Take 2 Times 2? Future Book 3?

5. Swimming with the fish

I was put down in the pool and the water came up to me chest. Husky was standing right in front of me, and the water was only to his waist. I felt so small next to him, but that didn't matter to me, not right then. What mattered to me was finding that fish. I was going to pay it back for soaking me in the first place.

"Puppy, where fish go?" I asked Husky as I was looking all around for it. But it wasn't in sight.

"You mean Sassy? It's around somewhere and so are its friends. You can play with them if you want. I'm told they're friendly as long as you don't try to hurt them."

I looked at him, tilted my head "I no hur'. I ketz it an see if it like to be spwashed." I jumped to the side of him and dove under the water.

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Husky's POV

He jumped to my side and dove in the water. I watched as he went straight to the deep end of the pool. I looked over to the guys and asked, "Is he going to be ok swimming like that?" Panther looked a little shocked and started to stand up, but Bear stopped him and said, "He's fine. If he flounders, then you can get him. O yeah, he's a better swimmer than you are. I don't care what training you've had." He went as far as to look at his watch and started his stopwatch.

A minute and a half later Max came up holding Sassy the fish. I didn't think that was possible. No one has ever caught that fish. He kept it under the water in one hand, then he said what only a kid would, "Oo no pwash. Oo be nice an' we pway, k? Oo go hide an' I ketz oo." Then he tossed the fish into the deep end.

He took a deep breath and chased the fish again. This kept happening for about 30 minutes. Sometimes he would chase the fish. And others, the fish would chase him. I ended up sitting on the steps of the pool just watching. It was acrobatics under water, then the fish was going after Max. I would see him dart off one direction then bend his body in half so the fish would just miss him.

Finally, Max slowed. He turned his body so it looked like he was lying on his back under the water. He had his arms and legs spread out and just stopped. I thought that I was going to have to go in after him. As I was starting to get up I noticed him starting to float to the top, but he was moving faster than he should have been able to.

Arms and legs still spread wide; he broke the surface without a splash. The water rippled out from where he had come up, but that was all. He laid there on the top of the water without moving for some time. Then he took a breath and his whole body seemed to just relax. He went completely limp, and yet he still floated there. As he floated the water seemed to move him to the center of the pool. Once he was there he opened his eyes to look straight up at the stars.

I didn't move a muscle as I watched this all happen. The guys behind me had been talking to each other until Max had surfaced. Now, all was quiet. All was still. Not a sound could be heard except for our own heartbeats and breathing. It was like being in a sound dampening box. It was absolutely silent.

After a good 10 minutes of nothing Max tapped the water with one of his fingers. I thought nothing about it until he started to move. He was just lying there, but his body moved. The water was moving him straight at me. He was coming at me headfirst, and I thought he was going to ram me. I brought my arms around to catch him, but right before I would have been able to, Sassy and the other fish swam away dropping Max in the water.

Max stood up, the water only coming up to his waist and said, "I really needed that. Thank you, Husky. Thank you so very much." He walked to me and gave me a hug. On instinct I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him back, to say that I was shocked would have been a complete and utter understatement.