𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

Adrian Newman

"What if we get in trouble?" Jeremy asks. I'm surprised Nicolas didn't suspect anything. We followed them. It's my afternoon off anyway. I can't get in trouble for this. I told Jeremy it was an emergency in order to convince him to drive me here. "Are we just gonna stay here?"

"I'm debating," I say. I want to go inside, but Hope will see me. Or worse, her little boyfriend will. There are some people out in the front yard, luckily none of them are Hope or Nicolas. That way, I don't get caught. It's not that I don't trust Hope to take care of herself. I don't trust Nicolas. Let's just say, I didn't have a good feeling about this party or Nicolas for that matter. That's why I was so insistent on coming with them.

I'm not even waiting inside the car. Bold if you ask me. I might end up getting caught. Jeremy parked the car across from the house where the party is being held. A dude comes out of the house through the front door. He looks kind of wasted. He walks over to his friend and smacks his back. That had to hurt. "Yo! I think some girl's drowning in Trenton's pool!"

'Hope cannot get too close to lakes, pools, the ocean, or rivers, especially rivers. She has trauma from that and can't swim.'

I sprint. I storm inside and I see everyone in the backyard. I push through them until I see Hope floating in the water. Why the fuck is no one helping her!? I jump in and swim towards her. Once I grab her, I swim back to the end of the pool and carefully place her on the ground. She's not breathing. Oh, God. I check her pulse, it's there. It's slow but it's there.

"SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE OR SOMETHING!" A random girl yells.

I interlock my fingers and place my hands on her chest. I start putting compression into her chest. "Please wake up," I whisper. My heart is beating faster every second. I pinch her nose and open her mouth with my fingers as I press my mouth onto hers. I breathe into her mouth and then put compression onto her chest a few more times. "Come on Hope," I plead as I pinch her nose and open her mouth again. I press my mouth onto hers and give her a second breath. I put compression onto her chest one more time. She finally starts coughing and water comes out of her mouth as she gasps for air. I sigh in relief as I pull her close to me and hold her. "Thank God."

No one even called an ambulance or 911. What the hell were these people doing? They were watching me while I was trying to save her life and still didn't do anything? I take Hope in my arms and carry her back to the car. She's not saying anything. I don't mind, I'm just happy she's breathing. She's alive.

"Are you okay?" I ask. She nods but she's shivering. I kiss her head and hold her closer. I was so scared. For a moment I thought she wasn't gonna wake up. The feeling of almost losing her made my heart ache worse than it ever has.

I look around. Nicolas's car is nowhere to be seen. Piece of shit. I help Hope inside the car. She's shivering so much. I'm soaking wet as well, my jacket won't help. "Miss are you alright?" Jeremy asks her. She nods her head and looks down at her hands. I don't even want to imagine what could've happened if I didn't follow them here.

People stood around and watched her almost drown. And what did they do? Nothing. What's wrong with
them? And Nicolas, he left her. He claimed that he could take care of her but leaves her at a party where she almost drowned. The hatred I feel for him right now. I've never felt this much hatred for someone.

"I'll go in the back with her," I say to Jeremy. He nods and I get in the backseat with Hope. Jeremy starts driving. I put my hand over Hope's. I feel terrible. I should've been more insistent. I should've known that Nicolas wasn't gonna take care of her properly. Actually, I did know. Which is exactly why I followed them to the party. Although I didn't expect this to happen.

The drive back was silent. Like always. Once we arrived at the Ashford's mansion, I asked Jeremy to leave me and Hope alone for a little so he did. He got out of the car, leaving me alone with her. "How'd it happen?" I ask her.

She stays silent for about ten seconds. Then she says, "I was trying to find Nicolas, and once I saw him I started walking in his direction but someone was chasing after another person and I got shoved into the pool by accident."

"Do you know who shoved you?" I ask.

"No," she sighs. "Adrian, it was an accident. The person who did it didn't mean to."

"No one was helping you, Hope," I exclaim. "Everyone stood there. They weren't decent enough to call an ambulance or the police for fuck's sake!".

"You're serious?" Hope asks in disbelief. I nod my head. She scoffs and leans her back.

"Let's go inside," I say. "You're gonna get sick."

When we get inside, Hope locks herself up in her room. I need to inform her parents about this. At least they'll know that it isn't safe to let her go out by herself with Nicolas. I walk towards Mr.Ashford's office but I hear shouting. "This kind of blackmail isn't funny Ella! We're talking about our daughter here!" Mr.Ashford yells.

"No, your dead sister's daughter!" Mrs.Pierce shouts back. "So if you don't want her to know that we're not actually her parents and that both of her biological parents are dead... I suggest you don't start filing for a divorce, James."