Salt Water

Chapter 2

My friend Sarah was one of those people who had a real gift for sarcasm not appreciated by most people around her. Perhaps the fact that I was oblivious to sarcasm helped our friendship – I was baking peanut butter biscuits and she asked me if I was sure that was enough peanut butter. I added more...

Sarah had missed those classes on how girls should behave around boys and somehow, whenever she said anything, I laughed and boys got more nervous until eventually they sort of sauntered off - quickly. I used this to my advantage, since I was particularly good at attracting unwanted male attention. Sarah asked awkward questions, addressed personal issues loudly in public and dressed like a freak to anyone who was a dedicated follower of fashion. I thought she was magnificent. She was funny – really funny and I loved her quirky distinctive style. She was bohemian and managed to pull things off that nobody else could – including me. Where I was stayed and conservative, Sarah was adventurous and a free spirit.

Perhaps that would be enough to keep all species away from me. All species... what exactly did I think was out there?

I walked to the door the next morning, my school uniform hanging claustrophobically on me and my mind distracted with way too much enthusiasm for the last few days of school. Across the road Ross was stumbling out his door and I yelled to him.

'Hey!'

'Oh, hey Kate.' He fumbled some papers and books, between shoving his glasses firmly back onto his nose. I grabbed the books and papers.

'Here, let me help you,' I shuffled them into a semblance of order. Ross and I had been thrown together by our parents for the past 7 years. Ross's dad and my mom worked at the same accounting firm and whenever the company had functions, we ended up trying to entertain ourselves. He would have been the butt of bullies if it weren't for a little secret only I knew. I had walked into Ross's house unannounced one day and found him ironing his shirt. I almost swallowed my tongue when I saw how ripped he was under the clothes that he hid behind. He had sworn me to secrecy and after proving a good secret keeper, I think our friendship was pretty much cemented. Ross's skin was mottled with scars of acne and his eyes absurdly magnified by his glasses. His sandy brown hair was always messy. He was extremely intelligent and most of the time I had very little idea of what he was on about but if he made people feel inadequate, it wasn't with malicious intent. He was the nicest guy and never got angry – at least, not that I ever saw. He had two older friends who hung out with him, Benedict Tersey and Gabriel Ashton. Benedict was studying Biochemistry and Gabriel studied pharmaceuticals, being groomed to take over his father's pharmacy. Benedict and Gabriel were snobs of note. They suffered my company with thinly disguised boredom and irritation. I was regularly tempted to prolong their agony, but instead I avoided Ross when they were around. I never could understand why he was friends with them, but if I asked him, Ross would always just shrug and tell me they weren't as bad as I made out. I would always mutter that they were actually worse and he would always pretend not to hear me.

'So, when are you going to start?' Ross shoved his glasses back up his nose.

'Huh?'

'You know, the whole "what's the point" Ross?'

'Uh, you lost me,'

'Is everything okay? You seem agitated.'

'I do? Uh... I just had a weird experience over the weekend.'

'What happened?'

I wondered if Ross would think I was insane.

'I think someone tried to drown me.' I blurted it out stupidly. I didn't think this was a good idea, but I also got the feeling I couldn't completely trust Eli. I couldn't put my finger on it – maybe it was because he was so secretive.