Don't Hate The Game by Anna Huscha (best pdf reader for ebooks .TXT) 📖

touch the ground with her feet. 'I got it, I did it, see there was nothing to be afraid of' Molly told herself, just before her heart sank. A small fish brushed against her foot, or in Molly's mind... was a shark. She started to freak out. Screaming, as she fell backwards into the water.

"Molly!" Mike yelled before running off towards the water, Alex watched as the scene took a moment to play in her mind, before registering that everything was wrong. Her breath caught in her throat. Mike soon came out, carrying a passed out Molly in his arms. Laying her down on the sand, he administered C.P.R. Praying silently, to a God that he didn't believe in, that she'd be okay. She had to be okay. Didn't she? Yes. There were no if, and, or buts about it; she would be okay. Mike cringed, wanting to cry as continued to push at her chest, followed by blowing his own oxygen into her mouth. Still, she wouldn't breath.

"No, she's not breathing" Jackie, Molly's older sister, spoke shakily into the receiver of her cell phone. Tears were brimming in her eyes, as she blinked, they rolled down her cheeks.

"Please, hurry!" Jackie said as Mike continued, she hung up her phone and fell to the sand on her knees, stroking Molly's head as she pleaded for her to breath. As if hearing her, she coughed water into Mike's face as she sucked in air. Tears streamed down Jackie's cheeks quickly as she smiled.

"Thank you, Mike! Thank you!" Jackie said quickly, moving over to her sisters side. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

"It's going to be okay, no, don't get up. The ambulance is almost here" Mike said, pushing Molly back down gently.

"What happened?" Alex asked, Jake looked up at her, they stood a bit away.

"I don't know, one second I was watching her get the Frisbee and the next moment she's in the water. It happened too fast" Jake said, shrugging before turning away and walking home. Alex watched him before noticing that Nate had left without a word. Within minutes, an Ambulance sat at the edge of the beach, two men with a gurney in their hands came running down. As one man strapped Molly in, the other talked to Mike and Jackie, asking everything they knew. Alex took it all in, exhaling her breath. When had she been holding it? She turned away from it all and went walking towards Nate's house. Where had he gone? When did he go? Why didn't he say anything before leaving? It took Alex a good five minutes to walk the entire two blocks to Nate's small home. Sitting on a large patch of grass that faced the rich fishing grounds, a lovely horizon, and a large field before finally getting to the ocean. Nate's house was a quaint home that was built back in 1847. They had painted it last summer, when Alex first moved to town, it was half done. It was now a light blue with darker blue shudders and a brown with blue porch, on the porch sat two rocking chairs. Alex raised her hand and was about to knock, but noticing someone hunched over in the rocking chair, their back towards her, made her stop.

"Hello?" Alex asked, hesitantly. Nate lifted his head, without looking back, he responded.

"What?" Nate asked, harshly. Alex flinched at his tone, within the entire year that she had known him he hadn't ever once gotten angry at anything, let alone her.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, Nate sat up straighter as he gripped the arms of the rocking chair tightly.

"Why does there have to be something wrong? I'm perfectly fine" Nate lied, it was as transparent as the air they breathed. As thin as a blade of grass, and as loose as the strings on a torn sweater.

"Nate, I've known you this entire year and not once have you ever just disappeared without a word, and not once have you ever gotten angry. It's just not you.. I thought-" Alex explained but Nate cut her off.

"You don't know me! You've been here merely a year and you act like you know everything or everyone. You don't, so don't even try! You're selfish and annoying, Alex! I wish you would just leave! Why don't you?" Nate snapped, Alex inhaled sharply, biting her lip to hold back what she was feeling. She silently shook in her place.

"I... fine, I'll go... I'm sorry" Alex said, so silently it was almost inaudible to her own ears let alone Nate's. He was so far into himself at the moment he hadn't realized how much he had just hurt her. Alex ran off the porch and towards the brush of the woods; the only sound to her was her own breathing, the pounding of her heart in her ears, she couldn't hear the crunching of the earth beneath her weight, the sounds of the birds in the treas, the crashing of the waves, nor the scoffing Nate did as he watched her run away. She continued running until her legs hurt, her chest constricting for air. She slid down against the closest tree and pulled her knees to her chest. She had only been there for a year, yes but she had been close to Nate since the first week. He was the first person to befriend her, he was the first person to get to know her, and was the first person to make her feel like she belonged anywhere ever since everything had happened. What had gotten into him? Alex knew she shouldn't take his words to heart but never before had he talked to her like this, so, had she done something horribly wrong? Or did he have something else going on? She didn't know and right now, she didn't care to know. They both needed some time alone and that's what she was going to give him. He had requested it and by damn she was going to give it to him. Especially after that encounter.

By the time Alex stopped thinking about everything that had happened within the last couple of years and composed herself, it was dark out. No doubt her parents were wondering what was going on, worried if anything, but she didn't mind too much. Slowly, she started walking home. On her way, Alex had to pass Nate's house and with everything inside of her, she kept wishing he was inside or not even home. She bit her tongue and closed her eyes as she walked the stone path that was in front his home. Almost there. Just a few more steps. So far so good. Silence. Slam. Alex had hit into something, or should say someone. It was a solid person who felt like a brick wall. She cringed visibly and backed up. There stood Nate.

"Alex..." Nate said softly, holding up his one hand, palm up. Alex looked down, unable to make eye contact with him just yet. Why? She didn't know and wasn't about to try and figure it out. She couldn't ever figure out why she was so nervous. Just a few hours ago, she was relaxed with him and everything was okay but now, it was harder than hell just to stand in front of him.

"Please, Nate, just let me go home. I'm sorry... I won't bother you ever again... I don't act like I know you. I know there's so much that I just don't know... please" Alex said, more to the ground than to him, since she refused to look up. Nate felt his stomach churn. He'd hurt her. He didn't know what to say.

"Alex..." Nate said again, he couldn't finish no matter how much he tried, his throat clenched up, a lump in his throat, he just couldn't get rid of.

"I have to go, my mom's probably worried about me" Alex said, she looked up at him, as their eyes met, Nate could see the pain he had caused her. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why his words had hurt her so much. Had he said something he couldn't remember saying? He had blacked out for a moment in time and when he started coming to, he was hunched over in a rocking chair with someone running away from him.

Alex moved around him as he got lost in train of thought and took off running from him, making sure to leave as much distance between them as she could. She knew she was overreacting but she was tired. She was just so tired. Once she was finally home, she ran through the house, not pausing to say hello to her parents and made it to her room; kicking off her shoes once she was in her bed.
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Publication Date: 01-19-2012

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