Chapter 55: One Last Swim
Life drifts on. As the end of summer approached, Hawkins was experiencing summer weather and the warmth lingered as September soldiered on. The day after the big storm brought sunshine, warmth and some humidity and it carried through until the end of the week. The leaves on the trees would soon show colour and drop, but until then, everyone enjoyed the heat.
It could be assumed that after a chaotic August, all those who had moved to Hawkins either from Derry or elsewhere settled into a routine, making their lives as comfortable as possible, but it could not be further from the truth. The Denbrough family seemed to adjust as best they could, and the world seemed to feel more normal. Joel Rogers had not been heard from and had allegedly been seen in Miami Florida for some reason, allowing Mia to feel safer.
All this comfort and normalcy was an illusion in Bill Denbrough's eyes… His whole world had collapsed into one of his favourite fantasy mixed with horror books. Otherworldly creatures stalked in the shadows, and he was rebuilding his view of the world based on what he knew. The warm weather had put a stall on Bill's plans for putting a heater or a space heater in Georgie's closet as it was hot enough to keep the Demogorgon at bay for the time being… a creature with no face and existed in another dimension. The windows in the house were left open to allow any cool breezes through and just for safekeeping kept his brother's closet open the entire time to allow the humidity to permeate the room. It was their weapon against this being with no known origin and this monster was working with IT. It was quite overwhelming to imagine, and it would take Bill some time to get his mind around it all.
However, if his little brother came to him in the middle of the night because he was scared, he allowed him to sleep on his bedroom floor.
Thursday night, Bill watched as Georgie curled up in his sleeping bag. He reached down and touched his brother's head.
"I-I promise. I-I won't let anything happen to you."
A vow he was going to keep with every last fibre of his being. And he would continue to fulfill that promise with their friend group's plan.
"We meet Friday night, meet inside the school playground. By the baseball diamond." Mike's voice echoes in Bill's head as he sits on the couch in the living room shortly after school had let out for the weekend. "7:00 and don't be late."
"Bring supplies, we might be out there for a while. We need to be in a safe place where no one can hear us and see if we can pick up the signal again," Dustin had added.
Bill can barely focus on the book he's reading for school as his mind is buzzing with what they are going to talk about. Dustin had mentioned something about a Cerebro and a "Weathertop." It all sounded gibberish to those from Derry, but Bill, Beverly, and Ben trusted those from Hawkins and said that they had some plan ready.
"Bill, are you sure you don't want to come?" Sharon offers as she packs the towels and her sunglasses. She then leans down to put sunscreen on Georgie's face.
"Come on Billy!" his little brother begs.
"Thanks, but I'm g-good," he says, looking up from a book he had to read for school. "I have to r-read three chapters-s for school."
"All right, suit yourself. You can always bike over if you feel like it," Sharon shrugs.
"Also M-mom," Bill says.
"Yes?"
"M-Me and a couple of my f-friends were going to go star…g-gazing tonight. Is that okay?"
"Some of your new friends like that Will Byers?" Sharon asks.
"Yes," Bill answers.
This delights the mother to no end that her eldest son is finally being social and has new friends. It's the happiest she's seen him in months.
"All right, but my curfew is 11:30. Make sure you're back by then."
Bill nods.
"Last swim of the summer before they close the pool!" Mia smiles excitedly, coming down ready to go. She loved swimming and was excited to go. It felt like it had been forever since she had gone to a pool. In Wisconsin, the only pool was one town over meaning her grandmother or grandfather rarely took her, but she'd loved the water for a long time and was a pretty strong swimmer. "Last chance Bill."
"I'm good," he answers. He pretends to go back to reading his book.
"Suit yourself," Sharon repeats.
"Come on Mommy!" Georgie shouts, running out the door in his water wings.
"Georgie, slow down!" his mother calls after him before Mia shuts the door behind them.
Once the three leave, Bill moves to the back deck to read, never wanting to be alone in that house again.
…
The Denbrough station wagon pulls up in front of the Hawkins Community Pool. The rusted and worn fence surrounding it seems to creak slightly in the summer breeze. Some of the lounging chairs, umbrellas and other equipment have been put away in anticipation of closing the pool completely for the winter and there's currently only one lifeguard on duty, their last shift before having to find another job for the winter. Opposite the parking lot was the bricked building containing the lifeguard office, the change rooms, the gym and the sauna. It too was close to being shuttered.
