The Pantheon by Amy Leigh Strickland Page A

Nick remembered why he was here in the first place and swam under the current. He opened his eyes and saw a girl. He reached out for her. His eyes focused on chords around her wrists. She was tied up.
    Nick pulled her to the surface. Water poured out of his mouth and nose. His lungs once more filled with air.
    Teddy Wexler had charged into the water to save the drowning girl. By the time Nick’s help had arrived Teddy was flailing in the water. Waves were crashing in his face and making it hard to see or breathe. Nick saw him floundering and dragged the girl with him to help the sophomore.
    “ Hold on to my back.” Nick told Teddy as he put the life-preserver over the girl’s neck and under her arm. Teddy obeyed. Nick swam hard, holding the girl close to him. It was slow progress, but he didn’t seem too hindered by waves crashing into his face. He finally touched sand and dragged them to shore. Once Teddy could reach the bottom he let go of Nick’s back and helped to heave the girl on the sand. Teddy didn’t miss it when water poured out of Nick’s mouth and nostrils.
    Now that he could look at her properly, Nick saw that under the ropes around her wrists, the girl had horrible burns. Fresh burns. They were shaped like fingers wrapped around from behind. He quickly checked her pulse. She had a heartbeat but she wasn’t breathing. He pinched her nose, tipped her head back, and formed a seal with his lips over hers.
    “ What do I do?” Teddy asked, coughing from the water that had invaded his own lungs.
    Nick paused between rescue breaths and pointed back at the carnival. “Go get help, idiot!”
    Teddy ran up the beach, weighed down by heavy, wet clothes. His feet squeaked and slipped on his slick, wet sandals. He kicked them off to gain some speed, his feet sinking in the soft, dry sand.
    Nick gave the girl another breath. Her body convulsed.
    She started to cough so he rolled her on her side. She spat up water. After a spasm of violent coughing she opened her eyes.
    “ What—where?” She was a pretty Asian girl, conservatively dressed. Nick recognized her from school but he didn’t know her name.
    “ You were in an accident,” he tried to untie the ropes on her hands. “I need you to stay awake with me, OK?” He didn’t want to hurt her more, but the knots were tight.
    Devon ran down the beach to them and knelt beside Nick, unsure of what to do. Teddy soon returned with help. A muscular, stout woman with a messy ponytail ran ahead of him. She was the on-call EMT. Coach Morin was there too. The EMT sat the girl up. “What’s your name, dear?” she asked.
    “ Valerie. Valerie Hess,” Valerie recited, staring down at her wrists. Coach Morin pulled a pocket knife out of his jeans and cut the ropes. She was in too much shock to really register the pain.
    “ Do you remember what happened?” the EMT asked. Teddy pulled out his cell phone to call the police. Water poured out of it. Coach Morin passed his to Teddy while he cut the ropes on Valerie’s ankles.
    “ Some guy grabbed me outside the bathroom.” She coughed a few times and then had to catch her breath. Her lungs burned. “He smelled like something burning and he started talking about teaching a lesson. My wrists started to burn. It hurt so bad.” She began crying. The shock was wearing off. “I blacked out.”
    The EMT had her field kit open. She got burn cream and gauze out. They could clean the burns when they got her to a hospital. “You’re safe now,” her voice was very soothing. “We’re gonna get you to a hospital. They’ll keep you safe.”
    Jason Livingstone came running down the beach. “Need any help? I’m a doctor.”
    “ Good. C’mere, bandage up her other wrist.”
    Jason was excited when he got to do something besides hand out cough drops and call kids’ moms. He grabbed a bandage and started wrapping.
    “ I lost my antenna,” Teddy said quietly.
    “ I lost my Oakleys,” Nick grumbled back.
    “ Wait,”