are confirmed. There’s a boy of Kirsten’s age leaning over me. His hair is blonde and dripping wet. “Everyone please disperse!”
Glancing around I notice who he’s talking too, even though he’s keeping his eyes on me. A crowd of people in swimsuits, some wearing white robes and towels. They all surround me and none of them seem to be dispersing at all. They just keep staring down at me.
“What happened?” I mumble again.
“Stevie pushed you into the pool, Emily!” I blink and turn my head to the side just as she kicks the boombox robot. “Stupid thing could have killed you with its electric shock!”
“Miss, please.” The blonde boy says. I presume he’s talking to Kirsten, but he’s still keeping his eyes locked onto me. It’s getting kind of creepy, to be honest. “You’re not helping keep her calm.”
“Calm?” Kirsten screeches. “How can anyone stay calm at a time like this? My friend almost died!”
Oh dear. I’m having trouble processing my thoughts and I’m inclined to agree with the staring blonde. Kirsten’s shouting is doing my head in much worse.
“Miss Blythe.” Someone knew has approached. It’s a man in a dark business suit. “You will calm down or you’ll have to leave the spa.”
The spa?
Of course the spa. The Meli Spa.
I know where I am. I know why I’m lying on the hard, wet floor. I’m next to the swimming pool that I almost died in!
Sitting bolt upright I nearly smack foreheads with the staring teenager. “Your robot did almost kill me, Kirsten!” I freak out and words tumble from my mouth. “Stevie is a bad robot! A very, very bad robot! It pushed me in. It totally pushed me…”
Madness ensues. The blonde boy tries to calm me with words, but his face is so close to mine it only unnerves me further. Kirsten is complaining to her suit wearing boss and all the gathered spa goers look on with interest.
Only the sound of approaching sirens outside snaps me out of it.
“Did someone call an ambulance?” Turning my head I look out the window just as flashing lights whizz by on the street.
“I did.” Blonde boy whispers, but he’s so near my ear I hear him perfectly well. “Well,” he adds. “I had another member of staff call for an ambulance after I rescued you from the water.”
Pushing my head back, I stare at the wet blonde boy in surprise. “You saved me from drowning?” He nods in confirmation. “But how? Didn’t that robot completely electrify the water?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Now he shakes his head. “I had to do my duty as lifeguard when you went under.”
I’m about to thank the boy when I notice Kirsten has stopped arguing with her boss. Turning my head I notice two paramedic men approaching.
“Oops, gotta go.” Suddenly, I spring to my feet. I’m a little dizzy once I’m standing, and I slip in my wet trainers a bit. Once I blink a few times though, I’m perfectly all right. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself internally because there’s no way I’m going back to hospital with those paramedics. Not when I was just there yesterday for a false alarm heart attack. I’ve had enough of being embarrassed by near drowning tonight, I’m not about to end up at the same hospital where the medical staff probably all think I’m a raging hypochondriac.
***
Five minutes later I’ve managed to talk my way out of going for an ambulance ride with the paramedics to the hospital. I’m making my soaking wet way through the front lobby area when the shouting of my name halts me in my sodden steps.
“Where are you going, Emily?”
Turning round I come face to face with the woman whose fault it is I even came here tonight in the first place. I don’t care how posh and wee free the pools are here at the Meli Spa, I’m never coming here again. Even if it was the robot’s fault for my near drowning, I just want to leave the premises asap.
“Oh! Why are your workout clothes soaking wet?”
“She drowned,