It didn't appear too busy at the moment, but that could change as more people decided to take advantage of the last vestiges of summer into the late afternoon. At the moment, the bonus part was the cooler weather and breeze means fewer people around to brave the cooling waters. It was perfect.
Mia and Georgie go through the gate and find a spot near one of the last umbrellas still standing. Sharon follows them and puts down the beach bag.
Shedding her sweater, Mia reveals a bikini underneath before shoving her flip-flops under a deck chair. Barefoot and excited, she reaches the edge of the pool. Without hesitation, Mia dives into the cool water and surfaces with a smile. It was so refreshing and felt great to celebrate the last of the warm weather.
She swims the length of the pool and comes back to see Georgie curled up in a ball by the edge. His little green water wings seem to shutter.
"Come on Georgie," she says. "Don't tell me we came all this way just for you to sit there."
"It's too cold," Georgie protests.
"Come on Georgie. Don't be a chicken," she teases.
"I'm not a chicken!" he says firmly. "It's just too cold."
"Suit yourself," Mia says before pushing off the side and beginning a few laps.
As she swims along, she gets the sense that she's being watched. Once she gets to one side of the pool, Mia looks up to see the lifeguard, the male life watching her. He looked faintly familiar… likely someone from the high school, but she wasn't too sure. She couldn't place his face, partially because it was hidden behind sunglasses. At first, one could assume that he was watching her because she was the only one actively swimming, but even when a few other people went into the pool, his gaze seemed fixed on her.
She doesn't like the feeling at all. Unpleasant and uncomfortable.
A few other people begin to enter on deck for a swim when a mother and daughter enter through the pool gate.
"Mommy, there's no one here to play with," Holly moans. She even brought her beach ball. The youngest Wheeler's face fell when she had no kids her own age there. As she'd started kindergarten that August, she had lots of new classmates and friends, but she didn't see any at the pool.
Karen, trying not to glance at Billy from under her sunglasses knowing he was here, tries to placate her daughter's frustrations. She moves along the deck towards where there is another family, hoping to find someone to talk to on her end and someone for Holly to play with.
"Look honey, there's a little boy over there. Why don't you ask him if he wants to play with you?"
"But he's a boy," she complains. "Boys are gross."
"Holly, boys are not gross."
"They are at school," her daughter says firmly.
"Holly honey, I'm sure some of your friends might come later, but I can't be your playmate right now."
"Why not?"
"Excuse me?" Karen asks, ignoring her daughter's question and talking to the adult. "Are any of these seats taken?'
"No, go right ahead," Sharon says, looking up from the book she was reading.
Karen sets down their things and applies sunscreen to Holly.
"Holly, hold still please," her mother says in frustration.
"It's slimy," the youngest Wheeler complains.
"I know, but this is likely the last time we're going to have such nice weather."
"According to the news," Sharon agrees. "The cold is coming."
Both mothers sit while one prepares their daughter for the water and the other reads. Karen begins to blow up Holly's water wings and becomes lightheaded very quickly. Sharon notices the mother holding her forehead and the impatient look on the woman's daughter's face.
"Need a hand?" she offers, taking the other water wing. "I've done two already, my lungs are all warmed up."
Karen looks at the stranger, grateful for her help. Both inflate the pink water wings and put them on Holly Wheeler.
"Now you're ready for battle," Sharon jokes.
"Stay close to the shallow end Holly," Karen says, allowing her youngest to go play. The little one goes over to the stairs of the shallow end and climbs in despite the cold.
Karen sits back and tries to relax. She steals a glance up at Billy, but he seems to be watching the pool, doing his job. She reaches into her bag and grabs her romance novel. She forces herself to try and read the marked page but can't. She turns to the mother she's sitting one chair over from and sees that she's reading about the History of Music, a very interesting choice. Inhaling, she attempts to engage the woman in conversation.
"Is that your son and daughter over there?" Karen Wheeler asks Sharon.
Sharon looks up from her book at the woman.
"I'm sorry?"
"The ones over there? Are they your son and daughter?"
"The one sitting on the side is my son, but the girl in the water is my niece."
"I see," Karen says. "She is quite the swimmer and very brave considering the temperature."
"Pass it here!" Mia calls to Holly, standing in the shallow end.
The youngest Wheeler sibling tosses her beach ball and Mia bats it back to her. Holly reaches over and grabs it once it lands in front of her. Mia had noticed how bored the little girl in the shallow end was, with a beach ball and no one to play with. She put her hands up to get her to pass it over.
"Do it again!" Holly says.
