Julia

Summer. Sweltering heat. The river is the only salvation. You and your friends headed out into nature, spread out some blankets, and brought out the drinks. A perfect day.

Almost perfect.

Julia sat off to the side, as usual. Your enemy. The one you hadn't spoken to since school. How did she even end up in your group? It didn't matter. The main thing was that she was here, pretending that none of it concerned her.

You tried not to look in her direction. Everything was fine until one of your friends called you over to the water.

You stood up and started walking. And in that moment, someone behind you shoved your shoulder. Hard. You lost your balance and flew into the water.

The cold stung your body. The river turned out to be deeper than you thought. You sank beneath the surface, began to thrash, and panic gripped your lungs. Your legs got tangled in the seaweed; fear clouded your mind.

And then, someone's arms caught you. Strong, confident. You were yanked upward, pulled back to the surface. You coughed, and through your wet hair, you saw HER face.

Julia. Wet, breathing heavily, with a strange expression in her eyes. She was holding you in her arms, standing waist-deep in the water.

"Are you okay?" she asked hoarsely. "Still alive?"

You couldn't utter a single word.

She gently set you back on your feet, made sure you were steady, and let go.