That Moment

• Hannah Solomon, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2017

“Yes, I can!” I retorted to my older cousin.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “That swing’s pretty high. You sure you don’t need me to lift you?”

I splashed creek water in her face.

“Man, Caity. If I got a dollar every time you said, ‘Are you sure’, I’d be a millionaire!” I giggled nervously and climbed up the slippery roots on the side of the creek bank. “Hey, I exclaimed. “I bet you ten bucks I can reach the swing without your help.”

Caitlin laughed. “Great. I could use ten dollars!”

I grinned, holding out my hand. “Deal. But if I swing myself, YOU owe ME!”

To be honest, I was pretty scared. The swing was high above the bank and I wasn’t entirely confident about making the jump without missing the swing or slipping. But pride had taken over and I wasn’t going home without ten bucks in my hand.

I sprinted and jumped as high and as far out as I possibly could, reaching out, attempting to grasp the swing. I felt a numbness wash over my body at that horrible moment when the tips of my fingers barely brushed the slippery rope and I fell. My legs smacked the tree roots below but my stomach took the full impact, walloping the water. At first there was no pain and I floated on the surface, struggling to figure out what just happened. Then it came. My legs felt like they were on fire, but my stomach! It was like an atomic bomb had been dropped on it. Eventually, my other senses kicked in. I knew there would be some good bruises on my legs, but it was the state of my belly that worried me. As I lay there, tears streaming from my closed eyelids, I felt a hand touch me.

Caitlin.

I opened my eyes and allowed her to gently pull me to the sand bank.

“Oh my god! I saw you hit the water!” she cried. She sat me up and put her arm around my heaving shoulders. Humiliated, I clutched my swollen stomach, moaning and trying not to cry. Caitlin hugged me and gently lifted up my swim shirt and gasped. “Your belly looks like a beetroot! You’ll need a ton of ice to sooth that big gut!”

I gave a watery little laugh and said, “You really know how to cheer someone up Caity.”

Caitlin smiled. “C’mon, let’s go home. The creek’s getting a bit cold.”

We started to make our way home until I remembered something. “Cait, remember our bet?”

Caitlin turned to me. “Yes, but I’ll have to pay you when we get home.”

I grinned at her and replied, “No. I failed the jump, so you don’t owe me. BUT, I don’t owe you ‘cause I didn’t ask for your help, so let’s go grab some thickshakes with the money we saved.”

Caitlin grinned back and held out her hand. “Done. Race you to the milk bar!”