A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 21: My night out. (Part 2)

Water shot from my lungs as I began to forcibly cough expelling the remaining liquid. My chest heaved tightly and I looked around. Lara was kneeling in front of me her red hair soaked wet and her eyes fresh with tears. Before I could do anything she jumped into me in a tight hug.

"Jane thank god you're alive!" she cried loudly. "I thought you were going to die."

"Well it's good that I made you take that CPR lesson then," I laughed dryly.

She pulled away, "Now's not the time to joke around! I really thought- I really thought you might die." She wiped her eyes.

My hand plonked on top of her head, "It'll take more than that to kill me. Thanks for saving me."

She continued to cry, "When-when you fell in I panicked. I didn't know what to do. Are you sure you're okay?"

I continued to caress her head to calm her down, "You did fine considering I'm still alive."

"But, but," her sniffling began to stop.

"Ah, your skirt it's ripped. Your mum is going to be angry," I touched the bottom of the cloth.

She frowned, "That's what you're worried about? My mum is going to be angrier that you almost drowned!"

"That's if we tell her," I smiled suggestively. "Your skirt on the other hand we can't really lie about that."

"No," she shook me adamantly. "This is all because you just had to show off and try cross that log. You're getting a grilling when we get home."

"I'll make you breakfast for a week," I was serious.

Lara's eyes twitched. She was really considering it. "Hmm- No, what you did was stupid and you deserve to be punished!"

I sighed in defeat, grabbed her skirt and tore it a little more.

"Hey!" she jumped back.

"Sorry I needed to vent," I shrugged and stood up. "Let's go before we both catch colds."

We stood up and started to walk away from the river bank. Our school uniforms were muddied and stuck to us uncomfortably, the autumn weather not making it any better as the chill began to creep in. Thankfully I seemed to have enough smarts to take off my bag before trying to cross the river. Together we made our way back to the streets and into the suburban housing.

I sneezed, "If I'm sick tomorrow do you think I'll have to hand in my homework?"

"I'll hand it in for you," Lara sighed as if should could do nothing else and after a pause also sneezed. "That's if I make it."

"Let's just hurry up, I'm getting colder by the second," and together we ran down the street.

*

"Gah!" I shot up breathing heavily. What the hell did I just see? Was that really my memory? My eyes quickly scanned my surroundings. I was in a bed, and my clothes had been stripped off replaced by a soft robe. The room around me was quite lavish, reeking of over indulgence and had multiple scented candles lit.

"You know you really shouldn't take drugs and then go for a swim," Taylor's voice startled me. I rolled out of the bed on instinct and faced her. "What?" She was casually reading in an upright position while lying in the same bed I had just been. Her clothes were crumpled in a pile next to mine... her underwear included. Instead she wore the same robe as me.