“Come on Zack!” I yell up the stairs to my older brother. The only way I was allowed to go into the pool was if someone was outside with me. My parents still thought I was a little baby that need to be watched, I was 10 years old! I could do things by myself without people constantly watching me, although my parents didn’t think so, “Zack!” I yell again when he still didn’t come out.

Zack still hadn’t come out so I decided I would just go in myself, I was so sick of him always thinking about himself, and no one else. I walked over to the pool, the sparkling sun was hitting the water, making it shimmer like thousands of glittering crystals. I dipped my toe into the water and felt its icy coldness, I climbed up the ladder and onto the diving board, walking to the end, my toes hanging over the edge, my curly brown hair swaying slightly in the breeze. I shiver slightly, wrapping my arms around myself to keep warm, knowing the water would be even colder.

Now I understood why I wasn’t aloud outside by myself, I was such a baby. I could do this without whining or complaining about the water. For my family’s sake I was going to do what was best for them, not for me. I set my head high and jump off the ladder, keeping my legs straight and arching my back, entering the water with a perfect dive.

The icy water surrounds me, waking up my senses, pumping energy into my body, I swim back up to the surface and look at the house to see Zack walking down the steps through the glass walls, I knew he would tell mom and dad and I would be in tons of trouble. Lately mom and dad were fighting, I woke up this morning to here them arguing from the floor below, I was worried about them. Zack kept saying it was my fault they were fighting because I would never leave them alone, because I got bad grades, because they kept having to pay check after check for all the sports I did. Maybe it would be better if I was just gone, if they didn’t have to worry about me, I would do it for them, because I loved them, even if they only pretend to love me so we could seem like a perfect, happy family.

Zack was almost down the steps leading to the door, this was the only chance I had to make things better for my family, without taking a breath I duck under water, swimming down to the bottom, I didn’t see Zack take a right into the kitchen, he wouldn’t be out for a while. I swam under the diving board, my hands gripping the metal poles that secured it to the pool. For a minute I just stay there, but then I run out of breath. I would not allow myself to go back up, it would ruin everything, I gasp for breath, but only water surged in, like a full force tidal wave, burning a path down my throat. I choked and felt my body spasm. I couldn’t hold on any longer, my hands went limp and fell off the poles as my world went black, I float to the surface, resting lightly on top of the water on my stomach, face down with my arms hanging limply beside me.

Ten minutes later when Zack finally arrives out side, Jasmine is already gone…