A Story From the Deep End

Hey There, Delilah

 I chained my bike to the rack outside the pool and looked up into the sky at the summer sun one last time before I walked in the front doors. I walked in confidently and took my hair out of its pony tail, my brown hair curtaining my shoulders.

"Hey, girl!" echoed a shout from across the large expanse.

"Hey, Jen," I shouted back, finding her spindly figure on the opposite side of the pool. Not many people were in the pool today, but there were a few kids splashing around in the lower end and a pair of mothers laying out, chatting, just in view of the children. School was still in session, and this was one of the last few days it would be. Jennifer and I had decided to make the most of the day, and so she and I were meeting here early to swim and relax without the large crowd.

I walked around the deep end of the pool, staring into the blue expanse- light waves weaving across its surface.

"I figured you would need this," Jen said, tossing me a towel as I moved closer. She smiled wide as I caught it, and sat back in her sun chair.

I took the seat next to her, and just laid back, sighing with relief and closing my eyes. The entire ride here all I had done was think about Jason, but I decided to put it all into the back of my mind- just as I had five years ago. I laid there, deciding that it hadn't been him in the street- I was just playing mind games with myself. He just looked a lot like him. And that's what I resigned myself to; But then again, why was I suddenly thinking about him now? I had given up on him years ago, hadn't had a single thought about him. Maybe it was him? But how believable was it that he had magically appeared in the same city which I was living in?

"You seem uptight," Jen observed, and I opened my eyes to her face inches from mine.

I smiled. "Yeah, I just thought I saw someone from high school on my ride here, but I guess it wasn't them."

"Oh, I get it," she sneered. "An old boyfriend?"

"You know I didn't have a boyfriend in high school, just a bunch of guy friends, and mindless crushes. This guy was one of them."

"I'm always so surprised when you bring that up. You always had so many boys all over you in college, what was with the high school boys?"

"I don't know. But hey, how are you and Jeremy? You haven't talked about him in a while."

"Oh, we're still together. We just haven't talked too much recently; His family has been keeping him really busy back home. He calls me when he has a chance, though."

"Ha!" I laughed. "The poor sucker should have known better; going home is the equivalent of social suicide for the first week."

"Don't I know it," she laughed. "I'm never going home! It's too perfect here, and I wouldn't give this up for anything. The family can come to me, because I am resigning to this beach chair, the poolside, and friends for the next... forever!"

"Same here, Jen."

"So take it off!" she exclaimed, tugging at my shirt. "Let me see that new bikini!—I can't wait to see it!"

I stood up, hesitantly, glancing around the poolside. No one else had come in, so no worries. It was just after lunchtime, what was I actually expecting? I pulled the shirt over my head, revealing the bright red fabric of my strappy bikini.

"Very classy, Kel!" she laughed, as I tugged off my jean shorts. "Love it; me and those guys!"

Timing is everything, I thought, sarcastically. Still bent over from removing my shorts, I followed her gaze to the boys behind me: three, each walking the side of the pool wearing swim trunks and tee shirts. The tallest one, a guy with extremely toned arms and gorgeous auburn hair, smiled as I stood up -shorts in hand- and took off his sunglasses to meet my stare.

"You've got a fan," Jen chuckled, as I sat down. She looked over at them, opening up her body language, and smiling over at them.

"I guess so," I admit, watching as the three boys nestled into beach chairs on their side of the pool.

"Let's go give them a show, Kelsi," she said, sitting up in her chair.

"I mean, I like it right where I am. Can't I just-"

She grabbed my arm, and with her skinny limbs, tugged me up from the chair. "You'll thank me later."

We walked up to the side of the pool, and at its edge we glared into the water.

"Together?" I asked with a smile.

"Together," she said back, grabbing my hand. "One, two, three!"

And we jumped. I closed my eyes, and with my other hand, I pinched my nose as we fell through the air. The water accepted us effortlessly, and still in my dark expanse, I felt Jennifer release my hand. I let go of my nose, and still holding my breath, I swept my hands through the watery atmosphere. As I burst through the barrier I opened my eyes and gasped for air, my lungs thankfully receiving it. I let myself gravitate to the surface, floating just below the water, the same way I did when I was first learning to swim. I closed my eyes, and just hovered.

Suddenly, hands came up from beneath me, and I was pulled down by my waist into the water. Water went in my nose, and I gasped it in with surprise. I pulled at the hands holding me, and they immediately released, allowing me to pull my head back up above the water.

When I reached the surface, loud chuckles vibrated off the pool water. "You look so stupid!"

Coughing up water, I turned to Jen. She was wading around the pool, trying to contain her laughter. "Not funny," I whined.

"Hey," she whispered, swimming closer. "The-"

I splashed water at her as she approached, and she sputtered, spitting water out of her mouth. She put her hand up, in surrender. "Well deserved," she stated calmly.

"Damn right!" I said, still pissed, splashing a smaller wave that didn't reach her, but could have if I was still angry enough.

"Well, calm down!" she said back, then turning her voice back to a whisper. "It looks like the boys are joining us for a swim."

I looked up, and each of the three men were starting to untie their sneakers. The boy with the sunglasses saw me looking, and met my gaze with a sly smile. He looked back down at his feet, ripping off the shoe, and turning to the other.

One of his friends noticed as well and chuckled a little, elbowing sunglass boy. They looked at each other, exchanging a few words and ripped off their second shoe. They checked the other boy, a guy with long blonde hair held back in a bun, and seeing he was already taking off his shirt, they did the same. Their muscular arms flexed with their movements, and as they pulled their shirts over their heads their thick abdominal muscles were revealed.

"The blonde one is my play thing, got it?" Jen chuckled.