Free Barbie Girl (Baby Doll Series) by Heidi Acosta Page B

gummy bears because she cannot eat the green ones, shouldn’t that be my job as fake boyfriend. “The only way you are getting me in that water is if you jump off the top of the falls,” I say. She can go back to ignoring me for all I care. So far no drunken football player has attempted it yet. It is still early. Barbie pouts and looks up at the fall.
    “Fine,” she stands up and starts walking.
    “What? No I was kidding.” I lie back on the blanket and cover my eyes with my arm, a headache beginning to form in my temples.
    “Dude if she dies it is all on you,” Third says. I drop my arm. Barbie is standing on a rock that juts out over the falls.
    “What the hell I was kidding,” I stand up. Chants of her name start. Fuck. Her hands are on her hips as she sizes up the situation. I start to jog up to her. If she dies… shit . I don’t think a girl has ever jumped off. It is a tradition for new football players to jump. I have seen the broken arms and the staples in heads. They are built for injures like that, but Barbie is a so small compared to them. What will happen to her if she jumps? I can hear my mom now “how could you let that happen to that poor sweet girl? Dylan. I race up to the top where she stands. Third is right if she dies jumping off it is entirely my fault.
    “What are you doing,” I lean over and gasp for air as when I reach her.
    “ Seeing where to aim when I jump, I think that’s the spot.” She points to the dark center of the pool below us. Holy crap we are high .
    “Don’t be stupid,” I say.
    She glares at me, and starts to undress. “What are you doing?”
    She shimmies out of her dress letting it fall to the ground, and she is not wearing a bathing suit. Holy shit . I run my hand over my face. She is about to jump off the falls in a blue bra and purple panties. The pink strip of hair blows across her face. She reminds me of a fruit salad with all her rainbow colors. “Don’t do this, do you know what they are going to think?” I gesture to the crowd below us chanting her name.
    Her eyes narrow, “You care so much what they think of you.” I do. “I already told you I don’t care what they think,” she stands up straighter with her hands perched on her hips.
    “Fine but don’t do this I don’t want everyone thinking I am going out with the crazy girl who jumps off water falls in her underwear.” I don’t want to be part of the rumors that fly around about her.
    “Jump with me,” she holds out her hand. Her delicate hand grasps for me. We stare at each other. I don’t take her hand, she sighs letting it drop to her side, and she takes off running.
    I panic , and run after her , I mean to grab her hand and pull her back, our hands connect and I am falling. Time slows down, and I look over at Barbie. Her teal blue eyes match the sky around us, drinking in our surroundings as we free fall; she looks like she is flying, the sun behind her make her glow. She reminds me of the angel charm my grandmother used to wear. She is an angel. She is beautiful. We cut through the cold water and the air is pressed out of my lungs. I am disoriented not sure which way is up or down. I am lost in a watery world of green. I will be the one to die today. She is my angel of death, and I am going to die, she brought me to meet my death. As if she heard me she swims next to me her hair swimming wildly around her, she smiles at me. Swimming over to me; she cups my face in her hands and kisses me on the mouth. I am stunned as I watch her kiss me. My body floats limply in the green world around me. She is pulling me down. She releases me breaking the kiss and kicks up toward the surface, not once looking back. I follow her. Cheers and hoots are heard as we break the surface. She is floating on her back looking up at our near-death experience we just shared.
    “That was amazing! It was like we were flying.” I think she says, but I cannot be sure.
    * * *
    Monday morning and the rumors of her