Chapter Two

Ernest made it back home and started searching for his key. After searching for about a good minute, he realized it probably dropped in the water. He let out a frustrated groan and banged on the door as loud as he could. The door swung up to reveal a frustrated middle aged woman on the other side.

"Excuse me, but- Oh my God, Ernest! What happened to you?!" Ernest's mother, Amy, said.

"I slipped over Deadmans bridge.." He mumbled, making Amy gasp.

"My God, how did you get out? You can't swim." Ernest started to feel annoyed at his mom for pointing out the obvious, but also annoyed that he still couldn't quite picture the face of the girl who saved his life.

"I was lucky enough to fall close to land and pull myself up." He lied. "Mom, I'm okay, really. I just really need a shower." Amy nodded and started to walk to his room. "I can get my own clothes, ma." Amy stopped in her tracks and twiddled her thumbs.

"Oh right.. You don't like when I pick out your clothes anymore.." She mumbled before walking into the kitchen to continue washing dishes. Ernest walked to the phone and dialed his friend Michael.

"Hello?"

"Michael, come over. You won't believe what the hell just happened to me." Ernest stated.

"Can't it wait? I'm supposed to be having a little fun with Stacy." Ernest rolled his eyes as he could just Michael's stupid face; that huge goofy smile and wiggling his eyebrows like the biggest freak he'd ever seen.

"Don't you two just have a class project to do together? You haven't even asked Stacy out because you stutter too much." Michael frowned at Ernest's words.

"Can't you let a guy dream? Jeez." Michael retorted.

"Whatever, I need a shower anyway. Just get over here, fast."

"Roger that." He said before Ernest hung up. Ernest walked to his room to get a change of clothes and go into the shower. He turned on the water and made sure it was nice and warm. He removed his wet clothes to his relief and got into the shower for about twenty minutes before he stepped out. He dried off and put his dry clothes on.

"Ernest, your friend is here!"

"Thanks, coming!" He responded. He left his towel on his head since his hair was still wet and left the bathroom. "Michael, my room." He said, making Michael get off the couch and follow Ernest.

"What happened?" He asked. Ernest closed and locked his door.

"Dude, I almost died, literally." Michael's eyes widened.

"What? How?" He asked.

"I slipped on Deadmans bridge and fell into the water.'

"Holy shit, well, how'd you get out?" He asked knowing Ernest couldn't swim.

"A girl jumped into the water and helped me. A Black girl." Ernest added, making Michael stare at him in confusion.

"Liar, Black people don't like getting their hair wet." Ernest glared at him.

"For the hundredth time, they're not all the same." Michael held his hands up in defeat. "Anyways, after she helped me, I passed out. By the time I came to, I saw her running off in a blue dress, a blue bow and a bulky bag. I didn't get a good look at her face though and.." Michael raised an eyebrow.

"And what?"

"And, I want to find her." I said, making Michael frown.

He hated that Ernest always felt the need to chase after things without knowing what exactly he was chasing for in the first place.

"How the actual fuck do you think we're gonna find that girl in this town? You don't know what she looks like and there’s black girls all over this town."

"Yeah, but not all of them are wearing a blue dress and bow today.." Ernest mumbled, making him shake his head.

"What if we don't find her today, huh? Then what? And what do you need to find her for anyway?" He asked.

"Then I'll look for clues, any clues and because I want to thank her. I don't know a lot of girls who's half my size try to save a guy who could have taken her down with him."

"So? Ever heard of lifeguards?"

"They get paid to do that. I'm telling you man, there's no one out there like her. I want to find her, so please help me." He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Fine, if you promise to let me copy your math homework for the next month." He rolled his eyes as he smirked.

"Fine, but dude try to get some of them wrong. Mrs. Lloyd is getting suspicious." He nodded.

"Alright waterboy, let's go find your new obsession." He said as he walked out of my room.

"Not an obsession." Ernest added as he walked out behind him and closed his door. They left the house and started to walk to Deadmans bridge.

"So, when did you last see this girl?" Ernest pointed to the bridge.

"On the other side of that bridge. She ran that way." Ernest said.

