Smiley

Smiley Chapter 1

"Hey, Zara how's it going" Anna the receptionist asked me on my way in to work. I wanted to say it was all ok but it wasn't, it was that time of the month if you know what I mean, my back was killing me almost as if it had just snapped in half and I could feel my eyes slightly water. 

"It's ok I guess, how's yours" was all I replied, I felt bad because I was kinda lying to her.

In case any of you don't know my name is Zara Evens, I am 17 and turn 18 is less than a month on the 1 of July which was kinda exciting Because I'll be an adult and all but I don't have anything planned. I am actually working that day as I did on my last two birthdays. 

We're kinda short-staffed here so I get called in a lot but that's why I applied. You see I can use all the work I can get. Not a very well known fact about me is that my family passed in a 'freak' accident when I was 15. My aunt and uncle had taken me in for a while before deciding I was to much hassle and just left me in my families old house when they were told that they couldn't sell it.

Totally can't tell what their motive for taking me in was but anyway..........I'm working as a lifeguard and swim teacher at the moment I got very lucky because I started out as a cleaner here but my workplace has an up-skill program. I only had to sign a two-year contract and they paid for both of my courses they cost over 2000 euro, something I could never afford.

I'm living paycheck to paycheck, full time at school and officially part-time at work but I work more hours than some of the full-timers, me turning down a chance to work is unheard of no matter what condition I'm in. Most of my co-workers take me for a pushover who can't say no but really I just can't afford to say no, which is not something I'd ever let any of them know.

Enough of the sad stuff. I've got two more months till school bills are due which is plenty of time obviously because......... it's summertime I can pick up plenty more work...... definitely. I tried to convince myself but who was I kidding, I'd be eating beans on toast for the next while to make it but I gotta do what I gotta do I guess. 

I'm just thankful that my school is one of the few schools around here that has a uniform so I don't gotta worry about people at school finding out about my situation plus I just wear my uniform to work and back home other than that I don't really go out unless I need something from the grocery store, but I'd say the biggest thing I had to adjust to when my parents passed has to be sleeping with no light on. 

I'm petrified of the dark like literally petrified, that's one thing  I'm still trying to get over. Being able to see the dead ran in my mother's side of the family and it freaked me the frick out. My mum had said it was passed down to her from her mother and that I would one day be able to see them too but I never really believed her until the day she passed. I try to tell myself that they're not really there but sometimes I can't take it and turn on the light it is the only way I truly can get a good night's rest.

Enough with my babbling, I should really learn when to stop babbling about myself. It's 6:30 am and I'm currently opening up the pool for the day's activities and I already know it's going to be a long day, standing for 12 hours with a sore back and major cramps might just about hint towards it anyway but on with the day we go.

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Awww my boss is such a god sent, I absolutely love her, she is one of the few people who know my secret and she could see me struggling all day long. She kept checking on me and when I went on my lunch I found a chocolate bar and a sandwich in my locker with a little note telling me I could take a longer break, that she would lifeguard for me if needed. 

She is like a mother to me and has helped me out way more than any boss should I honestly don't know what I would do without her, she was my savior when I was down on luck metaphorically and literally, she always seemed to know when I was in trouble and knew exactly what I needed which is kinda weird but I mean that in the best way. It was like she could read my mind or something but I'm pretty sure that's impossible, right?

I honestly couldn't care if she could at this stage, I liked having her around it's nice to have someone out there knowing what you need without even needing to utter a word, and although she is about 20 years my senior she is the best friend I have ever had. 

All my other so-called friends dropped me when I started working and couldn't go out shopping with them as often, they completely shut me out but I'm glad that they did it early on before I opened up to any of them otherwise the whole school could know and the last thing I need was people looking down on me with pity in their eyes or worse being laughed at because there are some immature pricks here but then again aren't they everywhere.

I was just finishing up my break and walking back to the staff locker room when I spotted who I like to call smiley. To be honest, I don't know his name but I know he is my boss's (Laura's) younger brother by the looks of it he is quite a bit younger. Boss always talks about him and I gotta be honest although he can be kinda weird sometimes he ain't a bad looker. He's about 6'4, with black and slightly curly hair that's just too short to see the full potential of the curl, caramel brown eyes, and olive skin not to mention the muscle he had but the weirdness was just a little too much if you ask me.

When I first started working here I heard from the receptionist at the time that he kept asking about me. What was my name, how old was I, what was my phone number, and ok yea the first two questions are fine but tell me that the last one doesn't give you creep vibes. 

I use to see him every day with an exception of once or twice a week every now and then, but for the last few months he was only coming once or twice a month must be busy or something but don't get me wrong I was kinda happy because now I could almost always get off deck when he came for a swim and I would just have to promise the other lifeguard that I would cover them whenever they needed it next but we all knew I was going to do that anyway but still they more often than not swapped jobs with me so I would be on cleaning instead.