Out of the Pool

out of the pool 2

Young Sock suddenly came back with a harsh watery cough as he felt his lungs try to dispel the foreign liquid out. He tried to breathe in but couldn't as he went into a coughing fit trying to get rid of all the water he swallowed.

It took a while to recognize his surrounding and remember that the solid ground underneath him was the pool's cement side and that he was leaning against a chest and was sat up. After the water was out, Sock still continued to cough feeling his throat raw as he took some oxygen in feeling his lungs rattle from disuse. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all.

Opening his eyes, he turned his head to the person holding him and a thrill ran down his spine at seeing Jonathan holding him. "Thank you for saving me," Sock rasped putting his hand over his heart to stop it from jumping out. That is something you say to your savior, right? That's what damsels say to their heroes and then the hero says something dreamy and sweep them in their arms...

"You have to be more careful out there," Jonathan sternly said making Sock's heart skip. Was he saying that because he cared or because he was lecturing me?

He apologized, embarrassed hoping he was wrong and Jonathan would wave away his worry. Jonathan did ease his worry away and Sock nodded again trying to get up but feeling too weak to move. Almost drowning took a lot out of you and Sock wanted to swoon when his hot lifeguard helped him to his spot again.

Calling out his name, Sock thanked him again hoping that Jonathan would dip his head and kiss him now.

"You don't need to thank me. It's my job." It's my job, echoed in his mind and Sock felt crushed and remembered to nod that he understood the message and forced a smile watching sadly as his crush turned his back to him and going back to his post.

Of course Jonathan wouldn't look at me with interest. I was probably a pathetic kid who nearly drowned because he couldn't swim. Sock pouted in his spot watching Jonathan put on his dark sunglasses and monitor the pool. He waited two hours for those blue eyes to glance his way but they never did and Sock still felt too weak to move. It wasn't until it was time to go back home that he picked himself up, wrap his fluffy big towel around himself and walk out.

The ten minute walk felt dragged out and Sock felt drained by the time he got home but still made the effort to climb the stairs and take a shower.

"Sock, honey, dinner's ready." His mom shouted from downstairs. Sock was laying on top of his blankets not moving an inch. A minute of silence and then there was knocking on his door before it opened. "Honey, time to eat dinner."

"I'm not hungry," Sock answered quietly his voice hoarse. He closed his eyes wanting to sleep instead. Half a minute later he felt his mom carding her fingers through his brown hair instantly relaxing him.

"I'll save you a plate in the microwave for you to eat later, okay?" he merely nodded as he felt sleep tugging him under. Sock doesn't know if his mom said anything else after that.

###

Sock moped around the house for a week. He made no effort to go outside or even venture out to the pool where he knew Jonathan would be there four out of the seven days. Jonathan was going to be there today but Sock wrapped himself into a blanket burrito watching a marathon show on Netflix. There was no point going now, knowing that his dreamy blond hadn't look twice at him.

It's my job.

Sock buried himself further into his burrito-self setting to watch another episode of a show that wasn't really catching his interest. The front door ringing pulled him back. As he got up from the couch and shuffled himself to the door to answer since he was currently alone.

Jojo stood there wearing a one piece swimsuit and shorts over them. "Come on lazy bum, we're going to the pool."

"I don't wanna," Sock answered stepping to the side to let his friend in and close the door. Outside it felt well into the late 80s (31°C) and the AC was keeping the house cool enough to be buried in his blanket like this. "I was binge watching on Netflix."

"Ugh," Jojo rolled her eyes exasperated. "You being mopey is becoming annoying. If you still have that crush on the lifeguard then sitting here isn't going to get his attention. So come on, up. Let's go seduce him."

Sock looked skeptical but Jojo's ushering him up the stairs and bullied into his swim trucks and in less than fifteen minutes they were outside making their way to the pool.

~*~

"Jojo, he's not here. Let's go home," Sock whined standing next to her. She shook her head grabbing his elbow and finding a spot to put down their towels. There was a glint in her eyes as she went to the rowdy crowd near the edge of the pool hauling Sock into the mix.

"That's mine!" protested a boy of fourteen as he ran after the other boy being none to gentle in parting the crowd and in that instant Jojo bumped him over the edge of the pool.

Sock started panicking because the last time he was in the pool he almost drowned and now a week later he's back in the same situation only Jonathan's nowhere in sight.

He tried crying out trying desperately to stay afloat but he started sinking underwater swallowing a mouthful of water. Jojo looked over the edge waiting for Sock to pop up.

"He can't swim," she whispered to herself. Oh God, he can't swim. Though she could swim she wasn't good enough to pull him up with all those bodies in the pool she can't tell where he disappeared. "Help! My friend's drowning!"

Only pointing in the general direction she thought Sock's at someone splashed in swimming lower and lower until they suddenly rose up quickly breaching the water and Sock coughed water out. Kneeling by the edge Jojo reached over grasping Sock's slimmed arms yanking him up to sit down. Hovering next to him she patted his back as he rasped a breath in.

"Thank you again for saving me," Sock said looking at the person who gripped him up from his watery grave.

"Again?" Jonathan brushed his wet blond hair away from his face. "Wait, are you the kid who nearly drowned last week?"

"Last week?" Jojo echoed next to Sock who blushed. He meekly nodded.

Jonathan looked at both of them trying to access the situation. "The YMCA has swimming classes. I teach Wednesdays and Thursdays in the mornings if you want to learn."

"He does," Jojo grinned. "He's been wanting to learn for years. Maybe this year he will. Right?" She lightly elbowed him. Sock stuttered like an awkward octopus and Jojo took over as spokesperson. "That's his way of saying he'll be there."

Jonathan nodded still floating in the water, "That's good. Everyone should know how to swim. Especially if you fall into a pool and no one's around to help." Someone called him after that and he smiled and nodded. "Later."

Sock watched as the boy of his dreams swam away to his group of friends. "This is good Sock, he obviously remembers you and personally asked to teach you to swim! You are going right?"

Sock twisted around to make eye contact with his excited friend before looking back at Jonathan. A small smile spread across his face before he nodded.