CHAPTER 2
Riley felt the air rush up around him. He heard his friends’ excited yells from the lake below.
Down, down he fell. The fall seemed to last forever. He kept his eyes squeezed shut. But as he felt the water getting closer, he opened his eyes. Just as he did, he felt the pain. It was sharp, like a knife, but it covered his entire back. Riley heard the horrible smack!
If he hadn’t immediately sunk into the water, Riley would have thought that he had landed on solid ground. The pain across his back felt like a thousand sharp little pins.
Riley popped back above the water and gasped for air. He let out a horrible groan. All of his friends swam over, laughing hysterically.
“That was awesome!” one of them said. “I’ve never seen someone land flat on his back in the lake before!”
“I’ve never heard a noise that loud!” another one said. “It was like a gunshot!”
The pain from hitting the water started to go away. Riley tried to smile along with his friends. Mostly, he was just really glad it was over.
Riley had finally jumped off the cliff. Now his friends would stop making fun of him, and he could just have fun swimming in the lake.
Riley and his friends spent the rest of the day clowning around in the water. Blake jumped off the cliff a few more times, but nobody asked why Riley didn’t want to jump again. It was a perfect spring day.
* * *
The next morning, Riley headed to school. His gym class was the first class of the day. It was his least favorite class.
Riley didn’t think he was any good at sports. He hated basketball and football. He hated baseball and soccer. And as much as Riley loved to be in the water, he hated swimming at school.
That day was the second day of the swimming unit in gym class. Riley was not looking forward to it.
Riley and Blake were in the same gym class. It was the only class they had together. They met at Blake’s locker before class and walked to the pool together.
“I really hate gym class,” Riley complained to Blake. “We don’t ever get to play any games in the pool or try diving or anything. We always have to learn all these stupid strokes and practice them, over and over. It’s like Mr. Casey doesn’t want us to have any fun, ever.”
Mr. Casey was the gym teacher. He was also the swim team’s coach. Riley figured that was why the teacher always made them practice the boring stuff.
Blake shook his head. “We should just skip first period,” he said. “It’s so boring. We can just hang out until second period starts.”
Riley rolled his eyes. “Swimming is boring, but I’d rather be bored swimming than be bored in detention after school,” he said.
“Whatever, chicken,” Blake said. He smiled and added, “I guess you’re right.”
I can’t imagine how much trouble that kid would get in if it weren’t for me, Riley thought, shaking his head.