Psychic Space!

“Hi,” 8:30 Super Swimmer Guy leans down to catch PP at the wall, “Can we circle swim?”

Oh dear! The Dreaded Circle Swim! In the Mayhem Mayhem MAYHEM that is Hilltopia this summer, PP has to just laugh or cry.

She chooses laughter this time, “Sure, we can try! But you’re much faster than I am and I’m much faster than he is and so….” She chuckles. Shrugs.

“That’s fine. We’ll work it out,” 8:30 SSG grins, crouching down to try to stop the Super Slug Guy that PP has been sharing a lane with for the past 20 minutes. He swims a jerky breast stroke, his pudgy legs almost kicking her each time she passes him.



Is this cuz of his swimming style? Or his girth? Or his obliviousness?

Most likely all of the above. And because of all of the above, SSG is gonna make the Dreaded Circle Swim even more dreadfully challenging.
“Excuse me,” 8:30 SSG stops The Slug, “Can you circle swim?”
The Slug peers up at him through foggy blue goggles. If PP could see his eyes, which she can’t, she knows they’d be showing what? Astonished Disbelief? Indignant Imposition? Complete Ignorance?

Yet from his response, he does understand the request. “I’m just gonna stay in my own lane (Something he hasn’t been doing since his herky jerky Breast Stroke takes up 3/4's of the lane) "and you two can share the other half.”

8:30 SSG shakes his head, “No, that’s not going to work. We can’t split the other side with the two of us. Don’t worry; I’ll just go around you.”
The Slug shakes his head, vehement. “NO.” (He’s saying no? To circle swimming with all the crowds? While part of PP admires his bravado, she wonders planet he's from. The planet of empty pools? She wants to fly there!)

8:30 SSG tries again, “We need to circle swim.” He points to the sign and the diagram at the far end of the pool, that no one can see anyway, esp. The Slug. “It’s the rules.”



“No, I can’t do that,” The Slug insists, adamant, and takes off down the middle of the lane.
PP looks up at 8:30 SSG in laughing disbelief. “I don’t think he’s a Regular,” she says.
Shaking his head, 8:30 guys stands up and starts doing his windmill arms in prep for entry. He’s gonna swim around The Slug anyway. This is gonna be good, PP thinks.

“I can put another lane in,” The Harried Lifeguard comes over, seeing or sensing the altercation. PP’s surprised that she’s noticed what with 60 billion families braining each other with noodles in the other half of the pool.

Relieved, 8:30 SSG steps over to claim the new lane. PP takes off trying to share with The Slug, almost done with her swim, but just a little sorry that the Circle Swim didn’t happen-- if you can believe that.

But yet, 8:30 SSG’s lane fills up too after a few minutes. 3 swimmers circling, and true to his word, 8:30 SSG just whizzes past them.

“You’re a FISH!” The Slug exclaims to her as she climbs up on the deck, making her like him a little more. She wants to counter with “You’re a Slug!” but thinks better of it.



Catching 8:30 SSG’s eye at the wall, she motions to her now empty half of the lane, “You want my lane?” she offers, grinning.
Shaking his head, 8:30 SSG declines, “Thanks, but I don’t think so.” He nods toward the Slug floating down the middle of the lane, “He seems to be swimming down the middle of the lane. I think I’ll stay here.”
“Yeah, he takes up a Lot of Space!” PP laughs.
“Psychic Space!” 8:30 SSG chuckles, before zooming off in a mighty whirl.