The wind was so cold that it sent shivers down my spine. I wrapped my coat tighter around me. My hair flew into my tear-stained face and I raised a shaking hand to brush it back. I stared out at the water and choppy waves. Being here pained me. I felt a flashback coming on:
We were at the beach and I was trying to convince her to come into the water with me. The waves were calm that day and everything was peaceful.
"Please come! You have to get over your fear!" I begged.
"I really don't want to!" she replied, nervously.
"Please! I won't let anything happen to you," I promised.
"Well… okay, but not for long," she consented.
We walked into the clear water, me holding her hand and her trembling anxiously. We wade in until the water reached to our knees. I glanced at her and she smiled weakly back at me.
"See, it's not so bad," I said.
"I guess not," she admitted.
We dove in and swam for a while. I kept close to her to make sure she was fine. A little later, I told her I was going to get something to drink and I'd be back in five minutes. She said she would stay in the water and wait for me. I was glad that she seemed to like it so much, glad that she had finally overcome her fear.
I was coming back from getting a drink when I noticed that the water had gotten rough. I looked to the place where I had left her. She wasn't there so I looked farther out and I found her. I beamed at her courage. I was so happy that she was able to swim out that far. But then I realized that something wasn't right with the way she was moving. I moved closer and saw that she was thrashing. Her head ducked under the water but she came back up only to go under again. She was drowning! I quickly dove into the water and hurriedly swam out to save her. After what seemed like forever, I grabbed hold of her wrist. I pulled her in towards me and began swimming back. Suddenly, she was yanked out of my grasp by a huge wave that had come up behind us. I desperately tried to grab her back but found myself grabbing only at thin air. I searched and searched for her after that but the wave had taken her too far out to sea. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. A lifeguard came and took me back to shore. I was hysterical and in shock. What had just happened? They kept telling me I did my best to save her but it didn't help my state one bit. She was gone and it was my fault. I remembered my promise to her. It echoed in my head: I won't let anything happen to you. I broke that promise. Something happened to her, something that I will regret always and forever. That was the day I lost my best friend, Thalia Grace.
The flashback ended. I touched my face to find fresh tears on it. My body racked with sobs. I wish that day had never happened. I wish I could change it. But I know I can't.
"Annabeth?" someone touched me lightly on my shoulder.
I looked up to see that it was Percy. When he saw that my face was streaked with tears, he pulled me up and wrapped me in his arms comfortingly. His hug was so warm. Another sob escaped my lips. He stroked my back and told me it was okay. We broke away from each other and he took my hand and led me away from the beach. We got into his car and drove off. My tears were still falling freely.
"Where are we going?" I asked him.
"To my place. We're gonna cheer you up," he answered.
"Okay," I muttered.
He looked back at me and I could see the sadness evident in his beautiful sea-green eyes.
"You miss her too, don't you?" I said into the silence.
"How could I not? She was like my sister…" he uttered.
"She was like my sister too."
And we left it at that. Nobody really wanted to talk about it. Everyone said that it wasn't my fault for what had happened to her, but how can they be right? If I hadn't convinced her to go into the water then she never would have drowned. She would have had the chance at a great life. But she didn't. And I have only myself to blame.
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