Peripheral Vision | ✓ [NOW PUBLISHED AS HUNTINGTON AVENUE]

Chapter 6

C H A P T E R  S I X

Zach's P.O.V (continued)

A powerful shove to my chest jolted me to my senses.

Water launched out of my mouth as I gagged for oxygen. I rolled over onto my side and convulsed again, coughing up more water. I then collapsed back to the ground, gasping desperately for air while laying almost limply on the hot concrete. I didn't even realize how hard I was shaking.

I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins and my heart was pounding so hard that it almost leapt out of me. The pain in my now-free lungs slowly faded away as my oxygen supply eventually replenished itself.

"Hey man, you alright?" a concerned voice asked from next to me.

I nodded, and in between several gulps for more oxygen, I replied breathily, "Yeah.."

Slowly, I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest. I kept my head, which felt extremely light from lack of air, resting on my knees. Still breathing in light gasps, I attempted to calm myself down, as I was internally freaking out and not knowing what to do.

"What were you thinking, you dummy?!" the voice then shouted out. At first, I thought he was talking to me, but that thought changed when he then added, "You could've killed him!"

"Sorry," I heard Jonathan sarcastically apologize from a few feet away. "Just having a bit of fun."

"Does a 'bit of fun' mean shoving someone who's blind into a pool, knowing for a fact that they would find it extremely difficult to find their way to the surface?" the voice questioned with a hostile tone. It almost scared me how angry he sounded, but I wasn't about to interrupt.

"Blind?" asked Jonathan with mock surprise. "He's blind?"

"I told you quite a few times," I cut in, my breathing almost back to normal. So much for me not interrupting.

"Well, sorry," Jonathan's fake apology sounded once again. "I forgot."

A few seconds after those words were spoken, I heard a yelp of surprise from Jonathan, and a huge splash. He must've been pushed into the pool. I heard footsteps approach me, and the voice returned, this time in a much calmer tone.

"I know for a fact that he can swim," the voice noted, probably noticing my concern. "You sure you're okay?"

I nodded, brushing the water that was dripping down my face away. I felt an outstretched hand grab mine, and it pulled me up. The sudden movement made my lightheadedness return. I clenched my forehead in an attempt to not fall over.

"Oh, sorry..," the encouraging voice apologized, and it genuinely sounded like he felt bad. "I'm Luke, by the way."

"Zach."

Luke then led me to a chair and I sat down, almost instantly feeling a bit better. "I should've known you'd still be a bit lightheaded," he apologized again, which he didn't need to. I'm not used to someone apologizing at all, in fact. "My bad."

"No, that's okay," I responded, grateful that there was actually someone else who cared.

Just then, I heard Kelsey's voice as she ran over, her footsteps getting louder as she got closer. "Zach, you okay?" she asked with concern in her pretty voice.

I nodded a little, then replied,"Yeah, I'm okay.." At least, I think...

I felt a towel drape over me, and I grabbed it, pulling it around my shoulders. I was indeed, cold from being immersed in water, and unbeknownst to me, I must've been shivering. The sun's rays were drying me off some, but not enough for the chills to fade away.