"Okay and dude, please don't slip again. I don't feel like getting wet."

"Whatever.." Ernest mumbled. They carefully walked over the bridge and got to the otherside. They continued walking for about ten minutes before they noticed a house and balloons.

"Woah, it's a party. Look at that banner." Michael pointed out.

"Happy birthday, Ariel." Ernest read to himself.

Is that her name? He wondered.

"Is that her?" Michael asked while pointing to a black girl in a blue dress and bow, making Ernest smile.

"Yeah, that is her." Ernest was going to yell to get her attention, but what's her name?

Is it Ariel? Is this party for someone else? Everyone is pretty dressed up.

Ernest couldn't help, but ask himself a series of questions as he thought about the girl who saved his life.

"Look, she's going to the back. Let's sneak back there." Ernest nodded and they walked into the woods to get to the picket fence surrounding the backyard. Michael hopped the fence first and Ernest went second, but then he saw the girl with the blue dress stare at him with complete awe, making him fall face first into the grass.

"Oh my goodness!" She yelled.

"Ariel, are you okay?!" A woman yelled.

"I'm fine. Just got startled by a bee!" Ariel ran over to him as Ernest sat up and sat on the ground feeling both the pain and the intense embarrassment of doing something so stupid in front of Ariel.

"Are you okay? This is the second time you hurt yourself.. I'm starting to think you do it on purpose." Michael let out a snicker as Ernest's eyes widened.

"No, I'm not like that at all. I'm just not the most careful person.." Ernest said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Um-"

"Oh, that cut on your face.. I'll be right back. Don't you move, now." Ariel ran off into her home, leaving Michael and Ernest outside.

"You need to make this quick. Anyone can come back here at any moment." Michael stated.

"So? What's the big deal? I just wanted to tell her thank you."

"Yeah sure. The black family with literally no white people here wouldn't think it's weird that we're here. We'd be better off leaving-"

"I'm back.' Ariel said. Ariel ran to Ernest and got on her knees. "Now hold still. I'm going to disinfect it and put a bandaid on it." Ariel gently patted the cut with a cotton ball filled with alcohol, making Ernest hiss in pain. After Ariel did that, she put a bandaid on the cut. "There you go, good as new." She said, making him smile. "Now what are you doing here and how'd you know I live here? Do I need to call the police?"

Both Ernest and Michael's eyes widened at how quickly that escalated.

"No, please don't.."

"Also, wouldn't it be a little late for that?" Michael mumbled.

"My friend Frankie lives next door. I called him to tell him to take pictures of these suspicious white men snooping in the woods and in my backyard and to call the police if something seemed weird. You two aren't very discreet." Their jaws dropped. "I'm sorry, but times are pretty hard for people like me." Ernest shook his head and stood up; he offered his hand to her and she took it.

"We didn't come here to hurt anyone. We came here because I wanted to say thank you. You saved my life, uh, Ariel, right?" Ariel nodded. "I really appreciate you saving my life. I would have died if you weren't there, Ariel." Ariel gave him the shyest smile as her eyes gently fell to the ground.

She's so cute, Ernest thought.

"Well, you're very welcome. I only did what was right. Are you boys hungry? I can make you a plate." Ariel offered and just as Ernest was going to say yes, Michael said no.

"Thank you so much for saving my friend and the hospitality, but we really should get going. It was great meeting you Ariel." Michael said.

"Wait, can I have your number? Please?" Michaels eyes widened at Ernest in surprise.

"Oh, well sure." Ariel said. Ariel told Ernest her number.

“Uh, is there anyway I can get that written somewhere?” Ernest asked. Ariel nodded in understanding and got a pen, but to Ernest's surprise, Ariel wrote it on his arm, rather than paper. Ernest appreciated it either way. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome, um.. oh-” Ariel said as she realized she didn't know his name and Ernest picked up on that.

"Ernest. My name is Ernest." She smiled.

"Well, you definitely live up to your name." Ernest smiled.

"Thanks. Bye Ariel."

"Goodbye Ernest." She turned away and walked toward the front yard.