebrows draw in and I look at him. I hear a car pull up behind me, “That’s my ride,” I laugh nervously and back away. Not being able to decide whether or not I like him.

            “I see,” he hands me my bag.

            “See you around?”

            He lets out a quick burst of breath, “Probably not,” he backs away and smiles a sad smile.

            “Okay, it was nice to meet you ……?” I began.

            “Haden.”             “Celia Jane or CJ, whichever.”

            I turn around and walk to the car, Jason opens the door for me. “Who was that guy? Looked kind of strange,” he continues ducking and dodging trying to get one