Gone swimming

Shimmering, crystal-clear waters eddied and swirled with excitement at the local swimming pool as the leisure complex bustled with activity on a Saturday afternoon. Cubs and adults of all different ages played, swam and frolicked happily in the water. Random squeals of delight and the noise of constant chattering echoed all around. There were three pools, two small ones and one much larger. The littlest one was a kiddie pool, for cubs aged four and under with their parents and caretakers; the toddler cubs giggling as they waddled around in the shallow water with their floaties on, and the adults keeping an eye on them and pulling their shorts up should their diapers show just a little too much. The other small pool was a hot-tub, where most of the elder adults talked and joked with each other, and adolescents chattered endlessly about trivial things such as girlfriends or boyfriends and the latest video games at the stores.
In the large pool, cubs of all ages played in the water. Older cubs showed off their skills diving off the board into the deep end; others played with soft rubber balls, passing them round and round with their friends and throwing them at each other in games of tag and battleship play warfare.
Four young friends were playing together in the shallower water - Arturo the Raccoon, Biro the Fox, Parinton the Panda and Roni the Border Collie.
Parinton, Roni and Biro all played happily in the water, but Arturo was feeling a little bored. He prodded Biro to get the little fox's attention and pointed over to the other end of the pool, where the water was deeper.
Biro gulped... "But... but you know I don't like deep water!"
Arturo smiled and held out his paw for the fox to hold onto, and with his other paw he gestured "I'll help you."
Biro smiled and nodded. "Thanks Art."
Parinton noticed Arturo and Biro going out into deeper water and looked at Roni. The border collie was wearing a yellow lifevest. Parinton knew that Roni wasn't a strong swimmer, so he asked Roni if they should go over to the deep end as well.
"Should we join them?" asked the Panda.
"Yeah, okay." said Roni, wading over to the steps and climbing out of the pool, walking along the pool deck to join Art and Biro.
Parinton wondered why his friend didn't just paddle over to the deep end with him, but shrugged it off as Roni jumped into the deep end to rejoin them.

Art and Biro swam close to the pool edge, the raccoon keeping an eye on his fox friend, who wasn't too confident swimming in deep water. He gently let go of Biro's paw, though stayed close should he get into trouble.
Biro swam in a doggy-paddle, smiling at Arturo though looking slightly nervous. Arturo smiled back, reaching out for Biro again and holding onto his arm.
Roni floated near them, watching as Biro swam slowly around Art. Parinton watched too, who was treading water to stay afloat.
"Do you wanna try that?" asked Parinton, though something else had seemed to catch Roni's attention.
"Hey, look! They're putting up a big inflatable slide!" called Roni, yapping excitedly as he watched the lifeguards tying the huge inflatable slide in place with ropes, and using big fan machines to inflate it.
"Let's all go check it out!" yapped Biro, excitedly.
"Yeah, come on!" agreed Parinton, gesturing with his paw for everyone to follow him.
Everyone swam to the edge of the pool to go and check out the inflatable slide - that is everyone except Roni. The Border Collie tried his best to join his friends, but as he tried his feet just spun round and round uselessly, the water was too deep for his paws to reach the floor.
Parinton looked behind him and saw that Roni wasn't following him, he turned around and swam back towards him.
"Roni? Are you alright?" asked Parinton.
The border collie kept trying to swim, looking sadly at his panda friend as his feet just kept spinning uselessly in the deep water. Parinton saw what was happening and gave Roni a comfortingly warm, sympathetic smile.
"Awww, it's okay. I'll help you my friend." said Parinton, swimming up alongside the border collie and putting his right paw over Roni's back, wrapping his arm across the back of the border collie's lifevest and holding onto him tightly, beginning to paddle over to the pool edge with Roni alongside him.
"Thanks Parinton." sighed Roni as he felt himself moving through the water with the help of his friend.

