The sign above the pool read "BE YOURSELF," and Jacob took that more literally than most.
It started as a bet at the "Pool & Patio" bar--a classic "triple-dog-dare" situation involving a lukewarm craft beer and a group of friends who didn't think Jacob would actually ruin a perfectly good pair of denim jeans. But Jacob wasn't just doing it for the bit; he was doing it for the shirt.
He had bought the bright green tee specifically for its white, lowercase text: "youre doing it wrong." The irony was too delicious to pass up. As he plunged into the chlorinated water fully dressed--glasses, watch, and all--the heavy denim pulled at his legs like an anchor. He surfaced to a chorus of groans and laughter, his beard dripping and his spectacles fogged into uselessness.
He hauled himself onto the concrete ledge, the weight of the water-logged fabric making every movement feel like he was wrestling a giant squid. He sat there, squelching loudly, a human puddle of commitment.
"You're going to get a massive rash," his friend shouted from the safety of a dry plastic chair.
Jacob just adjusted his glasses, looked down at his soaked chest where the slogan was now plastered to his ribs, and smirked. He wasn't doing it wrong. For once, he was doing it exactly right.