Pool Wars

Pool Wars

By Natalie Mitchell

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The following war tale is a dramatized version of the true story of the 2013 pool war. The names used in this story are the actual names of the war veterans who fought gallantly in this battle.

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It's hard to remember how exactly the war broke out. It all started so innocently. In fact, it was a joyous day.

It was the last day of school, and a humid ninety degrees in Massachusetts. We were all so happy and relieved to be done with our freshman year in high school. We were no longer the lame babies of the school. We were moving up the high school hierarchy of age. Not only that, but for quite a while, we were free.

The last day of school is always a half day. My friends and I have a tradition in which on the last day of school, we go to a friend's house to swim. This year it was Ross's house.

We were swimming and socializing like it was any other get together. Soon enough, though, it would turn into a battlefield.

Ross gathered all the pool toys that were in the shape of rings. "Look guys," he called to me and all my friends. "Ninja stars!"

He flung the ring across the pool, towards the shallow end, where my other friends Steven, Griffen, and Billy resided.

The pool ring splashed in their faces, catching their attentions. They look at Ross, Haley, Megan, Bryan, and I as we floated in the deep end. They're shocked by the uncalled for shot made by Ross.

I can't remember just who it was that retaliated, but soon enough, a pool ring came rocketing back, splashing us all and nearly hitting Megan, causing her to squeal in fright.

I see Haley's black hair emerge from the water, armed with more pool toys to use as weapons. She tosses a few to her fellow soldiers, arming Megan who was beside her. "Natalie!" She calls to me. I look up and catch the article of ammo she threw to me.

There was a distance call from a mother to be careful when you throw things, but none of us acknowledged the warning. The two sides stared each other down, waiting for someone to make another move. I held my squishy, water absorbent weapon, waiting to be told to fire.

"Well then," Ross says lowly. "I suppose this is a pool war."

"Fire!" Someone shouts. I let the weapons shoot out of my hand like a cannon, assaulting the residents of the shallow end. They may have been my closest friends mere minutes ago, but now, they're enemies on a battle field.

They dodge for cover under water, collecting what we've thrown at them to use back at us. Ross swiftly lifts himself from the watery battle ground to the toy box to grab more weapons.

I look to the other side of the battle ground. The three of them dodge against the shrapnel being flung by the five of us. This isn't a fair battle. I know I shouldn't care, but something inside me is telling me to do the right thing. I know exactly how to help them.

By the toy box there's two inflatable little airplane floaties that you can ride. One has a personal gun attached to it, while one has a place in which you can tell a gun could be. I know just what I need to do. I need to become the Air Force for the other team.

I climb up the latter, maneuvering around the flying weapons as some of the enemies I intend to join aim for me. I don't want to be a traitor of my own nation, but I must. It's the right thing to do.

Water droplets run off my skin as I walk on the scorching ground surrounding the pool. I pick up one airplane in one hand and the other in my remaining. My team is so focused on crushing the shallow end residers, they don't even notice my absence.