Terminations 497, Pt. 2 of 6.

         It was a little before 8:00pm, with the natatorium open for another hour.  Susan made the place her next destination, getting into the women's locker room by then.  From her bag, she removed and donned a light-green one-piece swimsuit and a white swim cap before getting her clothes and other things safely in one of the nearby lockers.  After looking in the mirror to make sure all her blond hair was within the smooth protective cap, she entered the main pool area.

         The place was not very crowded for its large size.  After all, it was final exam week, with most students having strict academic priorities.  As she casually walked to the shallow end of the pool, she did not draw much attention from others.  The more athletic had their regimented routines anyway.  Her face drew more attention to others than her body.  It was about equally as pretty without her glasses, as she had the attractive eyes and flawless complexion.  Her legs however were well-toned from considerable walking and had a length that also made them ideal for swimming.  Having a small bust to aid her speed through water, she looked better from behind, to thus look ordinary to the other female swimmers present.

         She slowly entered the clear turquoise-blue water and wished to appear as anonymous as possible.  It was wonderfully refreshing, soothing, and relaxed her much.  Despite her attire and anatomical advantages, she was actually not a skilled swimmer and therefor not especially fond of the water overall:  No aquaphile.  It was only while attending the university that she learned the basics of swimming but never practiced very often.  She knew practice meant perfect, like a craft, but she was pretty far from it at the particular sport -- and others.  

         Remaining in a corner, she took a deep breath and dunked herself but kept beneath the surface by holding onto the adjacent pool ladder.  She kept her eyes closed much of the time and listened to the "splish-splish" sounds of other swimmers in the distance and of the water gently lapping against the wall above and behind her.  When she did open her eyes briefly, she was able to see forward only a few meters beyond her extended legs.  The images of other swimmers flitted in the distance.  Otherwise, there was just blue blurry indistinction.  Visibility was greatly aided by the underwater pool lights nevertheless.

         Susan went swimming very infrequently, and upon feeling a predictable tightness in her chest, she went back up for fresh air.  She estimated that she could not have been under more than thirty seconds.  Afterward, she did a crawl stroke toward the deep end, moving slow, inefficient, and gradually to one side while holding her breaths too much.  Soon, she stood up again in only chest-deep water and wiped the burning chlorinated water from her irritated eyes.  She postulated correctly that they would not remain pretty if they were to take such chemical punishment for another hour.  

         When her vision was clear again, she heard another woman surface to her right very shortly behind her -- a brunette wearing a purple swimsuit and a distant "friend."  She removed her tinted goggles and with some surprise said, "Well, Susan!  It's been awhile since I last saw you in here.  You certainly look like you need the exercise."  

         "I'm just fine, Judy.  Everything just looks bigger through those bug eyes of yours underwater.  Now, why don't you put them back on and take a dive somewhere else?"

         She chuckled sarcastically and splashed water at her.  "Why don't you try them on, or are you afraid that you'll devolve into a homely fish?"

         "Oh, stop it already, you little petite.  I'll do what I want.  So just leave me alone and blow bubbles where it feels good.  I have to practice for a special night class now."

         The short brunette stopped deliberately splashing and more seriously replied, "Oh, THAT class.  How come only carefully selected students could enroll in it?  What's it like?  Can't be aquatic the way you swim."

         Susan was told to lie or remain secretive about the details of the special coarse as much as possible, and she did.  By now, late in the school year, enough underhand rumors about it were prevalent in some of the rejected student body.  Even if it was not her favorite subject, she knew it had applications that would prove useful later.  Also, just being in it carried much academic prestige.  "It's very difficult for little people like you.  Like independent research 497 and also not any of your business.  We get apprenticeship training for various state and federal agencies in it."

         "Such as?" she pried on.

         "Oh, anything from the military to greater intelligence, you know?" she added.  "Only the best are accepted."  

         Judy tried as best she could to quell her peaking envy but could not.  Before moving away, she jeered, "Ha!  Only a saying by the Air Force, and you're not even a wing nut.  Must be who you know and surely not what."  

         Susan's mouth fell open, but she never had time to reply to her.  She just dove ahead into deeper water and splashed her another time with a foot.  She backed away and next leaned against the side of the spacious pool, where a masked man shortly encountered her.  She did not know him, but he seemed candid and friendly enough.  "You look angry," he correctly said after removing the accessory from his face.  "Is there anything wrong?"

         "Nothing important," she replied, referring to Judy.  "I just had a sour encounter with one of my research class competitors over there.  I was narrowly selected over her, and I guess she's gonna remain a sore loser about it.  Thought it was only the taste of this water in my mouth earlier."

