Can JoJo and her crew plunder the pool deck and steal the torpedo in time?
...
JoJo surveys her troops. Sam, hair bleached from chlorine. Lila, sunscreen gleaming at the tip of her nose. Travis, sun-sparked freckles smattering his tanned face. They look at her, hope in their eyes.
“We’ve found the perfect spot for the shrine. Thanks, Sam,” JoJo smiles at him. They huddle behind the lifeguard shack where overgrown grass shelters them from parents’ prying eyes. “And thanks to Lila, Stage Construction is complete.” An altar of pool toys surrounds them. Yellow flippers fan out against the chain link fence like a throne. Kickboards form its base. “It looks great. But we’re not done yet. Time for Mission Torpedo.” The crew nods, their mouths set and determined. “Lila and Sam. You’re on candy.” Sam grins. “Travis, floaties.” He nods but confusion clouds his eyes.
“What kind?” Sam kicks him.
“It’s obvious, dummy,” Lila scoffs.
JoJo glares at Sam and Lila. There will be no dissension among her ranks. Not today. “We all know Alice’s favorite candy. I’m talking sours. Twizzlers. Skittles.” She lists the sweets, ticking them off on her fingers. She turns to Travis. “You – noodles.” JoJo stands, feet apart, hands on hips. “We have one shot at this. I’ll get the torpedo.” Their eyes widen. The torpedo was the most coveted of all pool toys. “Code word is penguin.” She looks around. “We all know why we’re here. We know what’s at stake.” She places her hand in the center of their circle. They slap their palms on top. “For family.”
“For family,” they echo, scrambling to their feet and running into the line of fire.
Leaving flip flops and crocs behind, their bare feet pound the hot pavement. When they near the steps of the shallow end, JoJo gives the nod. First, Travis slips in, his orange water wings keeping his head afloat. JoJo glances at Lila and Sam, already crouched in the “go” position. She nods again. They break, careful to walk so as not to arouse the suspicion of the lifeguard.
JoJo gulps. Her turn. She sticks her toe in the water. It’s cold and the pool is deep. She tries not to let fear flit across her face. She can’t show weakness. Her team needs her to be strong. Gripping the sides of her life vest tight, she takes a step. Then another. Stifling a gasp, she steps off the final ledge and begins to float, feet dangling high above the tiled pool floor.
“You’re doing great, hon!” Her mom shouts from her chair. JoJo ignores her and clings to the pool wall.
Now for the tricky part. The Deep End.
JoJo’s never been this far alone before. Inching along, hand over hand, she takes deep, steadying breaths. She scans the bottom of the pool for the red and white swirl of the torpedo. Nowhere to be seen. She glances up.
Travis is already out of the pool and rummaging through the bin, tossing out noodles left and right. Good. She turns her gaze to the concession stand. Sam is busy shoving candy into his trunks while Lila leans next to the cash register, hitting random buttons. “What does this do? And this?” JoJo hears her ask. The pimply teen working it rolls his eyes and tries to shoo her away.
JoJo swivels to check on the lifeguard. Her sunglasses make it hard to tell where her hawk-like gaze is pointed but when her visor turns toward the concession stand, JoJo hollers “penguin.” Lila jumps and Sam scampers off. Judging by his smile, he grabbed everything they wanted and more. Travis starts running, arms laden with noodles of every color. JoJo smiles. They’ve done well.
But the torpedo remains elusive. She turns her gaze back to the bottom of the pool. There. Right in the middle, balancing on the cusp of where the shallow end turns deep. She’ll have to dive for it. Shaking, she unzips her jacket and floats freely in the waves, belly full of air and pointed at the sky. “This is for you, Alice,” she whispers before tucking her behind and sinking to the bottom of the pool. Her eyes burn from the chlorine but she keeps them open, cursing herself for forgetting her googles.
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a Big Kid headed for her prize. She snarls her teeth and paddles harder. Her lungs burn but she keeps going. He’s almost there, fingers reaching for the torpedo but JoJo kicks a mighty kick, propelling herself forward, and latches onto his shoulder. She sinks her teeth into his flesh. He flails and JoJo takes advantage of his confusion to snatch the torpedo and push off the bottom.
Air, sweet air, greets her at the surface. She gulps it hungrily. The enraged preteen emerges from the water, spittle flying and races towards her. She swims like she’s never swam before, trying to stay out of his reach.
She’s back on the steps.
Back on the pavement.
She sprints towards Alice’s shrine.
“NO RUNNING!” The lifeguard bellows. JoJo pumps her legs faster.
Then, safety. She collapses on the cool grass, treasure clutched in a vice grip. Her team surrounds her, cheering and patting her back.
“You did it!” cries Lila.
“No, we did it.” JoJo heaves herself to her knees. The noodles frame the throne, candy’s laid at its feet. And there, in the center, is Alice, beaming up at them from her school picture, gap-toothed and pigtailed. JoJo places the torpedo, Alice’s favorite toy, next to her photo.
The crew stands, holding hands, looking at their offering. A lump rises in JoJo’s throat. She forces it down. “Alice isn’t here today.” Tears drip down her face. She hears Travis sniffle. “But today we honor her memory at her favorite place.” Still gripping Lila and Sam’s hands, she raises her arms. “To you, Alice. We love you and miss you.”
“To Alice,” the crew echoes. A sigh of relief ripples through the team. Their mission is complete. Now they can rest.
......
Originally submitted to the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge 2020, Round 1
Placed 1st in Group
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