CHAPTER ONE;
deadly waters

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"ELENA...STOP BEING A BRAT!" Camila slurred as she threw her arm over her younger twin's shoulder with a lopsided grin. Elena scrunched up her nose and her face turned into a grimace and Camila was never happier they weren't identical twins.

Camila stumbled through the woods, her head spinning with the effects of the alcohol. She could barely keep up with Elena, who was pulling her along with a firm grip on her arm, away from the party blasting between the trees. "We're leaving," Elena said, her voice tinged with irritation.

"No, no, no," Camila protested shoving her sister off. "I'm having fun, Elena." She stumbled back just for Elena to catch her again with a huff.

"I'm calling Mom and Dad. You're drunk, Cami—"

"Which is why calling them isn't the smartest idea, Lena." Camila patted Elena on the cheek causing the latter to roll her eyes.

"They won't get mad," assured Elena and Camila narrowed her eyes at her sister. Elena sighed. "They won't be furious."

"They'll ground me, Lena. No Caroline for a month," Camila said mimicking her mother's voice and Elena snorted as they finally reached the edge of the road. Camila sat down on the asphalt and then fell on her back, looking up at the stars.

Her eyes fluttered close for a moment as she hummed to herself, the fresh air sobering up by the drop, the world spinning in her head.  Camila didn't even say goodbye to her friends, she realized as she thought. Elena had dragged her out of there the moment she started dancing with Tyler on a fallen bark of a tree.

Her eyes opened again, adamant to fight with Elena for dragging her off and she turned her head to the side, her brows furrowing as she saw Elena talk to a man in the middle of the road. How long had she closed her eyes?

Then she felt a rumble of a car beneath her and the headlights illuminating the street and when she looked back at her sister the man was gone and Elena seemed to have snapped out of a trance. She walked over to Camila and pulled her up to her feet.

"Who were you talking to?" Camila asked in a mumble, squinting her eyes around.

"Uh... No one?" Elena frowned just as their parents' car stopped in front of them. Elena turned to them with a hesitant smile and Camila grinned at both of them rushing forward to the passenger seat and kissing her mom on the cheek.

"You're not getting out of trouble so easily, Mila!" her mom hissed, scrunching her nose as Elena had done, probably smelling the beer and tequila on her daughter's clothes and breath. "Get in the car."

"Hi, Dad!" Camila greeted the man who was trying not to laugh as Elena dragged her to the back of the car and Camila slumped down in the back seat. "How was your evening, parents of my heart?"

"Interrupted," replied her dad with badly concealed amusement as he started the car again. "You're in big trouble girls."

"Me?" Elena exclaimed, snapping her head to her parents, "I didn't drink anything!"

"You still snuck out," pointed out their mother, "but it's good you took care of your sister."

"She fought with Matt," interrupted Camila, "I was her excuse to get out."

"That's not fair, Cami! You were drunk—"

"Still drunk," her dad corrects as he looked back at Camila who was slumped back in her seat giggling at Elena's offended face.

Camila smiled at her dad and—

The car swerved, and her dad lost his grip on the steering wheel. They were falling, falling... Camila felt the water close over her head, felt her lungs burn with the lack of air. They were on the road one second and falling the next. Camila was laughing one second and drowning the next.

She tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Panic set in as she realized that they were trapped.

Her dad reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly. Camila looked into his eyes and saw a sense of calm there that she couldn't understand. And through the blurriness of the water he saw him smiling, at least she thought she did.

As the darkness closed in around her, Camila felt a strange sense of weightlessness. Her mind was getting lighter, and the fear and panic that had been consuming her began to fade away. She knew that she was dying, but it was almost like a relief. She closed her eyes and let go, feeling the water fill her lungs and take her away.

And that was the first time that Camila James Gilbert died.

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