Fragments Read Online Free PDF Page A

just showing off,” I sympathized, rubbing her shoulder in circles.  She bit her lip, shaking her head. As annoying as Robbie was, she never ran away. She just carried on.
    “S’okay, hon,” she hedged.  “He’s just a dick. I’m used to it. If he were nice to me, I’d probably faint. Or think he was drunk.”
    The afternoon sun began to peak as we strolled towards the lake. We were all eager to soak away the sweat from our bodies. We had built ourselves a pretty decent setup - a 44 gallon drum cut in half to build a campfire where we would roast marshmallows (and the occasional foil wrapped banana with chocolate); a few canoes and air tires to float in, as well as Dad’s old fishing boat. We also had a few picnic tables to spread out on, too.  All in all, it was a relaxing place to be. Gum trees surrounded the area, encasing us in our own private alcove where the wind would gently brush our cheeks.  
    When we reached the camp area, we dumped our towels and turned on Robbie’s portable sound system. He plugged in his MP3 player so we could listen to his mix of the day. He was constantly making play lists. He never wanted to be a DJ; he just liked setting the ‘mood’.  The chilled rhythm and beat of the strumming of guitars and piano were familiar to me. Jamiroquai’s “Cosmic Girl” started playing and we all had a bit of bop in our step.
    “All right, girls and Theo, I’m heading in. It’s so freakin' hot today.” I kicked off my flip-flops and stripped off my tank while stepping closer to the lake’s edge. I loved dipping my toes in the water. While wriggling my toes, I dug them deeper into the refreshing squish of the mud. I was so relaxed looking down that I failed to notice the shadow looming closer to me. As I turned to see if the gang was following me, I felt a strong arm curl around my back and another under my legs.  But the laugh that sounded was what got to me. The loud roar in my ear made me grimace as I looked directly into Alex’s eyes.
    “What in the hell are you doing?” I yelled, squirming and turning in his grasp. The arsehole had a tight grip around my middle.
    “Oh, Bea-Bea, you look hot. Thought I’d help you cool…” and before he finished that sentence, he threw me into the lake. I went down like a stone and managed to swallow mouthfuls of river water. Kicking my way to the top, I choked and spluttered the murky water. I was now
    utterly pissed off. I looked at him with revenge in my eyes.
    “Stop calling me that! Oh, and Alex?  Sleep with one eye open, you dick. Revenge is best served cold.” 
    He tilted his head back, roaring with laughter.
    “No, Bea, baby,” he leered. “The only one cold here is … you.” His eyes trailed down my muddy chest, resting on my boobs. I crossed my right arm over my chest and screamed, splashing with my left hand in his general direction, but he didn’t care. Instead, a look of determination crossed his face as he started to run into the water straight towards me. 
    Running in water, if you hadn’t realised, was stupid. You were better off swimming. In my frazzled state, however, my usually coordinated limbs let me down and I felt like I was running/splashing/ being an idiot in the sinking depths of the lake. I looked over my shoulder to see where Alex was but he was gone, leaving a trail of ripples where he had rushed into the water.
    My heart began to race. I knew that he was underwater and that petrified me. I knew that he was lurking under the surface, and as the water was murky, I couldn’t see him. The anticipation made me scream as I continued to race away. Thinking I could outsmart him, I ran in another direction, hoping he couldn’t see the movement of my legs. The river reeds that grew tickled my calves as I used them as leverage to push further still, but it was to no avail. A hand gripped tight around my right ankle and I screamed like a banshee. Alex’s hand pulled hard on my leg, crashing me down into the