"Hey kiddo, hand me that whisk?" Rikki gestured to the other end of the kitchen counter as Charlie thumped down the steps the next morning.

"Sure." Charlie obliged before pulling up a chair to the kitchen table, rubbing his eyes as he sat down. "You, uh, have fun with your friends last night?"

"What?" Rikki blinked. "Oh, right, yeah. Of course. It was good to see everyone."

"Where was Uncle Will?" Charlie reached for the pitcher of orange juice, pouring himself a tall glass.

"Oh, out with his latest girlfriend." Rikki shook her head. "I don't remember her name… Tori? Tina?"

"I don't keep track anymore." Charlie polished off his glass of juice before standing. "I have swim practice at noon, I'll see him there, I'll ask."

"Toni, I think that's it" His mother didn't seem to have heard him; she was preoccupied with the stove.

"Is Dad around?" Looking around the kitchen, there were telltale signs that Zane had already been downstairs, but he was nowhere in sight.

"He's out." His mother's tone changed from chipper to terse in an instant.

"Of course he is." Charlie sighed as he walked to the other side of the room for his keys.

"Charlie…" Rikki stopped cooking, turning to face her son, a pained expression clear on her face. She spoke quickly, almost like she'd had to work up the courage. "Listen, your father and I…"

"I know." Charlie held a hand up, stopping her as his stomach clenched painfully. "You really don't need to explain, mom. I know you and Dad are having trouble."

"No, it's not just that-" Rikki shook her head. "I mean, we are really sorry about all the tension, but there's something more than that to talk to you about, something very serious."

Divorce. Charlie's heart sank as his pulse quickened. Sure, they'd been having trouble, but weren't they going to try to work things out? Therapy, something? He wasn't ready for the two of them to split up, not now. He felt like he'd been punched.

"Ok, Mom." He yanked the front door open, anxious to get out of the house. "We'll talk later, k?" He didn't wait to hear her response before slamming the door shut behind him and practically jogging to his car.


"Charlie, warm-up of 20 laps." Will Alexander, Charlie's swimming coach called across the pool as he emerged from the locker room. "Get going, I want to see some distance training today. Work on that breath control."

"That's what we did yesterday-" Charlie groaned.

"Suck it up. That's why it's called practice." Will waved Charlie towards the launching blocks, shaking his head as he made a note on his clipboard.

Will had been Charlie's swimming coach for the past nine years, ever since Charlie had announced he'd wanted to take up free diving. At first, both of his parents, (as per usual,) had been dead set against the idea, but they'd given in when Will had offered to take on the job of training Charlie personally. They didn't compete; Charlie wasn't interested in the competitive aspect of the sport, just the adventure. Will knew so much about the ocean, where the best free dive locations were, secrets to grab the attention of different kinds of rare fish, swimming with him as your guide was nothing short of incredible and Charlie loved it.

Soon after, Will had gotten a coaching job at the local community college, and Charlie had joined the team the moment he'd gotten out of high school. He still didn't much care about racing or competing for depth, but the extra training at the college pool made it worth it. His parents hated when he raced, but they attended each and every match.

After warm up, Will gave Charlie his training regimen for the day. The first several were a piece of cake, but over time Charlie felt his muscles fatiguing. He pushed himself, barely able to put one arm in front of the other as he slowly completed the last lap. He gasped for air as he pulled himself up to his elbows, resting his forehead on the concrete in front of him.

"Better than yesterday." Will noted as he marked it down. "One minute break, then I want ten more laps."

"On top of the last 50?" Charlie complained. "C'mon, I need at least five minutes, man. In fact, ten would be better." Charlie panted, rolling his head to relax his neck.

"One minute." Will replied. "I'll count you in, hit the block."

Mentally cursing at his coach and (he reminded himself,) his friend, Charlie forced himself out of the water and resumed his starting position, sucking in huge lungfuls of oxygen.

"And… go!" Will shouted.

Charlie pushed off hard, almost gasping as his body sliced through the water.

There was something about the water this time, something… different than it'd felt earlier. Charlie flexed his muscles, beyond rejuvenated as he pushed himself further, suddenly beyond comfortable in the water. He used all the energy he could muster trying to put his finger on what had made the water feel so… different. It was the only word he could come up with to describe it. The water on his skin, it seemed almost hot and cold at the same time. He loved the way it felt as it rippled over him while he powered through, almost as if it were gently massaging every one of his muscles.

Charlie made a u-turn without pushing off from the opposite wall and shot back towards where he'd started, still enjoying the amazing sensations that were flickering across his skin as he swam. He felt his face spread into a smile. Swimming through the water felt like it was powering him up, almost. He felt stronger as he kicked, like a battery recharging. He turned once again, heading towards the opposite wall with enthusiasm, letting his arms fall to his sides as he kicked harder. It almost felt like he was flying, he hardly needed to work to shoot down the lane.

Suddenly, Charlie's eyes shot open wide. He'd swam almost three laps now… and he hadn't come up for air once yet. He needed air, and he needed it right now.

