Jackie's Fear

• Georgia Astill, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2018

Jackie's long brown hair tickled her on her freckled nose and awoke her from her sleep. Jackie had never learned to swim and today was her best friend's, Quin's, birthday party. Jackie had met Quin when their Mum's used to do nursing at the same hospital. Quin's birthday is 1 day before Jackie's, so on the 29th and 30th of September, the house if full of presents. Jackie scrambled through her drawers and closet finding something to wear. "Jackie! Jackie! What are you doing?" her youngest sister, Sally yelled, while she was buried under thousands of Jackie's clothes. "Here!" Jackie pulled out the pair of perfect pink polka dot swimmers. She stared at them nervously, thinking of all the things that could happen. 'What if I drown? What if I can't breathe? What if everyone makes fun of me? What if something worse happens?' she thought to herself. "Come get your breakfast kids!" their Mum yelled. Caleb and Bob ran down the hall pushing each other, Kayla slowly got up staring at her phone and Sally dashed out of the room. Jackie stood there waiting for everyone to go. She was too worried to eat anything. "You shouldn't eat anything half an hour before swimming, and it only takes 15 minutes to get to Quin's house," Jackie said. Everyone finished their meals and rushed to the car. "I dibs front seat!" Kayla yelled. "But you always get it!" Bob complained. Jackie looked out the window waiting to see Quin's house. She finally rushed out of the car and she forgot the presents. She stood on the edge of the pool looking around. "Ummm... Hey! Quin? How deep is it?" she asked nervously. "J it will be fine, you can touch the bottom. Let's jump together on 3. 1...2..th-" Jackie had touched the water with her foot and screamed. "It's fine! Come on look." Quin was like an ant compared to Jackie and even she could touch the bottom. Jackie jumped in. "Jackie give me back my phone or I'll hurt you!" Kayla said running out of the car. "Oops. I think I may have got it a little bit wet,” Jackie said sarcastically as she dived to the bottom of the pool picking up her sister's blue and pink marbled phone case and then her small black phone. Jackie was no longer scared to swim.