The Daisy Garden

Part 10 - The Girl

Barny walked out into the pool area with his Granny, it wasn't terribly busy but there were a few other people swimming around. In the far corner of the pool there was a lazy river, it followed round and outside then back inside to the wave pool. To the right hand side of the pool there were various slides, one that snaked outside and opened up into various small sections and three other. Two that were dark. And green. The other was light blue and translucent. There was a girl swimming round the lazy river, she'd been around once and it seemed that she wanted to go round again. She looked familiar, she had long blonde hair scraped into a tight high ponytail almost on top of her head. She was wearing a pink flowery swimming costume and her goggles were round her wrist. Barny looked to his Granny then back to the girl, then to his Granny again. "Hey, Granny?" His Granny looked down at Barny "Yes..."

"I think I'm gonna go and try out the slides and the waves and stuff, you know, before it gets to busy." His Granny smiled "Sure, will you be okay if I go through to the sports pool, I'll be just through that door if you need me?" Barny nodded

"I'll be fine."

"Good good, let me just ask this nice lifeguard when the next aquarobics class is..." Barny put his thumb up and his goggles on and waded into the shallow end then swam over to the deep end, to go and talk to the girl. He tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped, she turned around and smiled at Barny. "Urm, hi?" She said with a grin.

"Hi! I'm Barny!" She laughed at his confidence and zealousness.

"Don't you have some family or friends you can go and bother?" She said, still grinning.

"Hm, don't you?" Barny smirked

"Touche." Barny tilted his head to one side and stared at the girl.

"So who are you anyway?" The girl looked at Barny back.

"I'm Maisy."  Barny's heart sank, of everything, Maisy. It would only remind him of Daisy more. Barny looked down towards the pool floor "what's the matter, you've lost your energy, your vibe." She lifted his head. "It's just that, I had a friend called Daisy, you just remind me of her a bit, that's all, and your name." Maisy stroked Barny's cheek, it was all a bit too close for comfort and coincidental. 

"Don't worry..... I'm sure she misses you as much as you miss her."

"No.... I don't think so." Barny's voice cracked and a tear ran down his cheek and landed on Maisy's thumb. "Oh my god, are you okay?" Barny dried his eyes.

"I'm fine." Maisy looked into his eyes and smiled.  

"What... Did she move away or something?" Barny looked up into her eyes and pulled her hand away from his face slowly. "She was supposed to..."

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't we go up to the cafe and I'll tell you everything." As Barny got out of the pool he saw that his Granny was still talking to the lifeguard, she smiled. "I'm just going up to the cafe. Okay?"

"Yes, do you need some money?"

"Ahh, no, I still have some pocket money. Left from the other weekend."