The Water Girl

River

               "Hey River," Brody calls out to me as I step out of my jeep.
                "Hello Brody."
               "How's Rock? I tried texting him over the weekend, but he never answered."
              "Besides driving me crazy, he's doing fine. His medication has him sleeping a lot." And trying to kiss me?
             "I'm sure he would enjoy you guys stopping by after classes are over. He's going out of his mind sitting at the house all day by himself."
         "Yeah, I'll tell the guys we should all go over there and cheer our captain up. Well, I've got to run. I'll talk to you later... Maybe we can get a bite to eat later."
         Okay, that wasn't weird at all. I don't understand guys sometimes. Brody's behavior towards me has changed since Rock got hurt, and I don't understand why. ... whatever, I really don't have time for boys and their wishy-washy attitudes. I make my way into the building that holds my first classroom and walk over to where Sydney is waiting for me.
      "What took you so long?" Sydney scolds me. "I got stopped by Brody outside the building. What's crawled up your butt this morning?" I ask her. Sydney is normally moody in the mornings, but nothing this extreme. "Ugh, it's just Damion keeps being a jerk to me, and it kind of came out of nowhere. He's never given me a second look before now and it freaks me out," Sydney tells me.
      "Have you ever thought that maybe that boy likes you, Sydney? Notice how he's been acting recently. I've never seen Damion pay attention to any girl before. I don't go to parties, so I couldn't tell you what he does there."
      "Speaking of parties... well, more like prom, will you be my prom date?" Sydney asks me. I know she's only asking me because she knows nobody else will ask the "freak" to prom, and she knows I won't go. She says, "You can't miss your senior prom, River. You won't ever get that day back, and you'll regret missing it when you're older."
     "How many people have you turned down just so you can go to prom with your weird best friend?" I ask her.
    "That's beside the point, River... Come on, go with me, please. It's next month, so we've got to get our dresses fast before the cute ones are sold out."
      "You're impossible!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up in frustration. "But fine, I'll go to prom with you, okay?"
     "Okay," she replies, smiling at me. We take our seats at the back of the classroom. "So, do you have to work tonight?" she asks.
     "Yeah, right after class. I'll be off at 10, but I have the next two days off," I explain.
    "Great! We can go dress shopping tomorrow after school," Sydney suggests.
     I pause for a moment, looking at her. She's really serious about this. What if I become the laughing stock of the night? What if people play pranks on me or try to embarrass me? I don't know if I can handle that. I've dealt with so much already, but this might be too much.
    "Riv, where did you go?" Sydney snaps her fingers in front of my face. "I'm here," I assure her, forcing a smile. The teacher walks in and the class begins.
    The rest of the school day goes by in a blur. I'm on edge, waiting for something to happen, but nothing does. It's been like this ever since Rock, the main tormentor, broke his leg and hasn't been in school. Maybe he's the reason for all the torment I've endured over the years. I wonder if he could just finish his schoolwork from home and graduate on the couch. If only it were that simple. As I get into my jeep to go to work, I realize I have a flat tire. Looks like I won't be left alone this week after all. Thankfully, I have a spare tire, so I grab the jack and spare from the back of my jeep and start working on changing the tire. I hope I remember how to do it.
    Just as I'm trying to figure things out, Brody and two other guys from the gym walk over to where I am.
    "River, put the weapon down slowly and nobody will get hurt," Speedy said jokingly, approaching with his hands out as if trying to calm a wild animal. "What are you doing with that thing, anyway?"
    "I got a flat tire somehow, and I was going to change it, but it's harder than it looks on TV," I admitted, causing everyone to laugh, even Brody found it funny.
    Speedy took the bar from my hand and went to the flat tire. He pumped the jack up, lifting the tire off the ground. Then he removed the old tire and put on the new one, tightening the lug nuts. I must have missed it when he loosened them.
    "There you go, River... you're all set to ride," Speedy said.
    "Thank you," I replied.
      I hop into my jeep and start my journey to work. When I arrive at the mall, I park in the designated employees' parking spots and make my way towards the employee entrance. As I approach the door, it suddenly bursts open and a crowd of people rushes out in a panic. Confused at first, I soon realize the reason for the chaos when a woman grabs my arm and urgently asks for my help - she has been shot. In that moment, I hear the sound of a gun going off in the distance, its deafening noise indicating its massive size.
