With a grin, Charlie heads toward the boards at a brisk but safe pace. I follow him, trying not to rush. We join the line for the smaller board, and I rub my hands together, buzzing with excitement. Something about diving makes me happy. The water seems to call me home in the way it catches the lights. Charlie does his usual cannonball and sends up a huge splash.

  Once it’s my turn, I hurry onto the board and pull off a perfect dive like the ones I’ve seen on TV. Usually, chickening out happens at the last minute, too afraid of a belly flop. It felt weird, as this time the leap came easily, my body doing what it feels like it needs as the air rushes over my skin, cutting straight through into the water. Rather than the usual panicking or last-minute mess-up.

  For a moment I feel disoriented. The water is quieter than it should be, almost like I’ve gone deaf. Instead of the noise I expect, it’s quiet. So quiet it almost hurts. The sensation quickly fades as my body gives in to swimming, undulating naturally instead of kicking with my feet. In that moment, I am not a human swimming. I am a dolphin again, the joy and power from the dream blending with what I am doing now.

  Bursting through the surface, I wince as the world jumps from deafening silence to the piercing sounds of kids playing. It’s like someone just cranked the speakers to full volume right next to me. For a second, the noise is so loud it almost makes me miss Charlie’s laugh as he stares at me. “When did you learn to dive and swim like that? Have you been secretly coming here when I wasn’t watching?”

  I shake my head. “Just felt right,” I say, unsure if bringing up the dream would just sound weird. It might sound silly if I say it out loud.

  The high dive platform seems so high up as I take a deep breath, but I don’t get the same vertigo I usually do. It feels more like a challenge, something fun. And not something to shiver in fear over.

  He frowns. “You sure? You always end up embarrassed when you go up there and have to climb back down. I know it bothers you.”

  I chuckle. “I know… but I want to give it a shot,” I say as I head over and begin climbing, resolute and determined. Walking to the edge, I look down. The usual vertigo that would make me retreat in embarrassment is muted, leaving only joy behind. My whole body feels like a loosely taut spring with energy humming just beneath the surface.

  Leaping off, I drop into a dive. For those few moments in the air, I feel like an eagle or, I guess, more accurately, a dolphin. The water isn’t something to fear. It’s something to look forward to.

  Almost forgetting to put my hands in front, I adjust at the last second to break the surface. Diving deep, I glide near the bottom. Caught up in the moment, I make the mistake of trying to open my mouth.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  A rush of water fills it, choking me as I spit it out and surface coughing.

  Charlie jumps in to help me to the side and, with some effort, gets me onto the pool’s edge, where I sit and cough.

  He looks concerned. “What happened? You were doing so good?”

  Giving a small, sheepish grin, I say, “Apparently, trying to open your mouth underwater is a bad idea.”

  He winces and shakes his head. “Let’s get you home. You going to be okay?”

  Nodding, already feeling better, I say, “Yeah, just caught me off guard.”

  Leaving the water feels strange. It feels like home, and the absence leaves me shivering slightly. Too embarrassed to say anything or answer questions, I stay quiet. Charlie, on the other hand, looks relieved but still concerned.

  We only have to wait a few minutes before my mom and sister leave, having seen us leave the pool. Mom asks if we’re okay, and I give a nod as we drive home. Sarah keeps talking about swimming, her chatter filling the car and keeping things light.

  Once home we eat a quick bowl of soup, Charlie and I play some Bomberman and Contra on the NES until it’s nearly time for him to go home. Glancing out the window, I see snow starting to fall.

  “Hmmm, looks like the snow is here. How about I walk you to the bus?” I tell him. He nods, and I hurry downstairs to tell my mom, “Walking Charlie to the bus!”

  Walking through the snow, Charlie and I head toward the bus stop. He looks at me with a bit of concern. “You seem different today?” he repeats.

  Kicking at the snow nervously, I say, “Nah. I just had a dream last night about swimming as a dolphin.” Never experienced anything like it, which is why I wanted to go swimming.

  He laughs. “Wait, you, a dolphin? I thought your whole thing was birds and eagles.”

  My face reddens with embarrassment. “Hey, I have no control over my dreams. Most of the time they don’t even make sense. This time it just… felt real. Kinda nice, actually. Had a couple of dreams the previous two nights too, but I don’t remember what they were about. Just that I really wish they were real.”

  I want to tell him it’s more than a fantasy or a weird dream, that it actually feels real. But how can I tell him that when I’m not even sure I believe it?

  He grins, amused. “Well, if you have any more interesting dreams, tell me about it tomorrow.”

  “Sure, and hope the movie is good tomorrow,” I say.

  I wave goodbye as he steps on the bus and head back home. The snow comes down even harder, feeling odd against my skin, which makes me think about being a dolphin in weather like this. Wondering what it would feel like as a dolphin, I ask myself if the cold would still feel strange or if a body built for water would even notice. These thoughts stay with me the whole walk home, lingering until dinner.

  Later, my sister and I end up playing some Super Mario Brothers 3, the only game she can play. Not too well, but she still has fun. After an hour she has to go to bed. Working on my math, I finally manage to finish just before ten.

  “Is everything going okay at school?” dad asks.

  Nodding, I say, “Yeah, no big issues. Why do you ask?”

  “Your mom says you’ve been late to school a few times. I just want to make sure you’re not trying to avoid it.”

  Laughing, I say, “Nah, I just spend too much time reading before bed. If I find a really good book about animals, I’m up till two in the morning easily.”

  He chuckles. “Well, I’m glad you read a lot, but it’s still a good idea to get your sleep.”

  I smile. “Speaking of which, that’s what I’m here for. I came down to say goodnight.”

  With a hearty laugh, he says, “Well, goodnight.”

  Curious about what kind of dream I might have next, I go upstairs. Would it be more involved than last night, or am I just overthinking it?