Richard Denton had always thought of summer as a time for freedom. Long days spent biking through the quiet streets of his small town, late nights playing video games with his best friends, and endless hours at the community pool where the air smelled like sunscreen and chlorine. But this summer was different. For one, everyone was gone. His best friend, Ben, was off visiting family in Florida. Their other two friends, Patrick and Mason, were away at basketball camp. And Richard? He was stuck in Saga, working as a lifeguard at the community pool to save up for college. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was something to do––and it beat sitting at home alone. At least he wasn’t entirely alone. There was still Lauren. Lauren Carpenter was Ben’s girlfriend, and she’d been part of their friend group for as long as Richard could remember. She was smart, funny, and effortlessly cool in a way that made her feel untouchable––at least to Richard.
She and Ben had been dating since sophomore year, and they were the kind of couple everyone envied: inseparable, easygoing, perfectly matched. But Ben wasn’t here this summer. And Lauren? Well, Lauren had started spending a lot of time at the pool. It started innocently enough. Richard would be sitting in the lifeguard chair, scanning the water for troublemakers or kids who couldn’t swim as well as they thought they could, when Lauren would show up with her towel slung over her shoulder and her sunglasses perched on her nose. She’d wave to him from across the pool before settling into one of the lounge chairs with a book or her phone. At first, Richard didn’t think much of it. Lauren had always been friendly with him––she was friendly with everyone––but as the days turned into weeks, he started to notice little things that made his heart race in ways he didn’t quite understand.
The way she’d linger by the snack bar when he was on break, chatting with him about nothing in particular. The way she’d laugh at his dumb jokes like they were actually funny. The way her eyes seemed to light up when she looked at him. One afternoon, she stayed until closing time, helping him stack chairs and clean up after the last stragglers had left. “You’re really good at this,” she said as they worked side by side. “At what? Stacking chairs?” Richard asked with a grin. “No,” she said, rolling her eyes. “At making people feel comfortable.” She paused for a moment, her expression softening. “Ben’s lucky to have you as a friend.” Richard’s stomach twisted at the mention of Ben’s name. He forced himself to smile and change the subject, but the seed had been planted. It wasn’t until mid-July that things between them shifted from friendly to something more dangerous.
It was a slow day at the pool––overcast and unusually cool for summer––and hardly anyone had shown up. Lauren was there, of course, sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in the water. “Come on,” she called to Richard during his break. “You’re allowed to swim too, right?” “Technically,” he said hesitantly. “Then get in!” she said with a laugh. Against his better judgment, Richard kicked off his sandals and slid into the water beside her. They floated lazily for a while, talking about everything and nothing: school, music, what they wanted to do after graduation. “I don’t know,” Lauren said eventually, staring up at the gray sky. “Sometimes I feel like I’m just… stuck.” “Stuck how?” Richard asked. “Like I’m supposed to have everything figured out by now,” she said quietly. “But I don’t.” Richard didn’t know what to say to that––he felt the same way most days––but before he could respond, Lauren turned to him with a small smile. “You’re easy to talk to,” she said softly. And then she kissed him.
It was quick––a brush of lips that left Richard stunned and breathless––but it was enough to change everything. After that kiss, there was no going back. They didn’t talk about it––not really––but they didn’t stop either. Over the next few weeks, their stolen moments became more frequent: holding hands under the water where no one could see them; sneaking off behind the pool house during his breaks; texting late into the night when Richard should have been asleep. He knew it was wrong––knew it with every fiber of his being––but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. Being with Lauren felt like stepping into sunlight after spending years in shadow. It felt like being seen for who he really was. But every time he saw Ben’s name pop up on his phone––usually with some goofy photo or an update about Florida––guilt would crash over him like a tidal wave.
By August, Richard knew he couldn’t keep living in limbo. Ben would be back in less than two weeks, and sooner or later, everything would come out––whether he wanted it to or not. He spent countless nights lying awake in bed, going over his options again and again: Option One: Tell Ben everything before he found out another way. Option Two: End things with Lauren and pretend nothing had ever happened. Option Three: Say nothing and hope for the best. None of them felt right––or fair––but what choice did he have? One evening after work, Lauren met him by the bike rack outside the pool. “You’ve been quiet lately,” she said softly. “I’ve just… been thinking,” Richard admitted. “About what?” “About us,” he said after a long pause. “About Ben.” Lauren looked away, her expression unreadable. “I know it’s complicated,” she said finally. “But I care about you.” “I care about you too,” Richard said quickly. “But I can’t keep doing this––not without telling him.”
Lauren’s eyes widened in surprise––and maybe fear. “You can’t tell him,” she said urgently. “It’ll ruin everything.” “Maybe it should be ruined,” Richard said quietly. In the end, Richard knew there was only one thing he could do: tell Ben the truth––even if it meant losing both his best friend and Lauren in the process. When Ben got back from Florida a week later, tanned and grinning like he hadn’t a care in the world, Richard pulled him aside almost immediately. “There’s something I need to tell you,” he said nervously. “What’s up?” Ben asked casually. Richard took a deep breath and told him everything: about Lauren coming to the pool all summer; about their conversations; about that first kiss; about all the moments that followed. By the time he finished speaking, Ben’s expression had gone from confused to hurt to angry. “I trusted you,” Ben said quietly––a statement that cut deeper than any shout ever could.
“I’m sorry,” Richard said helplessly. “I never meant for this to happen.” Ben didn’t respond right away––instead turning and walking away without another word. The rest of August passed in a blur of awkward silences and strained conversations whenever Richard crossed paths with Ben or Lauren––which wasn’t often anymore since neither seemed interested in spending time at the pool anymore (or anywhere near him). By September––when school started again––it became clear that things between them would never go back to how they used be––and maybe that was okay… because sometimes growing up meant making mistakes––and learning how live with consequences afterward.
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