By Eva Sway, TIWP Student

“It’s so cold!” I hear Sydney, the most dramatic girl on our water polo team, yell. “Ahhh!” another girl screeches. The kids coming out of the pool look pale and they are shivering.

I just started water polo so I can not slack on warm-ups or anything. Arms behind me, I jump in. “Wow, that is cold!” I think. I finish my 200 im and then go into my 200 freestyle. My hand hits the wall. “Finished,” I think. “That is probably my best time ever. The only thing I want right now is to get into my jacuzzi and stay in there forever.

“Time for passing,” Coach says in a way that sounds way too gleeful.

“Great,” I murmur to myself. “This will make me feel even colder.” I don’t let my coach hear this. I am new so I can’t screw up. I have the ball in my hand and pass it to Charlotte. The passing goes on for a little while but soon I start to feel faint. I can hardly tread water. I hear screams. My vision is blurred, but my eyes make out that everyone is getting out of the water. I muster all my energy to try and get out but I hit a circle. The circle is cold like the time my brother shoved shaved ice on my chest. I can’t tread water anymore. I take a deep breath and let my head go under the piercing cold water.

I hear a splash. Someone is now in the water with me. Water slushing fills my throbbing head. I was not awake and not conscious so I don’t know why I remember this. I am out of the pool now. I feel towels blanket me. I hate attention but that is the least of my problems right now. “CALL 911 AND HER PARENTS!” I hear someone yell.

Five minutes go by, then 10, then 20. “When will the ambulance be here,” I think to myself. 25 minutes and I hear sirens. Finally. I don’t know why I remember this since I was not conscious but I wasn’t unconscious. I get lifted into a bed and the soggy, cold, wet towels are now replaced with warm blankets. I feel the eyes watching me as the bed rolls away. I hate attention but it is a little late for that. I am now in the ambulance. The faint sound of sirens are all I can make out right now. They stop so we must be at the hospital.