Chapter 3

   Today was a nightmare. It all started this morning...

"Wake up!" Anthony yelled, jumping on my bed, "We're going to the beach!" He squealed in his little kid voice.

"Get out of my room!" I yelled throwing a pillow at him. He ran out crying that my pillows are to hard and I'm mean. I just rolled my eyes and drug myself out if bed.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Mom asked when I got downstairs. "We are leaving for Panama City beach in fifteen minutes. If you aren't ready we're leaving without you."

   I rushed back upstairs and got ready as fast as I could. I checked my reflection in the mirror before heading back downstairs. My body looked great in the navy bikini yet I was dissatisfied with what I saw. My face looked pale and plain with my dark hair pulled back in a braid. I scrunched my nose up in distaste before sighing and heading downstairs.

   I hurried to the car, which happens to be a fifteen passenger van, just as everyone was getting in.

   As soon as I got in I saw him. "Danny," I looked at him in surprise, "I didn't know you were coming with us," I faked a smile. Maybe my murder plans would work after all..

"Well here I am." He smiled in response.

   I was definitely getting annoyed now. How could he be so oblivious to my feelings? I still had them. Just because he was dating my sister didn't mean that they magically went away.

   On the drive to the beach my parents fought while all seven of my younger siblings yelled at the top of their lungs. I spent most of the time trying to quite baby Angie and keep from murdering everyone else in the car.

   Upon our arrival we had the usual hassle of  sunscreen, crying kids, and finding a spot in the sand. Once we were settled on the beach things started to calm down. Dad sat behind Danny and Valerie, to make sure they behaved, part of me felt sorry for them (A very tiny part, that is).The twins built a sandcastle, mom and aunt Liz played in the water with the other kids, and me and baby Angie sat under the umbrella.

"Look Angie." I gestured to Danny who was laughing at something Valerie said. "That's what a jerk looks like. See him?" Angie cooed. "Gosh. I can't believe I was so stupid. I can't believe they are so stupid. It's pretty clear that I like him." Angie cocked her head to the side. I sighed. "You don't understand yet because your just a baby."

   Most of the day I sat in peace with Angie but before leaving I gave her to Valerie and went for a swim. I headed towards the rocks because I love to stand on them. This is when the real trouble began...

   I swam out happily and climbed onto the rocks while dogging sea urchins. I pulled myself up on the top to watch the sunset. When I went to stand back up I slipped and twisted my ankle. As I tried to balance myself, I stepped on a sea urchin, and fell on top of a family of baby jelly fish. A wave crashed down on me as I tried to catch my breath and I swallowed a lot of water. Everything turned black and I knew no more.

   I regained consciousness, gasping for air, and met the eyes of a boy about my age.

"Are you okay?" The boy asked in concern. Water sparkled on his tan skin.

I shook my head. "I almost drowned." I choked out.

"I saw. Does anything hurt?"

Was this guy stupid?? "Pretty much everything..." I gasped. My lungs burned with each breath.

"Are you here alone? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?" His questions tumbled over each other in his haste to ask them.

"No," I coughed sitting up, "My family is over there." I pointed.

"Okay. I'll take you to them," He said. "By the way, I'm Toby." He helped me move to a sitting position on his paddle board thingy so that we didn't tip (It looks like a surf board with a paddle).

"I'm Eliana. Thanks for saving me." I looked up shyly into his face.

   He was definitely attractive. The light framed his black, wavy hair. His brown eyes full of concern. Everything about him looked slightly foreign.

He smiled at me. "I guess those first aid lessons paid off. Never thought I would actually give someone CPR."

   I blushed slightly. I can't believe he gave my CPR. I didn't even want to know what else he had done...

"I guess I'm lucky," I said. "Where are you from?" I asked curiously. His accent didn't sound American.

"Israel." He smiled.

   Just when I was going to ask another question, we reached my family.

"Eliana what happened?" My mom looked surprised.

I opened my mouth to reply but Toby answered before I could.

"She fell of the rocks, ma'am."

"Oh my. How did that happen?" My moms concern was evident.

"She slipped. Twisted her ankle and stepped on a sea urchin, then fell on top of some jelly fish. I think her ankle is sprained." He explained. Apparently he saw everything. How embarrassing.

"Oh my!" Mom said again. All the children had gathered round now. "We better get you home Eliana."

  I climbed off the end of the board and almost cried when I stood up. The most intense pain filled my ankle.

"You probably shouldn't walk on that." Toby hopped down and picked me up bridal style. "Where's your car?"

I blushed. "This really isn't necessary." I protested.

"Nonsense, Eliana." Mom said glaring at me. "Tell him which way to go and we'll be there in a minute."

My blush deepened to a dark Crimson. I pointed the way and Toby carried me off. When we reached the car he set me down. "Thank you. For everything," I said, looking at the ground in embarrassment.

"Hey, no problem." He replied. "Take care." And with that he left me to wait for my family.

   The drive home was agonizing. My lungs felt raw, my skin burned from the jellyfish stings, and my ankle throbbed.

   My parents took me to the doctors office and had my ankle examined. It turned out it was sprained. The doctor wrapped it, gave me crutches, and sent me home.

