Pretty Pool

A group of us had made our way down to ‘Pretty Pool', a secret little swimming hole on a lone stretch of Onion creek that ran through the back of someones overgrown, uninhabited, private property where we had long since ignored, or would have knocked down any 'No Trespassing' signs. We were never really sure who actually owned the place, most likely though, the property belonged to old man Wayne Riddell. Wayne seemed to own every piece of land you stuck your big toe on in this small county. It was a true hidden paradise at the back of San Leanna Estates, that was fed by crystal clear spring water, beautifully lined by bright limestone shelves and shadowed overhead by cliff walls that backed up against steep, dense oak, and cedar covered hills. It was our Summer's heaven where so many stories took place. It was where hearts were lost and found in the breaths of teenage desires and anxieties, curiosities and rebellion. A hideaway of sorts, a half kept secret.
     

We could be found there on any given day in the summer, and without a doubt always on weekends, especially knowing Cassidy and her sister would usually show up in the late afternoon with her usual group of pretty girlfriends that always stayed over their house on long slumber weekends. We made plans the night before to sneak down in the afternoon. Frank and I, along with Luis had already been down there a bit just listening to summer, while throwing rocks and passing cigarettes. And just like tambourine music they  appeared, dancing through the trees. You could hear their giggles echo off the limestone, which they skipped across like mischievous, pretty little hippie fairies, floating single file down the meandering puddle jumping trail. It was a refreshing delight of denim cutoffs, halter tops, sandals and flowing hair laced with wild honey-suckle, that excited our world and senses forever, or at least a few glorious hours on a hot summer day like today. No one had it better than us misfits, not anyone or anywhere in the world.

It was late in August, just two weeks before we would have to go back to school. we were looking for every and any way to stretch every minute of those last hot days.  This was the hottest Saturday yet, sweltering and bright. We barely made it halfway down the hill to the banks before Cassidy enthusiastically dared that we should all go ‘skinny dippin’. She called it, and it didn’t take much coaxing from us at all to get her to put up. Yep, Should have known better than to dare her. There was a slight pause, and a contemplating smirk as she panned around, squinting to each of us making her dominating, supreme and defeating eye contact with each of us one at a time. Then, without another word or thought, she was quick to be the first to take off all her clothes and jumped in so fast you barely had a moment in that blur to realize that she was even naked.

             Her devilish bold laugh had so much self-possessed confidence, that it left us no room to chicken out now. There was always a price to pay if you ever called Cassidy’s bluff. All bets were off and time to show our own hand.

           

 Serena on the other hand, was somewhat sweet and shy by comparison, and was always a little more reserved. She still went in the water anyway without hesitation, though clearly uncomfortable, her laugh more innocent and apprehensive, and unlike Cassidy’s audacious flair, Serena left her bottoms on and covered her chest with her arms until her body was completely submerged under the water.

            This left me with no other decision. I knew then I had to go in or face relentless humiliation for life and throughout the hallways. So with conviction, I walked in slow and deliberate, like James Dean would, like I had done it a hundred times before, which only I truthfully knew I hadn’t. I was shaking.

             I think we were all a little anxious, but before we could give it anger thought, we were all splashing around nervous and silly, staying beyond arms link, not really sure what we were supposed to do now. Kris and Charlotte went and sat crosslegged on the shallow limestone cliff while Karen leaned back taking in all the sun she could.

Yasmina Rossi

            

Cassidy though, giggling, would swim just close enough that I could see light rippling through the water, illuminating almost her entire body in vague flesh colored waves that stood out in bright contrast under the dark water. She circled and seductively teased until I would dive under towards her making her hysterically chuckle and scream while frantically kicking and playfully splashing to keep me away.

            It was all so wonderfully overwhelming and full with a free wild anxiety. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world at that moment, and could barely believe this was happening.while pretending to be way cooler than I was. this was one of those perfect days. all was innocent and never more beautiful than on this day, and here I was swimming naked under a Texas sky. Their olive skin was so shiny and tan that it was enough to make you crazy with heavenly disbelief.

            And it was a heavenly day and seemed like nothing could get any better or so I thought. Then something happened in an unsuspecting moment that I was not prepared nor would have imagined on such a silly day.

            

It happened when I casually had turned to see Serena quietly treading water alone at a distance. everyone else had drifted into their own little adventures. The vision of her caught me completely off guard. Instantly her stark vulnerable breathtaking beauty possessed me. Entranced and panicked, I cautiously let myself slowly drift closer. I quietly watched her as the light bounced off the water onto her wet shimmering hair and velvet skin, making her eyes sparkle like black-mirrored pearls on fire.  I got just close enough to see her purple full lips were quivering from the cold and her wet exposed skin was covered in tiny delicate goose bumps. I lost all focus of anything around me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of how pretty she really was.

             

Seems only moments before, we were all harmlessly splashing around having silly fun, and then in a split second it all changed as if shot through the heart. In such a brief and subtle unexpected moment, emotions overwhelmed and engulfed me like a tornado. I found myself lost in unknown insecure risky territory.

            I moved even closer, and Serena gazed back at me soft and angelic. In the silence, I was sure my rapid beating heart could be heard out loud. She timidly raised her large doe eyes with water droplets falling from the tips of her eyelashes and looked straight into me. Our eyes embraced, hers tearing from the dazzling glare, reflecting back her vulnerable innocence that was pulling me in as if we had been bound for centuries.

            She became shy and guarded closing her arms partially back around her. At that moment all I could imagine was kissing her beautiful mouth and warming her cold naked skin. Nervous, with doubt and uncertainty, I swam to her letting my fingers brush her skin causing her to shudder and quietly gasp. Her gentle brown eyes widened but before I could even reach out, her gentle locked gaze shifted with immediate and alarming force, breaking her away in a startled instance with her face frozen in bewildered shock clearly about to scream, she stared wide eyed while shouting an alarming protective scream, "LOOK OUT!" at the same time raising her arms to shield us both.

            In the blink of an eye, our shared intimate silence literally exploded right in front of us without warning as we were jolted by a loud crazed savage holler only to look up just in the nick of time to see a massive beast hurling in our general direction when my cousin Mike, who had followed us down here on his horse, plunged without warning, horse and all, launching from a three foot limestone ledge, wearing nothing more than his hat, when he ferociously landed in the water with an enormous mountainous splash, with such force, that it caused us to ride upward and back on an unimaginable wave, while water showered us like pouring rain and washed up and over the shore. we were all a little shocked as we were ready to cheer.

           

Mike then slid and pushed away from his horse, and without missing a single beat in his usual brazen glory, went right into a long armed rejoicing backstroke, obviously feeling no shame at all.           

            Dumfounded and stunned, I watched as his horse, in a confused fury scampered and flailed to get footing on a limestone shelf in the shallows before standing patiently and calm.            

            The precise timing though was surely the hand of God throwing us a thunderbolt. Stolen and shattered forever was a secret moment I will never get back. I was left wondering if it was even real or all just my imagination. I might never know. It was gone in a flash, what could have been forever, disappeared and faded as quick as a falling star, as fast as Summer ending.