The Palmer Pool

17 | Roll the Windows Down

The sky was midnight blue, faded at the horizon, and the streets were quiet. The moon wasn't full like the night before; just one radiant half remained. I climbed over the fence and walked around the corner, then jumped in surprise when a sporty crossover vehicle silently rolled up next to me. The passenger window slid down.

"Hey Nessie. What's up?" Eric's nickname irritated me. Nobody called me Nessie.

"You scared me. Why is your car so quiet?"

"It's a hybrid." After only one day, I'd become accustomed to the rumble of Pete's truck and I eyed Eric's eerily silent car with suspicion. "Do you need a ride somewhere?"

"No.  I'm good." I was anxious to get to my car, which I had parked near Sophie's house.

"It's five o'clock in the morning. You're a little early for lap swim."

"And you're a little early for work." His jaw set and his eyes darted away. A loaded silence hung in the air. "Okay then. Bye." As I continued walking down the sidewalk, his car quietly crept alongside me.

"I saw you!"

"Saw me what?" I hissed into his window.

"Can you get in for a sec?"

"No." If he hadn't noticed yet that I was sopping wet, he definitely would once I soaked his car seat.

"I saw you come out of the pool just now. And right before you came out, you weren't there. Nobody was there. What exactly are you up to?"

"What, are you stalking me?"

"I was just driving by, and-"

"At five in the morning?"

"Tell me what's going on with you and I'll leave you alone." Eric's expression softened. "Since the last day of school, it's been...bothering me, that's all."

I briefly considered it. I had just explained myself to Pete, so it was fresh on my tongue. But I had to hold back because Pete was somewhere else, separate from my real life. If I told Eric, or anyone else, there was a strong possibility I'd find myself alienated and teased mercilessly. And I wouldn't be able to escape it. At least for another year.

"Are you okay? You look all..." He waved his hand in front of his face, indicating that I looked like an emotionally exhausted mess.

"Like crap? Thanks, I know."

"So what were you doing in there?"

"I wasn't in the pool.  I'm just walking to my car," I said calmly with my hands up in surrender.

"I only wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm perfectly fine. Maybe you should take care of yourself," I said as I backed away. "It sounds like you're seeing things, so you should probably go get some sleep."

He lingered for a moment like he wanted to say something else, but instead he shook his head and sped away. I sighed with relief. I hoped I'd been harsh enough to make him leave me alone, but I hated being such a jerk. I wasn't one to try very hard to get people to like me, but I never wanted to be disliked.

When I reached my car, I retrieved the spare key from the underside of the fender and pulled my bag out from beneath the seat. I turned on my phone to check the date and time. It really had only been one day, but it was long enough to make the present seem somewhat unfamiliar. The bright screen stung my eyes and I quickly switched it off.

I immediately turned the volume down on the radio after starting the car. The music was irritating; it was too digitized and sharp, with too many sounds occurring simultaneously. There was no warmth, no life to it. I switched to an oldies station and checked my reflection in the rearview mirror to make sure I hadn't suddenly aged into a senior citizen. Maybe I actually belonged in the fifties.