Seaside - n.h.

four.

My mom found out about me skipping school. She knows that all hope is basically gone for Del and her family returning, so, she's beginning to understand why my decisions have been so poor. That's why my punishment isn't as bad as I had expected it to be. I have to go lifeguard for four hours by the seaside, which in hindsight isn't so bad because that's what I usually do anyways.

I like to pretend that if I sit and wait for her, she'll come back. It's a bit childish, I know, but knowing that Del is gone hasn't exactly hit me yet. I mean, yes, I know that Delilah and her family got lost out at sea, but the worst part of the grief hasn't hit me yet. I have a weird feeling about that. If I'm not feeling sorrow, does that mean she's still alive?

I trudge out of the house wearing a sweatshirt and swim trunks. It is of course, 55° out, so I highly doubt there will be real swimming going on, which means that I get more time to myself.

I'm a bit sleepy this morning as I walk on the rocky edges near the seaside, nearly slipping clumsily on them. When I reach the lifeguard chair, I flop down on it and and wrap my blanket around me. I have sunglasses on, which must look pretty stupid because the sun hasn't shown up here in like four days.

The truth is, I'm afraid to sleep. I'm afraid that I'll dream of Delilah being gone and having terrible nightmares about her and I don't want to deal with that. I'm so scared that bags have appeared under my eyes, making me resemble a raccoon. I'm a wuss, I know, but losing someone you love is harder than trying to get rid of Adelaide.

Adelaide is weird. The other day at school, I saw her outside by the area where all teachers go to smoke even though they're not allowed to. But she wasn't smoking, or even doing anything bad. She was just by herself, rolling up her jeans and staring at something on her leg. She just gazed at her leg like she was having a fucking staring contest with it. Then she rolled her jeans back down and hurried away.

Weird, right?

She's actually not too bad of a person. I think she just reminds me too much of myself and that's why we're not exactly "besties".

I wonder what Del would think of her. Adelaide; a girl who skips, mouths off to people, and doesn't give a shit about what others think.

Nope, Delilah wouldn't like her.

I'm on the verge of falling asleep when someone calls my name. But it's not just someone; who else could it be but Adelaide Shzort.

I open my eyes and through my sunglasses I see Adelaide, waving her arms wildly and looking frantic. Her hair's wet. Was she swimming??

I hop down from the chair and rush over to her. "Is there something wrong?" I ask once I reach her.

"Yes, you idiot, my brother isn't breathing. Help me!!" Adelaide says, running her hands through her stringy wet hair before grabbing my hand and yanking me over to a body on the sand, not breathing. He's small; maybe like a 6th grader or something.

Shit.

I check his pulse. Nothing.

Fuck.

I lean over and listen to his heartbeat. Nothing.

Shit.

I start to pump on his chest, hoping he'll spring up and gasp like they do dramatically in movies.

But fuck, this ain't a movie.

When giving him CPR doesn't work, there's only one option: mouth to mouth.

Save the kid, save the fucking kid. 

I take a breath and lean forward, pressing my mouth on his. I don't even begin te process when he springs up unexpectedly, knocking me in the head. "Ewww!" The boy shouts. "It's a guy! It's a guy! Ewww!!"

What the fuck?

"Sydney??!" Adelaide yells, rushing forward to him and grabbing his shoulders. "What the hell just happened?!" She sounds relieved, but angry.

"It's a boy lifeguard, goddammit! I thought only girls can be lifeguards. I wanted to kiss a girl!" The kid, Sydney, says.

So, I guess I just got rejected by a 5th grade boy. Yikes.

"Sydney, what the fuck? Are you trying to tell me that you faked drowning so you could kiss a girl??"

Sydney bites his cheek and nods, clearly thinking he was the most clever person ever. Nah, kid, you ain't in the Sandlot.

There's a moment of silence, and then Adelaide starts hitting the shit out of this lil shit. I'm not one for child abuse or whatever, but this kid deserves it. Although, I admire his courage.

"You-" she hits him. "-fucking-" she hits him again. "-turd. What made you think you could do that?? You scared me to death! I don't understand what gave you the idea to think that doing this would be anywhere near smart."

Sydney rubs his arms and glares at his sister. "Jimmy has had his first kiss, and I wanted mine. I didn't think it'd be with a dude, yuck!!" He looks at me and I swear he's giving me the middle finger with his eyes.

Adelaide looks at me and then back to him, rolling her eyes. "Well you can tell Jimmy to go fuck his mom."

Sydney's eyes glint. "Really?!"

"Of course not, you fartshark. Go home and do your homework. I have to apologize for your dipshit actions."

Sydney rolls his eyes and runs away. Adelaide turns to me. "I'm sorry for his stupidness. I had no idea he could pull something like this."

"Nah," I say. "I admire his courage."

She eyes me warily. "You shouldn't."

"You shouldn't swear so much in front of him." I tell her.

She waves her hand, as if dismissing the thought like it was an annoying fly. "It's fine. My parents say much worse when he's around. We all have potty mouths."

I stare at her and shake my head. "Why do I find you everywhere I go?"

"Because I'm fucking magical, dude."