The two repeat it a few times before Holly throws it harder than before, and the teen lets it bump her in the face. She pretends to fall back in the water as if hurt.
Under the water, Mia grabs the ball and moves it along the surface before throwing it over.
Holly giggles in delight.
"I want to play!" Georgie demands seeing how much fun they're having.
"Then you have to get in the water you cold chicken," Mia teases.
"I'm not a chicken," the youngest Denbrough shouts.
"Then prove it," his cousin teases.
With some reluctance, Georgie goes to the stairs of the shallow end and cautiously dips his foot in. Immediately, he steps out because of the temperature but seeing that Holly and Mia are waiting for him, he sucks it up and puts both feet in the water. Very slowly, he steps down the stairs until he's on the same step as Holly. He grimaces in the cold but looks proud.
"See, I'm not a chicken," he says firmly.
"Guess you're not. Catch Squirt."
She passes the ball to him.
Both mothers look on, pleased at the scene they are seeing. It fills them with happiness, reminding them of the reasons that they became mothers. Karen is impressed by how well the older teenager becomes a babysitter to the younger two. If only her own children could step up like that.
"How old is your son?" Karen asks.
"Six, almost seven," Sharon replies. "And your daughter?"
"Five-and-a-half as she'll tell you," Mrs. Wheeler smiles. "She just started kindergarten this year."
"Georgie loves first grade," Mrs. Denbrough adds. "Already eager to try reading on his own."
"If only Holly was as enthusiastic. All she cares about are playdates with her classmates."
"Social butterfly in the making. But be patient, she'll want to be like her big siblings."
"In some ways yes," Karen says, staring off for a moment. "How old is your niece?"
"Seventeen," Sharon answers.
"If you don't mind me asking, is your niece here for a visit?"
Sharon bites her lip. She knew the cover story meant to protect Mia; she just didn't expect this woman to be nosy all of a sudden.
"She's staying with our family for the time being while her mother is working abroad for her job. It happens quite frequently, but my sister wants her daughter to have a stable schooling experience."
"I see," Karen nods. "She certainly seems to be adjusting well."
"She has a job and everything," Sharon says, hoping that this will placate the curious woman's inquiry.
"I'm Karen Wheeler by the way," she says extending her hand. "Sorry for not introducing myself and that's my daughter Holly."
"I'm Sharon Denbrough. My son is George, but we call him Georgie. And my niece's name is Amelia, but Mia for short."
"I can assume that you're from Derry?" Karen asks.
"Yes. How did you guess?"
"Well, Hawkins is a pretty small area, most people know each other to some degree. I'm pretty sure we're neighbours. You're living in the Winchester's old house. Very sad about Mrs. Winchester passing away and Mr. Winchester was moved to home last January. Just a little history of the house for you."
"I appreciate it. What my husband did not appreciate was all the stuff left in the basement including a fully equipped radio and tons of golf balls."
"Yes, Mr. Winchester did have a bad habit of throwing those at cars," Karen frowns. "His children believe that he'd been developing dementia for a very long time, but when his wife passed, it intensified to where he needed to go and be cared for."
"Very sad to hear," Sharon agrees. She marks the place in her book.
"Do you play music?" Karen asks.
"Yes, the piano specifically. I actually graduated from Julliard."
Karen's eyes go wide in shock. "Did you?! That must have been so amazing."
Mrs. Wheeler immediately becomes extremely envious of Mrs. Denbrough. She never went to college, never had a job outside of the home and raised her children. All her life she's been married to Ted and a mother. She's never had many interests or even been out of Hawkins. The fact that Sharon went to Julliard, one of the most prestigious music schools in the country was something amazing.
"It was fun, but a lot of work," Sharon replies. "The training was so intense sometimes that you'd be stuck there until late at night. It really felt like I didn't have a life outside of music."
"But in New York, you must have seen so much," Karen says.
As the adults talk, Mia continues to play with the kids. Eventually, the two younger ones use their water wings to swim around. They even get a game of Marco Polo going. Fortunately, a few other children come through the gate and join in the fun. Eventually, Mia can leave the kids to their own devices and swim a little more before getting out for a break.
As she gets out of the pool and wraps herself in a towel when she feels eyes on her again. Now that she is closer to where he is sitting, she turns her head and recognizes the lifeguard as the kid from school who drives the Camaro and has an affinity for denim and smoking. She'd heard a few girls in class talk about him and gush about being on dates with him. While he can be seen as fairly attractive, he wasn't Mia's type, and she just had a bad feeling about him. She already knew where her attraction lay. He continues to stare at her.
