-PIPPA-
Dawn’s body was dragged downriver, her arms flailing, barely managing to keep her face above water. She was a terrible swimmer.
I didn’t think. I moved.
Instead of running for the bell, I sprinted for the edge, launching myself into the current.
I was the opposite of her. Water was my second home.
Despite the warm spring morning, the river was ice-cold. The shock was instant—the current closed around me, gripping tight, tugging at my limbs. Somewhere ahead, Dawn struggled, her head vanishing beneath the surface.
I kicked hard, cutting through the current, pushing toward her. My heart pounded—not with the rush of competition, but with something colder, sharper. Fear. The kind that settled in your bones and refused to let go.
At that moment, I didn’t think about my mom’s assu
