Happy B-day Jaide!
Annie and I clicked from the moment we met. Was it a coincidence that Annie almost drowned that day at the River? Or did fate already have our future set for us? Well, either way, that day at the River changed both our lives for good. I remember everything about that day, from Annie's flower crown, to what I was doing five minutes before it happened, but if you want to hear the story correctly, we'll have to start at the beginning:
I always wake up at 5:15 in the morning. I head down to the ocean beside our house and wait for the sun to get up. I always face east, the direction of the rising sun. It is amazing to feel the heat against your bare chest as the warmth spreads all over your body, all the way to your toes which are completely underwater. I don't know why I do this every morning, but it has been tradition for me, since before I can remember.
Today was my favorite day, Sunday, a whole day in the water. I felt the cold rush of the water before I completely dived in. I stared at the crystal clear blues of the water, and smiled. Water was the only thing I had ever found beautiful. I watched a small rainbow fish swim past me and wondered, as I frequently do when thinking about fish, where it was trying to go.
I swam in the water for a while, and lost track of the time. I've always felt at home in the water, but doesn't everyone in District 4? Before I knew it, the sun is setting, and that's when I heard the scream.
It was Annie, probably the only girl from our district who can't swim. Far in the water she was trying her best to swim, next to a tipped over boat. I began to swim for her, as fast as I can. It's the farthest distance I ever swam; I was only five at the time. I finally reached her, and put my arm around her, ready to swim her back to shore. I was kicked in the head. I remember learning somewhere that, in a panic, sometimes the person you're trying to save will fight back.
I jump on Annie again and this time hold on to her tight. I begin to swim back to shore, when I really feel the weight of Annie on me. It holds me down, and pulls me to the bottom of the ocean. I thrash around a bit and finally manage to get to shore. When I finally reach shore I lay Annie down and whisper something in her ear:
"You really need to learn how to swim."
"And you really need to teach me," she replies.