Danielle lounged on the hard deck, poolside. The electric blue of her hair perfectly matched the pattern of her bathing suit. Fingertips painted black lifted matching black sunglasses from her eyes, revealing their deep brown, so at odds, and yet somehow perfect.
Toby, the lifeguard whose attention she had been trying to attract all summer, stared down at her. He looked anything but amused. “You’re not allowed to lie here.”
Danielle let her lips turn up in the slightest hint of a smile. Placing her glasses back on her nose with one hand, she reached up with the other. “Help me up?”
Toby looked so cute when he blushed. He took her hand and pulled a little too forcefully. The graceful rise Danielle had imagined turned into a lurch. She lost her balance and Toby had to grab hold to keep her from falling into the pool. Awkward as it was, she enjoyed the warmth of his body close to hers.
“Thanks. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I couldn’t sunbathe there.” She removed her glasses again, flashing Toby her best smile. “I won’t do it again.”
“You’re new here, aren’t you?” Toby asked, his face earnest, rather than interested.
“Yes. My family moved here at the end of the school year. I’ve been trying to make friends, but it’s been slow, you know. Maybe when classes start…”
“Yeah, maybe. Listen, I’ve got to get back to the lifeguard chair. I’m supposed to be watching the pool.”
Toby started to walk away. Danielle did a little skip to catch up to him. “I’m Danielle. You’re Toby, right?”
“Yeah. Look. I don’t know if you’re trying to hit on me or just looking for a friend. We can talk after I’m done my shift at three. If you’re hitting, don’t bother to show up. Otherwise I’ll meet you at the outer doors.”
_____
Danielle waited at the outer doors. Her watch said three, then three-ten. She was just about to give up and leave when Toby emerged from a door she hadn’t noticed. It must have led to a lifeguard room of some sort. He noticed her immediately.
Toby’s mouth drew into a tight line. He sighed, then strode toward Danielle. “I didn’t think you’d show up.”
“Honestly, I just really need a friend. I don’t care if you’re not interested in anything else.”
Toby relaxed just a hair. “You’re new here, so you don’t know. I have a boyfriend.”
Danielle smiled, this time a genuine smile. “That’s awesome.” She had already known. It was why she had sought Toby out in the first place. “Friends, then. Do you want to go get something to eat?”
“Sure.” Toby smiled back, fully relaxed. “I know a great place not far from here.”
Toby held the door then fell in beside Danielle as they exited the parking lot on foot. Danielle liked that. Toby was every bit as nice as he had seemed. She had chosen well. A safe first friend. Maybe she would be able to come out to him, tell him she was trans. Maybe someday. For today she was just happy to have made a friend.
This story, written back in December 2019, was inspired by the picture. Don’t forget to drop a comment (button is below)
A nice story. I know the word nice suffers from overuse but sometimes it's perfect. 💕
I like this story. It's clever and revealing. A perfectly balanced tale.