It was summer. School had been out for about two months. Goten, Averi, and Trunks had shared many adventures together. A special day was coming up for Goten, and Averi and Trunks had planned a suprise for him.
“So you got everything ready?” Trunks and Averi were on the phone.
“Yeah. It’s all set.” she said.
“Okay. You do your part and I’ll do mine. See ya this afternoon.” Trunks said and he hung up.
After school, Averi sought out Goten. “Hey! Goten!” “Hey! What’s up?”.
“Well...”Averi said, “I hear you’re pretty good with plants and things like that.”
“Yeah. I’m okay, I guess.” he replied.
“Well, see, I got this project due where I have to find different plant samples, like leaves. I have their names, but I don’t know what to look for. I thought if you could help, we could go up to our lake and look around. Will ya help me?”
“Yeah. Sure, why not?” Goten said. “Hop on.”, and he pointed to his back.
They reached the lake in record time and began to, um, investigate the surrounding foliage. “Hmm...Japanese Maple. Here it is!” Goten exclaimed. “I found a Sweet Gum!” called Averi. Goten saw what she was reaching for. “No! that’s poison ivy!
They continued their search for, um, leaves. Then Goten realized that he was alone. “Averi! Hey! Where’d ya go?!” “I’m over here! Just follow my voice!” Goten did so and soon found himself walking on a narrow foot path. He followed it and ended up at a wide, swiftly flowing river. “Averi! Where are you?” Goten heard something behind him. He readied himself for defense, if needed. “SUPRISE!!!!”, and out jumped Trunks and Averi. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” They lead Goten up onto a large, flat rock. He was so shocked by what he saw, he almost fell off. “Whoa! You did all this?! I mean...I just...This is GREAT!!” He stared at picnic blanket, covered with plates of food. “I don’t deserve this!” “Yeah, we know!” laughed Trunks. “Well...what are you guys waiting for? Let’s eat!” Averi said and she cut up the chocolate birthday cake.
“Oh, man! That was good cake!” said Trunks, and he patted his stomach. “You made all this food yourself?” Goten asked Averi. “Yeah. I stayed up all night making all of it. I’m not that good of a cook. I practically ruined the kitchen.” she said. “Sure could have fooled me.” remarked Trunks. Averi blushed. “Thanks! Okay, now it’s time to open presents.” She handed Goten her gift. It was a really small and in a flat box. “It’s not much. We didn’t have any money to give you anything descent. We hope you like it though.” Goten tore away the paper and opened the package. “Hey! It’s us!” he said, and held up a small picture frame with the three friends enclosed in it. The picture was taken from their recent outing of when they spent a day at the beach. A big grin spread across Goten’s face as he looked at the picture. “Thanks!” “Now for the big suprise!” Trunks walked over behind another rock and dragged out a raft, equipped with oars. “Rafting?! We’re going rafting?! Awesome!” Goten exclaimed. They put on helmets and life jackets and pushed the raft into the river. Trunks stared down into the rushing water. “Man! This river is deeper than I thought! I can’t even see the bottom!” . They casted off and were swept away with the current. The ride was excellent. They didn’t really have to paddle, except to keep the raft on course. They just let the flow of the river carry them. They hit a few small rapids and Trunks got wet. Averi and Goten laughed at the site of their drenched friend. “You look like a drowned rat!” Goten snorted. Eventually they came to a fork in the river. “Which way do we go?” called Goten over the rush of water. Trunks pulled the map from his vest pocket. He’d mapped out the course earlier, but it had gotten wet and the line telling them which way to go had smeared. “I can’t make it out!” he called back. He tried to remember what way he’d marked out. “I think we turn left!”. They paddled the raft down the chosen direction. That was a mistake. Immediately the current sped up and the rapids became more violent. “I think we should have gone the other way!!” yelled Averi. They were having a hard time keeping the raft under control. The group hit a particularly rough rapid, and Averi was tossed over board. She screamed as she was launched several yards into the air and she hit the water, striking her head on a rock with a crack. “Averi!!!!” the boys yelled. They couldn’t see her. “I’m going under! You stay up here, in case she comes up!” ,and Trunks threw off his life vest and helmet and plunged into the cold, mountain water.
He felt as if he were suspended in time. He had to do this fast before he ran out of air. Trunks peered into the inky, underwater world. He saw a flash of something. Averi! Trunks powered up and blasted upstream against the current. He stopped suddenly in sheer shock at what he saw. It was Averi, and she was struggling to get her foot free from something. It looked like an old, sunken log. Suddenly, she gave several frantic yanks, the became limp and lifeless. “O crap!” thought Trunks. He blasted the log with an energy bomb, and caught Averi’s body as she was swept down stream. “Umph!” he grunted as he shot a beam to the river bottom, and they shot upwards. “Huhh...puhhh...huhh...” , Trunks gasped and he flew to the bank and gently laid Averi’s body down. Goten flew over to where his friends were. “Is she all right?” he desperately asked. “She has a pulse...but she’s not breathing!” Trunks croaked. “We have to get her breathing again. Do you know mouth-to-mouth?” Goten asked. “No...not enough to save anyone’s life!” “Okay then. Trunks, push here when I say so.” Goten covered her mouth and began to breath into her lungs. “Now...push below her ribs.” Trunks shoved his weight down on his fists and pushed on Averi’s diaphragm. Nothing happened. “Try again, man!” Goten breathed and Trunks pressed once more. This time her eyes opened wide and she rolled over on to her knees and coughed up the water that was in her lungs. She sat there, taking in the God-given oxygen. There was a sharp pain at her right temple. She reached her hand up and brought it back to her eyes. Blood, and lots of it. Then Averi collapsed from exhaustion.