Across the Wave Pool

Chapter 1

    (UNEDITED)                                                                 

                                                                           Chapter 1

             "Are you nervous?"  Aaron asked.  "You know, about having hundreds of kids' lives in your hands?  Making sure they don't drown?  Or get sick?  Making sure they're safe?  All day long?"

        I shot him an annoyed look.  "I'm a little nervous, but not too bad.  I've been a lifeguard before."

       He scoffed.  "Yeah, and where was that?  The YMCA?  This is the big league, Ella.  You know, hundreds of kids at once.  Even adults and teenagers.  Water parks are a big burden."

        "It won't be that bad, Aaron," I murmured, sitting in the chair on the side of the wave pool.  I put my blonde hair up in a loose pony-tail.  "Besides, even if I happen to fail and can't get there quick enough, there's always the lifeguard on the other side."  I pointed to the empty chair across from me.

       "Let's just hope they show up."

       I narrowed my eyes at him.  "Go bother someone else, Aaron."

       He grinned and nodded.  "Good luck,  El."

        I watched my twin brother saunter off, going to flirt with the girls.  I wrinkled my nose, although I was used to it.  I glanced around at the wave pool to see that only a few kids were playing at the front of the wave pool.  I set my lifeguard float along my legs as I leaned forward on it to make sure the kids didn't get into any trouble.  

        I reached up and pushed my whistle between my lips and rolled it through my teeth.

        I glanced up when the other lifeguard plopped into his chair across the wave pool.  He looked familiar, and I supposed he went to school with me.  He was quite shapely, and had very dark brown hair and a pair of black Ray Bans on.  I tore my eyes  away from his chest and flushed a bit, hoping he didn't catch me. He probably didn't, since I had a pair of sunglasses on as well.

        I looked back at the kids to see that they had gotten out of the water and were back on the sun chairs with their mothers.  I leaned back into my chair and began to people watch as I waited for the rush to come in.  It was just past noon, and I knew people would be piling in soon enough.

         I glanced back at the other lifeguard to see him looking in my direction.  I glanced away as an automatic reaction and flushed again, but curiosity got the better of me and I looked back to see him still watching me.  It looked like a lazy smirk took up his face as he leaned back in his chair, but I knew it could've been a trick of the sun.

           I blinked a bit, letting myself glance over his body once more appreciatively, and I didn't feel bad about it, because I knew he was doing the same to me, especially by the way he grinned at me from across the pool.  I smiled back and crossed my legs before giving him a wave.  He waved back smiling wider.

        I suddenly couldn't wait until my next break.

         I was right.  Soon enough,  there were children, adults, and teenagers everywhere.  I felt a bit overwhelmed.  My whistle had taken up a permanent residence in my mouth, since I had to blow it approximately every minute to order kids to stop climbing the wall, or to not dunk each other.  I glanced up momentarily to see if the other lifeguard had it as hard as I did.