Insanity

Chapter 3

The deep voice echoed through the empty pool once again. “What are you doing in here?” Bee looked up away from Nick and struggled to escape his arms. She twisted her neck to get a look at the man, short and stocky with salt and pepper hair on the sides of his head. 

He sat at the pool office, and was in charge of letting people in through the main doors, and often instructed swimming lessons for the little kids. She was about fifty percent sure his name was Mr. Blinkman. 

“Answer my question!” 

Bee turned around to look at Nick, who's eyes suddenly seem to brighten with excitement as he leapt out of the pool and made a break for the side door, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind him. 

“STOP!” Mr Blinkman roared as he chased after Nick who was sprinting like a cheetah towards the main building. 

He completely forgot to acknowledge Bee who sat dead center half naked in the swimming pool. 

Bee sat there in the water staring out the window, watching Mr. Blinkman’s little legs carry him as fast as they could in attempts to catch Nick. 

It didn’t occur to Bee for a few moments that it was now her time to run. 

She moved as fast as she possibly could through the water and over to her clothes. She sighed, thinking about how her clothes would feel if she put them on completely wet. 

She looked at her t-shirt and jeans and immediately tossed them into the towel bin, putting on her graduation robe. She tried to ring out as much of her hair as she could and pushed open the doors to the outside as she pulled on her shoes. 

She scanned the lawn for teachers and Nick, none of which were in sight. She debated wether or not going to search for Nick was the best idea, until she realized that they were already calling off the S last names, and she would surely miss her name if she searched for him. Not that it matterd if she got the stupid piece of paper, she just wanted the satisfaction of knowing she made it through. 

She wasn’t worried about him being expelled this time, and it was a relief knowing that she didn’t have to attempt to make up some story and give a million excuses why he shouldn't be in trouble. She had done that enough times in her life. 

She began to walk back toward the stands, and Bee had to admit, the feeling got the wind under her robes was an extraordinary sensation she would never be able to describe. The sun on her pale face and the cool breeze was a gorgeous feeling.

Parents with their young children and graduates walked around, some of the parents crying. There were people bringing bleacher chairs and coolers full of pop, sandwiches, goldfish, and grapes. 

Grandpas in sunglasses and vizors wandered the grass and kids ran around chasing each other  with popsicles in their hands. 

The kids who offered to run the concessions stand were running around in the little tent yelling at each other and messing up orders. 

Every time a name was called a round of applause was drawn from the audience. 

Bee continued her walk to the stands when she was almost knocked over by somebody reaching out for her hand. “The hell!” She staggered backward trying to keep her balance. “Jesus Christ.” She steadied herself as a few parents from nearby gave her a nasty look. 

“I got away with it.” Nick had this wild look on his face and was still half naked. “I ran around the track field and into the ice rink. He gave up.” 

“Put some clothes on.” Bee looked at him with a look that could only be described as motherly. 

“I left them back in there, and just imagine if I graduated like this. I would be a legend.” Nick looked off toward the sands who had progressed to the U’s . 

“You would be ‘The -Kid-Who-Graduated-Half-Naked-and-Outran-a-Teacher’” “Bee put a hand on her hip and raised on eyebrow. 

“Well then. Look at it this way, I won’t have any tan lines.” He mocked Bee’s stance as kids started to stare. 

Nick was approached by a middle aged woman with dyed hair, bad roots, and a mom haircut and told to ‘put his damn clothes on you're making our children uncomfortable’, to which Nick gave her the finger and began his walk back to the sands. 

“You are a crazy stupid.” Bee caught up with him, almost in tears laughing. “She freaked out and left, that lady.” 

“That was the goal.” Nick smiled with all of his teeth as he took his original spot in the stands and Bee took hers, glancing bak at him from time to time. 

Her name was called. She took her diploma as a mediocre round of applause was given, and Nick’s screams of excitement from behind him. Still, nobody had asked him to change.

Be sat back down in the stands and opening her diploma. Nothing special was printed across the front, except for her name and the mascot, a pirate, proudly stamped in the corner. 

When Nick’s name was called, the principals eyes widened as she watched him approach the stairs and stand up on the podium, an uproar of laughter and applause from the audience, and people usurping him off stage. 

Bee stood up and cheered, watching him being asked to leave the grounds.