No. 118

The plastic chair went in first, then the first body. Soon, everyone was in the pool, leaving Charlie Conrad alone on the side. He considered remaining dry, but then dove in, ignoring his brand-new shirt and forgetting the important document in his pocket.

Hours later, the only person left in the water was Steve. Charlie lay on his back and watched half-heartedly as Steve sat in the shallow end, amusing himself with the floating beer cans that surrounded him. Some of the others found this immensely funny.

But Charlie was tired. He wasn’t getting any younger. He had far more crazy-party days behind him than he did ahead. He knew that he should probably head for the exit before everyone got riled up again. He screwed his eyes shut and rolled to a seated position. Then, with a groan and a new click from his knee, he stood up.

Trying his best to smooth out the wrinkles in his clothes from the water and the pool deck, he found the soggy remains of the document. He looked back at the aftermath of the party and grinned.

Then he took a running leap into the deep end.