Song of a Sophomore

CHAPTER 1 - Killing Me Softly

"Is this a dream?" I ask the moon as she rises in the night sky, her glossy reflection leaving a trail of silver on the swimming pool below.

All the dimples and imperfections on her pearlescent face only add to her beauty. For eternity, she has inspired lovers, poets and dreamers and, tonight, she inspires me, too. I duck beneath the water to stifle the giggle bursting from my throat. It takes the shape of a perfect sphere chugging toward the surface, carrying my last breath into the night.

I descend through the jade haze until my toes touch down on the gritty plaster floor of the deep end. Laughter, splashing and the bass of a nearby boom box meld underwater into an hypnotic echo. I linger there and indulge in a memory from just hours before—the boy's eyes closing, his soft parted lips, the fragrance of rain, wind whipping through my hair, and a rush of blood to my freckled cheeks.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it was a long time coming. When other girls blossomed, I stayed short, squishy and flat. My mom said I was a late bloomer but I doubted whether I would ever bloom at all. Imagine my surprise, when the summer before sophomore year, my fluffy frame sprouted longer legs and feminine curves, but a hopeless child writhed under the surface. For most of my life, she was half alive, dodging bullies and cowering in fear.

Tonight, that damaged girl is gone. One kiss killed her. One kiss, and a new version of me burst into existence.

The memory dissolves as the urge to breathe burns in my chest. I glide toward the surface in my orange bikini as if I am a phoenix rising from the ashes, but I stop short. Something tugs on my ankle, yanking me deeper into the suffocating water. Kicking wildly at the shadow beneath my feet, fear plunges like ice water through my veins.

I'm going to drown!

As if he is a serpent stalking his prey, the silhouette of a boy slithers up to meet me and presses his warm lips to mine. A rush of air cascades into my eager lungs and I breathe his exhale. The chill in my veins thaws in an instant and warmth radiates from my navel into every cell of my body. I could stay there forever, locked in an embrace, but he moves his hands to my waist and lifts me toward the sky.

I pierce the surface and gulp for air. Dizzy from lack of oxygen, or something else entirely, my fingers tremble as I clutch the mental rungs of the pool ladder. A shrill, rolling whistle rings out just over my shoulder. Turning toward the sound, I spot him climbing out of the water and lifting himself up to the lifeguard chair which rises like a monument across the glowing water. His dark gaze is steady and honed in on me.

"How'd you get up there so fast?" I wonder.

The teenage boy shrugs. If it weren't for the whistle in his mouth, I'm sure his plump lips would be twisted into a charming grin. He blows the whistle again and lifts his hand like a snake charmer coaxing every slippery creature out of the pool, except for me.

Clutching the warm concrete below his chair, I give him my best sultry stare. "They teach you that move in lifeguard school?"

He chuckles. "That's one I picked up on the job."

"Uh-huh." I nod and nearly crack a self-conscious smile. The push and pull of flirtation is completely new to me, but I seem to be doing okay so far. This guy switches on some dormant part of my adolescent brain and instead of feeling tongue-tied, I flirt like it is my superpower. "If drowning people is in your job description, then you're doing great."

His eyes narrow as he meets my stare. "I'm an excellent lifeguard."

"Sure you are."

The boy leans back and folds his arms. "I didn't hesitate to dive in and save you."