Lifesaver | Nick & Charlie

What Is This Feeling?

Nick Nelson

"So, are you ready to swim?" I offered once we reached the wharf. His eyes drifted down to the water and he nodded. I removed my shirt, chucking it behind me, waiting for him to do the same, but his eyes remained glued on the water. Maybe he had a fear of it. "You don't have to swim if you don't want to."

"Uh..." Charlie hummed, biting his lip. "Can I just wear my shirt?"

My eyebrows furrowed, but I hummed in agreement. Why was he still uncomfortable around me? Was I really that difficult to open up around?

We made our way to the end of the wharf. The sun was starting to set, and the wind was starting to pick up, setting a cold atmosphere for the autumn weather.

"Maybe this isn't the best idea," Charlie declared, watching where little waves crashed against the wooden legs holding the platform up.

"It'll be fine," I reassured him, knocking our shoulders together. "Rock paper scissors for who jumps in first." He scoffed, but held his hand out to play anyway. Straight away, he won. "Best out of three?"

He laughed, a sound I found myself enjoying listening to. "No. You lost. Get in the water, jock."

I accepted my defeat at that, but when I lined up to jump in, an idea popped into my head. Right as I was about to jump, I grabbed onto Charlie, pulling him in with me.

We both hit the cold but not unbearable water with a splash. As soon as I resurfaced, Charlie splashed water straight into my face.

"What was that for?!" he exclaimed, but thankfully without any malice, causing us both to laugh.

"That's what you get for calling me a jock, nerd," I returned, getting splashed in the face again.

"How dare you," he gasped, starting a splashing war between us.

We carried on with splashing each other in the face and laughing for a couple of minutes until calling a truce. The next couple of minutes was just spent with us in peaceful silence watching as the sun set over the water.

I always liked autumn sunsets better than the rest. The light shined off the water as the colours mixed together in the sky. A panicked shriek distracted me from the scene, my eyes immediately sought out Charlie with my own panic.

"Something just touched my leg. I am out," he declared, swimming over to the ladder quickly, making me crack up in laughter, following him out. By the time I'd joined him back on the wharf, water dripping off both of us, he was laughing a little too.

"I forgot to tell you that these huge fish swim up close to the shore during dusk," I teased, laughing harder at his cringe.

"Ew." His cringe morphed into a small smile at my amusement by it.

I noticed him start to shiver, and realised my mistake in not bringing any towels as goosebumps spread across my own skin.

"Let's go inside and get changed," I suggested, getting a nod in response. "I'll race you," I offered, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Oh, you'll race me?" he cockily responded, piquing my interest.

I sprinted toward the house, him immediately following after me. Somewhere near the end, he overtook me, getting onto the porch first and hardly breathed heavily after stopping.

"How are you so fast?" I breathed out, reasonably shocked. I played rugby, for goodness sake, and he was still much quicker than me.

"I don't know," he said casually with a shrug like it wasn't honestly impressive.