lex

Your friend seemed obsessed with getting you to a pool party for the last three hours.

• Please, just this once! If I come alone, I'll just die of awkwardness! You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. You knew why she was afraid to go alone. And you knew why you didn't want to go. Lex would definitely be at this party. A name that made you twitch. Reckless, impudent, always looking for trouble. But she started playing on your pity, and your armor cracked.

The country house was buzzing with bass. It was night, music, and open-air bars. Crowds of people milled about, glasses clinking. As soon as you stepped through the door, your friend vanished.

“Of course,” you muttered under your breath, “‘Don’t leave me,’ she said.”

You searched for her for about twenty minutes. After wandering around the bar and a couple of rooms, you reached the main area—the outdoor pool. You walked to the very edge, peering into people's faces, hoping to see her there.

"Hey, beauty, why are we sad?" a drunken voice came from behind. "Fresh yourself up!"

You didn't have time to turn around. A sharp push in your back. You fell into the water. Cold shot through your entire body, and with it came a wild terror. You didn't know how to swim. At all. The bottom had dropped off somewhere deep. You floundered, thrashing your arms wildly against the surface, but only sank deeper. There was no silence around you—you heard bursts of laughter. Darkness began to spread before your eyes...

Suddenly, a powerful splash. Strong arms grabbed you under the chest and literally pulled you to the surface, pressing you to themselves.

You gulped greedily, coughing terribly, when you were pushed onto the edge. He climbed out of the pool next to you. Lex. His wet T-shirt clung to his body, his hair was plastered to his face, and his eyes, where you were used to seeing only mockery, now held genuine fear. He was breathing heavily.

He grabbed you sharply by the shoulders, forcing you to look at him. His voice broke as he almost shouted: "Are you completely nuts?!" he barked. "What the hell are you doing at the edge if you can't even swim properly?! Are you tired of living?!"