She watched Sean and his friends slap, smack, and crash their hellos through high-fives, head whacks, and chest bumps. She’d invited Maggie to come today too, but at the last minute, Benny called a “Board Meeting” at the pool. Code word for an in-team meet. They’d compete against each other, at the mercy of his fickle scoring, with rewards and punishments doled out on the deck. He’d probably heard about the party, and wanted to keep his team close and out of trouble. Ria, on the other hand, was now free to get in as much trouble as she wanted.
“Let’s go find the keg,” said Sean.
There wasn’t any order to the party. This was nothing like the picture of a party she’d had in her head. Instead of beautiful people dressed in fabulous clothes having a wildly hilarious time, it was a bunch of kids standing in the dirt sipping from red plastic cups. Of course no one had set up a table for gourmet hors d’oeuvres, or even pointless potato chips. They were simply something to lug around. “Where should I put the chips?”
Sean took them from her and shoved the bag into Charlie’s hand. “You look hungry.”
Tony turned to her. “How did Sean finally convince you to come to a party?”
“Yeah,” Charlie chimed in. “Aren’t you supposed to be off at the Olympics?”
“Shut up. Go be stupid somewhere else.” Sean shoved him in the chest.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing,” said Ria, hating that Sean felt the need to protect her, and hating more that she needed him to. “Go get a drink,” she said to Sean. “I’m going to go look at the hole.”
As she turned and walked away she heard Tony say, “But the a-hole is right here.”
“Shut up,” protested Charlie. “I am not.”
“You’re not here? Am I hallucinating?”
Their voices faded as Ria walked away from the noise and jumble of the crowd. She stood at the edge and looked down, past the sheer face of brown-and-red-streaked rocks, down to the jagged shelves of cut cliffs, and into the water. It looked deep, dark, and blue. Still. Not a ripple or wrinkle anywhere.
Behind her, bass beats played through speakers, while the melody sounded thin and tinny in the open air. Voices and laughter filled the cracks between the notes. She tilted her head and squinted, trying to imagine how the steep walls would look from below. She wondered if the sky would look like water.
She bent over, legs straight, back curved into line-up position, reaching downward. A gust of wind hit the back of her legs, and with it, quick and surprising, a flash of fear.
Ria knew Fear well. It was a necessary part of diving. Sometimes it came as a whisper sending shivers skittering across her skin. Or it could be a buzz, humming in the background. Other times it appeared with a thud and bang, demanding immediate attention. Now, it nestled in close beside her, nudging her to step away from the edge. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it.
“I brought you a drink.” Sean was back.
She stood up, face flushed, feeling caught.
He grinned, handing her a cup.
“Thanks.” She forced her voice to stay even. Fear was gone now. She sniffed the foamy cup, took a sip, and immediately wondered which food group beer fit into. It tasted like pure carbs.
“How deep is the water?”
“Are you going to dive in?” Charlie asked.
“Of course not,” said Sean, wrapping his arm around her waist. “That’s gotta be fifty feet down.”
“Oh, come on,” said Tony. “Go for it. Sean’s a lifeguard. What could go wrong?”
Sean clutched her tighter. “Hey dip-wad, feel free to risk your own worthless life, but leave my girl alone.” To her, he said slowly, “Ignore him. You don’t need to prove anything.”
Fear knew what he was worried about. If someone fell from this spot, higher than a dive platform, the water’s surface would feel like glass. Hard and cold. Unforgiving. And yet, from here it looked calm and inviting. Perfect. Only one bit of white skimming the surface.
“Look at the cloud in there.” She pointed down.
Sean laughed. “Are you already buzzed? You always notice the weirdest things.”
She looked up, searching the clear but dimming sky until she found the cloud. A small one, all alone. She never would have noticed it except for the water’s reflection.
“I could dive in.” She turned her attention back on Sean’s friends. “But I’d go from the other side. There are too many things to get