   That night after taking a large dosage of pain killers, I went to bed and dreamed of my hero.
"Wake up!" Anthony yelled, jumping on my bed. "We're going to the beach!" He squealed in his little kid voice.

"Get out of my room!" I yelled throwing a pillow at him. He ran crying that my pillows are to hard and I'm mean. I just rolled my eyes and drug myself out if bed.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Mom asked when I got downstairs. "We are leaving for Panama City beach in fifteen minutes. If you aren't ready we're leaving you."

   I rushed back upstairs and got ready as fast as I could. I checked my reflection in the mirror before heading back downstairs. My body looked great in the navy bikini yet I was dissatisfied with what I saw. My face looked pale and plain with my dark hair pulled back in a braid. I scrunched my nose up in distaste before sighing and heading downstairs.

   I hurried to the car, which happens to be a fifteen passenger van, just as everyone was getting in.

   As soon as I got in I saw him. "Danny." I looked at him in surprise. "I didn't know you were coming with us." I faked a smile. Maybe my murder plans would work after all..

"Well here I am." He smiled in response.

   I was definitely getting annoyed now. How could he be so oblivious to my feelings? I still had them. Just because he was dating my sister didn't mean that they magically went away.

   On the drive to the beach my parents fought while all seven of my younger siblings yelled at the top of their lungs. I spent most of the time trying to quite baby Angie and keep from murdering everyone else in the car.

   Upon our arrival we had the usual hassle of  sunscreen, crying kids, and finding a spot in the sand. Once we were settled on the beach things started to calm down. Dad sat behind Danny and Valerie, to make sure they behaved, part of me felt sorry for them. (A very tiny part.)The twins built a sandcastle, mom and aunt Liz played in the water with the other kids, and me and baby Angie sat under the umbrella.

"Look Angie." I gestured to Danny who was laughing at something Valerie said. "That's what a jerk looks like. See him?" Angie cooed. "Gosh. I can't believe I was so stupid. I can't believe they are so stupid. It's pretty clear that I like him." Angie cocked her head to the side. I sighed. "You don't understand yet because your just a baby."

   Most of the day I sat in peace with Angie but before leaving I gave her to Valerie and went for a swim. I headed towards the rocks because I love to stand on them. This is when the real trouble began...

   I swam out happily and climbed onto the rocks while dogging sea urchins. I pulled myself up on the top to watch the sunset. When I went to stand back up I slipped and twisted my ankle. As I tried to balance myself, I stepped on a sea urchin, and fell on a family of baby jelly fish. A wave crashed down on me as I tried to catch my breath and I swallowed a lot of water. Everything turned black and I knew no more.

   I came to gasping for air and met the eyes of a boy about my age.

"Are you okay?" The boy asked in concern. Water sparkled on his tan skin.

I shook my head. "I almost drowned." I choked out.

"I saw. Does anything hurt?"

Was this guy stupid?? "Pretty much everything.." I gasped. My lungs burned with each breath.

"Are you here alone? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?" His questions tumbled over each other in his haste to ask them.

"No." I coughed sitting up. "My family is over there." I pointed.

"Okay. I'll take you to them." He said. "By the way, I'm Toby." He helped me move to a sitting position on his paddle board thingy so that we didn't tip. (It looks like a surf board with a paddle.)

"I'm Eliana. Thanks for saving me." I looked up shyly into his face.

   He was definitely attractive. The light frame his black, wavy hair. His brown eyes full of concern. Everything about him looked slightly foreign.

He smiled at me. "I guess those first aid lessons paid off. Never thought I would actually give someone CPR."

   I blushed slightly. I can't believe he gave my CPR. I didn't even want to know what else he had done...

"I guess I'm lucky." I said. "Where are you from?" I asked curiously. His accent didn't sound American.

"Israel." He smiled.

   Just when I was going to ask another question, we reached my family.

"Eliana what happened?" My mom looked surprised.

I opened my mouth to reply but Toby answered before I could.

"She fell of the rocks, ma'am."

"Oh my. How did that happen?" My moms concern was evident.

"She slipped. Twisted her ankle and stepped on a sea urchin, then fell on top of some jelly fish. I think her ankle is sprained." He explained. Apparently he saw everything. How embarrassing.

"Oh my!" Mom said again. All the children had gathered round now. "We better get you home Eliana."

  I climbed off the end of the board and almost cried when I stood up. The most intense pain filled my ankle.

"You probably shouldn't walk on that." Toby hopped down and picked me up bridal style. "Where's your car?"

I blushed. "This really isn't necessary." I protested.

"Nonsense, Eliana." Mom said glaring at me. "Tell him which way to go and we'll be there in a minute."

My blush deepened to a dark Crimson. I pointed the way and Toby carried me off. When we reached the car he set me down. "Thank you. For everything." I said looking at the ground in embarrassment.

"Hey, no problem." He replied. "Take care." And with that he left me to wait for my family.

   The drive home was agonizing. My lungs felt raw, my skin burned from the jellyfish stings, and my ankle throbbed.

   My parents took me to the doctors office and had my ankle examined. It turned out it was sprained. The doctor wrapped it, gave me crutches, and sent me home.

   That night after taking a large dosage of pain killers, I went to bed and dreamed of my hero.