By Bella

Waiting in line at the high dive, I felt my stomach tighten. I was as scared as a dog in a thunderstorm. The next person jumped. Then it was my turn. Oh no, I thought. I started climbing the ladder, feeling my stomach tighten even more. Don’t look down, I advised myself. When I got to the top of the diving board, my friend Olivia called out, “You can jump now!”

Part of me didn’t want to jump, but the other half did. My heart was thumping out of my chest. I took a deep breath, slowly walked to the edge of the high dive, took another deep breath, jumped up and out, then fell. I felt like I was falling 50 feet.  “Ahhhhhhh!!!” I cried. I was flying!

When I hit the water I heard the pshhhh as I hit and felt the water soak into my swimsuit.

I didn’t know why I had screamed. I loved it! It was the best day at the pool ever—as awesome as getting a new beagle. I swam to the edge of the water knowing then and there that I would never be afraid jumping off the high dive again.

Bella, 10, is going into 5th grade. She loves reading Harry Potter, riding horses, and all nature. Bella also enjoys writing fantasy and fiction. She would like to have a fantasy book published in the future and wants to be a rancher.