To the Steadfast by Briana Gaitan

Author:Briana Gaitan [Gaitan, Briana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B013W2PBZG
Publisher: Briana Gaitan
Published: 2015-08-29T23:00:00+00:00

Walking across the bridge in my bathing suit is the easy part. As I lean over the edge and look down into the murky waters, a rush overcomes me. The adrenaline in my body triples, leaving me light headed and slightly out of breath. This feeling, I haven’t felt it in so long. It’s unexplainable, but it feels good. This invincible feeling where I feel alive again. I’ve lived in the same routine for so long. Study, study, study. I never gave myself the time to have fun. The time to do something so stupid and reckless. I can see Violet swimming to the shore. Her jump went smoothly, so what’s the worst that can happen?

“You staying in town long?” Kate asks, startling me. I lean away from the edge. There’s a sort of jealousy in her voice as if she’s gauging how long I’m gonna be a threat.

She can squirm it out. “Not long. You?”

“I’ve decided to stay in town. Mischa and I are thinking about getting our own place.”

I want to laugh, but I keep a straight face. She’s saying this to get on my nerves, which means Mischa must have told her something about us. “You and Mischa, huh? How did you guys meet?”

“Oh, he worked at the local gas station by my house. I’d go in there to fill up and we’d talk. He finally asked me out after weeks of mindless flirting.”

“That’s cool.” I couldn’t be more uninterested. Maybe Mischa really did get over his phobia of dating. It just hurts he couldn’t have done it with me.

“You jumping or not?” Kate asks as she gathers her blonde hair into a ponytail.

“Um…yeah. Just trying to gather the courage.”

She gives a small laugh. “Come on, it’s not like anyone has died or anything.”

Wait? Had they? I try to remember any news on the bridge, but current events aren’t at the top of my list these days. “Are you serious?” I blurt out, but it’s too late.

Kate has already jumped. I peek over the edge, my heart beating wildly as I wait for her to resurface. This is stupid. I made some dumb promise to jump years ago. I made a lot of dumb decisions back then. Sleeping with Mischa was one of them. Doesn’t mean I have to go through with the jump. A few other kids take their turn, and the next thing I know, I’m alone. My knees are locked, not allowing me to move.

Everyone is yelling, and I think they’re yelling at me to jump. As their screams become a little angry, I take a deep breath and push off the edge of the bridge. I don’t think. I don’t react. I just close my eyes and do it. The wind whistles in my ears as I fall. Down, down, until I feel the water sting my legs and arms. As the water hits my face, the air is knocked out of my lungs and water is forced into my nose and mouth. My body wants to instinctively take a breath, but I try and force the feeling back down.

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