Remnants

Barry awoke to the persistent headache from a hangover.  He moved away from Sandy as she lay motionless in the bed.  Five-thirty in the morning and the beginning of a new week.  He had to be there before the students arrived, clean up so the little assholes could ruin the place again.  If he was lucky no one would vomit today, and he wouldn't have to deal with the wood chips or the special bucket.

He washed his hands, under his arm pits, and his face.  With a groan he pulled on his clothes and made his way to the coat rack.  A quick reach inside of his pocket and he retrieved his flask to refuel it.  Topped off, he downed a shot then gathered his things and left.  Sandy still snored.

Of all things he hated cleaning near the swimming pool the most.  It was the overwhelming smell of chlorine.  He worked with cleaning products regularly but the pool was the worst.  The chore he despised the most was cleaning the damn thing, skimming across the top to retrieve little things left by students or absent minded coaches.  Usually it was a wrapper, occasionally a speedo or a pair of underwear.

It was odd to find the pool doors unlocked but he didn't think much of it.  Though if he didn't lock them back up and some dumb kid drowned then it would be his fault.  He made his usual sweeps in the locker rooms, around the bleachers, collected the garbage, and made sure to leave everything slick with the mop.  Then he took the skimmer from against the wall.

He looked down into the water.  He could see something floating there.  It was unusual, like clear plastic but of a shape and size he couldn't recognize.  He reached for it once, twice, created a motion in the water to catch it with the third scoop.  Normally it would go directly into the trash but he was curious.

Cautiously he reached into the net, gripped the discernible ring of the item and lifted it.  The shape unraveled, a long empty sausage casing.  The tip was enlarged and oddly nipple shaped.  And he realized what it was.  Disgusted, he let it fall from his fingers and back into the net.  He had just touched, he had just held up something that had been on someone else's dick.

Revulsion, he turned away from the pool and began coughing.  He fought the urge to vomit.  Sickened, he made his way to the bench and sat.  Was it from a student or a teacher?  And how could he explain this?  He didn't want to deal with it.  And he remembered the unlocked doors, someone had used a key and forgot to lock up.  That's not all they forgot, he joked to himself.  But he had to think of something to do with it.

Why of all days did this have to happen when he was cleaning the pool?  It could have just as easily been one of the other janitors who found it.  Had there been others and would he be the first one to admit what he found?  Not likely, let them rot.
So he did what he had done other times when he didn't want to clean something up right away, he decided to leave it.  He stepped to the trash can, held out the skimmer and turned it over.  A shake dislodged the latex from the net and it fell into can.

He heard the doors bang, probably the coach or another janitor.  He turned away and fell into cleaning, certain that his red face would betray him.  But whoever had entered didn't come in any further.

Acting quickly he gathered his things and made for the exit.  Down the dim lit hallway, to the double doors, he could see someone standing at the doors as if to exit quietly.  He quickened his pace, passed them, and stepped into the hallway.  The person followed behind, and with a quick look he saw who it was.  Mrs. Durst, the school librarian, she looked at him and he could tell she was scared.

"You cleaned up in there?"

"Yeah," he said.

"And you," she paused.  "You found everything?"

"Was there something I was supposed to find?"

"Oh no, just," she scratched her forehead.  "Just a student said they left a book in there is all."

Barry smiled and stood erect, scratched his belly through his gray t-shirt.

"A book?  I don't remember seeing a book.  But there was a big ol’ condom floating in the water.  Damn thing looked like a jelly fish."

She let out a gasp and he was certain tears were in her eyes.  Then she folded her arms against her chest and ran away.