     Without hesitation, I walk with the injured woman towards my jeep. As we reach the vehicle, I quickly guide her into the passenger seat and then rush to the driver's side. Just as I manage to get inside, the shooter emerges from the mall entrance, pointing the gun at a couple of people and firing more shots, hitting them all in the back. The woman beside me lets out a horrifying scream, and I try to calm her down, urging her to be quiet. I swiftly reverse the jeep and head towards the exit, shifting into drive and accelerating as fast as possible.
     As I drive away, I steal a glance in the rear-view mirror and see the gunman aiming his weapon directly at the back of my jeep. Determined to protect ourselves, I close my eyes for a split second, then swiftly turn the jeep and press down on the gas pedal once more. I don't slow down until I find myself parked in front of the emergency room doors at the hospital. Without wasting any time, I rush to the passenger side and assist the woman in getting out of the vehicle. She is incredibly weak, and it takes all my strength to support her and guide her into the emergency room.
     As we enter, a nurse looks up, her eyes filled with shock at the sight of the injured woman and the urgency of the situation.
     "Oh my God, what's happening here?" she exclaims as she comes around the counter.
    "She was shot," I inform the nurse. "There were others too. There was a shooting at the mall as I was driving here with her. The police and ambulances were heading in that direction." I relay the information to the nurse and hand the woman in my arms over to her.
   "Are you hurt?" the nurse asks me.
   "I had just arrived at work when she ran out, asking me for help. Then I heard gunshots in the distance. So I ran with her back to my jeep and brought her here quickly. Is she going to be okay?" I inquire anxiously.
   "Thanks to your quick thinking, I believe she will be okay. Do you need to sit down? You look a little pale," the nurse offers.
   "No, I'm okay. I think I just want to go home and wash up," I inform the nurse and leave the hospital without saying another word. She probably thinks I'm crazy right now, but I'm just numb.
    I don't know how I made it home, but before I know it, I'm walking through the front door and heading to my bedroom. Gabriela rushes over to me and gives me a tight hug. "Thank God you're okay, River. Let me look at you," she says with tears in her eyes and genuine concern in her voice. I break down. I walk into her embrace and cry so hard that my chest hurts and I can't breathe. She whispers something to me in Spanish that I don't understand.
    "I understand, babygirl," she says as she leads me to the couch and sits me on her lap. I hear a male voice, Rock, asking if I'm okay. Gabriela assures him that I'll be fine after a rough afternoon. I don't bother looking up, I just stay in her comforting embrace for what feels like forever. Suddenly, the front door bursts open and I hear two girls squealing.
    "Thank god River, you're okay. We were so worried that you were already at work when the shooting happened." It hits me then that if I hadn't had a flat tire, I would have been at work during the shooting.
     "River, sweetheart, I need to sit you down next to Rock. Is that okay? I've been called into work to help the victims." Her words send a shiver down my spine, but I manage to get up from her lap, my legs shaking. "I'm okay. I just want to go to my room and take a shower," I tell her.
    Gabriela nods in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea, babygirl. Girls, go with her. She shouldn't be alone tonight."
   "Yes, ma'am," they both agree.
    I enter my bathroom and mechanically start undressing. Once I'm done, I turn on the shower as hot as I can handle and stand under it for what feels like hours. It feels good.
    At some point, Sydney peeks her head in and asks if I'm okay. I nod, but deep down, I'm not so sure. My hands continue to shake and the tears won't stop. I can't control them. My heart aches for the people affected by the shooting. I've seen people at the mall with guns before, but today, there was no one to stop that man. Not a single person carrying a gun, not one cop in the entire mall. I know I'm just a kid and I don't understand how the world works, but why did this have to happen?
    "River, your dad is on the phone and wants to talk to you," Jessica says as she comes to the door.
    "I'll be out in just a second," I tell Jessica. I quickly wipe my eyes and step out of the shower to dry off and get dressed. It's funny how it takes something tragic like this for my father to call and check in.
   "Hello."
  "Hello River, why am I just now hearing about the shooting at the mall this afternoon from Gabriela?"
   "Sorry, Father. I didn't think to call anyone. I just wanted to take a shower and go to bed."
   "Don't be so dramatic, River. It wasn't you who got hurt or lost your life, or a loved one. So why are you so upset?"
   "You're right, Father. It wasn't me. I should be thankful to be alive instead of wallowing in self-pity. Even though I saw people get shot and rushed a woman to the hospital, and had a deranged gunman point his gun at my vehicle. But you're right, I shouldn't be upset. You know what, Dad? I think Jessica wants to say hello."
    "River, don't you dare hand that phone to someone else. I am not done talking to you, young lady," I hear him saying as I pass the phone to my soon-to-be stepsister.
