chapter 2

Elena woke up the next morning to the sound of her siblings laughing in the kitchen. The muffled noise of pots clinking and chairs scraping against the floor made her heart sink further. The familiar routine of the household carried on as though nothing had happened, as if she hadn't been inches away from drowning the night before.

She stared at the ceiling, unwilling to leave the comfort of her bed. Her muscles still ached, her throat dry and raw. A faint smell of disinfectant clung to her skin, a reminder of the hospital she had been discharged from just hours earlier. Her parents had said nothing on the drive home, and Elena doubted they'd bring it up now.

She finally forced herself to get up, wincing as her feet touched the cold wooden floor. She shuffled to the bathroom, her reflection in the mirror almost unrecognizable. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles. The image staring back at her looked broken, a shadow of the person she used to be.

Elena washed her face, the cold water stinging against her skin. She tried to push the memories of the previous night out of her mind, but they clung to her like a second skin. She could still hear the laughter, the splash of water, the feeling of her lungs burning as she fought for air.

Who saved me? The thought had been haunting her since the nurse had mentioned the unknown man who brought her to the hospital.

---

By the time she made it to the kitchen, her parents were already gone for work. Her siblings, Claire and Max, were seated at the table, digging into their breakfast. Neither of them acknowledged her as she walked in.

"You look like a mess," Claire finally said, not bothering to look up from her phone.

"Good morning to you too," Elena muttered, grabbing a piece of toast and sitting as far away from them as possible.

Max snickered. "Didn't think you'd show your face today after what happened last night."

Elena's stomach tightened. "What are you talking about?"

"The party," Claire said, smirking. "Everyone's talking about it. You're officially the girl who nearly drowned."

Her hands clenched around the piece of toast. "I didn't 'nearly drown.' Someone pushed me."

"Sure," Max said, rolling his eyes. "You probably just tripped and fell in. Or were you trying to impress someone?"

Elena felt a rush of anger, but she bit her tongue. There was no point in arguing. Her siblings had never been on her side, and she doubted they'd start now.

"I don't care what people are saying," she said, standing up. "You two can believe whatever you want."

She walked out of the kitchen, leaving her untouched toast behind.

---

At school, the whispers started before Elena even made it to her locker. People pointed at her, some laughing, others whispering behind their hands.

"Isn't that the girl from the party?"

"She can't even swim. Why was she near the pool?"

"Did you see her face when they pushed her? Priceless."

Elena kept her head down, her cheeks burning. She felt like she was suffocating under their stares.

"Hey," a voice said beside her.

She turned to see Hamly, her best friend, leaning casually against the lockers. There was no trace of concern on her face, no apology for what had happened the night before.

"You okay?" Hamly asked, her tone light, almost amused.

Elena stared at her. "No, I'm not okay. Someone pushed me into the pool, and you ran off instead of helping me."

"I went to get help," Hamly said defensively. "But by the time I got back, someone had already pulled you out. Besides, it's not like you died or anything."

Elena's mouth fell open. "You think this is funny?"

Hamly shrugged. "It's not a big deal, Elena. People fall into pools all the time."

Elena felt a lump forming in her throat. "I could've died, Hamly. Do you even care?"

"Of course I care," Hamly said, rolling her eyes. "But you're fine now, so what's the point of dwelling on it? Just ignore what everyone's saying, and it'll blow over."

Elena didn't respond. She couldn't. The realization hit her like a punch to the stomach—Hamly didn't care. She never had.

---

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Elena kept to herself, avoiding eye contact and staying as far away from the crowd as possible. During lunch, she sat alone in the corner of the cafeteria, picking at her food while the noise around her faded into the background.

She thought about the person who had saved her. The image of a dark silhouette lifting her from the water played over and over in her mind. Whoever it was had disappeared before she could thank them, leaving her with nothing but questions.

That evening, Elena sneaked out of the house and made her way to the small park near her neighborhood. It was quiet, the air cool and crisp. She sat on a bench, her mind drifting to memories of when her family used to come here together. Back then, things were simpler. Her parents weren't so demanding, her siblings weren't so cruel, and she didn't feel like an outsider in her own home.

The sound of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up to see the park guard approaching, his expression stern.

"You're not supposed to be here after dark," he said.

"I'm not doing anything wrong," Elena replied, standing up.

"Rules are rules. You need to leave."

With a sigh, Elena walked toward the exit. As she reached the edge of the park, she noticed a figure sitting on a bench across the street. The dim streetlight cast long shadows, making it hard to see clearly, but something about the person seemed familiar.

She paused for a moment, her heart racing. Was it him? The one who had saved her?

Before she could decide, the guard called out again, urging her to move along. Elena turned and hurried home, slipping in through her bedroom window to avoid waking her family. She changed into her pajamas and sat at her desk, staring at her open notebook.

She tried to study, but her mind was too restless. The image of the figure on the bench lingered, filling her with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. Finally, she gave up and crawled into bed, her thoughts racing until sleep finally claimed her.