I never understood why she didn't go back at least once. I didn't feel like the was enough closure between Miranda and Brandon. And no, this is NOT a romance. I tried to keep her entry in character. Hope you felt what I felt while I wrote this.
Disclaimer: I really hope that book isn't a prediction of the future. Anyways... I don't own :P
At the Pond
"You came back," said Brandon. "I thought you wouldn't."
"Why wouldn't I?" I asked. I was surprised to see him here though. I thought he was the going to be the one not showing up. I thought he was a dream and here was proof that he wasn't. I slowly, laced up my old skates as I watched him glide around the pond.
"You coming or not?" Brandon asked, his voice snapping me out of my dazed awe for his skating.
"Yea, I'm coming." I got up and wobbled to the pond. Walking in snow in skates was pretty hard. Brandon skated to a stop in front of me and held out his hand. I took it to prevent myself from falling on the ice; as I got steadier on my feet I slowly let go.
"How are you eating?" I asked politely, just to start conversation. Apparently Brandon wasn't in the mood for talking because he answered with a curt, good. I didn't mind anyways because soon I was panting lightly and needing every breath. I skated to the edge to catch my breath.
"What are you doing standing there? Come join me." He skated close to me fast, and then veered off just in time. I flinched just a little and his quiet chuckling filled the air.
"I can't really do that stuff well, and I don't want to slow you down." I looked off into the side a little not quite meeting his eyes.
"Come on, I'll teach you," and he grabbed my hand eagerly and pulled me to the middle of the pond.
"I don't know," I faltered and tried to tug my hand from his grip but he wouldn't let go.
He persisted and tried again. "It'll be fun, I promise." So I let him show me how to do a toe loop. Pretty hard, only second to the axel spin, but then again, I was a pretty okay skater. It was just that I was really rusty from not practicing.
Smoothly and surely he skated in a small loop, he moved forwards with both feet apart on the ice. Then he did a right forward inside three turn with a check at the end of it. Then confidently as if he was born doing this he reached back with his left free leg and jabbed his toe pick into the ice, making him pole vault off the toe pick and into the air. He stuck the landing and skated back to me. "Now you try." He gestured for me to and I started.
I tried to mimic his movements, but I knew they weren't as good as his. He occasionally put his two cents in and corrected my form or movement. But when I dug my toe pick in the ice to start my spin, from then on I was on my own. I vaulted straight up and twirled once… then twice! I never had felt so free and alive. And I had never executed my toe loop so perfectly before. Then gravity started to pull me back down. I was so sure I could stick the landing but then the toe of my left skate caught in a previous mark on the ice and my knees buckled. I spun in a crazy circle once and then fell onto my butt. My cheeks were flaming and I didn't dare look up.
"Well, it started out perfect… then not so well," Brandon skated towards me and pulled me up.
He snickered under his breath once and I yelled indigently, "Hey!" and slapped his arm.
He pretended to be hurt but then got serious again and said, "Lemme show you the jump again." Once more he started the jump perfectly. He spun once… twice… then three times! I gasped and clapped loudly. He came down hard and fast. Suddenly a gunshot cracked through the air. Well not really because when I looked Brandon had buckled and where he should have landed was a crack in the ice. His face smacked the edge and then his body slid forward and into the dark depths of the cold water. The stark contrast of his blood on the pure white was shocking.
I blinked once and screamed bloody murder.
Suddenly he came back up thrashing and yelling for help. I stood there frozen in fear like a bump on a log. Should I save him? Could I save him? There wasn't much time left to decide. Apparently my subconscious decided for me because I started taking my outer layer of clothing off until I was in my Jeans and tee shirt.
I ran/skated to the edge and without thinking or stopping jumped in. I think I won the stupid award for that because immediately the ice cold water made my body go numb. I felt like I was being stabbed with thousands of needles and I automatic tried to curl up in the water to preserve some warmth. My skates filled with water and dragged me down.
I forced my eyes to open and scanned the water. I quickly found him trapped under the ice his eyes bugging out. It would have been funny if this hadn't been a life or death situation. I sucked in another breath of air and swam towards him. I grabbed him by the waist and threw his arms over my shoulders. His weight dragged me down and furiously kicked harder. I had to fight the urge to throw him off and save myself. Not that it would have mattered anyways. I was getting light headed and I wanted to give up but the will to survive was stronger, so I gritted my teeth and willed myself to swim forward to the ice.
I burst up for air and I almost laughed with relief. I reached the edge of the ice and shoved the unconscious Brandon, with all my strength, out of the water. I was so drained and tired I just hung on the edge of the ice too tired to pull myself out of the water. The water was almost comforting now, but I couldn't stay here forever. I finally hauled myself out of the water and flopped onto the ice. Why me?
I crawled off the pond dragging the limp body of Brandon behind me. I started to strip his clothing off and replace it with the clothes I had shed before retrieving him from the water. I did a couple of chest compressions and was considering mouth to mouth because he wasn't responding.
Suddenly he shot up and turned over to vomit up water. He turned and looked at me and smiled and whispered weakly, "Well that landing was worse than yours."
I was so relived I pulled him into a hug. Then I quickly let go remembering to check his vitals. I felt his forehead and it was cold as ice. I felt his pulse and it was slower than normal. My eyes widened in alarm.
"Let me sleep," he yawned quietly.
"No!" I ordered sharply and tried to get him to sit up again.
"Don't worry. There's food in my house you can take. No one's left living anyways," he said sleepily. I knew he was slipping into a sleep that he would never wake up from. I can believe I rescued him for nothing!
"No, no, no!" I muttered and shook my head back and forth. I covered my ears and tried to pretend it was a dream. Too bad it wasn't. If only I hadn't come back to the pond.
"It's okay. Just let me sleep." He gently pried my hands of my ears. "Take the clothes. You'll need them more than I will." With that he turned and curled up into a ball. I watched his breathing until it got slower and slower. And then it stopped. I don't know how long I sat there but it soon became dark. I vaguely remembered that I should get up and go home know, but I was numb, and not with the cold. Though I wouldn't have minded it not being there.
"Miranda!" someone yelled at the top of their lungs. But still it sounded far off. I didn't even lift my head. "Miranda!" the voice came again, this time closer. I looked up groggily. Seeing no one I went back to my silence to Brandon. The voice didn't come again and I thought, maybe I am going crazy.
"Miranda!" an older huskier voice sounded after five minutes. It sounded nearby and it occurred to me that I should yell back. I didn't.
"Oh my God," muttered someone behind me. I twisted in my seat suddenly wide awake. "Miranda, what happened? We were worried sick! You couldn't have warn-" exploded Matt. But he stopped abruptly when he saw Brandon, who was now dead.
We gazed at each other silence filling the air. Then he took my hand and led me away from his body.
"Wait! Can't we burry him so something?" I pleaded my voice hoarse from crying.
Matt silently shook his head no. "We have to go home. It's late." With that I let him drag me away. I was glad. I needed some dragging. At least away from that memory. I don't even know why I'm even writing this down anyways. It's not like I want to remember it. I guess.