Just then Parinton noticed that Friendly, Jake and Timothy were in the pool as well. In an almost identical situation, Friendly had noticed the inflatable slide and Jake had eagerly swam over to check it out. Timothy was trying to follow, but the raccoon's feet just spun in the deep water - just like Roni.
Friendly had just swum over to help Timothy, but he looked over at the Panda as they came up alongside them. Roni watched Timothy trying to swim and whimpered.
"Poor little guy." said Roni sympathetically, as he watched Timothy struggling to swim. The raccoon's double-chambered yellow floaties kept his head above the water, but did nothing to help him gain any progress in his efforts to swim over to the inflatable slide.
Parinton left Roni for a moment to give Friendly a big hug, forgetting that the water was still too deep for all of them. Both Friendly and Parinton ended up sinking a little and spluttering.
"Hehe, sorry Friendly." said the panda nervously.
Roni floated alongside Timothy and held onto the little raccoon's paw, smiling warmly to him.
"Come on, let's try and swim together." he said.
Timothy looked anxiously over at the border collie, but held onto Roni's paw and continued trying to swim. Roni tried to swim too, but as the water was still too deep for either of them their feet just kept spinning helplessly. They struggled side-by-side for a moment until they began to tire of their efforts.
"I think we'd better help Timothy and Roni." chuckled Friendly, "Now we have two friends who can't swim."
"Yeah, I knew Roni wasn't a strong swimmer, but I didn't know he couldn't go anywhere at all."
"Timothy can't either, poor little guy tries as hard as he can, but he just can't. Look at them now." said Friendly.
Timothy and Roni finally tired of trying to swim, though they kept holding each others' paws. Roni floated on his tummy with his lifevest keeping him afloat, and Timothy floated 'standing-up' with his floaties keeping his head above the water. Roni sighed and looked sadly at the little raccoon.
"Come on, let's help them together." said Friendly, floating up in-between Timothy and Roni and holding onto them both, putting his left paw across Timothy's back and wrapping his arm around the raccoon's tummy, and putting his right paw across Roni's back and wrapping his arm across the back of the border collie's lifevest.
"Come on you two." smiled Friendly, looking at Roni and at Timothy and paddling, kicking his feet to propel all three of them through the water. Parinton paddled alongside Roni and smiled sympathetically at him, holding onto Roni's other paw and assisting Friendly by paddling as well.
"Th... thank you Friendly." stuttered Timothy, continuing to look at Roni and returning the warm smile the border collie had given him a little earlier. The raccoon floated on his tummy like Roni and spun his feet to try and assist his fox friend in paddling over to the inflatable slide.
"You were so cute trying to help Timothy." remarked Parinton to Roni, giving the border collie a gentle lick as he paddled alongside. Roni blushed and said nothing.

Most of the cubs in the pool had lined up to take turns going down the big inflatable slide into the pool. Art, Biro and Jake were already in the queue, not too far from the front.
"I think we should wait until they've gone down the slide, then we can go in one-after-the-other." suggested Friendly.
Timothy was trying to clamber out of the pool, but his floaties kept slipping and sliding on the wet pool deck and his feet couldn't get sufficient grip on the wall.
"Friendly, help!" squeaked the raccoon.
Friendly chuckled and stood next to his struggling friend, putting his right paw on the seat of Timothy's shorts and his left paw under Timothy's arm to support him, giving him a push.
Timothy stood up on the pool deck and smiled happily, though his smile soon disappeared when he saw how long the queue had become. Almost every cub wanted a turn on the slide, the line stretched from the slide all the way to the changing rooms.
"Come on Timothy, we'll wait for a little while. Jake will be back with Art and Biro in a few minutes." said Friendly, beckoning for the raccoon to rejoin him, Parinton and Roni in the pool.
The slide was wide enough for two cubs to go down at a time. Art and Biro waited at the top of the slide, looking down at the medium-depth water.
"Ready Art?" asked Biro, smiling at the raccoon.
Arturo nodded and returned the smile, counting down with his paw.
"Three - two - one - go!" gestured Arturo.
The two friends slid into the water together. Biro giggled and squealed excitedly as he went faster and faster towards the water. Arturo didn't make any noises, but showed he was very happy with a wide smile on his face.
"Yay! Now Jake's gonna come!" squeaked Timothy, spinning his feet to try and get a little closer, though obviously he didn't move anywhere.
"Come on little buddy, let's go see." said Friendly, standing alongside Timothy and holding the raccoon's arm with his left paw, and gently pushing Timothy's butt with his other paw as he waded alongside, the water being just shallow enough for him to do so.

