"You told me you had all of your supplies, where did you last put them?" She shouted down the hall.

"I'll go help her Miss Denise," Marty said as he laid a plate in the sink along with the rest of the dishes then rushed off to Darya's room.

He walked into her room and looked over the deep blue walls he helped her paint a few summers ago. The seash.e.l.ls they had collected over the years laid on her dresser and a few shelves. Pictures littered the walls of their adventures over the last thirteen years. They had been best friends since they were two years old when Marty and his fathers moved into the town.

He began going through her closet and room, he knew the room like the back of his hand. He had spent just as many nights here as his own house and she knew his house just as well. Tossing some shoes aside he finds what she's been looking for in the dark corner of her closet.

"Dar found them." He said as he came out of the closet and met her b.u.t.t that was in the air as she looked on the other side of her bed by the wall.

"Darya!" He shouted so she would get out of the crack between her bed and the wall. She clumsily got out from in between the crack and smiled at him.

"Yes! Are you ready to go diving?" She asked excited to be in the sea again and so was Marty. Their parents always told them they had to be part fish since they loved to be in the water so much.

Darya and Marty began to slip on their wetsuits after stripping down when her mother came in with a smile plastered across her face from a joke Ramon had just told her.

"Darya don't forget to take the bandages off before slapping that suit on yourself. Your rash needs the salt.w.a.ter, it seems to be the only thing that helps it." Denise reminded her as Darya was nearly dressed. Marty zipped the back of his suit up and gathered the rest of the supplies they needed to go diving. Masks, snorkels, fins, and flashlights for when they go really deep he had even brought his headlamps so they didn't have to hold them this time.

"How is your rash doing? Between that and asthma, it's almost like you're allergic to the air around you." Marty jokes earning a punch in the arm from Darya. Wincing he gave her a shot back before heading to the living room.

Darya bent down to her s.h.i.+ns and peeled the bandages off her calves and the front of her s.h.i.+ns. The rash looked red, puffy, and angry. She was so ready to soak it in some cold seawater, for her it seemed to cure everything. She had been swimming since she was about a year old. Her mother joined her for cla.s.ses when she was little so that when they went to the beach that was just outside their back door, she would know her daughter knew how to swim.

She was an excellent swimmer, best on the high school team and she even took up scuba diving. But since she didn't have an air tank of her own they would have to just snorkel like they always did. It was nearing the end of April and it was an unusually hot day which made for some good ocean temperature so they would have a good time.

"Okay, I'm ready to go if you are Marty." She called for him as she exited her bedroom. When she looked up she saw the four people in there staring at her with weird grins on their faces.

"What? Did I not zip the suit up all the way?" She asked as she reached for the long piece of fabric to zip it up.

"No sweetie, we have a surprise for you. I know you said no presents but this was something we all went in on and we think you'll love it." Her mother walked up to her and grabbed her by the hand. They all led her to the back door and outside. They walked in front of her until they arrived at the sand buggy parked on the side of the house. The only time Denise used her actual car was when she needed to go out of town for work, otherwise, they usually used the sand buggy.

"You wanted to show me the sand buggy I use nearly every day?" She asked the four of them and they just laughed.

"No silly, this is something all four of us have been working on for quite a while since you started your scuba lessons." After Michael told her that her heart began to beat faster and faster. She couldn't believe what she was about to be shown...

"Happy birthday baby," Denise said as she revealed the one thing Darya has been wanting for so long. A real scuba diving air tank with all of its gear.

"Oh my G.o.d!" She shouted, noting there was a second one for Marty to join her on their underwater adventures. She was so excited that she began to cough and her breath became labored and short. She started to hyperventilate and before she could cough out 'inhaler' she began to have an asthma attack.

"Oh c.r.a.p, quick Marty run in the house and get her inhaler!" Denise shouted knowing that she wouldn't have it in her suit since it would get damaged in the salt.w.a.ter.

She let Darya lean on her while the attack was happening and Marty ran back to them just as quick as he left them. He tossed the inhaler to her so she didn't have to wait for him to get over there. Denise quickly put the inhaler between Darya's lips and gave her one puff of medicine and after that one was held in she puffed it a second time allowing more medicine to enter her lungs and expand them.

After about two minutes Darya was fine and standing up again.

"Sorry everyone, I guess I got too excited and couldn't breathe. Won't happen again, let's go diving!" She said, excited to try out her new air tank and accessories that came with it.

"Here, I brought my headlights so we don't have to hold anything. We're going so much deeper than we've been. Maybe we'll find something new today?" Marty told her as he rummaged through the bag for the face mask and headlamps. Pulling them out he handed one of each to Darya as they walked with their parents to the edge of the sh.o.r.e.

Darya and Denise's house was just off the sh.o.r.e of the ocean. She was grateful for the house she was able to grow up in. Her mother got the house right before she was born after her apartment lease ran out six months after she had moved in. She was even able to finish college and get the job Denise had always wanted despite the accidental pregnancy and the missing father.

They arrived at the docks where their family boat was tied up. Michael, Ramon, and Denise joined them. Michael started the boat and they were off to the last place they had swum in only last week. They liked to keep up with where they had last swum so they could keep exploring and not go over the same place over and over.

"Okay kids, be safe and remember your training. Your lines will stay up here while we chat. If you have any trouble click your radios that we've put on your suits." Denise spoke over the wind that was starting to pick up. The kids had their masks down and the hoods of their suits up, they were ready. They both gave a thumbs up and took one last look at each other before they fell back into the ocean.