Coughing and sputtering, Charlie kicked his way to the closest wall to him, feeling all of a sudden like his lungs were going to explode right out of his chest. Panic set in just before he gripped the wall, his heart pounding hard. He hung onto the concrete tightly, panting as a pair of feet appeared before his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Will bent down, a concerned look on his face. "What happened out there?"

"Sorry." Charlie choked out, still trying to gasp in oxygen. "I just, um.., I guess I just forgot to breathe, that's all."

Will remained oddly silent as Charlie pulled himself out of the water, still working to catch his breath. "You were in there an awfully long time…" He said eventually, his brow furrowed.

"Yeah, um…" Charlie reached for his towel, tossing it over his shoulder. "I dunno, I just… didn't need air yet, y'know?" He wasn't even sure he understood what he was saying, he'd never gone so long in the water without breathing before, not swimming at that speed.

Charlie rubbed the water out of his eyes before turning to look up at Will, who still seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. "I guess we've been getting in some really good diving training lately. Must be making my lungs good and strong, right?"

"Yeah." Will seemed oddly serious, though Charlie couldn't see why. He stood, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why don't you get out of here." Will gave a light shrug. "You, eh, obviously don't need the extra practice, huh?" He gave a humorless laugh, his eyes still worried.

"Sure, ok." Charlie's heart was finally starting to slow. "It'll give me a chance to hang out with Kelli, so that works out just fine-"

"Charlie-" Will caught his attention, shoving his hands into his pockets as he glanced at his shoes. "Have your parents… talked to you yet?" He walked alongside Charlie as he made his way towards the lockers, running a hand through his curly brown hair while shoving his other hand into his pants pocket.

Charlie clenched his jaw slightly before answering. "Yeah, um, not yet. But it's no big deal, I knew it was coming."

"Did you?" Will sounded more than a little surprised. "Who told you?"

"I mean," Charlie shrugged. "It's not much of a shock, I could tell, there've been plenty of signs, I guess." He toweled off as he spoke. "Hey, how come you weren't at the house the other night? The rest of the gang was over, and late."

"Were they?" Will raised an eyebrow, momentarily distracted. "Who, Bella?"

"Yeah, Bella. And Cleo, and Lewis, and my Mom and Dad." Charlie added.

"I was probably out. With Teri." Will said sheepishly. "Things are still pretty… awkward with Bella."

"It's been five years…" Charlie's voice trailed off as they reached the locker room door.

"Yes, it has." Will stopped. "It's just not been long enough yet, I guess."

Charlie paused as well, before clapping Will on the shoulder. "Later, coach." He pulled his phone out of his gym bag, texting to let Kelly know that he could pick her up in thirty minutes. He sat for a moment in his running car, right outside the pool house, a memory suddenly hitting him right in the chest.

Why had the water felt so amazing during that last swim? Was it really just the training paying off? He'd felt so powerful, so strong… He'd never felt anything like that before… and he really wanted to feel it again.

Will waited for Charlie to pull away before grabbing his phone. "Hey Rik." He spoke quietly. "It's looking like it is going to happen. And I'm betting it's going to be soon."


"I think you bought half the store." Charlie joked as he lugged bag upon bag into Kelli's house, following her upstairs to her bedroom.

"I cannot believe I waited so long to try out that store that just opened in the mall, it totally had everything I needed." Kelly immediately began rooting through the bag closest to her on the bed.

"You needed… this?" Charlie pulled a bright pink rhinestoned belt out of the nearest boutique bag.

"Hello? Duh." Kelli snatched the belt out of his hands before whipping open her closet door. "It goes absolutely perfectly with my tan jeans." She toyed with her hair as she compared the colors, pleased with the results.

"Riiiiight." Charlie reached for her waist, pulling her in close to him. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before opening his mouth to speak. "Y'know…" He chose his words hesitantly, taking the time to plan out exactly what he was going to say. "Something really, um, weird happened today at swim practice."

"Oh yeah?" Kelli snapped open her compact, checking her eyeliner in the mirror.

"Yeah." Charlie took a seat on her bed, smoothing her purple comforter with his hand as he composed his thoughts. "It was the strangest thing… I was swimming. And the water, it felt… weird, I guess. I didn't need to breathe for a long time, and I was swimming really fast-"

"Did you have swim practice today?" Kelly began curling her eyelashes, her eyes glued on the mirror.

"What? Charlie frowned. "Yes, that's what I just…" He paused, sighing. "Said."

He and Kelly didn't talk much, and he realized it didn't feel right to. She wasn't even pretending to listen to him. "You know," He looked down at his feet. "It was nothing, really."

"Okay." Kelli snapped her compact closed and reached for her hairbrush. "Are you hanging out, or…?"

"No." Charlie stood abruptly. "Actually, I think I'll head on out."

