by Makala

          I asked my mom if I could go to the pool. She said okay. "But only if you stay with Michael. And also, stay off that diving board."

          I did hear her say to stay with Michael and stay off the diving board, but I really wanted to try it! So I disobeyed Mom's rules.

          I went with Michael, my friend, who is nineteen years old. (Mom trusts Michael.) I trust Michael, too, but I don't think Mom should trust him.

          "Bye, Mom! See you at 4:30! I'll miss you."

          Mom told Michael to make sure I stayed out of the twenty foot water and to watch me at all times. He said he would. I couldn't trust him on that one, though.

          We got in his broken-down bug. "Michael, will you lety me go on the diving board?" I asked.

           "Sure! You can go in any part of the pool you want. I don't care. I'll watch you, but I will also be watching my girl friend."

          I swam thirty-four laps, but I stopped every time. The guy behind me kept saying to go faster. I was scared. I sat down on the diving board crying. I wanted to go back down to Michael. But I saw Michael with a girl. I didn't know what to do. "I should have listened to Mom," I said to myself. The guy behind me kept screaming. So he said, "You stupid kid, come on!" He got so mad he pushed me down into the water.

          "Ahhhhhhh! I don't know how to swim! SAVE ME! SAVE ME!"

          I saw Michael looking at me. I kept yelling. Then everybody looked at me. Michael just kept burping in his mouth. I was really scared. Finally, a lifeguard saw me. I almost drowned. The only thing that was up was my hand. The lifeguard jumped in to rescue me.

          Five minutes later the lifeguard called 911. 911 called the news channel. The news channel called my mom. My mom cried and cried. Then the newspaper reporter interviewed me. She asked me a whole bunch of questions. "Well, the guy behind me is named Josh. He pushed me off the high dive. I almost drowned. But luckily a lifeguard jumped in the water to save me."

          I watched the show later that day. It was cool to be on TV.

          My mom put Michael and his girl friend in jail for six years. I got in trouble, too. I was grounded for two months.

          But I lived happily ever after.

# - Jim Hughes - 7/14/06; 10:10:37 AM -