What Are We?

Chapter 11

11 years ago

"Attention Patrons!" My boss Gina calls over a megaphone. "The pool is now temporarily closed for weather. Please gather your belongings and exit the pool deck quickly. Thank you!" The sky releases another boom of thunder at that moment as if to really sell her point. 

All around me families are gathering towels and coolers and making their way to the front gate.  Casey and I are in charge of securing lids on all the trash cans. Charlie is checking and locking the bathrooms. Payton and Melinda are making sure all the fanny packs and lifeguard tubes make it into the guard shack. Several of our coworkers also race around completing tasks in hopes of beating the rain. 

With another round of thunder, the clouds release their fury. Casey and I race around the pool to get to the lifeguard room and out of the rain. Of course everyone else is doing the exact same thing. 10 lifeguards and one door means some of us are bound to get rained on. 

We all settle in to spaces around the guard room. This is the third thunderstorm we've encountered this June so we all have our routines, I'm sitting on the second floor with my feet dangling over the edge. I'm working on weaving my newest friendship bracelet.  Casey, Payton and Melinda are playing uno with Gina and a few other guards. Charlie and the boys are hooking up the Game Cube to use Super Smash Brothers to pass the time.  A few are quietly reading books around the the building. There is a happy buzz throughout the space as the thunder crashes outside. 

Time flies and soon there is only an hour left until we can all go home.  The rain has stopped but there are still a few light grumblings of thunder in the distance.  We are all itching to go outside after being in this little building together for 2 hours. Boredom is beginning to set in when Gina announces "That's it. It's time for a round of extreme hide and go seek. Who is in?"

There is a chorus of yeses around me when Payton asks "What is extreme hide and go seek?" 

"A good time," Gina says while laughing. "Basically anywhere in the pool area is fair game.  The guard building, bathrooms, pool deck, filter room, roof. You name it! People get really creative with where they hide so in can get very extreme."

"I'm sorry, did you just say the roof?" Casey asks. 

"Yeah she did!" Mark says. "Last year, I built a super straw and used it to breathe while I hid in the pool under the ramp. It took an hour for someone to find me." 

"That was epic!" Gina says! "Plus the more people you find, the more people you have to help you look. It's a lot of fun. And let's be honest. The parking lot is empty except for our cars. No one will be coming back to the pool before we close.  Let's do this thing!"

"Sure, I'll give it a try." I say. "But I suck at hiding. I wouldn't have the first idea where to start."

Gina gets a grin on her face. "Then you can be it first! Maybe seeing where other people hide first will help you get some ideas.  Just count to 100 from the the couch upstairs and we'll all hide. Ready?" 

I make my way over and sit on the old brown couch. "Ready, set, go!" I hear the sound of flip flops and bare feet racing across the pavement outside as people get to their spots. I try not to think about all the lifeguard hook-ups that have probably occurred on this very couch as I sit with my eyes closed. The faint music from the paused Super Smash Bros game hits accompanies my counting to 100. When I get to 100, I go down stairs and grab the megaphone. I press the button and say "Ready or not, here I come!"

I start by doing a quick search of the guard building. I don't think I heard anyone moving around as I was counting, but it can't hurt to check. I move on to the girls bathroom next.  I find Casey sitting on a toilet in one of the stalls. Not using it or anything, just waiting quietly.