The Lifeguards

Chapter 2

Waking up to Snow Patrol every morning is always a wonderful surprise. Shutting off the alarm clock, I unlaced Ashley’s firm arms from around my waist and wiggled out of her tight grip. I was exhausted; I would have been more that open to the fact of going home early last night but Ashley had other plans- of the sexual kind. I took a glance at the multiple hickeys around her neck and shoulders, it was almost inappropriate. But I was no one to judge, there was a point where one night stands were my kind of thing. Although I was still a little ticked off, last night she completely ditched me. It wasn’t until I called her for the seventh time in a row did she finally emerge from the supply shack-or as it was renamed by the residents of Laguna Beach, “The Love Shack” with Shane and a very triumphant smile. He of course looked very flustered, and his lips were swollen and red.

 I pulled off my shirt as I walked into the bathroom and allowed the warm water from the shower to soothe my tired muscles. After, I got out and put on my favorite black bikini and my red uniform shorts and white tee. Lastly I put on the whistle Lucas had given me and grabbed my dark sunglasses.

“Ashley!” I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her head.

“Unnnnn..” She groaned and repositioned her face to give me an annoyed glare. “What?”

“I’m leaving.” I grabbed my bag. “Foods in the fridge, and in case the hangover hits you particularly hard, you know where the pills are.”

She gave me thumbs up and a big smile, “You’re the best Danni.” Then she passed right out again on my bed.

As soon as I got to work I met up with the rest of the lifeguard group in front of the activity board.

“I call dibs on vending machine duty.” Shane smugly wrote his name on the board first.

“No, fair!” A stout girl with moonlight grey eyes pouted and snatched the marker away from Shane. “That only leaves bathroom duty, beach trash duty, bug extermination, and equipment cleaning.” She then wrote her name- Kayla Michaels- on equipment cleaning. “This sucks.” She grumbled.

“Hey sis, don’t feel down. I’m sure the equipment will only be slightly moldy this time.” Kayla huffed and walked away from Shane’s eruption of laughter, briskly brushing me past the shoulder.

I didn’t know Shane had any siblings, let alone a sister. She looked nothing like him. Her eyes were a pale gray in comparison to his dark brown ones. Her cheekbones were plumper while his were sharp and defined. Even their hair was completely different: Kayla had jet black hair that was as a straight as a pine needle, Shane’s reddish brown hair was a clump of curls hanging loosely on his head framing his face.

“Danni!” Shane’s eyes lit up with an odd sense of happiness as he ran up to me and put an arm around my shoulder.  I shrugged him off awkwardly. Shane and I have only talked a handful of times and our conversations literally consisted of a Hi and Bye. We weren’t friends.

“It’s your lucky day today!”  He smirked and gestured me over to the chore board. “You have the lovely options of bathroom duty, trash attendant, or the community favorite: bug extermination.”

I heard a large cry from inside the equipment room and turned my head to see a fuming Kayla running up with two life vests in her hands.

“How the HELL do you guys find a way to make a life jacket smell like the underside of your balls Shane?”

I didn’t know what I was more shocked about, the fact that this sweet young girl could spew such vulgarity or the fact she knew what the underside of Shane’s balls smells like. I looked at a bemused Shane who seemed to not even be fazed by her words. He shrugged at her and shoved his hands into his shorts pockets. “I can work wonders when It relates to causing you discomfort.”