21.

~ When she was little, Caleb had taught Norma how to move with the waves.

"Don't fight the water. No one can fight the ocean." He'd told her. "See? You have to jump with the waves. If you try to push against the waves, you'll tire yourself out and drown."

The masses of people would crowed the beaches and roll with the waves as if it was some kid of ride. All of them screaming and shouting in fearful joy as the waves rolled in and out. Even little children were safe because they knew to relax their bodies and allow the waves to carry them up and down again.

Back home, in Florida, the waters was always as warm as the temperature outside. It never felt as cool as your own body heat and only refreshed you because it was wet. Even the ocean wasn't that cool because of the relentless sun and the ever oppressive humidity that rolled in day after day.

Norma always felt safe in the ocean, even though it was a vast, endless and hungry thing. In her mind, the ocean was warm and perfectly inviting.

Not like this, not like this cruel and icy abyss.

This water wasn't just cold, it was painful. She didn't even feel the cold at fist, she just felt the shock of it knock the breath out of her lungs. A sensation that was like being punched in the chest so hard, she couldn't remember to even breathe. She couldn't find her way up or remember to search for daylight.

It wasn't just cold, it was actual death coming for her. Like knives stabbing her over and over until she was numb and she could feel her body sinking. Her limbs useless in the darkness. Her chest hurting and her brain feeling tight as everything started to fall away.

'Wait?' She thought sadly. 'Is this it? Am I dying? What do I do? How do I get out of this? Of all the stupid ways to die! I didn't want to die today!'

She could feel it though. Feel it happening. Feel everything going numb and cold. Feel her body give up and not know what to do.

Her world was suddenly silent and still.

'This is happening.' She thought. 'This is it.'

Then it happened.

She felt a pair of hands, several of them, strong and aggressive, pull her out of the darkness and out of the cold. Away from the stillness and the certainty of her death with such rudeness, in any other circumstance, she might have complained.

"Put her here." Said a cranky, voice who seemed annoyed. Norma could feel the mud and sharp rocks of the ground under her feet and legs.

"Get a blanket!" Came a shout. And she could feel the roughness of a cheap camping blanket around her that did nothing at all to chase away the cold. The cold was here to stay. It was inside her now; in her bones forever.

"Norma?" Came a concerned voice and she saw Alex's face swim into view. "Norma... hey."

She looked at him curiously for a moment. One part of her brain knowing who he was, and yet, another part of her brain not knowing him at all. As if she couldn't connect the two anymore.

She nodded.

"You're okay." He was saying. "Jimmy and I got you out. You're just in shock from the cold."

"We need to put her near the fire." Another voice was saying. "She still looks a little blue."

Norma cried out in shock when Alex hoisted her to her feet and lifted her in his arms.

"Stop!" She screamed in a near panic her and hiding her face in his shoulders. She somehow knew that the fire would be good and he was trying to help her, but she wanted to be left alone. Her body felt so brittle just now. As if it was made of glass.

"Build it up here." The tall, lean young man was saying. "Put her down, Alex."

"Thanks, Jimmy." Alex said setting Norma down who couldn't seem to stop crying. She could barely feel the fire's heat going off. Couldn't feel anything other than her skin stinging.

~ Maybe Alex had been wrong about Jimmy Brennan.

Since the end of middle school, he and Jimmy had drifted apart. They had shared a close friendship as children but, with all things, growing up, the social structures beyond middle school and other interests got in the way of childhood bonding.

They had become indifferent faces in the hallways and in the classrooms by the time they were in high school when just a few years before, they'd been inseparable camping and fishing friends.

Yet, when Norma hadn't resurfaced, it had been Jimmy who'd run down the pathway with Alex to pull her out. He'd always been a good swimmer and was used to the cold, unforgiving water. A thing that had taken Alex's breath away and made him cry out slightly when it his his chest.

Jimmy had been the first to grab her. Roughly pulling her out of the water. His massive hands looking strong enough to break Norma's thin arms before he allowed Alex to help him paddle her back to shore.

Norma had cried out when she reached the surface. Her entire body blue and almost dead looking. Her eyes closed and her skin just as cold as the water.

Jimmy had ordered a blanket for her as several members of the party, Rebecca and Keith included just stood there looking at them stupidly.

He'd stood away from Norma and let Alex look her over. Seeming to understand he wasn't wanted. Instead going to check on the fire and suggesting they stay close by it. Even as Alex hefted her slight body in her arms, she cried out in alarm. Her cold arms grasping tightly around his neck as though she might choke him.

No, maybe Alex had been wrong about Jimmy Brennan being just another sell out who only cared about himself.

