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Chapter 1A perfect day for a dip.
James groaned loudly as he slouches on the couch, controller in paw. “It’s just too damn hot!” he complained. His best friend, the papillon Gary was sitting next to him, sitting up straight, he looks down with a sympathetic smile. “Oh it’s not so bad, we have a fan.” he gestures to the rattling fan.
“It’s garbage” James spat as he sat up straight again, placing his controller on the arm-rest. “I can’t play in this heat bro” he sighed. Gary paused the game and looked over at the whinging hedgehog. “Well… we could go get some cold drinks.” he suggested in a chipper fashion. James scoffed, “I don’t need a cold drink, I need to swim in a cold dri-” he paused mid-word, “...hang on…” he smirked, jumping up and spinning around, clapping his hand. “That’s it! We’ll go swimming!”
Gary grinned back, standing up, “Awesome plan James, where too then?”, “Only one place i’d want to go” James mused, “Local pool, you know, where Tiffany works as the lifeguard?” his gaze went soft for a second as he thought about his crush. He was seventeen and had already decided on the love of his life, it was meant to be.
After staring at his love-stuck friend for a moment, Gary added with a bemused expression, “Right, well... I guess i’ll meet you there then” he said cheerfully. “What’da mean?” James replied. “Well I don’t have my bathers on me, so i’ll need to head home an-”, James cut him off, shaking his head, “Oh no no no no… no. I'm not having you go home and turn up in some speedos in front of Tiffany!”
Gary merely titled his head with a simple smile, “But you also wear sp-”, James placed his paw over Gary’s mouth. “I used too!” he whispered through his teeth, “But Tiffany doesn’t need to know that.”, “Why do you think she’ll care?” Gary asked simply, “Don’t! Just trust me bro, we gotta’ look cool” James replied, making a sliding move with his feet. “You can borrow one of my trunks, I got a two-for-one deal not long back.”
Gary knew there was no point arguing with him, so they went up to his room and changed into the swimming trunks. James was wearing green trunks with yellow stripes, while Gary had the reverse of yellow trunks with green stripes.
“Alright, let’s go!” James said shoving some stuff in his backpack and offering Gary a spare towel.
“What about your sister?” Gary asked, “I don’t think your mom would like it if you left her behind.” James sighed, all he wanted was to spend time with Tiffany, “Yeah-yeah, alright” he said, knowing his mother wouldn’t be impressed. Being fifteen Allison was old enough to be alone, however her Asperger’s meant she shouldn’t be left alone as she might freak out.
James softly knocked on her bedroom door, “Oi Alli, can I come in?” he asked in a gentle voice, knowing not to use forceful tones through the door at her. After a pause, “Okay”, the two entered her room. Allison was at the computer, she was drawing characters. She smiled at the two boys and then noticed their swimming trunks, her smile dissolved. “W-Where are you going?” she asked in a slight tone of concern.
“Pool” James simply said, “Your trunks match” she replied gently. James pouted at that slightly, “Get your swimsuit, c'mon” he said encouragely. Allison’s eyes bulged as her expression went stern, “Oh no no no, sorry i’m…” looking for an excuse, she pointed to her drawings. “Working. I get paid in points see to do drawings.”
James couldn’t leave her behind, it wouldn’t be right to leave her alone. But he also genuinely cared for his sister and never wanted to outright say that she has to come or else he’s stuck here, the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel like a burden, so he had to try to convince her another way.
“It’s hot, I know you’d been drinking lots of water today” he said walking over and sitting on her bed. “It’ll be fun!” Gary added, leaning on her doorway.
Allison pouted, feeling the pressure. “The sun is too hot!” she blurted out, James smirked, “That’s why we’re going to a nice indoor pool and not a lake.”

Allison was running out of excuses, so in a last-resort squeaky whine, “I don’t want too!”, followed by a soft beg of, “Please…”
James breathed heavily through his nose, it broke his heart to see her like this, but she couldn’t be left alone. ‘It would be good for her, fresh air, other people, something new’ he thought, as justified his continued pursuit, under the guise this is good for her and not just because he wanted to see Tiffany.
He stood up and placed a hand on her cheek, lifting her head up to face him. He beamed down at her, “You’ll be safe, you’ll have fun, trust me. It’ll be nice and cool.” Allison gulped, she reached out and grabbed his wrist by her face, squeezing it softly. “You’ll be there for me right?” she asked, scared of drowning, scared of the water. “We both are” James reassured her, “That’s right” Gary added watching this from the doorway.
James spoke softly, “You don’t have to enter the water if you don’t want to, just… come, please?” After a moment Allison finally nodded, “Okay brother” she replied, giving him a half-hearted smile, but clearly nervous.
****

The boys left her alone in the room as they went downstairs. She opened up a drawer and felt down, digging out her one-piece swimsuit. It had many horizontal stripes of blue and white, just like her bandanna.
Gently she slipped the suit on, it was very clean due to lack of use, the soft nylon-spandex felt nice in her paws. But she had a looming sense about this, she didn’t trust water. She hated when James went off with Gary to swim in the lake while she stayed back with her mother, she was terrified that a policeman would come around asking about two boys who had drowned.
She could hear the policeman’s description in her mind, “Male teenage hedgehog, brown fur, black hair, fit shape. Does that match anyone you know?” She had already lost a father, now a brother...

Allison violently shook her head, gripping her forehead’s fur. “Stop it!” she hissed to herself, “Stop you’re being stupid!” she panted as she went to pack up her backpack, pouting. “James isn’t going to drown. James isn’t going to drown…” she sighed deeply, closing her eyes. “I’m not going to drown.”