Staying a safe distance away from the end of the slide, Timothy and Friendly waited for Jake to come down the slide. Friendly dived under the water, swimming underneath his little raccoon friend he momentarily watched Timothy's feet spinning in the deep water. Holding his breath, the fox floated underneath the water and playfully tickled Timothy's butt with his paws. Timothy flailed and splashed, giggling helplessly as Friendly tickled him. When Friendly could no longer hold his breath he surfaced next to Timothy, holding the little raccoon tightly in a hug and smiling at him.
"That passed a little bit of time, can you see Jake yet?"
"Here he comes, now!" squeaked Timothy, pointing up at the slide.
"Geronimo!" called Jake, as he slid down towards the water, giggling as he landed in the water not too far from Timothy, swimming over to the little raccoon.
"Heehee, come on Timothy, your turn to go down!" yapped Jake.
"Okay!" called Timothy, trying to swim over to the edge of the pool but just making his feet spin round and round in the deep water.
"Come on, spinny feet." chuckled Jake, holding onto Timothy's arm and paddling with him through the water to the steps. "Me and Friendly will be there to help you."
Timothy went over to the queue. It wasn't very long now, with most of the cubs having gotten bored of the slide by now. Soon, Timothy was allowed onto the slide. The chubby little raccoon made his way up the rubber steps. Occasionally his feet slipped and slid on the slippery rubber material, but soon he made it to the top.
"Come on Timothy!" encouraged Friendly.
"Yeah, come on Tim!" called Jake.
"You can do it, Tim!" said Biro, who was also watching with Arturo.
The little raccoon closed his eyes, he was really high up! He quivered a little but inch by inch, he began to slide down. Soon the little raccoon was sliding faster and faster towards the water. He squealed as he found himself speeding towards the water, holding his arms tightly around his body as he reached the end of the slide and went into the deep water.
"Yay!" cheered Biro and Jake at the same time. Friendly and Arturo paddled over to Timothy to assist him, knowing the water would be too deep for him to move out of the way by himself for other cubs coming down the slide.
Timothy tried as hard as he could to move as he saw two other cubs at the top of the slide, but his feet just spun helplessly.
"Move outta the way, floaties!" called one of the cubs, impatiently.
"Come on Timothy, off we go." said Friendly, holding onto Timothy's arm and helping him move away from the slide, back to where Parinton, Roni, Biro and Jake were; Arturo helped too, holding onto Timothy's other arm and smiling at him.
Timothy blushed a little as Friendly and Arturo helped him up to where the water would be shallow enough for his feet to touch the floor.

"Alright everyone! There's free pizza for everyone who wants some!" called one of the lifeguards over the public address system.
"Oooh, Pizza!" squeaked Timothy, "Come on!"
Everyone stood in line for pizza - the seven friends were among the first in line as they were already in the shallow area when the announcement was made.
"Yummy yummy!" squeaked Timothy, as he was handed his slice of pizza and immediately began to devour it. 
The friends all sat together on the wood and white-marble bench beside the pool eating their pizza. Biro sat next to Arturo. Timothy sat in-between Arturo and Friendly - who was sitting next to Roni and Parinton.
As Timothy and Arturo finished their slices of pizza, they looked briefly at one another. Arturo saw some tomato sauce on Timothy's left arm float and chuckled to himself as he used his finger to wipe it and then put his finger in his mouth. Timothy blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed that he'd allowed sauce to get on his floaties, he then noticed some sauce on Arturo's shorts and used his finger to wipe it and put his finger in his mouth too. Arturo and Timothy giggled some more and then they turned to Biro. The little fox was just finishing off his own slice.
"This was really fun." Arturo whispered into his friend's ear.
Biro nodded and gulped down the last of his pizza slice, turning to Timothy.
"Did you guys bring your bikes? We can go for a ride after."
"Yeah! That sounds great!" cried Timothy, his floaties squeaking on the sides of the walls as he fidgeted in his excitement.
"...and we can help Timothy when his training wheels get him stuck in the mud." whispered Arturo.
"...I need to get Timothy off those little wheels, if he hasn't already learned." muttered Biro to himself.
"Come on, let's go get dried off." said Friendly, putting his paw across Timothy's back and patting the seat of his shorts as they both stood up.

As the friends dried off in the changeroom, they all talked with one another about their exciting time at the pool, and about the bike ride they'd take after.
"Do you still need training wheels, Tim?" Biro asked, somewhat hoping the raccoon would say "No." but was disappointed when Timothy blushed and nodded slowly.
Arturo felt sorry for Timothy and gave him a smile, whispering into his ear.
"It's okay, we can help you if you get stuck."
Timothy smiled but continued to blush as Friendly removed the yellow floaties from from his arms and then rubbed him down with dark-blue towel to dry him off. 
"Come on buddy, let's get you all dried off." said Friendly.
"Can't Timothy dry himself?" asked Roni, inquisitively.
"Not really, I always help him." Friendly answered. "I've become quite good at it."
Roni shrugged and dried himself off after removing his lifevest and shorts.
Friendly then helped Timothy put his blue t-shirt on and dried off the raccoon's flame shorts, since he liked to keep them on.
Once they were all ready, the seven friends left the pool complex together to go on their bike ride - all of them eager to have another adventure together.

The End