         He saw Judy frolicking in the water with three other beautiful young women across the pool and after looking back at her, said, "Don't let that little wench bother you.  I always see her swimming in the ocean with her younger and even shorter sister just off Rocky Point.  She's just trying to get under your skin and make you miserable.  So, are you a good swimmer?"  

         "Afraid not.  I've been in the books too much, and it's been awhile since I -- "

         "Oh, sure you are.  Let's go to the deep end and try some bobs and somersaults."  

         "Well, I . . . I -- "

         "See?  Don't let that little hussy bother you," he restated, to give her more confidence.  "Seeing you relaxing with me will only make her more jealous of you.  Let's go!"

         Susan remained apprehensive but reluctantly conceded to his persistence.  He was substantially handsome and had a good point.  Holding onto the edge of the wall, she followed him to the opposite corner, at the deep end of the large pool.  Feeling nothing beneath her feet made her more tense, but she had to hide her fears now.  Judy and her friends were watching now, appearing as he predicted.  

         "Let's see if you can get all the way to the bottom.  I have to see how good you are at doing deep bobs."  

         "I'll . . . try, but don't count on it."

         "That's all any of us can do."

         Susan inhaled as deep as she could and went under after he did.  She kept her eyes closed and laboriously tried to force her buoyant body down by using her waving arms.  He only watched her for a few seconds and shook his head back and forth negatively.  She did expel a few small bubbles of air from the nose before quickly returning to the surface with him.  She purposely acted breathless there.  

         He kept his mask on and remarked, "Surely, you can do better than that.  Just put your arms out, keep your legs together, and blow your air out faster.  It's easy.  Let's try it again."  

         His voice was more firm up close, and she was about to refuse until she saw Judy giving her a sly gaze while slowly moving her head dubiously.  Thus, she felt that she had no choice but to do as he said.  

         Susan took another deep breath and forced herself down again.  This time, she exhaled more forcefully, keeping her limbs still and extended, as directed.  Her shapely voluptuous form went down only a little at first.  Opening her eyes squinting, she saw his blurry illuminated image hovering in front of her, giving more encouragement with a repeated "thumbs up" sign.  He stayed nearby and observed, as she noisily expelled more gleaming bubbles faster from her nostrils, and sank further down.  Soon however, her chest began to feel tight when they were six feet below the surface, but she remained calm and gradually reached upward.  The weightlessness was entrancing, and she closed her eyes again doubtful if she could have went this far down alone.  She next puckered her lips and exhaled more bubbles from her small rounded mouth.  

         Seconds later, she was surprised by a sudden sharp crushing pain in her chest and opened her eyes again -- afraid.  Her lungs spasmed, and she became panicky when she could not see him anywhere above.  She still had not sank all the way to the bottom and began struggling frantically in the wet silence all about.  She wondered where he could have gone so fast.

         Susan continued to flail her arms wildly and remained in equilibrium, trapped under the smothering volume of water, until she let out the remaining air in her burning lungs as a greatly muffled high-pitched scream for help.  He lovely body then sank quickly to the bottom, and only then was she able to orient herself and kick hard off the smooth cement back upward.  The water finally released her, and she broke the surface loudly, choking and gasping for air.  

         While repeatedly reaching fast for the side, she heard his calm voice behind her at last.  He had his mask off and commented, "Good girl!  I knew you'd make it down there one way or another."  

         As Susan regained her breath, she saw Judy and her friends laughing and sneering at her in the distance.  She also faintly heard her say that a pet rock could swim better with a duck than she could with a sexy man.  The buxom watchful lifeguard, only a little concerned, settled back comfortably into her high chair again.  She initially knew there would be only a negligible chance of a drowning, or of even having to make a rescue, but also shook her head in disgust, to cause further searing embarrassment.            

         "Where were you?" she shouted and coughed.  "I couldn't -- "

         "I was behind you.  Did you actually think I'd let you drown?  Perhaps, I should have let you use the mask," he replied.  "You wouldn't have panicked then, when you could see clearly underwater."  

         "Yeah sure!  I'd be better swimming alone than with YOU as a buddy!  I don't have gills and scales, in case you didn't notice with that thing on."

         He got the message.  "I know that but just thought you were more adventurous than you look.  Look at those girls laugh now."  

         "I'm . . .  more daring my own way than you can think."

         "Okay.  Suit yourself," he said and moved away.

         As Susan went cautiously back to the shallow side of the pool, she heard her name called.  Turning about again, she saw Judy and one of the other girls do a boisterous drowning imitation, as the two others made bubbly screams at the surface beside them.  She slapped the surface of the water hard herself, shook her head, and moved on in silence, blushing, as they laughed louder.  Only the water itself prevented her blood from boiling with anger inside, along with a "safe" distance from the teases.  She could not remain in the pool any longer then and departed the place emotionally subdued.  It was simply not a good evening for her in THIS day.  

Continued to Pt. 3.