"Air-air-air-air-air-air-air-air-air-air-air-!!!"
We breathe heavily for a moment, my diving mask fogging up faster than
the windows in the back of a school bus.
"Whoo," I say, "What a rush!!! Seven minutes without air, awesome!!! You
learn control down there."
"I know, I taught you," replies Aar.
"So?! I taught you the ins and outs of spelunking! Hah, take that!!"
"Hmmm, well, you have pinned Vir."
"Oh, hi! My name is Virginia Vivian Vircantha, but you can call me Vir.
My friend here is Aaron Bernt, Aar for short. We've been diving down here
in these tropical waters searching for the sunken Spanish galleon called
The
Tequila"
I
flip off my diving mask as water drips off my slick dark brown hair. Aar
stares into my deep brown eyes as I stare into his beautiful emerald green
ones. He starts to swim closer to me, his fiery red hair glistening in
the rays of sunlight streaming through the cave's entrance. As he nears
me, his facial features become more radiant, he opens his mouth and….
"Let's go out to that little dinghy you call a boat and head off to the
office."
Damn!!! So close.
"Uh, sure Aar. Let's go to the office and report what we saw."
Down there, I was being taught how to hold my breath for a verylong time.
We were exploring the caves after searching for the ship and I started
to get very low on air. Aar had taught me the basics, and I could hold
my breath for three minutes. Unfortunately, it was an eight-minute swim,
and I had one minute of air left. Aar took out the under water writing
pad, UWWP for short, and wrote down the secrets of holding your breath
for 10 minutes!!
"Well, I better get over to the boat and get home soon, I have classes
tomorrow."
"Vir, you comin'?"
"JUST A SECOND!!!!"
Yeesh,
pushy, pushy!
As I swim out of the cave, I'm blinded by the pounding light radiating
from the exit.
"Are you coming, or are you going to wait for the sharks to get you?"
"SHARKS!!!! I thought that this was an area where sharks don't hunt! I'M
COMING!!!"
I do the freestyle at a record-breaking speed towards the boat. As I reach
the rim of the boat, Aar speaks…
"Hah, no sharks here!!!"
"You…you…ARGH! That was mean!!"
"Well, it got you over here didn't it?"
"Just help me up, you idiot."
When I finally get into the boat, I start to take off my gear. The water
rolls down my back, and I can feel Aar's stare on the back of my neck.
"What
are you looking at?" I ask playfully.
"Oh, just a beautiful college sophomore getting out of a tight wetsuit,"
he answers just as playfully.
"Well
stop," I say, "It makes me nervous, and you know what happens when I'm
nervous."
"Oh yea, last time you fell over the side of the boat when you slipped
on a wet flipper. That was hilarious."
"For you, not for me."
I am not amused.
He walks away and starts up the motor. I finish undressing and hang my
wetsuit out to dry. As usual, I've been wearing my shorts and a tank top
underneath my suit. I start to brush out
my hair as I walk towards Aar while he's manning the wheel.
"I'm sorry, but I can't come to the office tonight, I have classes tomorrow
and the next day," I croon.
"That's ok, I've had a wonderful time," he croons back.
The rest of the ride back to port was relatively uneventful. After we got
back, I took a bus from the docks to the Ecuadorian University of Archeology
where I take classes.
At the bus stop, I get picked up by my cousin Allie. She then drove us
to her house where I stay. It's great, no rent!
Chapter 2
"Rise and shine Vir, you have classes in fifteen minutes," Allie anounces
in a cheery mood. She's really cheerful, even at six o'clock A.M.
"Ughnnnn, classes!" I moan...
I had scheduled all of my classes for two days in a row so that I would
have more time for working for the famous archeologist, Dr. Xivian M. Smith.
I drag myself out of bed when a realization hit me…I left my mask and air-tanks
in the cave.
........
Oh. Shit.
.......
Xivian will kill me!
... ...
... ...
... ........
Oh well, off to school.
-This is the history class where we find out that Vir knows a lot about the Azcan's-
"Well," says Allie, "You're home late."
"I had to make up a major test. Can I use the phone to call the office?
I have too call!"
"Fine, but don't talk too long, or you will pay the phone
bill."
I dial the office's phone number, it rings 3 times before Lis, one of Xivian's
assistants, picks up the phone.
"Hello?" she asks.
"Hey, Lis, is Xivian in?"
"Yeah, but if this is about the mask and air tanks, I would hang up right
now."
"I should hang up, but I have to explain myself to him."
Lis puts the phone down to get Dr. Xivian. As the seconds tick by, the
tension mounts. I turn down the volume on the phone so my ears won't be
blasted off by the screaming and yelling.
"Hello," says Xivian as he picks up the phone.
More to come as soon as it is submitted...