She politely waves at him to show that she recognizes him, but he doesn't wave back. Instead, his stare seems to intensify, even though his eyes are concealed behind dark sunglasses. Mia continues to feel extremely uncomfortable like he's checking her out too much. She goes over to sit next to her aunt, who is talking to another woman.
When there is a lull in the conversation, Mia decides to ask.
"Who is the lifeguard up there?" she asks.
"Him? That's Billy Hargrove," Karen answers a matter-of-factly.
"Does he go to your school, Mia?' Sharon asks.
"Yeah, he does," she says, trying to ignore his piercing glare.
When all three women look over, he nonchalantly goes back to supervising the pool.
"I wonder what his job will be now that the pool is closing," Karen wonders out loud.
"The mall seems to be the go-to for most teens," Sharon replies.
"Not me," Mia says, sitting back in a lounge chair.
"What is your job?" Mrs. Wheeler asks.
"I tutor," the teen answers.
"She actually tutors Chief Hopper's daughter," Mrs. Denbrough clarifies.
"Oh yes, Jane Hopper. My son Mike knows her very well…" Karen decides against embarrassing her son by mentioning who he was dating.
"She's a fast learner," Mia adds. "And a good student."
"That's great to hear," Karen says. She then leans back and grabs a book to read.
The afternoon carries on and the pool becomes more crowded as people get off work and bring their children there for one last summer swim. Eventually, it feels rather chaotic and the lifeguarding staff need to add two more people aside from Billy to keep everything under control.
Mia goes back into the pool for a little longer but vacates again when it becomes too busy. Georgie and Holly play in a big group of kids for a long time, until both mothers agree that it's time to call it a day.
"It was so great to meet you, Karen," Sharon says, packing everything up. "We'll have to have you over for some coffee."
"I was just about to say the same thing," Karen laughs. "I'm sure we can arrange a playdate for Georgie and Holly too."
"I'm sure they would enjoy that," Mrs. Denbrough agrees, without even consulting whether her son would agree to it. "And if you ever need a babysitter…"
Mia wishes her aunt would let her speak for herself. While she's fine with babysitting for extra cash, she'd like to say it instead of her Aunt Sharon speaking for her.
"Enjoy the rest of the weekend," Mrs. Wheeler says, guiding Holly to the car.
The Denbroughs head home to get dinner on.
…
"I-I'm heading out," Bill announces. He has his backpack on which is stuffed with a blanket, snacks, a flashlight, a note and a sketchbook (in case he gets bored)
"Have a good time," Sharon says, coming and kissing her son on the head, which just embarrassed the teen. "And remember, 11:30 no later."
"O-Okay," Bill says before heading out the door and grabbing his bike. He crosses over to Mike's house and waits for him there.
Sharon watches from the window as the two ride off in the setting sun.
Mia sits up reading while Georgie watches cartoons and draws on the floor. Eventually, she goes upstairs, but can't shake the feeling like she's missing something or forgot something.
…
Steve checks his watch again. He waits at the entrance to the movie theatre, craning his neck to see if she's among the huge Friday night crowd. He knows he should have told Mia a specific time, but he did say Friday night. He wasn't sure what movie they should see; there wasn't a lot to pick. Maybe she's never seen Back to the Future, which was still playing and if she had, he could persuade her to see it again.
He sat and waited for a long time, not knowing that his message had not been clearly received.
A/N: Another chapter and a sad note to end on, but Mia didn't do it on purpose, Steve. What do the Party and Loser's Club Thank you for your continued support of this story. Please follow and review.
Larry: Don't worry, he will be coming.
jackie: Mike Hanlon will be coming into the story, don't worry. And the campfire thing, is that a reference to the TV show Are You Afraid of the Dark?
GlaringEyes: Yeah, I always felt so bad for Nancy putting up with all the sexism at the Hawkins Post. I believe that you are right about the Mind Flayer allowing Nancy, Robin and Steve (he hated the sailor stuff as much as anyone else) to get better jobs. Thanks for the support on Damian. At first, I wasn't going to do a lot with his character, just keep him in the background and give a sense of Bev's family life, but I like the idea of him working with his dad and maybe getting a glimpse of what actually happens in Hawkins (If you remember what happens to some of the staff at the Hawkins Post_. I kind of view him as kind of like Eddie Munson, hating regular life. The one thing he does that Eddie doesn't is ride a motorcycle. The heroes definitely had an uphill battle on their hands.