After Dark by James Leck, Yasemine Uçar, Marie Bartholomew, Danielle Mulhall Page B

water.
    I’m not sure if my sunburn was a factor, but the water was like ice, and I think I had a minor heart attack when I went under. It was pitch-black down there, and the water got colder and colder the deeper I went. By the time I came back up, I was gasping for air and quickly turning from red to blue.
    â€œAre you all right?” a kid on an inner tube asked, paddling over.
    â€œI’ll be fine, as soon as my heart starts up again,” I said, breaststroking my way toward the ledge on the inside of the C .
    Five feet from the water’s edge, I could stand up on the part of the rock shelf that extended into the water. I eased my way up onto dry ground and lay down to bask in the sun.
    â€œNice entry, bro,” Johnny said, sitting down beside me.
    â€œThanks, I’m in training for the next Olympics.”
    â€œOh yeah? For what event?”
    â€œThe Jumping-Into-Ice-Cold-Water event. How did I look?”
    â€œFearless,” he said.
    That’s when I heard someone behind us say, “Isn’t that Jaysin Night?”
    â€œI think you’ve been spotted.”
    â€œI think you’re right,” he said, as people started murmuring behind us.
    â€œBy the way, the water’s just a smidgen on the chilly side.”
    â€œThanks for the warning, bro,” he said and yanked his shirt off. Johnny’s ripped, of course, and I heard the murmuring behind us get a little more frantic.
    â€œHop along there, Cassidy, or they’re going to get to you before you can get into the water and wash off all your Hollywood BO.”
    Johnny marched into the river, dove under and came up on the other side, grinning.
    â€œThat is most definitely Jaysin Night,” someone said behind me.
    â€œAre you sure?”
    â€œI’d recognize that body anywhere. What’s his real name?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œI think it’s Jack.”
    A second later, four girls in bikinis padded by me and slipped into the water.
    â€œHi!” one of them called as they swam out to meet Johnny.
    â€œHi,” Johnny said, and they giggled a little.
    Interrupting them now would be bad form, so I lay back, closed my eyes and was drifting off when someone sat down beside me.
    â€œThat must get annoying.”
    I opened my eyes a crack and saw Elizabeth Opal sitting next to me. Her long red hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a black bikini.
    â€œNah, not really,” I said, springing up and into a sitting position. “Even before Johnny was a big star, he had gaggles of girls following him around. I really wouldn’t bother with him if I were you. I’m sure there are far more interesting people to get to know.”
    â€œThey’re behaving like idiots,” she said as the girls all giggled again.
    â€œThey’re not your friends?”
    â€œNot really,” she said. “I grew up in Rolling Hills, but I don’t go to school here, so I always feel like a bit of an outsider.”
    â€œWhere do you go to school?”
    â€œWinehurst Girls’ Academy, but my dad almost sent me to Choke,” she said, nodding at my T-shirt, which I hadn’t bothered to take off.
    â€œWinehurst is a fine institution.”
    â€œI suppose,” she said, looking out at Johnny, who was now sitting near the edge of the water, saying something that was making all the girls laugh harder. “Most of the people there are snobs, and I hate the uniforms.” She glanced back at me. “I guess you don’t mind yours.”
    â€œSure, I love gallivanting around in my uniform! Heck, I wanted to go swimming in my full uniform — blazer and tie. But my mom wouldn’t allow it. She said it would be too pretentious. What do you think?”
    â€œI think you’re crazy.”
    â€œOr a fashionable trendsetter.”
    â€œHmm. Or maybe you got too much sun today.”
    â€œAre you saying that sunburns