"No everyone is here for you to play games with, Rebecca!" Jimmy snapped at her while Rebecca looked on in shock at Norma and Alex by the fire.

"I'm fine." Norma croaked weakly.

"You don't have to goat people on like that." Jimmy went on standing aggressively over her.

"I didn't make her jump." Rebecca said haughtily standing her ground. Her eyes narrowing. She glanced back at Norma and Alex by the fire and then walked away, several of her girlfriends walking away with her.

~ "I embarrassed you." Norma whispered when it seemed the tensions finally eased and she could feel the stinging in her hands go away. She now felt slightly too hot with the camp blanket on and her hair was starting to dry.

People were ignoring them, including Jimmy, but Alex had opened a loaf of bread and was doing a fine job of making toast for them over the open fire. He shook his head and smiled.

"You didn't embarrass me." He said. At that moment, Keith Summers swung dramatically over the waters, screamed a high pitched cry, didn't let go of the rope and crashed landed into the mud. Roars of laughter were heard all around as the other boys were telling him to pull his underwear up.

"I should have listened to you." Norma admitted sadly. Alex nodded.

"Next time we'll just go fishing. Just you and me. You'll stay out of the water." He told her firmly handing over the now toasted bread. She nibbled on the toast that was slightly too hot. It felt good and filling. That comforting feeling of being fed and taken care of by someone.

"Thank you." She said softly. "For pulling me out. I was... being stupid today."

"No one will remember it Monday." Alex promised her. "Not with how Keith Summers is acting." he nodded to a couple making out heavily by a tent. "Or with how they're acting."

Norma could feel herself blush at the couple. The young man's hands were all over the girl's body and they seemed eager to push into one another. Norma could feel her body spike with interest and embarrassment but she looked away. The other kids were swimming, yelling or swinging off the rope swing. All of them ignoring Alex and Norma and it was nice to have a moment where she felt they were alone.

The quarry was very isolated and the sounds of everyone's laughter and shouting echoed all around them, yet, she still felt like they were all alone in the world just now.

"Maybe next week, if it's not raining, we can go fishing." Norma admitted. "You said you had a nice place."

"I do." Alex nodded. He handed her another hot piece of toast. "It's a bit of a hike, but it's got a nice view and you'd have a had time getting into trouble. Although I'm sure you'd find a way." He said gently.

Norma felt herself smile at the challenge.

~ Rebeca watched how cozy Alex and the new girl were getting. This Norma Calhoun wasn't even pretty. She dressed as though she just rolled out of the trailer park. Why was Alex trying so hard to make her jealous? And with someone like her? Someone who's clothes were so... sloppy and cheap?

Rebecca rolled her eyes. Her summer in New York had spoiled her forever for everyday clothing. She'd wanted so much the designer labels she'd seen there. She'd become snobbish about brands, shoes and wearing only monotone colors. To come back here, where people still dressed like lumberjacks was an insult. Then, to find her boyfriend was making heart eyes at some new girl in frumpy, ill fitting sweaters, was just too much.

Alex hadn't even bothered to call her all summer. He was the worst kind of boyfriend. He wasn't even that good sexually, but he was good looking enough and popular enough that Rebecca wasn't ready to give him up.

She'd never experienced real jealousy in her life until she lived in New York and saw women who dressed so well and lived in nice apartments. Women who always had someplace to be and never any time for anyone. Exactly the kind of woman Rebecca wanted to be. Now, she was experiencing real jealousy. A thing that festered inside her when she saw Alex with Norma. A thing that had claws scraping at her insides when she saw him rest his arm around her shoulder and her just lean into him as though she'd done such a thing forever. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. He was toasting bread for her. Something he'd never done for Rebecca in all the time he'd been with her.

"My, my." Bob Paris cooed smoothly behind her. "Looks like the queen bee has been replaced."

"Go away." Rebecca said harshly.

"Never thought Alex would go for such a basic model myself. Still, girl like that doesn't require as much maintenance as you. Maybe that's why." Bob went on savagely.

"What part of 'go away' don't you understand?" Rebeccas said not taking her eyes off of Alex and Norma.

"You act like I'm the enemy, but I come as a friend." Bob said in a snake like tone. "Remember how I brought those party favors last light? The ones that helped loosen up Jenny White?"

Rebecca turned to Bob with sudden interest.

"You have anymore left? Thought you used them all on Keith." She nodded to Keith Summers who was now running naked around the bottom of the quarry proclaiming himself king. Everyone was laughing at him and commenting how cold the water must be.

"I have just enough left to really make 'Trailer Trash Tammy' over there show her true nature. Enough to make Alex break up with her." Bob said slyly.

"Well, I'm not going to stop you." Rebecca told him fishing a beer from the cooler and handing it to him.