Graduation... submersion

Sitting in a coliseum, designed to house thousands, an American monstrosity of its time, was now reduced to conducting high school graduations, the only building large and cheap enough to serve. Surrounded by hundreds most of whom he had never met, and very few for whom he gave a damn. Waiting for the endless line to circle to him, to have his name called, shake the hand of a principal he disliked, walk across the stage with his empty folder and hand it right back to a pretty junior waiting to get back to over-tanning. Diplomas weren’t actually handed out at this ceremony, in fact this was a meaningless spectacle put on for the sake of parents and grandparents. A way to force them to place meaning in the completion of 12 years of, mostly, compulsory education.

Returning home after the ceremony to find some cheap decorations, last minute gifts, and greasy food, was part of the process. As enjoyable as sitting in a white washed room with no doors, no windows, no escape from the mundane, emptiness that was living there. And as quickly as he could unwrap the cash he was changed and headed to the pool, bringing cousins, simply so they would stop pestering him. His first day at the pool. It was hot, sunny, beautiful, it was too early in the year for the UV to be at dangerous levels, relaxing in the sun, laughing at his friends jokes, tossing his cousins around in the water, helping them overcome their aquatic phobias, splashing. Rocketing down the slide, sneaking a beer from the cooler of a less conservative patron.

Conversing casually with his lifeguard friend, a bronze skinned high school junior. Meeting the very beautiful, very intriguing, brand new, foreign, lifeguard. Gently touching her hand, and shaking as he was congratulated on his graduation, smiling for real, for the first time in a while. Feeling the uncertainty of decisions made fall away, taking in the blue-green eyes, Russian blood, high cheek bones, soft skin. A voice European gentle and sweet, or rough and warm, a smile marred only by a slight discoloration from smoking.

And suddenly the world was falling away, turned horizontal, and cold, as he was tackled into the frigid early summer water. A cry of startled, playful, rage cut off as his head sank into the clear, slightly under-chlorinated, water.