     She just hangs up the phone in his ear and walks with me back to my bedroom. I lay down on my bed, and Jessica and Sydney lay down on each side of me. They wrap their arms around my waist, and I feel so safe in this moment. I close my eyes and let the tears fall.
                                                               🏈🏈🏈
      A few hours later, I woke up abruptly. I couldn't remember the details of my dream, but I had a feeling it involved gunshots and being shot in the chest. The conversation I had with my dad earlier came back to me, and I couldn't understand why he harbored so much hatred towards me. It couldn't possibly be just because I was a girl instead of a boy... could it?
     As I woke up, I noticed Jessica and Syd were no longer in my bed, indicating that it was quite late. I decided to get out of bed and make my way downstairs to get a glass of water. I tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake up Rock, as I wasn't in the right frame of mind to deal with him tonight.
    Once I had my glass of water, I silently made my way back to the living room, intending to return to my bedroom. Suddenly, someone whispered my name, causing me to jump in surprise.
    "Hey, Riv, it's just me, Rock. Come, sit with me for a minute," he said.
      Was he joking? After tormenting me for our entire lives, he suddenly wanted to talk because I was in a tough situation? "Not tonight, Rock. I'm exhausted," I replied, not in the mood to entertain his sudden interest.
     "Come on, River, just come sit with me for a bit, please. I'll even let you make fun of me for being a cripple," he pleaded.
      "I don't see how that's funny, but it is a bit ironic that the star football player is experiencing his own share of hardships. So, your friends are mocking you because you're injured?" I asked, reluctantly walking over to where he was sitting on the couch.
    "So, River, how are you holding up after today's events?" he asked, looking at me with genuine concern.
     I stared at him in disbelief. "You want to talk to me about how I'm doing?"
     "Yes, why is it so hard to believe? Rock asked me and I just stared at him."
     "I understand, River. I've been a jerk to you for a long time, but right now I'm trying to make sure you're okay. Today must have been tough with the shooting and your dad being a jerk to you about it. Yes, Jessica told me about your dad calling you and talking down to you. So, do you want to talk about it?"
     I let out a shaky breath. "Rock, I-I just don't know where to start." I shrug. For the hundredth time this afternoon, I cried and buried my head in my hands. A moment later, I feel the couch sink as Rock pulls me back against his chest, holding me by my waist. I don't resist him like I usually would because right now I truly need his strength. I feel like I'm falling apart.
     "Shh, Riv, it's going to be okay," Rock whispers. But I can't see how anything will ever be okay again. I whisper, "I can't get the image of those poor people's bodies falling down when they were shot from behind out of my mind."
     Rock just sits there holding me in silence for the longest time.
    Once I feel a bit more settled, I clear my throat and sit up straight so that I'm sitting beside Rock. "Do you feel better?" he asks me.
    "Yes, thank you for being there for me just now."
    "You're welcome, River. I'm not always a jerk, you know."
     "Maybe not to everyone else," I tell him. "Can I ask why you're always mean to me?"
     "If I tell you tonight, you'll get angry at me and this moment we're having will be ruined."
     "Try me."
     "Okay, River, remember you asked me to tell you," Rock says in a huff. He rolls his eyes and proceeds to explain why he has been mean to me all these years. "Did you know that my mom and your dad dated throughout high school until they went off to college, where your dad met your mom and my mom met my dad? Now, don't get me wrong, I had an amazing dad before he passed away, but after he did, I started thinking that your life should have been mine. I would have been the one with the rich dad and everything at my beck and call."
      "So, let me get this straight... you thought my life was just a cakewalk all these years? I would have gladly given you my life if I thought it would have been better. Do you even know what I have gone through besides your bullying? My father hates me, and my mother loved her drugs more than she loved her own daughter. She left me with a guy she knew didn't want me. And then there's you and your buddies, making everyone think I'm some kind of freak."
      Rock leans over and grabs my chin, pulling my head closer to his. "Fuck... River, I'm so fucking sorry," he says, then leans in and kisses me on the lips.
      Holy crap, I've never been kissed like this before. Wait, what am I saying? I push Rock back and slap his face. "What the heck was that, Rock? Do. Not. Ever. Touch. Me. Like. That. Again," I tell him through gritted teeth, emphasizing each word.
     Rock just smirks at me.
     I run upstairs to my room. Once I'm in my room, I close the door and lean against it for a few minutes, putting my fingers to my swollen lips. What was that!?

Author Note: Hey guys hows it going? Are we loving the book so far? Leave me a comment letting me know what your thoughts where.