It started out as an innocent lake trip. No parents, no rules, no boundaries...it was pure freedom. What else could three sixteen-year-old teenagers want? We were three hours away from home but instead of being worried, we were excited. Finally, we were able to handle things on our own, think for ourselves, and have a chance at proving how "grown-up" we could be. Little did we know that the events that were in store for us that day would truly put our strength to the test.
             Although it happened two years ago, I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was the 24th of May, the day I had envisioned as my initiation to my first summer of independence. Three long hours of singing, gossiping, and endless giggles finally ended with our arrival to the lake. The three of us, Lauren, Jordan, and myself, expected this day to be memorable and full of adventure. We had no idea that fate also planned the day to be memorable but on a drastically different scale then what we had intended.
             "Hey! There it is!" yelled Lauren pointing to the campsite that bordered the still, calm waters of the Texoma lake. I looked out the smudged window and saw our friends loitering around the campsite waiting for our arrival. Jordan threw the car in park and we bounded out full of glee and anticipation, ready to embark upon the first day of our sixteenth summer.
             The boys started unpacking while us girls decided to work on our tans. After a few minutes of lying on the dock, I felt beads of sweat form on my forehead. The heat from the sun was blistering hot; I couldn't remember the last time the temperature had been so high. Boy, I'm going to burn today, I thought to myself as I looked down at my pale skin and glanced back at the sun. I had no clue how ironic this idea actually would be.
             "Let's go to the beach," said Jordan as she readjusted her bikini top, "this dock is so uncomfortable"....