Durwin came up to me in the hallway, oddly wearing his backpack, as I grabbed something from my locker for my second afternoon class. I had just come from P.E and the teacher had just told the class that we were to go swimming in the pool tomorrow, Friday. On my birthday. I already had to deal with balls being thrown at me in gym class by Ashlee. Now I had to deal with water... and her.

"Daisy, I have something to give you from Lucas. He handed it to me when no one else was looking. I'd hide it for now, look at it later." Durwin whispered, gently taking off his backpack and taking something quickly out of it. He handed it the object to me. I only glanced at it, making out that it wasn't exactly small, was a little heavy, and looked to be crystalline... I shoved it into my own backpack, before anyone else noticed it. I was glad I had a locker to myself.

I closed my locker and then locked the door. I'd been getting rude things shoved in my locker and ever since then, I'd had a combination lock on my door. Now they resorted to drawing crude things on my locker door, which the principal was currently dealing with. If only he could deal with Lydia--but she was the mayor's daughter and her precious dad funded a couple things at the school. So what was there for them to do?

I hugged Durwin and he hugged me back.

"Thank you so much for looking out for us despite everything, Durwin."

"You're welcome. Now take care of yourself. I'll see you later." He ruffled my hair and left without looking back. I sighed and looked at my locker, wanting to know what Lucas had gotten me. Still, with a heavy heart, I left for my next class.

***

When I returned to my locker to go home, I put everything I needed into my backpack. I made sure I was gentle with my bag, because the gift Lucas had given me seemed breakable, and breaking it was the last thing I wanted to do.

The second I was home and hidden in my room, I brought out the gift from my bag and studied it with teary eyes. It was a crystal grand piano set on a thick, circular gold trimmed stand. On the back of the stand a wind-up key was attached. I pulled off the folded piece of paper taped to the bottom of it and sat the music box down on my nightstand. I turned it and let it play. The song that sprang from it was Für Elise.

I sat down on my bed and opened the piece of paper, the sound of the music box filling me. On the paper, written in beautiful and neat handwriting were the words:

This is your birthday present for tomorrow. I'm sorry I won't be able to spend it with you. I really wanted to.

And if you're wondering why I haven't made my way back to you, why I haven't called it quits with Lydia... know it's not because I love her more than you. This is as hard on me as it is on you, and more complicated than it seems. I should've explained why I've been staying with her. Why I can't leave Lydia.

I'm really sorry about everything. I wish I could text you, but Lydia would find out quickly. If this message somehow falls into her hands, she must know: my soul, heart, and body will never truly be hers. I will always desire another.

You, Daisy.

I folded the piece of paper and locked it away in a small wooden chest, which rested on my bookshelf. It contained many small things I treasured; items of the past. My fingers traced the grooves and the worn edges of the lid. Then I locked it and placed the chest back on its shelf.

I turned from the room and went to find my mom. I had many things to tell her. But being my mom, she probably had already guessed some of the things that were going on.

She held me as I told her about Lucas and Lydia, leaving out the details about what Lydia and her friends have been doing to me at school and the kiss Lucas and I had. My mom didn't once yell at me. She gazed upon me with her dark blue eyes filled with sympathy for the fact I was now living a complicated and unfair life that all people eventually had to live.

"I'm sorry if Lydia won't allow you to be friends with him. You're a girl and she's his girlfriend. Wouldn't you be just a little bit jealous if your boyfriend was spending all his free time with another girl?" My mom asked, squeezing my hands. She kissed my forehead. "There's not much you can do in this situation. The truth is that you'll have to let it settle and go away. Maybe you guys can come to a mutual agreement."

A mutual agreement. That will never happen.

***

I stared at the swim suit in front of me in absolute horror. It was a pink, white, and purple striped one piece. It covered everything, but it was more of the fact I didn't think I could put it on now that I was in gym class.

The shower room was stuffy and warm and my heart pounded hard in my chest. I picked up the bathing suit and leaving my gym bag in a locker, went into one of the girls stalls to change. I came out and dumped my clothes in my locker, hoping that something would happen so I didn't have to go swimming.

But my legs were moving toward the door leading to the pool, and nothing was stopping it from happening. Then I was in the pool area, watching as people tried somersaulting off the diving boards and pushing each other in. The teacher blew the whistle.

"Stop messing around! I want everybody in the pool doing five laps to, and from, one side of the pool to the other! Go!"

