STITCHES - S. HARRINGTON

03

the case of the missing lifeguard

♛

The sun beating down on the four friends was enough to melt them all. Scarlett and Ben sat by the pool, enjoying their day off while laughing with one another. Ben had brought his friend Sam along as well. Scarlett had grown to quite like Sam in the short time she'd known him, and he'd grown to like her. As they were people-watching, a certain person walking out of the dark caught their eye.

"Is that Billy Hargrove?" Val asked in disbelief as she placed her book on the table next to her.

"Since when did Billy Hargrove become a lifeguard?" Ben scoffed, Sam quirking an eyebrow as he watched Billy shield himself from the light.

"I always thought his ego was too overinflated to actually get a job. I guess he just likes yelling at little kids then." Scarlett's eyes followed in the direction Sam was looking, the two sharing a look of confusion.

"What's going on with him?" Sam nodded towards the mullet boy. "He's sweating buckets."

"Well um, it's like a hundred degrees out. That's kind of what happens when you're standing in the sun." Val shrugs, shaking her head at Sam's concern.

"He got out here two minutes ago, there's no way he could sweat that much in that small amount of time." Sam stated.

"Maybe.. he just has a sweating problem." Scarlett reasoned with a shrug, trying to rule out every other possibility to convince herself nothing really was wrong. But one look at Ben caused panic to course through her veins, she knew from the look he was giving her, they were both thinking the same thing.

Turning back to Billy, they watched as he stumbled down the poolside, looking every which way. As he came to their chairs, he shot Scarlett a look she'd never received from him before. A look of malice, but also a look a fear. She furrowed her brows as her three friends glanced between the two in confusion. Billy had tripped away, and Scarlett writhed in discomfort, the look he gave her engraved in her mind.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Val questioned, shaking Scarlett out of her daze. All of their eyes were on her, waiting for an explanation.

"I have no idea what to tell you." Scarlett shook her head, looking between the three of them. They were all looking at her as if she had five heads, as if she was keeping something from them. "Guys, I literally don't know."

"Whatever you say." Sam said as if he were trying to uncover something. Scarlett glared at him, causing his hands to shoot up in surrender. "I'm joking. I'm joking!"

"Well if it isn't my favorite neighbors!" Steve announced as he jogged up alongside Robin, standing in front of the friends. His eyes drifted to an unfamiliar face, Sam. "And this.. random dude.."

"He's not random, Steve." Scarlett laughed, rolling her eyes and earning a glare from Steve.

"I'm Sam, nice to meet you." Sam sat up, leaning forward and offering a hand for Steve to take.

"Handsome and has manners." Steve mumbled, audible to no one in the group. His eyes flickered to Scarlett for a moment before turning back to Sam.

"Sorry, what was that?" Sam asked the standing boy, who seemed to be off in his own world.

"Oh, nothing." Steve waved him off before taking his hand and firmly shaking it. "Nice to meet you too, Sam." Sam looked at him with furrowed brows, the tone his name was said in spoken with a slightly odd tone.