Uncovered

Chapter 3: The Breath

MAL

What have I done? What. Have. I. Done? If I had been thinking straight, or thinking at all, I would have never jumped. I hate water. Ben attempted to teach me how to swim once, but it didn't really work out. Now I kind of wish I hadn't given up on swimming, or I wouldn't be fighting for my life right now.

I kick and struggle hoping to surface and get some air, but the water is like an unbearable weight pushing me deeper and deeper into the lake. I feel my lung squeeze from the pressure. My throat burns from the trapped air and my ears are pounding. I continue struggling for a few seconds before I begin to feel weak. I try kick again but my legs don't move.

My entire body relaxes. A cold rush of water calms the burning in my throat and nose. My eyes begin to close, life dimming around me. I love you Ben. My body feels cold and numb as I sink into dark unconsciousness.

BEN

After a morning full of meeting and royal duties, I finally make it to school just as lunch ends. Mal texted me a couple of times saying we needed to talk, so I try to find her before the bell rings. I go to her locker, the art studio, and her room but to my disappointment she is nowhere to be found. I go back to the school, and find Evie talking to Doug by the picnic tables. I hesitate before interrupting, but I have to find Mal.

"Hey Evie" I walk towards them, "sorry to interrupt, but have you seen Mal? She said we need to talk, and I'm worried. I looked everywhere in campus and she isn't here"

Evie gives Doug a soft look and he walks steps away leaving us by ourselves. "Have you been online today?" She asks.

"No" I shake my head, "my parents taught me not to look at gossip sites when I was like 8 years old"

She reaches into her bag and pulls out her phone. "I think you might want to see this", she holds up her phone to my face with a picture of Mal and I kissing on my bed. Her legs tangled in the white sheets and her perfect upper body would be completely uncovered if it weren't for her lilac bra. My hands are on the crease of her lower back, and all that separate me from nudity are my boxers. The picture was taken from outside my window, probably with a long lens. I might not look at gossip sites, but I'm smart enough to know that Auradon Uncovered is what everyone reads. Mal must have seen this. "It's all anyone can talk about" Evie informs me.

"When was the last time you saw Mal?" I ask frantically

"Lunch" she puts her phone away, "We were going to eat together, but she said she wasn't hungry and left. Haven't seen her since. She would never admit it, but she was pretty upset".

Mal was upset? Mal was upset! That's it. "I know where she is".

I hop on my bike and make my way to the Enchanted Lake. Mal always goes to the lake when something is bothering her. I run through the bridge and stop at the end. I can see the waterfall from here, and at the very top I can see Mal staring out into the horizon. A smile forms on my face. I finally found her. She drops her head and takes a step forwards to the edge of the waterfall. The smile fades from my face. Before I can do anything, Mal jumps and my heart drops to my stomach.

I run at full speed towards the lake. Mal can't swim. I tried to teach her once and it didn't turn out well. Why would she do that? I feel a branch scrape my right cheek, but I don't stop running through the trees until I reach the ruins. I stop for a second staring at the clear water where Mal is struggling for air. She flails her arms and kicks her legs, but then her body goes still. Her purple hair is perfectly visible through the clear water as she begins to sink.

Without even thinking twice about it, I dive into the lake fully clothed. I grab an unconscious Mal bridal style and carry her to the ruins. I place her on the floor and check to see if she's breathing. She's not breathing. I begin to do chest compressions. 1... 2... 3... All the way up to 30. I check to see if she's breathing again, but there's still nothing. I take a deep breath and start the chest compressions again.

"Come on Mal" I plead, "Please wake up"

MAL

I'm no longer underwater. The pressure on my chest has disappeared and my ears are no longer pounding. My eyes fly open and my body spasms while I cough and gasp for air. The blue sky is all I can see for a few seconds as my body expels all the water I had in me. I can feel water coming out of my nose and mouth with every cough. When the coughing fit is over I take in a deep breath and finally look at my surroundings.

Ben. He's the fist thing I see and I don't need to look at anything else. I sigh and wrap my arms around his neck. My breaths are quick but all that matters is that I'm breathing. When she separate from our embrace, I notice the large wound on his cheek and his red eyes. He's been crying.

"Oh Mal" he cries, "you weren't breathing. I thought I'd found you and lost you in the same moment"

"Hey" I grab his face with both hands, "I'm here"

"Why would you do that Mal?" He questions, "why would you try to kill yourself?"

"What happened?" I ask genuinely confused.

He looks at me with the same confused look I have. How did I end up in the water?

"You don't remember?" I shake my head, "Mal you jumped from the top of the waterfall"

"I remember being at the top" I recall, "I was looking at the views and then I saw the Isle. The next thing I knew I was underwater and I couldn't breath".

"You really don't remember jumping?" He asks again and I just look down.

"No" I really can't remember jumping off the waterfall.

Ben stand up and then helps me do the same. He doesn't let go of me for a second. He has a hand on either side of my body. His soaking wet hair drips on his forehead and his green eyes glimmer in the sunlight.

We walk back to his motorcycle slowly. I'm used to riding his bike by now, but unlike all the other times he tells me to sit in front of him for the ride. I will admit I might like riding on his bike with his arms around me a little better, especially now that I'm al wet and the cool breeze is making me shake. We enter the school around 4 in the afternoon and make our way towards his room.

"Hey" I hear Carlos' voice as we enter the boys dorms. "Why are you wet?"

"Long story" I roll my eyes, "What's up?"

"Just a little heads up" he warns us, "Fairy Godmother is looking for you." Well crap. "Both of you" he finishes looking at Ben. "I tried calling you Ben". He reaches into his soaking wet jacket and pulls out his now broken phone.

"I might need to get a new phone" he murmurs to before thanking Carlos for the heads up.

We start walking towards his room again. "We need to change and go see Fairy Godmother. I bet anything she might not be all too happy with -"

"I have been looking everywhere for both of you" Fairy Godmother interrupts as she enters the building. She does not sound pleased. "My office. Both of you. Now"