• " " speaking
    ( ) thinking
    ^^ sound
    * * action
    |OBE| Out of body experience

    Who am I? I am a 17 year old girl who is, well was on my schools swim team. I made one mistake during free swim and hit my head on the bottom of the pool. I dove to far out, and now I'm dead. At least I think I am.

    My name is Karin Takayu, and I am a straight A student where I go to school. Some of my friends are crazy, others normal, but there is this one who I've had a crush on since we were in junior high togerther. Michael Keale, that's his real name at least, but everyone calls him Mello. This is my story.

    "Come on Karin- chan get your butt changed and let's get in the pool!"
    "I'm coming, I'm coming. Just hold your horses. I will be right out." (God, Sarii can be such a pain at times. She never rushes me any other time, only when it is free swim.)

    I finish getting changed into my school "approved" swimsuit, that's right, a one piece, and walk out into the pool area. There are already so many people swimming, splashing having fun. There he is, he's sitting near the deep end. Spotting me he walks over meeting me half way.

    "Mello!"
    "There you are, I half expected you to be one of the first in. I mean, you're like a fish. You need to be in water."
    "Gee, thanks."
    "Hey no problem.^^"
    "Come on smart a**, let's get in the pool before there is no more room._ _#"
    "Fine, and I'm sorry. Just was having a little fun. Hmn...? What are you laughing about?"
    "This, *pushes Mello in to the pool*"
    * Falls in almost taking out some kid* Head finally emerging from the surface of the water. " Ugh, cloriene water, discusting. That was soooo... not nice."
    "You've know me long enough to know that I never said I was. ;P"
    "That alright this isn't either."* pulls Karin into the water with him*
    " You're right that wasn't. OwO"
    "I never said I was."
    "Grr... _ _' Fine, I'm swimming away then."
    "What! come on it was a joke. Don't leave me here!"
    "To Late!"*swims off*

    (hmm... where should I swim to? Who should I bug? Should I show off? With or without a mask?) I quickly run back to the changing room and grab my snowman head mask. ( I use this only once a year and the year is coming to a close might as well. Heck might not get another chance.) Putting the mask on I cannonball into the pool splashing everyone around me. "CANNONBALL!" ^SPLOUSH!^

    "Who to bug next?" Seeing a group of couples I swim through the crowd pinching every girls but making them think it was their boyfriends. The last girl I missed so I pinched her boyfriends butt , guess who he thought it was looking at his best friend with an odd look. (teehee)

    Laughing silently to myself I back up into someone, and feel them wrap thier arms around my stomache.
    "*imatating Sarii's voice* Oh Karin-chan. Lemme guess, you haven't pulled a prank on anyone so far this year."
    " Sarii is that you?"
    "Yeah"
    "Thank god. I thought is was Mello. How did you know I was pranking someone?"
    "*voice returns to narmal* Because I was watching you silly."
    *pulls mask of karin's head and spins her around hugging her*
    "Oh, Hi, Mello. Heh, heh heh. *laughs nevously* How long were you watching?"
    "Long enough to see Suchi's boyfriend tackle his bestfriend with a kiss."
    "WHAT! Your lying!"
    "If you don't believe me see for yourself. *Turns body enough for them both to watch* "
    "OMG! He did! I bet Suchi isn't too happy about it."
    "Actually she is. She has been trying to get them together for forever."
    "You would know this how?"
    "I've know her I was five. She tells me EVERYTHING sweetheart."
    "Yikes, that sucks. Wait a minute, Sweetheart?"
    "Yeah, got something against me calling you that?"
    "No, I-I...I just wasn't expecting it."
    "Yeah sure."
    "No really."
    "Whatever you say. Come on let's go to the shallow end and talk."
    "Okay but give me my mask back."
    *Puts snowman mask on her head*
    "There you happy?"
    "Yes"
    "Good then let's go"
    *Mello walks toward shallow end*
    (Heh, sorry Mello not coming. I've still got things to do.) *swims off*
    "You coming Karin? * turns around to look* Damnit Karin. _ _' "