"Don't let Skittles run out when you open the front door, k?" Kelli brushed her hair briskly, her eyes still locked on the mirror in front of her. "My Dad is always leaving that door open and letting that poor cat out, she's going to hit by a car one day…"

Charlie gently closed the door behind him, relatively sure that Kelli hadn't even noticed him leaving. He couldn't try to explain things to her, she'd never understand. He wasn't even sure he understood.

Charlie was preoccupied, lost in his thoughts as he drove the short distance to his home. He shut off his car engine, but couldn't bring himself to go inside.

He didn't want to talk to his parents. They would want to discuss the divorce, and he wasn't up for it right now. It was just too much.

Charlie laughed humorlessly to himself. All this time, he'd wanted his parents to talk to him about what was going on with them. Now they wanted to talk and all of a sudden it was him that wasn't ready.

Making up his mind, Charlie tossed his keys and phone onto the car seat beside him and jogged around his house, kicking off his shoes, and heading towards the beach. Something had happened that day in the pool. Something he couldn't explain. Would it also happen in the ocean? Did he even want it to?

Charlie's pulse quickened as the surf grew closer. He wanted to be in the water; he needed it. He'd never felt this way before. Excitement built in his chest as he watched the waves crashing gently onto the shore.. Suddenly hesitant as he reached the water's edge, he reached out one bare foot and stepped into the frothy surf.

The water felt nice, sure, but it wasn't anything like it had been earlier at swim practice. Not even close.

Disappointed, Charlie walked a few yards out into the open water. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, and he felt a little silly for getting so excited about the same beach he'd gone to every day of his life. He stopped, knee-deep, as his stomach gave a flip. A smile played at the corners of his eyes as his toes sunk down into the wet sand.

It was coming back… Slowly. The electric, all-over tingle started in his toes before travelling up his legs. The sensation intensified as the water lapped at his knees, encouraging him to walk out into the open waves. It wasn't long before he could pick up his feet and tread water. He reared back, then gave a great push off the sandy floor, propelling himself out into the open water. He allowed the current to pull him further out to sea, relaxing as he gave himself over to the pulsing waves.

It was even more incredible now. The salt water felt electrically charged on his skin, almost hot. He felt alive with energy, ready to swim anywhere, no matter how far. He closed his eyes, letting the water carry him. What was this? He'd never felt so… happy. He sank down, the ocean floor wasn't too deep, running his hand through the silky sand. He knew he'd been underwater a long time, which did make him a little nervous, but his lungs didn't protest.

After what had to have been a solid five minutes, he surfaced, shaking water out of his hair before opening his eyes. He raised his right hand to his eyes, standing on the sandy floor. He squinted at his fingers, trying to see what could be possibly causing the sensations he was experiencing.

He watched, mesmerized, as droplets of water rolled off his fingers and dripped into the water. It was beautiful, the way the sun reflected, glittering off the water as it fell from his fingertips and back into the ocean. He scooped up handfuls of water in both hands, just watching it fall back into the rolling sea.

Suddenly, without warning, a surge of energy shot through his hand, hot and sharp. He gasped, shaking his right hand hard as he began pushing himself back to the bank panicking slightly. What was that? Had he been bitten by something? No, what could have bitten him that he wouldn't have seen? He'd been looking right at his hand when it had happened.

Kicking hard, he pulled himself out of the ocean, turning to sit in the tide. He sat Indian style in the shallow water, his eyes locked on his hands. They felt normal now, the jolt of electricity was gone, but… He squinted, sure that his eyes were playing tricks on him. He just couldn't be seeing what he was seeing…

Droplets of water were falling from his outstretched hands and into the water. Charlie frowned, unable to look away.

The water was falling in slow motion. Impossibly slow motion.

He held his hand perfectly still, no more than an inch from his eyes, watching as drops of water formed, then seemed to float back down until they reached the sea. He counted under his breath. "Eight, nine, ten…" It was taking a full ten seconds for the water to fall the two feet into the water. It was beautiful to watch, but impossible.

It couldn't be happening, but… Charlie wiggled his fingers… it had to be. He could see it. What was going on?

Suddenly, a wave of panic set in, deep in his chest. Was something wrong with him? Was he losing his mind? None of this was normal, none of this was right. The water, the electricity, the not needing to breathe, something was seriously wrong. Something was changing, something in him, and he could feel it.

He scrambled to get out of the water, kicking up chunks of wet sand as he ran up the beach. The sand felt hot under his feet as he paused, then dropped onto the dry, hot, floor. He breathed heavily, reaching up to shake the water out of his hair.

He froze, his left hand flat on his head. After a moment his fingers began racing furiously though his hair. His dry hair. Frantically, he ran his hands over his body.

He was completely dry from head to toe. Which wasn't possible, he muttered to himself, because he'd been fully immersed in the ocean not 5 minutes ago. His clothes were hot, as if they'd been baking in the sun. It was as if he'd never even gone swimming, though he knew that wasn't the case. His pulse began to race as he flew to his feet. He couldn't reach the house fast enough.