3 Wishes

Chapter III: "Her bikini top came off!"

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I needed air, but I needed the top of my bikini more. I also needed to shriek, but I couldn't do that underwater. Instead of surfacing, I turned around and tried to go after my top. I could make out a turquoise shape sinking in the water across from me. I swam toward it until my legs ached, but it drifted off, just out of reach.

Finally I swam up for air, but only because I had visions of passing out and forevermore being known as the girl who drowned while wearing half a swimsuit.

I broke through the surface, letting my face pop out of the pool while I tried to thread water only using my legs. I wrapped my arms tightly around my upper body.

"There you are," Sarah said. She waved at me to come over to the side of the pool. I shook my head.

"Help me," I mouthed to her. I didn't want to say it loud for fear the lifeguard—a tanned blurry guy sitting in a tower not far away—would think that I was drowning and jump in to drag me to safety. I gazed around at the blurs in the pool. I still couldn't tell if any of them were looking at me, which at this point was a good thing.

Sarah swam over. "What's wrong? Why are you...hey where's your top?"

I looked toward the bottom of the pool. "Down there. I'm going to get it. Don't let anyone else dive in until I do."

"How the hell am I supposed to—", but I didn't stick around to let her finish. The faster I retrieved my top, the better. I took a deep breath and dove back in, pushing through the water with all my strength. I could make out the turquoise blob, swaying softly below me. Stupid bikini. Man, I hate it when my father is right.

I grabbed my top, then turned around and looked up. I could see a pair of legs kicking in the water above me. I swam toward them. I'd need Sarah's help to tie the straps on once I reached the surface.

As I got close, I held the suit to my body, trying to reposition it as best I could. I was concentrating on this and not on Sarah's legs, which is why I didn't notice that they weren't Sarah's legs until I surfaced.

And then I was face-to-face with Vincent. I let out a short, startled scream.

Vincent spun around as though I must have seen something frightening behind him. He checked to see what, you know, just in case a giant squid was about to attack.

I searched for Sarah. Which was useless since I couldn't see. In the pressure of the moment, I couldn't even remember what colour swimsuit she had on.

Vincent returned his attention to me, still looking for the cause of my panic. "What's wrong?"

"Um, nothing. You just startled me. I thought you were Sarah."

This seemed to add to his confusion so I said, "I don't have my contacts in and I can't see very well. Sorry about the screaming." I waited for him to swim away, but he didn't. I wondered if he noticed that my bikini straps were floating untied around my shoulders, and if he would mention it. How does one casually explain to passing swimmers that you are half naked?

Instead of paying attention to my straps he looked in my eyes intently. "I didn't know you wore contacts."

"Yep, I do."

He still didn't swim away. Oh no. He wanted to make small talk in the deep end while both of us treaded water and I was clutching my swimsuit to my body. I let myself drift away from him but he followed.

"I've always had twenty-twenty vision," he said.

"That's great."

I wondered if he'd ask me to prom right here. I suddenly had the urge to tell him that I knew Hunter was trying to set us up and I didn't want any pity dates. But that would have encouraged him to say something along the lines of, "No, I really so wanna ask you out," even if he didn't.