    (Let's see, I think a little showing off is in order.) *swims to the deepest end of the pool and climbs out to climb high dive ladder.* Reaching the top of the high dive ladder I look down seeing everybody staring at me, and I get nervous. It's not like I haven't dived from this high before it that I've never dived from this high with this many people watching before. It seems that people know that I'm going to dive and they part swimming to the edge of the 25 foot deep pool. ( I guess I might as well dive seeming everyone has already parted and I can't let them down. I mean I'm the captian of the swim team) I jump bouncing on the spring board to get good air in the open air pool yard and on my last bounce I lurnge forward into a perfect dolphin dive that I have done so many times before. Just as I hit the surface of the water I hear a thunderous roar of clapping. I beam to myself in my head know if I actally did I'd lose air. Then It hits me, hard as concreate. I dove to far out and I hit my head on the bottom of the pool. I gasp just as I passout from the sudden pain and my lungs fill with water.

    |"What!? I'm floating. Why doesn't my head hurt? I did hit the bottom of the pool didn't I? I know I did. I could have swore I did." I roll over to see my body floating in the pool, luckly face up."Wait why am I out of my body!!! I am I dead!? No I can't be I can still feel my heart beating." As Im talking to myself I feel a pair of arms wrap around me. Not my astral body but my physical I note. Looking down back at my accident I see Mello holding me in his arms. He drags me to the shallow end and leans his head in. " Is he going to kiss me!? No, it looks like he is checking if I'm breathing. Am I? God no I'm not. He's pulling me out and Is giving me CPR. I float down next to my body and watch. I feel him place his lips on mine to start. My chest fills with air and empties. When my lungs are empty he begins to try and push the water out of my lungs and I feel him push on my chest. When he's done I see myself cough up and out a lot of water. "He seems to be relieved. I must be breathing again, but why aren't I awake and back in my body?" Mello calls of a teacher now that I'm breathing again and they talk about why I don't wake.|

    "SHE'S IN A COMA!"
    "Yes Mello. There is nothing we can do for her. All we can do is hope she wakes up."
    "BUT THERE HAS GOT TO BE A WAY! THERE JUST HAS TO!"
    "I'm sorry Mello. I'll let you get her covered up and I'll call the hospital to come get here while some of the other teachers calm the rest of the students down. Okay?"
    "Yes sir."
    "Good boy." *walks off*

    *covers Karin with a beach towel and hold her in his arms*
    "Karin you just had to show off didn't you!"

    |Mello covers me in a beach towel and says something I can't quite hear. "Did I have to show off?" A tear falls onto my face and go to wipe it away but nothing is there.|

    "Karin why? Why do you always do things like this? Now you are in a coma and I may never see you again. I may never get to kiss you. Karin, I don't know if you can me but I have loved you for a long time and now... now we might not have a chance together."*lays forhead on shoulder*

    | (He, he loves me?) * screams trying to get him to hear* "MELLO! I LOVE YOU TOO! PLEASE, PLEASE HEAR ME!" *Starts crying*|

    "Karin I love you so much please, please wake up." *raises head and sees Karin's tears* "Oh my god she is crying. She can hear me. Please wake up!"

    |" I want to wake up. I can't though, or I would." *trys forcing own eyes open, Tries to lay back into body*|

    *gasps loudly returning to body*
    "Karin! You're awake!" *Hugs her crying more*
    "Mello, I love you too." *sits up wrapping arms around neck and rests head in crook of neck* "I've loved you since we were in junior high together."
    "Really!?"
    "Yes"
    "In that case... will please hang up the mask for good and be my girl?"
    "I'd like nothing more that"


    That is my story. I had my first near death experience, first kiss and my first boyfriend that day. The one day I decided to turn down Mello's request to sit and talk in the shallow end of the pool and show off in front of the entire student body. The first and last time I will ever wear that snowman mask again.