𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚕𝚘𝚠 // Ross Lynch

1

I looked down at the present on my lap, feeling unable to choke down my anxiety.

"Go on, Alaska, you'll be alright." My Dad smiled at me, leaning across from the driver's seat to give me a reassuring pat on my stiff shoulder.

"I'm too old to bring a present." I said, peeking out the stationary car window to look at the house. Some girl walked in the front door. No present.

My dad laughed, saying. "Fourteen is not too old for you to get someone a birthday present. You got me one didn't you?"
After I didn't respond he said; "I'm going to be late for work soon, but do you want me to walk you to the door, darling?"

I took a deep breath, before getting out the car. Dad called out "I'll see you at 6:30!" To me before I closed the car door, and I gave him a thumbs up.

The party was awkward. I didn't know Summer well and I was starting to think that it was her mom who had sent me the obvious pity invite. I was the new kid at the school- well, a month ago I was, and I didn't have any friends.

Inside, Summer was sitting on the couch with some other girls in the living room. I looked at her gorgeous red hair and bright smile, feeling a new twang of anxiety in my chest. I walked over to her.

"I got this for you." I held out the present. Summer and her friends looked up at me, and I offered a toothy grin.
"...Thanks." She opened it.
She looked at the charm bracelet, then back up at me. "Thank you." She smiled.

One of her friends stifled a laugh, and I had no idea why. Summer, still smiling herself, nudged the girl and told her to 'stoppp!' and that 'it's not funnyy!', but she herself was also stifling laughter now.

Summer's mom put her hand on my shoulder, and looked down at me. "There's some other kids outside in the pool!' She beamed. The pool? How rich are these people?
"I don't have a..."
"There's spare costumes' in Summer's room. Second on the left." She told me.

I headed upstairs, wondering again why Summer's friends had been laughing. I went into her room, and several bikinis were laying on her bed. I looked around for a costume, but there wasn't one.
'Crap.' I muttered to myself.
I picked up the biggest looking one, and put it on, avoiding the mirror.

I walked out into the hallway, certain that my face would be drained of all colour with anxiety. When I walked outside, there were more people than I expected to be there- pretty much the entire class, PLUS people I'd never seen before.

I sat down, my legs dangling in the pool, and looked around at the groups everyone had formed. I saw Dalton tickle Summer, then push her in the pool, both of them in fits of laughter. He pushed his black curly hair out of his face, to show his narrow ice blue eyes. Just like in school, the sight of Dalton left me feeling starstruck.

Some girls were muttering near me, and as soon as I looked at them they stopped and one of them giggled. I felt sick. Summer climbed out of the pool near me, and said; "Sorry, that Bikinis' a little small for you, I don't have any other sizes..."
I looked down at my stomach. "It's fine."
"Is it?" She smiled. "Okayy!"

This was probably the worst birthday party I'd ever been to. Ever.
I got up, and rushed inside, walking up to Summer's room where I'd left my phone. I could call Dad to come get me early. My mind raced through different excuses I could try and make to leave now.

I walked up the wooden stairs and heard voices coming from Summer's room. I creaked open the door, peeking my head around. I wondered if I could grab my phone without either of these boys noticing me.

"You go!"
"No, you go!"
"It was your Idea."
"Well, I can't, I broke my leg last summer."
The blond haired boy let out a light laugh. "what? That's... what is the relevance?"
"I shouldn't break it again!"
"Well nobody should be breaking their leg, Sam."

They were both leaning out Summer's bedroom window, looking down. When I thought I could just reach to the bed to grab my phone, the door creaked at the slight movement, and both of the boys' heads turned to look at me.

I recognised one of them, the shorter boy as Sam, Summer's brother in the year above. He had Summer's red hair and freckles.
The other boy started talking. "Hey you, do you think Sam here could make it to the pool from this window?" I glanced at him. The bright sunlight streaming into the room from the window lit up his messy blond hair like a halo.

"No, no," Sam started, "do you think Ross here could make it to the pool from the window."

I came over and slipped in between them to peer out of the window, gripping the window-frame as I leaned out. There was almost no way either of them could reach the pool from here.
"Maybe, with enough speed?" I suggested.
"Yeah, yeah!" Ross exclaimed, "Like a run up, go on mate!"
"Me?" I asked, looking up at him, before seeing he was looking at Sam and wishing I could unsay that.
"You?" Both the boys said at the same time. Sam said it in a confused tone, but Ross said it in a more excited tone.

About four minutes later, the three of us were stood in the room and the two of them were attempting to hype me up to try the jump.
"C'mon, c'mon, It'll be so funny, don't you have the guts?" Sam teased me.
"You DID suggest trying it yourself..." Ross added.

My anxiety from this stupid party had turned into adrenaline, and I had to admit, I wanted more than anything to impress these guys. I could imagine running up to the window and jumping out, pushing off the ledge and cannonballing into the pool. Everyone would cheer, Dalton would pull me out of the pool and beg for my number, asking how I did it. Sam and Ross and Summer and everyone here would remember me as a fucking rockstar.

"Ok, move, move." I announced, and they cleared the way for me, chanting. "Jump, jump jump jump!". Ross grinned at me from ear to ear.

I didn't think about it. I ran forwards and jumped up, propelling myself out of the window and tucking my limbs into myself like a ball.

I didn't tuck my left foot in quick enough, and I felt sharp pain with the speed that it smashed into the window-shelf. I called out, and felt a hand lunge out to try and grab me right before I tumbled down the roof tiles towards the pool.

There was a loud sound as I hit the ground, my right arm taking most of the fall. A girl screamed and some people started to run into the house. Some people shrieked and laughed. As I came to from the pain I saw Summer's mom frantically dialing her phone, her hand on her head in panic. I looked around in a haze of shock and pain to see that:

a) Dalton was nowhere to be seen, and
b) I had landed about half a meter shy of the pool.

Ross ran out through the screen door, almost falling over as he scrambled to get to me.

"Oh my god, oh my god! Are you okay?" He shouted, even though he was on his knees right next to me and he definitely didn't need to shout for me to hear him.
A moment later, a flash of red hair entered my still blurry vision as Sam appeared, covering his mouth and saying; "I am so sorry, SO sorry!"

"What do you mean sorry?" Summer's mom snapped at him, "Did you PUSH-"
"No!" Sam said defensively, "I didn't push her!"

"I think I'm.. paralysed." I groaned, leaning my head back as red hot pain shot through my body.

"Sam's mom can get you a nice wheelchair?" Ross suggested, horrified. I let out a hysterical laugh at that comment, feeling dizzy as I tried to sit up.

"Honey, don't sit up, just lie there, I've called an ambulance." Summer's mom assured me. "You'll be just fine."
"-Just fine as long as you don't look at your arm." Sam added.

I looked at my arm, and passed out immediately.