Always.
In my last moment of death I will remember this moment. This story, this experience is
basically drilled into my brain forever and ever. The fact of the matter is that I’m basically
drowning right now. Goodbye friends, goodbye family. How did it get to this?
An hour before I was completely fine, sitting on the grass next to a murky lake making a pile
of rocks for no particular reason. I always did pointless things back in 4th grade, just to fill
the lonely time at my brothers baseball games. Of course, I should be bored at baseball, I
mean after all it was just a bunch of boys trying to hit a small ball with a big bat. The sun
was shining high in the sky with the smell of hotdogs and other junk food in the air, children
were screaming and yelling in the distance as wind rustled through the trees.
Nothing special here.
“Hey Johanna come over here.” Jeez louise, a 7th grader, talking to me? This never
happened because I was of course only 9. A real life teenager actually freaked me out.
What if I said something dumb? What if she doesn’t like me? This 7th grader was named
Hailey and we had sort of a friendship. If I saw her anywhere besides baseball she would
ignore me. It was weird. I walked over.
“Yeah what is it?” I said with curiosity
“It’s way too hot out, maybe we should go swimming.”
“Umm I don’t know if that’s the best idea. Isn’t the lake infested or something?”
“I’m sure it’s perfectly fine, nobody will notice. Why don’t you go first?”
This is where the trouble starts.
Right here.
The truth is back then I absolutely fell for peer pressure, especially from someone older. My
mind went blank and I couldn’t think. I stood up straight and faced her.
“I don’t think I should, the lake probably has snapping turtles.” I timidly explained.
“Yeah right you’re just using excuses. If you don’t go in I’ll tell everyone you’re a baby.”
I again could not think straight. My mind clouded with pictures of everybody calling me a
baby and making fun of me.
“Fine.”
Why had I said that? I couldn’t swim well. The lake was filled with creatures and dirt and
darkness and little kids peering over the edge looking to their doom if they fell over. I was
terrified of it. Little beads of sweat were coming down my face from the sun and the stare of
Hailey. We were both standing on the dock now to the water, looking down I peered into the
despicable, disgusting, downright dirty lake. Why oh why had I agreed to this? I knew I was
going to do it one way or another. Swimming was not my thing at the time and the lake was
about 50 feet deep. I took a running start and hopped in. Water clogged my nose as my
body submerged into the cold dark water. My feet and hands started to tangle with water
weed and I knew I couldn’t keep above the water for long. At this very moment in my life I
decided that I hated teenagers. Being convinced that theyĺl look cool if they get some
random kid to go swimming was not someone I wanted to hang out with. Cold water shot at
my body like bullets and my breath was knocked out of me as I struggled to keep my head
above the muddy substance. I bobbed once, went under all the way and got back up. I
bobbed twice, struggling to make it back up. The third bob under was the one I was sure
my life would end by. Suddenly a hand grabbed me and I knew I was saved this time. The
mystery hand grabbed me and pulled me up on the dock with all of its strength. The most
surprising thing was the identity of the hand. It was Hailey. Jeez, did I look like a baby now.
“It’s fine that you couldn’t swim very well, I thought you could by now.”
“Yeah I’m not the strongest swimmer.” I replied without looking her in the eye.
I was so embarrassed.
A teenager had finally talked to me, and I had made a fool out f myself. Not my best day.
As I trudged back up to my parents I knew I was in big trouble. My new soccer uniform that
I had been wearing was ruined with waterweed and disgusting clumps of dirt and plants.
My parents were not happy to see me. They scolded me about what I had done for a week
and I have never lived it down. Ever.
That day is still inside me, still telling me about all the wrong I did that day. I had sacrificed
my own life to impress someone else. Not smart, not smart at all. The thing is that that day
actually taught me something, something that I will never forget. Never fall for peer pressure
and always stand up for yourself, no matter what the cost.
Johanna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU ARE A TEENAGER!!!!!!!
…you cannot hate yourself, ya just can’t
Besides that I really liked your story and the whole lesson behind it, I also liked how you gave the reader incite on your relationship with Hailey, and how it was only when she wanted someone to talk to. At your brothers’ baseball game. I actually can believe you jumped into a lake with all your soccer stuff on. You are crazayy. Anyways good job, one thing though I love how you incorporated your thought but maybe next time make it more noticeable by italicizing .
~Tabitha
Johanna,
I really liked your story! It had me hooked the whole way through and I loved all the descriptive words you used and the authors craft that you used. You have a very very good story and it makes me want to read it again. Overall, wonderful story!!
-Anthony