Jimmy

I was always told that it’s moments like these when your whole life flashes before your eyes, but I just wanted to know where Jimmy was. Down, then up again. My gaze was fixed. I couldn’t shake it. Down, again, then up. When we were eleven we made a promise to never leave the other because we were going to be friends forever, but that didn’t matter. I just needed to know where he was. Just a while ago, Jenna and Matt went to get ice cream, and mom took Eric to the bathroom. I told them I’d be fine because Jimmy was with me. My skin was too hot sitting there under the sun so I stood up and I thought he was right behind me. Scolding my selfishness, I felt my body slowly numbing from the cold as my throat constricted with each breath. The monotony of slipping down and rising up was starting to annoy me. There were people, who, in their imagination, thought I was laughing. I wasn’t making a sound; it was simply the chaos that fooled them. The splashing irritated me but I couldn’t make it stop. Down, up, down, up. I wanted to scream, but breathing was more important. I wondered why Jimmy didn’t follow me. I wanted to remind him of our promise, but it didn’t matter. The lifeguard should have jumped in by now, but he probably thought I was laughing. Down, up, down.