The Pool Closes

The shrill blast of a whistle cut across the pool, echoing off the tile walls. Jenn flinched, her arms tightening instinctively across her chest.

Up on the deck, a young lifeguard in a red polo waved his arm. “Alright, folks, time’s up! We’ve got maintenance scheduled. Everyone out of the pool.”

Matt groaned, splashing his way to the ladder. “Ugh, perfect timing. I was just warming up.”

Chris and Tyler followed, climbing out and shaking water from their hair. Each grabbed a towel from the rack and looped it casually around their waists, chatting as though nothing in the world could bother them.

Jenn, however, stayed exactly where she was, neck-deep, frozen in place. The whistle blast still rang in her ears.

“Ma’am?” the lifeguard called again, squinting down at her. “Pool’s closed. Gotta ask you to exit, too.”

Jenn’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. She could feel three sets of eyes flick back toward her. Matt drying his hair, Tyler stretching his arms, Chris smirking faintly like he already knew what was wrong.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. If she climbed out now, there’d be no fabric to cling to, no towel already waiting. Just her bare, wet body, dripping under the pool lights while three strangers and a lifeguard stared at her.

The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable. Finally, Matt tilted his head. “Uh… why’s she still in there?”

Tyler shrugged. “Yeah, what’s the holdup?”

Even the lifeguard looked puzzled, arms crossed as he waited. “Everything okay, miss?”

Jenn’s lips moved, but the only word she managed was a choked, “I…” before sinking a little lower in the water, as if hiding her nose and mouth could buy her more time.

All four men stood at the pool’s edge now, their attention fixed on her alone. The water had been her shield until this moment.

And now, she realized with a sinking stomach, that shield wouldn’t last forever.