The Swimming Lesson

by The Scholar

I sat in the spectator's gallery watching as those brave enough to take the plunge splashed about in the water.

I didn't swim. Well, actually, I couldn't swim. A bad experience as a child had seen to that. I remember it well. Eight-years old and standing at the edge of the pool, looking at the great expanse of water that lay before me. Inflatable armbands attached to me, as well as a rubber ring around my waist, but panic set in. It was the shout of: "Come on, Carter, get yourself in," that made me jump and, as the teacher walked behind me, he gave me a push and I fell into the water where I began to cough and splutter as my head briefly went under before I returned to the surface. I was terrified. I remember crying and I remember trying to scrabble out of the water to safety.

The spectator's gallery was the safest place to be. I could see the water, I could hear the whoops of delight as those in the pool chased after one another with, some playing with inflatable beach balls, some just swimming from one end of the pool to the other, some diving into the water as though they were made for it.

One such diver was Simon, my best friend. He was amazing - he stood like a god at the edge of the pool, looking out thoughtfully at the water, before bending slightly and outstretching his arms and pushing himself forward. He entered the pool and I watched in awe as the length of his body glided through the water and then his legs began moving up and down and his arms began to appear above the surface in an arc, first one, then the other - a continuous movement that saw him reach the other end of the pool from where he pushed himself under the water head first to re-emerge facing in the opposite direction to continue the motion that took him back from where he had started.

He arrived safely and, in a standing position, he wiped the water from his face with his hands, ran his hands through his hair and then he looked towards me, a big grin spreading across his face and his eyes shining as he raised an arm and waved. I smiled back, returned the wave and then he turned away and pulled himself from the water and I watched as the water dripped down his body, making his skin glisten.

I studied him - beautiful, slim, handsome, Simon. He walked around the pool and headed towards me. He was the most beautiful boy in the school, the town, the county, the country, the world, the universe - and my best friend.

"Why don't you come in?" he asked as he stood looking up towards me as I sat in the spectator's gallery.

"You know I can't swim."

"I'll teach you."

"Yeah, right. I'll drown as soon as I get in."

"Rubbish - come on, I'll teach you the basics, you'll be okay. You trust me, don't you?"

I did. Of course, I did. I hesitated in my reply, enough time for Simon to decide the matter was settled.

"But I haven't any swimming trunks."

"Look, this is the key to my locker in the changing room, there's a spare pair in my bag - they should fit you."

I accepted the key attached to the elastic wristband Simon wore and now removed and walked from the gallery to the main entrance of the building. I must be mad.

"One, please," I said, extracting some money from the pocket in my jacket, pushing it towards the woman who sat behind the pay desk.

She handed me a wristband with a key similar to the one Simon had given me and I headed into the changing area. The number of the key I had been given was 24 and I located the relevant locker, opened it and removed my jacket, stuffing it into the confined space. I checked the number on the key Simon had handed me - 15. I found it quickly and opened it. His locker contained a pair of shoes, a jacket and a sports bag, which I removed and unzipped to find it contained, amongst other things, his jeans, his underwear, his t-shirt and, as promised, a spare pair of swimming trunks. I removed them zipped up his bag and replaced it in the locker, which I then locked.

Returning to my own locker, I undressed quickly, pushed all of my clothes into the remaining space and then I pulled on the swimming trunks I had taken from Simon's bag. They fit fine and I felt myself tingle at the thought of them having been worn by my friend. A shiver ran through me and I realised that I was feeling chilly standing here in the changing room, so I quickly closed the locker and turned the key to secure my belongings before heading to the pool area, attaching the key wristband to my wrist as I did so.

I stepped into the footbath as I passed through the door and was hit by a wave of noise as I looked around in search of Simon. I spotted him quickly and I walked over to him.

"All okay?" he asked.

"Fine, so far," I replied.

"Well, at least they fit you," he said, grinning as he eyes looked down to the swimming trunks I wore.

I felt a tingle of excitement as I realised his eyes were looking at his swimming trunks, covering the most private areas of my body and I could feel a slight stirring behind them and quickly prayed that the bulge at the front would grow no bigger.

"Here's your key," I said, handing him the wristband he had passed to me when I was safe in the spectator's gallery.

His gaze withdrew from the swimming trunks as she accepted the key and placed it back on his wrist.

"So, what now?" I asked.

"We get into the water. Come on."

I followed Simon to the edge of the shallow end of the pool, my eyes working their way down his back to his backside, covered by the wet swimming trunks he wore. His cheeks clearly visible as two beautiful rounded mounds separated by a darker wet patch. I watched as he jumped into the water and continued to watch as he turned to face me.

"Sit on the edge and then lower yourself in," he said. "I'll help you."