Description
Chapter 1A perfect day for a dip.
James groaned loudly as he slouches on the couch, controller in paw. “It’s just too damn hot!” he complained. His best friend, the papillon Gary was sitting next to him, sitting up straight, he looks down with a sympathetic smile. “Oh it’s not so bad, we have a fan.” he gestures to the rattling fan.
“It’s garbage” James spat as he sat up straight again, placing his controller on the arm-rest. “I can’t play in this heat bro” he sighed. Gary paused the game and looked over at the whinging hedgehog. “Well… we could go get some cold drinks.” he suggested in a chipper fashion. James scoffed, “I don’t need a cold drink, I need to swim in a cold dri-” he paused mid-word, “...hang on…” he smirked, jumping up and spinning around, clapping his hand. “That’s it! We’ll go swimming!”
Gary grinned back, standing up, “Awesome plan James, where too then?”, “Only one place i’d want to go” James mused, “Local pool, you know, where Tiffany works as the lifeguard?” his gaze went soft for a second as he thought about his crush. He was seventeen and had already decided on the love of his life, it was meant to be.
After staring at his love-stuck friend for a moment, Gary added with a bemused expression, “Right, well... I guess i’ll meet you there then” he said cheerfully. “What’da mean?” James replied. “Well I don’t have my bathers on me, so i’ll need to head home an-”, James cut him off, shaking his head, “Oh no no no no… no. I'm not having you go home and turn up in some speedos in front of Tiffany!”
Gary merely titled his head with a simple smile, “But you also wear sp-”, James placed his paw over Gary’s mouth. “I used too!” he whispered through his teeth, “But Tiffany doesn’t need to know that.”, “Why do you think she’ll care?” Gary asked simply, “Don’t! Just trust me bro, we gotta’ look cool” James replied, making a sliding move with his feet. “You can borrow one of my trunks, I got a two-for-one deal not long back.”
Gary knew there was no point arguing with him, so they went up to his room and changed into the swimming trunks. James was wearing green trunks with yellow stripes, while Gary had the reverse of yellow trunks with green stripes.
“Alright, let’s go!” James said shoving some stuff in his backpack and offering Gary a spare towel.
“What about your sister?” Gary asked, “I don’t think your mom would like it if you left her behind.” James sighed, all he wanted was to spend time with Tiffany, “Yeah-yeah, alright” he said, knowing his mother wouldn’t be impressed. Being fifteen Allison was old enough to be alone, however her Asperger’s meant she shouldn’t be left alone as she might freak out.
James softly knocked on her bedroom door, “Oi Alli, can I come in?” he asked in a gentle voice, knowing not to use forceful tones through the door at her. After a pause, “Okay”, the two entered her room. Allison was at the computer, she was drawing characters. She smiled at the two boys and then noticed their swimming trunks, her smile dissolved. “W-Where are you going?” she asked in a slight tone of concern.
“Pool” James simply said, “Your trunks match” she replied gently. James pouted at that slightly, “Get your swimsuit, c'mon” he said encouragely. Allison’s eyes bulged as her expression went stern, “Oh no no no, sorry i’m…” looking for an excuse, she pointed to her drawings. “Working. I get paid in points see to do drawings.”
James couldn’t leave her behind, it wouldn’t be right to leave her alone. But he also genuinely cared for his sister and never wanted to outright say that she has to come or else he’s stuck here, the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel like a burden, so he had to try to convince her another way.
“It’s hot, I know you’d been drinking lots of water today” he said walking over and sitting on her bed. “It’ll be fun!” Gary added, leaning on her doorway.
Allison pouted, feeling the pressure. “The sun is too hot!” she blurted out, James smirked, “That’s why we’re going to a nice indoor pool and not a lake.”

Allison was running out of excuses, so in a last-resort squeaky whine, “I don’t want too!”, followed by a soft beg of, “Please…”
James breathed heavily through his nose, it broke his heart to see her like this, but she couldn’t be left alone. ‘It would be good for her, fresh air, other people, something new’ he thought, as justified his continued pursuit, under the guise this is good for her and not just because he wanted to see Tiffany.
He stood up and placed a hand on her cheek, lifting her head up to face him. He beamed down at her, “You’ll be safe, you’ll have fun, trust me. It’ll be nice and cool.” Allison gulped, she reached out and grabbed his wrist by her face, squeezing it softly. “You’ll be there for me right?” she asked, scared of drowning, scared of the water. “We both are” James reassured her, “That’s right” Gary added watching this from the doorway.
James spoke softly, “You don’t have to enter the water if you don’t want to, just… come, please?” After a moment Allison finally nodded, “Okay brother” she replied, giving him a half-hearted smile, but clearly nervous.
****

The boys left her alone in the room as they went downstairs. She opened up a drawer and felt down, digging out her one-piece swimsuit. It had many horizontal stripes of blue and white, just like her bandanna.
Gently she slipped the suit on, it was very clean due to lack of use, the soft nylon-spandex felt nice in her paws. But she had a looming sense about this, she didn’t trust water. She hated when James went off with Gary to swim in the lake while she stayed back with her mother, she was terrified that a policeman would come around asking about two boys who had drowned.
She could hear the policeman’s description in her mind, “Male teenage hedgehog, brown fur, black hair, fit shape. Does that match anyone you know?” She had already lost a father, now a brother...

Allison violently shook her head, gripping her forehead’s fur. “Stop it!” she hissed to herself, “Stop you’re being stupid!” she panted as she went to pack up her backpack, pouting. “James isn’t going to drown. James isn’t going to drown…” she sighed deeply, closing her eyes. “I’m not going to drown.”