The Agent in the Speedo

Marcus adjusted the lifeguard chair for the third time, trying to look bored instead of terrified. This was supposed to be the summer job that would finally give him enough creds to sit with the popular crew at lunch, but mostly he was just watching pre-grenades do cannonballs off the diving board.

His golden retriever, Barnaby, waited patiently beneath the chair—only emotional support animal certified for municipal pool duty, thanks to his mom's "connections" at city hall. Marcus suspected the certification was actually fake, which honestly made it cooler.

"You're not even watching the pool," said Kiara, dropping onto the empty chair next to his. She wore a regulation one-piece like armor, whistle ready like a weapon. "You're totally spying again."

"I'm not spying," Marcus said, but his eyes betrayed him, flickering toward the snack bar where Sydney was laughing with Tyler. "I'm conducting surveillance. There's a difference."

"You're literally swimming in stalkerville right now." Kiara twisted her whistle chain around her finger. "Just talk to them. Sydney asked about you yesterday."

"Since when?"

"Since when what?"

"Since when do you and Sydney talk?" Marcus squinted at her. Kiara, who moved through the social hierarchy like it was an obstacle course she'd memorized, suddenly looked suspiciously interested in the pool filter.

"I don't know," she said. "We're friends. She's cool. Maybe if you weren't so busy being the FBI of teenage crushes, you'd know that."

Marcus watched a kid jump into the water, displacing a splash that rippled all the way to the pool edges. It hit him then: Sydney had been bringing Barnaby treats all week. Sydney had covered his shift last Tuesday when he had dentist drama. Sydney was always exactly where he happened to be working or sitting.

"Wait," Marcus said slowly. "Has Sydney been... spying on me?"

Kiara grinned, finally making eye contact. "Bro, you're both spies. It's mutual espionage. It's the most embarrassing thing I've ever witnessed, and I watched Jared McAllister try to confess to his math teacher using interpretive dance."

Barnaby chose that moment to sneeze, spraying water droplets everywhere.

"Your dog thinks you should grow a pair," Kiara said, sliding off the chair. "Also, your shift ended five minutes ago. Sydney's still at the snack bar. Just saying."

Marcus looked down at Barnaby, who thumped his tail against the wet concrete.

"Alright," Marcus said. "Operation: Stop Being Weird starts now."

"Thank god," Kiara called over her shoulder. "I was this close to filing a harassment complaint on behalf of everyone who had to watch this."

Marcus stepped off the chair, his legs shaky from sitting too long, and headed toward the snack bar. Sydney looked up, spotted him, and smiled—like she'd been waiting. Marcus realized he'd been the agent in the speedo all along, and somehow, she'd been watching back.