The Lifeguards(69)

“Where?” says Charlie, moving his hand up and down slowly, keeping his lips pressed to Amir’s.

“Fuck, man,” says Amir, laughing.

“I can’t wait,” says Charlie, moving to Amir’s chest, unbuttoning his shirt. His father is almost forgotten, and the stupid kid he’d been, just hours before, paying for a strange man’s plane ticket, getting through half a cup of coffee before this man—who looked just like him, if he had been strung out on heroin for decades—ditched. Charlie is an idiot, but kissing Amir makes it all OK.

“I can’t wait either,” says Amir, straining against Charlie’s hand. “But we should wait. We’re at the 7-Eleven. There’s your friend, Roma, right there!”

Charlie looks up and sees a figure in an Austin High sweatshirt placing a wrapped package by the dumpster. When she stands, though, Charlie sees that although the woman wears Roma’s favorite hat and her clothing, it’s Roma’s mother, Whitney. “Shit!” he says, laughing.

Amir puts his hand on Charlie’s hand, smiles at Charlie. Whitney walks into the 7-Eleven, seemingly unaware that she is being watched. “Wouldn’t think that rich bitch would shop at the 7-Eleven,” says Amir.

Charlie laughs. “It’s not Roma, it’s her mom,” he says.

“What?” says Amir. “Why she dressing up like a teenager?”

“Maybe a TikTok thing; who cares?” says Charlie.

“Speaking of…” says Amir.

“Fuck,” says Charlie. He’d forgotten to take down the mournful video he’d made.

“What happened?” said Amir.

Charlie takes his hand off Amir’s dick. “I guess I don’t have a dad,” he says. “There’s not much more to say about it, really.” This is his story now, and it sucks. “My dad’s a drug addict,” he says. “Maybe that’s why my mom took off in the first place. I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry,” says Amir.

Charlie rests his head on Amir’s chest. It is what it is, and he’s glad to know the truth, anyway. Wondering took a lot more energy. He lifts his head. Amir kisses him.

Charlie looks up and sees Whitney again, but this time she’s dressed in her own clothes, some purple dress, fancy leopard-skin boots. Did she change clothes in the 7-Eleven?

Whitney’s walking right past the car. Charlie doesn’t think she’s seen them but he can’t be sure. As she waits to cross Barton Skyway, the heart-shaped locket she always wears on her right wrist glints in the sun. She turns, then, and looks straight at him.





-2-


    Xavier


THEIR MOMS ARE GETTING bombed at his house, so Xavier texts his friends to meet at Frog Island. It’s their secret name for some deep water where, as toddlers, they found tiny tadpoles.

The first night of summer! Xavier feels fine despite his psycho sister’s attempts to poison him. He stops by ThunderCloud Subs, grabs a Texas Tuna and a lemonade, and walks along Barton Skyway to the secret turnoff. From Winifred, he makes his way to the unmarked greenbelt entrance. It takes about twenty minutes to reach Frog Island, and then the Cliffs, where his friends are already waiting for him. Bobcat is still in his uniform.

“You’re not supposed to wear your lifeguard uniform when you’re not at work,” says Xavier.

“Cannonball!” says Bobcat. He jumps, and Xavier watches him grab his knees midair, land in the water with a giant splash.

Charlie follows. “School’s out!” he cries. Xavier goes for it.

The water feels perfect. They shove each other, pushing heads underwater, swimming in circles and whooping. But then Xavier, floating on his back, sees a woman on the Cliffs. She’s wearing a yellow sundress and staring at them. “Hello?” he calls.

The other boys look up.

“Oh my God,” says Bobcat.





-3-


    Bobcat


ROBERT WONDERS IF HE is dreaming when he sees Lucy on the Cliffs. He’d brought her here once, a few weeks before. Why is she here now? “Lucy?” he calls.

“You know her?” says Charlie.

And then she jumps, or falls. Her dress flutters around her as she goes down, and she hits the water hard. The boys are silent, waiting for her to emerge. Robert imagines her bells of laughter, how she held on to him as they made love right here, then searched for tadpoles.

Lucy does not rise.

“Where is she?” said Charlie.

“What the fuck is happening?” says Xavier.

“Seriously!” says Charlie. “Where is she?”

Robert dives under. His friends follow suit. It is Xavier who lifts her body after a few moments, but she seems unconscious. He propels her to the muddy bank, where they perform CPR. Lucy is unresponsive.

“Fuck!” says Charlie, rummaging through his clothes and all his crazy elbow pads and gear. “My phone doesn’t have reception!”

“Is she dead?” says Xavier. “Is she dead?”

“Lucy!” yells Robert, shot through with terror.

“We need to call 911!” says Charlie. “My phone doesn’t work! We need to call 911!”

“What’s wrong with her?” says Xavier. “Is she dead?”