***Winner of the Clayton County Library System's Adult Summer Reading Program Award- 2012***
Genre: Young Adult
Word Count: 495
Genre: Young Adult
Word Count: 495
The Deep End
“Kira, it’s not skinny
dipping if you have clothes on.”
The sound of Taylor’s
voice in near my ear caused me to lose focus. My body stiffened and I sank to
the bottom of the pool. “You scared the crap out of me, Taylor!” I wiped water
from my eyes after regaining my footing. “Besides, bra and panties are like
wearing a bikini.”
“Skinny dipping means
you’re naked…like me,” he grinned.
“Not about to happen.”
I splashed water in his face and resumed floated on my back to observe the twinkling
lights in the sky.
“I bet I can beat you
to the end of the pool,” he challenged.
I laughed hysterically,
before losing my concentration and slipping beneath the water. “In your
dreams.”
“I’m serious. If I beat
you, you have to get completely naked.”
I rolled my eyes. Even
though Taylor worked as the pools lifeguard, he would never outswim me. I held several
gold metals under my belt. “If I win?”
“You get to keep your
underwear on.”
I smirked as he
grinned. Boys. “This is going to be a no brainer.”
We lined up against the
wall of the shallow end of the pool.
“On your mark, get
set….go!” I dived under water. Since I wasn’t wearing swim goggles, my eyes
remained closed. After hundreds of competitions, this pool was a second home.
My lungs tightened as
the need for oxygen forced me to turn my head to inhale. Keeping my eyes shut,
I strained to hear the sound of Taylor’s strokes breaking the surface. He was nowhere
near me.
My lungs full, I pushed
harder. This was just a warm up. The bet was stupid. Why did Taylor feel he
would win?
It wasn’t long before,
my fingers touched the side of the pool; I gripped the edge. Surfacing, I spit
out water and rubbed stinging chlorine from my eyes. Seconds later, I felt
Taylor’s hand reach for me. It should have taken him longer to catch up. He
must have gotten out and dived in the deep end of the pool.
“Taylor, you can’t
cheat.” I shoved his arm away. Cheating would not get me naked.
“What are you talking
about? I’m down here.” His voice floated from the opposite end of the pool.
I froze. If he was
there and I was here…we were not alone.
To make matters worse, I
was nearly naked in the public pool we broke into in the middle of the night.
My dad, the cop, would not be pleased.
“I’m sorry,” I
sputtered, feeling my face flush, unwilling to open my eyes to the stranger
beside me.
Silence.
I cringed and then forced
myself to peek.
Long, blond hair
floated inches away from my face. Lifeless blue eyes stared up at the night
sky.
My eyes widened and
mouth fell open.
My swim team rival, and
Taylor’s ex-girlfriend, Bethany’s dead body floated beside me.
I screamed.
(c) 2012 M.J. Kane