I did as he said and as I entered the water, I saw his arms outstretch as he moved towards me and I took his hands and felt safe as I stood in the water.

"Right then," he said. "First thing were going to do is get you on your back."

"What?"

"Don't panic, I'll be here to help you."

"But why do I need to be on my back? I'll sink!"

"No you won't, I'm going to help you to float. Come on, trust me, I'll be right here, okay?"

I nodded.

Simon let go of my hands and I stood alone in the water as he walked behind me. I felt his body press against mine - I felt his dick through his swimming trunks against the crack of my arse through my swimming trunks. I felt his chest against my back and I felt as though I ought not be in the water for fear of electrocution as a surge of excitement ran through me.

Simon's hands were on my waist and he whispered gently for me to lean back into him. I felt scared, but safe and I did as he asked. I felt his hands tracing the outline of my body as I leaned backwards, until his hands were holding me under my armpits and my legs began to rise from the floor of the pool. I began to panic and Simon sensed it, he whispered that everything was fine, to take it easy and relax, to let my feet raise themselves from the floor and as he spoke I felt calm and before I knew it I was lying on my back in the water, Simon holding me, his hands in my armpits and I looked upwards to find Simon smiling down at me.

"There, now, that's not too bad, is it?" he asked.

I shook my head. I couldn't speak, so I shook my head.

"Right - now we're going to move across the water."

The fear in my eyes must have been noticed, because Simon quickly added that were would be travelling a width of the pool, rather than a length, which instantly relaxed me, knowing I would be staying in the shallow end.

"Trust me?" he asked.

"Yes," I managed to answer.

"Good - then just let your body relax and I'll do all the hard work, okay?"

"Okay."

I felt Simon's left hand move from my armpit and down the side of my body, resting against my waist, then I felt his right hand move across my chest, it's palm finally resting over my left nipple. My heart was pounding and I knew Simon must be able to feel it beating, almost in an attempt to escape from within me.

Simon slowly pulled me further backwards and I allowed myself to be manoeuvred as he slipped underneath me, his hand moving from my chest to my waist, parallel to his opposite hand which had already taken up this position. Suddenly, I realised that Simon, who lay on this back directly below me, was holding me at the waist. If I sank now, we both died, of that I was certain.

I contained my panic well as I allowed Simon to glide me across the pool, his legs splashing gently below me. We made it and Simon pulled himself upright, his hands moving back up my body and again underneath my armpits as he pushed forward bringing me to a standing position.

"How was it?" he asked.

"Amazing," I replied. "How did you do that? I felt sure my weight would have pushed you under."

"You were floating above me, so there was no weight, I just guided you across."

"I can't believe we got here," I said.

"Want to go back to the other side?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Well, this time, I'm going to let you do it yourself."

"I can't! I'll never make it."

"Of course you can, but don't worry, I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I took a deep breath and fell backwards into Simon's body and I felt his hands remove themselves from my armpits as my feet left the floor of the pool. I felt his hands work themselves up to my shoulders and then to the back of my head.

"Slowly and gently move your legs up and down as if you were walking and push yourself backwards with your hands in the water," he said.

I obeyed his directions and felt myself moving backwards, Simon holding my head as I travelled across the water. I felt light and unafraid as I made my way to the side of the pool and when I got there I pulled myself into a standing position and turned to face Simon, but he was gone. I looked around quickly to see him in the centre of the pool grinning at me and then he swam to where I stood.

"Well done," he said.

"What the hell happened?"

"You were doing okay, so I let go. You got across by yourself."

"You mean you weren't holding me?"

"Not for the last half of the width - but I was within easy reach should you have begun to get into difficulty, but I knew you wouldn't."

I didn't know whether to be angry or not and decided not. I knew Simon was there and I trusted him and besides, I was damn well pleased with myself. I grinned back at Simon and thanked him.

"Well, I think that's enough for today, don't you?"

"Yeah, it was quite exciting."

"Let's hit the showers."

"I'm not sure I can."

"Why?"

"Like I said - it was quite exciting," I glanced downwards and Simon followed my gaze. I had an erection pushing the fabric of the borrowed swimming trunks out in front of me. Simon's grin grew wider.

"Perhaps one or two more lessons, then - only this time on your front, I'm sure I can guide you across if I lay beneath you."

"Sounds good to me," I smiled.

"Right - I'll just hit the showers and I'll see you outside in ten-minutes, okay?"

"What?"

"I said 'I think that's enough for today and I'll see you outside in ten-minutes.' Jesus, Paul, are you alright?"

"Fine."

"You really ought to learn how to swim, you know, it's much more exciting that being a spectator."

"You're telling me," I said to his retreating back as I left the spectator's gallery to wait for him outside.