Love Letters

Chapter 21 - Drowning

"Saffron! Saffron, wake up! SAFFRON!" I was awoken by Chloe's incessant screaming and I was in the middle of an amazing dream!

"What?" I groaned and rolled out of my sleeping bag.

"Will asked me out on a date!" She yelled. My eyes snapped open and I jumped up, full of energy as if I just had a Gilmore Girls sized mug of coffee. I turned to face my grinning friend. My face copied her grin and we jumped up and down together, fangirling and screaming our hearts out.

"SHUT IT! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" Everyone in the house started yelling at us to stop screaming, but we just laughed.

...

"Dancing through our house with the ghost of you." In a middle split, I put my earphones in and stretched for Ms Valencia's early morning rehearsals. Then, Hunter came in. He looked like he just got out of bed - which he probably just did - with his hair messed up, but in an attractive way. I would've kept staring, and Hunter probably would have teased me about it, but Ms Valencia walked in. She looked mad and everyone knows not to mess with Ms Valencia while she's mad. "From the top." She ordered and we both went to the stage.

After a bunch of lifts and storytelling, we finally finished the dance for the 10th time. "Not bad." Ms Valencia nodded in approval. "Your storytelling is better, but I need the best friends part emphasized. If not, it would just be a boring falling in love dance. You have been trying to become friends again, right?"

"Yep." I replied a bit too fast for the truth. Hunter glared at me.

"Ok. Well, I'll be making sure of it. Off you go now."

...

"Yep? Really Saffron?" Hunter and I were walking to Chem class together since it was right after our rehearsal. "She's never going to believe us now." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Sorry! You know I can't lie well." I retorted.

"Well then you should have left it to me!"

"I hate it when you lie." I muttered.

"What?" But I was already at my desk on the other side of the room.

...

"Hey Saffron, isn't tomorrow you little bro's birthday? He's gonna have a party right?" Will, Chloe, Hunter and I were walking to my house and Hunter seemed to get over the fact that Ms Valencia would never believe that fact that we were trying to become friends again. But, we were making small talk.

"Yeah. How'd you know?" I asked.

"Well, hanging out with the guy helps, but also, the party's gonna be in the ballroom my parents own." Ok that I did not know.

Suddenly, I froze. My fingers started trembling and my mind was filled with images of water, race whistles, and drowning. I started hyperventilating and everyone tried to get closer to me; to make sure I was okay.

"Saffron? You okay?" Chloe asked, worry lacing every word.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed, tears running down my face.

"Saffron, calm down." Hunter told me, then to Will and Chloe: "Get her brother." I sank onto the ground and curled up in a ball. "Saffron?" Hunter's voice softened. "I'm going to walk towards you, okay?" He sat down next to me and wrapped his arms around me as I cried into his chest. I cried and cried; the tears wouldn't stop. I covered my ears with my hands. "Stop! Stop stop stop!" The water rushed past my ears and I heard the distant screams getting further and further away; I didn't know which way was up. I was drowning.