The pool was instantly filled with students swimming, their arms kicking up tons of water. After momentarily hesitating, I jumped into the water, the warmth of it enveloping me like a thick blanket. I looked at all the faces, but couldn't see which one of them were Ashlee's through the splashes of water. I had no choice but begin swimming.

I was afraid of water, only when there were tons of people. I believed in accidents, and I'd people messed around, somebody could get seriously hurt. I was a good swimmer nonetheless and I was in the deep end of the pool, because the other end was full of people.

When those laps were finished, that's when I noticed Ashlee was actually very close to me. She smirked and then swam to the edge of the pool to await further instructions from the teacher. We were given two more loads of laps, with a specific form of swimming and then given the option to do whatever we wanted for ten minutes. Ashlee wasn't someone that I wanted to stay in the pool with for long and I swam through the water, trying to avoid as much flying water as I could. I needed to at least get to the very corner of the pool, nearest the girl shower doors.

Out of nowhere, a set of hands yanked my leg and I went under. I was unprepared and I swallowed water. I tried swimming to the surface, fighting against the force holding me down. When I surfaced, my face was met with a torrent of water which entered my mouth, nose, and eyes as I tried to breathe air into my lungs. I was dragged under again. More water filling my open mouth.

My heart raced and my chest hurt from not breathing. I tried not to, but I began to panic. I thrashed my arms, tugged at the hands grasping my leg, tried kicking. But nothing would ease the grip on me. I was going to drown if I didn't get to the surface.

I had to get away; I didn't want to die yet. I didn't want to drown. I'd always been scared of drowning. Always been scared of masses of water. I couldn't drown.

I didn't want to drown. I was going to drown.

My chest burned severely now, and still more water was being thrashed around above and below the surface. My strength slowly depleted and I was filled with a body of fear, weakness, and despair. Slowly the grip on me was released.

I pushed myself to the surface with the remainder of my strength and swam to the side a little to get away from the splashes of my fellow classmates. Water ran from my nose and mouth. I held onto the edge of the pool and coughed up water, everyone around me ignoring me. After a minute or two, still coughing and with shaky arms, I finally climbed out of the pool.

"Daisy!" my teacher called out as I ran on unsteady feet for the girls shower room, "Where are you going?" 

I ignored my teacher, and with difficulty pulled opened the shower doors and went in the direction of my things. My lungs still burned for missing air and my body was still filled with panic and fear as if I were still stuck underneath the water. My fingers fumbled to open my locker and find my phone in among my things.

My mom. I had to call my mom. She had to come get me. She had to take me away from here now.

But my phone was dead. I didn't bother feeling bad that I had forgotten to charge it, only stumbled for the doors leading out of the shower, leaving my things in the opened locker.

The office had a phone. I could use it to call Mom...

I was dripping wet and my feet made slapping noises against the gym floor and my coughs resonated through the expanse of the room. So many people eyed me surprisingly and shockingly as I passed them in the hallway. I didn't care.

I just needed to get to the office... I couldn't stay anymore--I couldn't stay here.

"Daisy?" A familiar voice asked incredulously as I dry coughed again. I leaned against the wall for support as my weak legs began to give out under me. My arms shook trying to keep me upright.

Lucas was standing in the hallway that joined the one I was on. He eyed my dripping body. He took a couple steps towards me. "Daisy, what are you doing?"

Lucas... he can't see me now. Not like this. Ignore him and get to the office. I have to call my mom. I can't stay. Yeah, that's right... I can't stay because I'm--I'm...

"I'm scared..." I said, before my shaking body collapsed to the floor.

"Daisy!" He ran forward and sat on the ground so he could pull me into his arms. The look in his green eyes brought me pain. They held so much fright and worry. "Daisy, look at me--look at me."

"Need mom... Home... Scared..." My eyes, though I didn't want them to, filled with salty tears. Lucas brushed them away quickly and shifted me in his arms.

"Hey, no. Don't be scared, you're safe with me. I won't let anyone touch you. You'll be fine, my flower. I'm getting you help." He gently and swiftly picked me up and held me protectively in his arms as he made his way down the hall to the nurses. I had my face buried in his shirt and didn't know where he was taking me. "You'll be fine, Daisy."

When he said those words, I thought I could hint the smallest bit of sadness in his voice. As if he was close to crying.