Discovering
Destiny
Chapter 3: Aislinn's
P.O.V.
I looked up from my book and the sun blinded me. I put my book
down and ran my fingers through the hot sand. My first time at
the beach in Florida; it was beautiful. I was far away from the
water, a good ways up the sand near behind the lifeguard chairs.
I closed my eyes and put my head down, soaking in the wonderful
warmth. I heard laughing and shouting and felt sand splatter onto
my back in a shower. I craned my neck to see that my back, towel,
and book were covered with sand.
“Brad! You jerk! You could at least say sorry!” A
feminine voice yelled. I looked up to see a tall brunette smiling
down at me. “Here, let me help you.” She extended her
hand down to me and I took it as I stood up. “I’m
Michelle, by the way.” She said as she brushed the sand
from my back.
“Aislinn.” I half smiled as I leant down to brush the
sand off my book.
“That’s a pretty name. Sorry about Brad by the way,
he’s not always like that.” She shook my towel out
and laid it back down.
“It’s no problem. It’s the beach, it always
happens.” I smiled. Brad and a few other people jogged back
over to us and I felt very out of place in their group, being the
new girl no one knew. Brad shook his hair out, scattering water
droplets all over my arm. I brushed them off nonchalantly.
“Oh, hey there. You must be new here, I’d remember
you. I’m Brad.” He held out his hand superciliously
for me to shake and I shook it as I tried not to roll my
eyes.
“I’m Aislinn. And yeah, I just moved here from
California for college.”
“Very cool.” Brad said, flashing me a cocky smile.
“You’re welcome to hang out with us if you want; we
were just about to go in the water.”
“Oh, no thanks, I’m fine here.”
“Oh come on, we don’t bite.” Michelle smiled at
me.
“I just…don’t want to get my hair wet.”
I lied. I sucked at lying.
“Too bad, you’re coming!” Brad said as he
picked me up and started walking toward the water with everyone
else.
“P-please put me down.” I said nervously.
“Chill Aislinn! Your hair will be fine!” He laughed
as he walked out on the dock, further out into the water where I
had just been last night.
“Brad, put me down now!” I said angrily, squirming in
his arms. “You can’t do this! I don’t want to
go in!”
“Brad, put her down.” Michelle tried to help.
“Let me go!” I yelled.
“Okay, I’ll let you go.” He smirked as he threw
me into the water.
It happened so quickly I didn’t register what had happened
until I was fully submerged in the salty current. The water
filled my lungs and I choked, thrashing my legs to try and get to
the surface. A wave must’ve come, because I was
thrown around on the ocean floor as the edges of my vision
blurred from my lack of air. My lungs were on fire and I
struggled to swim upwards, but it was no use. My eyes started to
close and I internally accepted the thought that I was destined
to die in the ocean, just like my parents had.
------------------
I gasped as I felt a pair of lips on mine blowing air into my
lungs. My breathing was erratic as I struggled to catch my breath
throughout my coughing fit. I coughed up salt water and felt a
hand hitting my back, helping me get it out of my lungs.
“It’s okay, you’re fine. I’m just going
to take you to take care of your arm. Can you stand?” A
soothing voice said to me after I was done coughing, I assumed it
was the lifeguard who saved me. There were still stars in my
vision and when I looked up to try and pin a face to the voice,
the sun was right next to his head, blinding my sight of him.
When I tried to stand my legs felt wobbly and I stumbled, but the
lifeguard caught me right before I fell. He picked me up and
started carrying me. I felt really weak in his strong arms, and I
was glad for the support. I rested my head against the mystery
man and let my eyes close.
He set me down in a chair a few seconds later and I tried to
focus my eyes. My head felt a lot better and my vision
wasn’t fuzzy so I was reassured that I wasn’t going
to die. “How do you feel?” The guy asked from behind
me, rummaging through a cabinet to get some gauze for my arm,
which I just now noticed had a decent-sized gash in it.
“Alright.” I said, my voice croaky. I cleared my
throat and waited for him to come over to me.
He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger, gently tilting
my head up to analyze something on my face. His eyes met mine and
I had a strange feeling in my stomach. “Hey, you’re
that guy. The motorcycle guy from last night.”
“And you’re that girl.” He smirked slightly.
“You have a small cut on your forehead.” He sat down
next to me and gently ran his finger over it. He started to do
some first aid, and I felt him spread a gel over the cut.
“You almost hit me, you know.” I said, not letting it
go.
“Well, I just saved your life. So I think I made up for
it.” He moved onto my arm and I stared at him intently.
“Your friends don’t seem very nice. Did they know you
can’t swim?”
“I just met them. I moved here yesterday.” I averted
eye contact.
“Well, I’d suggest finding some new friends
then…” He trailed off.
“Aislinn.” I finished for him.
“Aislinn,” he repeated, “I’m
Ryan.”
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