Making it Another Day <3 (A Louis Tomlinson FanFic)

A Friendly Lad <3 (Chapter 4)

Chapter 4- A Friendly Lad

            Christa-

            I awoke with the image of Louis, as I’d known I would. I’d gone to bed thinking of him, so naturally he would fill my dreams as well. It was of no use to try and convince myself that he was no good for me, for every time our eyes met my stomach would flutter and I would go drooling after him. But that was moot now, as I was already in too deep with my feelings for the British lad I’d met only two days ago.

            I’d scored a job as the lifeguard at the south end of KureBeach. It paid well, and the hours were sound. My shift started at nine on weekdays and seven on Saturdays. Today was my first day, and I was hoping to catch some much needed sun as I guarded the lives of the beach-goers. After I rose from bed and padded down the hallway, I crammed a bowl of cereal down my throat quickly in an effort to jolt myself awake.

            I found comfort in the fact that I would be spending virtually every day at the beach now. The ocean’s waves and sultry air never ceased to amaze me, and I counted myself lucky to spend countless hours breathing and living the sounds and smells of the beach. After my breakfast was done, I headed to my bathroom to dress for work. My red lifeguard bathing suit fit nicely, but in spite of myself, I pulled the same conservative cover-up over it. The tan of the cover mixed well with the deep red of the suit.

            I jogged down to the beach, checking in with another lifeguard and taking my place on the lifeguard stand. After a few hours, the beach’s sands began to fill with people, and I grew more and more alert of their actions as the day progressed. It was part of my job to stay on the edge of my seat, and so far, there had been no incidents; and it was almost lunch time.

            I bought my lunch at a concession above the beach, and had just started to dig in when the announcement blared. There had been a shark sighting less than a quarter mile north; we were to evacuate the water until further notice. I threw my food down and hustled around, guiding small children and teens to the sand as quickly as possible. All made it out safely and without incident, although some were quite angry and left the beach entirely. But rules are rules, and I made sure they understood this.

            I settled down and finished my lunch quietly. I realized that I’d only said a total of fifty words all day. My lack of interaction with people was astounding to me, seeing as there were so many around. I found myself (once again) longing for Louis’ company.

            The scream abruptly broke the tempered silence I’d grown accustomed to. I scanned the waters as I ran, practically flying from my post toward the water. I was going in there, and whether there was even a person to save was questionable. While I ran toward the water, in my peripheral vision there was someone else running, panting more than I. We both saw the little boy at the same time, and headed in his general direction. Why this vacationer was trying to rescue someone was beyond me; regardless of him, though, I had to do my duty as lifeguard.

            When I reached the drowning boy, I realized that it was more serious that I’d thought. He had been bitten by a shark on the leg, and was bleeding profusely. With no shark around, I breathed a sigh of relief. That solace was overshadowed by my anger that the child was here, in the water, with an evacuation in place. Parents really needed to learn to follow directions.

            My adrenaline pumping and the boy’s life in the forefront of my mind, I quickly grabbed him and whipped around toward land. With the child in tow, and the strange hero behind me, I swam with all my might toward the excited people I could see in the distance.  I didn’t look back, but I felt something tugging at the boy’s leg. It may have been the fact that we’d passed through a patch of floating seaweed, but I didn’t count out the possibility of another shark running rampant.