Five Choices

III

Bird Crap And Ice Cream

The beach moves at a constant rate rushing to the shore. The sun is a giant ball of orange in the sky, smiling down at me. I feel its heat from my spread out position.

I sigh and I sit back in my base chair. Yeah, Im on duty right now. I think about how perfect I thought New York was. With its busy streets, looming skyscrapers, and most of all the wonderful stores. But all of those can not compare with the California beach. 

People yell to each other over the waves of the ocean, and wave like the flapping seagulls overhead. People throw frisbees, eat ice cream, and have races to the buoy (which makes me a bit nervous). 

I spot kids with fake guns playing around the volleyball court, which reminds me of my...time with Kyle. 

I smile at the pleasant memory. 

"Don't be scared. Nothing will happen to you," Kyle told me as we were slipping on our jerseys. I looked at him and caught him staring into my hazel ones. Something in them made me believe nothing was going to happen and made me push my chest out, showing defiance. 

"Im not scared of anything," I told him and walked past him into the arena. I swear I could hear him murmur I had to be afraid of somethings before the lights flashed and electronic music picked up. 

My body immediately reacted and a burst of adrenaline ran through me as I ran up steps, ramps and around mazes of walls. I eventually found the opposites team and hid behind the wall, only looking through a circular window. I could see a green vest, the team Kyle was on. My eyes went wide as I saw familiar blond hair that seemed to glow green from his jersey. 

I shrunk back and looked behind me before crouching down below the window and zipping to another wall where he won't notice my bright blue colors. 

I took a breather, then in a quick motion, I jumped out scaring the crap out of Kyle. His eyes went wide and he fumbled with his gun; but it was too late. His jersey flashed all the colors signalling he was out. I grinned and shot his base then ran away. 

"America Wilde, I will get you!" 

A loud scream brings me to look over to a kid screaming as a wave broke his sand castle. The adrenaline in my blood subsides but still leaves me shaky. I adjust my Ray Bans to look past all the people and into the further out. No fins.

"You perked up fast." I turn to the familiar voice of my new friend and smile.

"I just have good reflects." I shrug it off.

"Yeah, but you were in deep thought," he points out. A weird feeling slithers through me as the thought of him watching me enters my mind.

I shake off my thoughts and crawl down the ladder. I quickly adjust my rising shorts and raise an eyebrow at John.

"How do you know?"

"I know when someone is in a deep thought. I mean this is the perfect job for that." John points out. "Well this is the best job. You can just lazy around and take a swim every other week."

"You cant laze around John. What if someone drowns?"

He looks at me with dead eyes then shrugs. "I don't know. You help them." 

I roll my eyes and play with the sand with my feet. An awkward silence passes through us before we hear a whistle ring, signaling break. I don't bother blowing my whistle since everyone's already moving out of the water.

"Wanna get some ice cream?" John asks suddenly. I hesitate and look to the beach. I spot my other new friend, Sam, nod at me from afar, then point to where all the lifeguard go on break. The ice cream shop.