The boy knows me.
Anonymous
Drip... drop... drip....
Little drops of water slip from my drenched swim shorts, that familiar smell of chlorine taints the area.
Gently, I flicked the water droplet threatening to slip from my hair, before sitting down on a folding chair. The metal burning my thighs from the thermal energy, due to the sun. It was getting cooler out since school was around the corner, although it was still hot enough you'd see kids with short sleeves and shorts. I live in California, the golden state, my golden state. I'm 17, moving onto 18. My life is in its early stages of adult, but Im a mess, a complete, utter mess.
I was a pool attendant, basically the janitor but in pool terms. I'd remembered the first day I was here, after I was left on my own to my actual first day on the job, for the most part it was an empty pool that day, and I was standing around like I was waiting for someone to tell me to do something, I knew what I needed to do but I always needed someone to submit my decisions for me, afraid I'd mess up.
I'd always been the kid to push myself to get a job at my youngest, thinking it would make me "A dollar richer than you." Compared to everyone else. I had the mentality you'd be rich if you got a job at a young age and saved it, as I'd been doing since I hit 14. Plus I always liked water, the way the waves feel around you- splashing, the evident taste of salt, or the smell of chlorine, even being around it even if I couldn't be in it, made me feel exhilarated.
"Hey! Enough of that, Before I take you out the pool!" I was broken from my concentration when I heard Kylis shouting at the group of tiny boys in the pool, or at least they looked tiny from the current distance. Kylis, a pretty short boy, yeah but literally. Pretty boy, long eyelashes, toned body and messy dyed auburn hair- that's completely fried from the dye and the chlorine that somehow finds a way through his swimming cap, I was convicted he'd be bald like Mr. clean by 27.
He also has blue eyes, attractive enough he'd get a pass for being so damn short, like John Hutcherson. My auntie, Raquel had raised him, we'd met when I came over to Raquel's house to play in the trampoline she'd installed when mom drove me there on the weekend while on her way to run errands. We've been, what?... friends for as long as I could remember, or age 5.
He was yelling at a group of boys after one had left his friends head in the water for bit too long, who only pulled their head up with struggled laugh, his mouth had practically been gargled with chlorine water, I felt like I was watching a movie for a brief moment. A group of five boys, ones I didn't know. One thing I did know was jealously, jealously because I knew I'd never be the type of person to have enough humor or personality to be surrounded by that many people, or at least it was a lot for me.
One seemed to be on his weird phase, his hair was a dark green, and his eye were brown and I could see black and green swimming trunks. The other, A seemingly Korean boy, and it was guessable from his South Korean sign on his swimming trunks, mono-lid dark brown eyes, wet and soggy dark brown hair, he seemed slightly chiseled. The other was a brown haired boy, but the tips of his hair were blond, and he had brown eyes. '*Goals.*' I thought, briefly admiring his hair. I could tell he was a lean back person from the calm expression on his face, unperturbed- maybe even bit of a nonchalant jerk. Then there was the same boy which had been getting swallowed by the deep, and depth of the blue water. He had a clean undercut, line art that had a shooting star, meanwhile the top of his hair was something I could only describe as frat boy style, or jock style.
However, one that stood out to me was the boy who was leaning on the pool walls, a waterline tile of blue and a darker shade of the blue. He's tall, slightly skinny but with the way his body is so beautifully carved with muscle I can detect he's sporty. None of them abs, but they're only teenage boys. He has black hair, and his buzz cut that makes him look more mature, golden small piercings in both ears, and honey brown eyes, he doesn't have to wear a swimming cap with such short hair. At first I'm attracted the face card, then I turn to a sour jealously because that's the only reaction I can give to guy that's likely straight. It's not like I'd go out of my way to look better when I had more things to focus, which reminded me that school was coming back.
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The clock hits 7:30, the end of Kylis shift, and also Kylis's patience level as I let out a bark of laughter as his expression. "You look agitated as fuck..." I muttered, "Real talk." He scoffs. He starts to pack, as his time is up but it's my job to clean everything before we leave. He shoos mostly everyone away from the pool for me, the boys get out the pool and start making their way to the boys locker room. The heavy feeling of water in their swimming shorts making their hips sway, subtly. I watch from distance before I get up, I was lucky to had remember sunscreen because the sun was glaring it's blaze towards me, it felt so. With my tan skin, it fit me best.
Before Kylis leaves, he turns to me and pats my shoulder. "I'll check up on you later. Stay safe yo." He pats my shoulder as if it's the last time we'll see each other in days. I nod my head, "yeah, stay safe." I respond. sighing softly as I looked back at the sun, squinting my eyes before I start to walk off.
Before I can even get to the "employees only room" to get the cleaning products I needed. I just hoped some random guy didn't somehow miss the toilet seat and pissed against the floor again, I'd mistaken it for pool water on my foot as first. Seriously, these guys around here should be Stephen curry in the bathroom when you've been doing it since birth, god damn go back to potty training, for gods sake who raised you.
Anyways, like something stuck between a zipper my eyes can't draw away from the figure in the pool. I pause and double check, I had expected everyone to leave when Kylis said so but I knew neither him or I paid much attention if they did, because why would you stay? For trouble? However this man, or boy. The same buzz cut boy. He leans on the pool wall staring into the distance as if he thinks he's mysterious, as if he's waiting to be called out or acknowledged.
For a moment I hesitate, I'm intimidated by his presence but I remember that I'm in the right, and above sea level so I can run if needed. I approach, my flip flops slapping against the wet floors, I'm sure he hears me because he glances at me with this blank face, spectral expression, as if I'd interrupted his jacuzzi and startled him. And for a moment I hesitant on stepping closer, something feels wrong and familiar. "We closed the pool, six minutes ago." I remind, as if I didn't know he already knew. The smell of chlorine filling my nostrils as I stand in front of him. He looks up at me from bellow the surface level, yet his honey brown eyes feel like they're looking down on me with how meticulous they are.
Despite his intimidating appearance. He opens his mouth briefly, before reluctantly closing it as he leans forward. He hesitates hard, like he wants to protest on leaving. I noticed his hands look nibbled on, chewed like a hamster. Which brings me to believe he isn't as confident as his resting cold, or bitch face looks. He slowly pulls himself up and out the pool, the sunlight shining a sunset orange light on him, he looks incandescent, lucent that I feel my heart flutter like a high-school girl.
But the lighting doesn't hide the dark, brooding expression on his face, he seems far, farther than he actually is. So lost, but when he looks at me he so suddenly seems ataractic, relieved like he's found the missing piece of a puzzle, likes he's found where he is that I wonder if he's trying to flirt, because the eye contact with a stranger in a pool is definitely a turn off for me.
The honey brown eyed boy wears green colored swimming shorts in front of me, but his waist and up is free that I believe he's athletic. When he gets out I could hear his feet tap against the wet ground where little boys see how far they can push the water outside the pool, a quiet grunt escapes at the weight of lifting himself up, he awkwardly stretches before I speak.
"We open tomorrow, maybe next time." I feel like a bother talking to someone who's yet to let me hear what they sound like. Not to my surprise, I had the gut feeling, instead of saying anything he doesn't waste time speed walking his way out, completely forgetting his clothes in the boys locker room before I could inform him, god he may be come back, but with how subtly shy he seemed, I doubted his return.
I run a hand through my curly blonde hair, my amber eyes turning to look at the water step trail of the boy. '*He shoe size is probably 11.5 inches.*' I hummed tranquilly, gotta get back to work.
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Chapter 1. End.
