Epic Sins (Epic Fail #1)(8)

Cassie giggles and kicks her foot in the water, spraying it all over us.

“My dad is sad that your grandma isn’t going to work for him anymore. He keeps saying he doesn’t know what he’s going to do without Lucy,” I say and see Lucy and Mommy looking out from the deck.

“I know, Grammy is pretty sad, but she and Grampy have been planning their retirement for a long time. They said I can come on a road trip with them in their RV. I think they’re going to take me to Florida next summer and maybe to Maine.”

“I’m going to Disney World next month for my birthday,” I say and think about all of the fun things we’re going to do there.

“Really? Oh, I wish I could come!” Cassie whines and splashes me again. I laugh and try to shield my face from the cold water from the pool.

“I bet you’ll go there when your grandparents take you next summer.”

“Yeah, maybe.” She sighs.

We float quietly around the pool for a while. I shiver when a breeze tickles my feet. “Goosebumps!” Cassie screeches and rolls off the raft with a splash. I’m about to do the same when I notice we’ve floated into the deep end. “C’mon in, it’s so much warmer than the air.” She dives and disappears under the water.

I look up at the deck and my parents aren’t there. I see a lot of people that Daddy works with. I lean a little on the raft and see the deep water below me. Shadows from the trees make it look deeper than it really is. Cassie is now sitting all the way across the pool on the stairs and tosses her head back to sun her face. I can do this.

I lean a little further so I can easily slide off the raft when suddenly I’m under and water fills my mouth and nose. Panic sets in and I kick my feet hard, but I’m not moving. I try to yell when my head pops out of the water, but I can’t, and I go under again. My screams are muffled by the water and my arms are flailing around me. I feel like I’m attached to something—my bathing suit is tight around my back, almost choking me.

I’m kicking and pushing and nothing is happening! I can’t scream anymore because I can’t breathe. I hear noises outside the water and Cassie’s voice yelling something. I keep kicking my feet, but I’m being pulled with a weight on my back. I’m stuck!

There’s a rush of water next to me and I feel the warmth from the air on my face again. I cough up lots of water. “Samantha! Are you okay?” My father’s worried voice is booming around me as my body hits the pavement next to the pool. Pain shoots up my back and I feel something tugging at me. I feel the raft tear at my bathing suit. Coughing takes over and I roll to my side, gasping for air.

His strong arms are wrapped around me, drying me off with a towel. “Sam, talk to me.”

“I can’t—” I choke again and cough for what seems like another five minutes. My mother’s voice comes from behind me and she says, “Sam, what happened?”

I’m still trying to catch my breath when Cassie chimes in, “I didn’t see it, Mrs. Weston. One minute we were floating together on the raft, and after I jumped off and swam to the other end of the pool she was in the water. I swear I didn’t see anything!” She starts to cry, worried that she’s going to get blamed for my accident.

Tears are flowing from my cheeks now and my chest hurts really bad. “It’s okay, honey,” my mother says as I’m pulled against her chest. “You’re okay. If you can cough, you can breathe. Take it easy and try to calm down.”

Cassie’s cries mix with my own and we’re both sobbing like babies. My father’s warm voice begins to overpower our tears and I rub my cheeks.

“You’re both okay. Let’s stop the crying and figure out what happened. Sam, it looks like the raft somehow became attached to the back of your bathing suit. When you jumped off, the raft flipped and must have pinned you beneath it.” He’s rubbing my back as my sobs begin to subside.

“I told you girls that the raft was off limits,” my mother scolds us.

“It’s my fault, Mrs. Weston. I took the raft. I didn’t think it was a big deal. I’m really, really sorry.” She bursts into tears again and throws herself into her grandmother’s arms.

“Girls, take it easy. Everyone is fine. And it’s a good thing there were adults around to help you,” Lucy says, and she looks over at my father. I turn to put my face into his chest and he’s soaking wet.

“Daddy, I’m sorry. You ruined your outfit.” I tighten my arms around his neck and he pulls me close.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I have plenty more clothes and these will certainly dry.”

“Ben, why don’t we get the girls inside so they can change into dry clothes too,” my mother says, and I’m lifted into the air.

Within minutes, Cassie and I are dried off and in the house. “Samantha has plenty of clothes in her room, Cassie, if you don’t have any to change into.” We follow my mother upstairs, and soon we’re in my room. The thick pink carpet beneath my toes feels so good.

“Oooh, you have the Barbie Townhouse!” Cassie exclaims as my mother quickly pulls a sundress over my shoulders. She unties my bathing suit and hands me a clean pair of Barbie underwear.

“Go finish getting changed and you and Cassie can play all you want inside for the rest of the night.” I grab my undies from her hand and march into the bathroom.