Instant.

Two.

Hunter's POV

I woke up that Monday morning with the blaring of my early set alarm clock echoing through my ears. I groaned, my whole body feeling stiff. Mornings were meant to sleep, not to get out of bed so I could watch annoying squealing kids splash around in the shallow water.

I had a part time job down at the public beach, working as a lifeguard. I had taken a CPR and general safety course the year before, as part of my extra credits. Now, it was summer break, and I thought I could make something out of all the time I'd wasted on the courses. The job itself wasn't hard, certainly not enjoyable, not with the early wakes, long hours and children cries, but not difficult.

The only reason I actually kept the job though was because of the money. I lived on my own and having nothing but myself to support me I needed it badly. As soon as I had the opportunity to (and I had collected enough money), that's when I got out of there.

To put it nicely, my parents are drunken idiots. They were working at the supermarket during the day, fooling everyone, making them think they were just average people. Then, once they got home and the sun had set, the drinks started pouring like rain in the rainforest and being consumed like there was no tomorrow.

In the scheme of things, I was the adult in the house. When they weren't at work, they were passed out on the dining floor. I cooked for myself. I cleaned for myself. I basically raised myself. I suppose you could say that's why I was so bitter about everything.

My job consists of working from 11:00AM to 6:00PM. 7 hours of boredom with me only sitting in a very tall chair watching everyone have fun. In all honesty, I hated it. Watching everyone have fun every day (
almost) made me angry. Why were they all so joyful? There were so many bad things going on in this world. Why did they all ignore them? How naive everyone was made me sick.

I peeled my eyes open, getting blinded by the sun that was streaming through my curtains in the process. I didn't have any blankets on my bed; only a thin sheet. Not because I didn't have one, but because I didn't need one. During the summer, it rarely cooled down for the night. I had no use for a blanket.

I slammed my hand down on the screeching alarm clock, stopping the terribly annoying beeping sound. The clock read 9:45; the time I forced myself up every morning. I sighed, and sat up with all the energy I could muster, not much. I rubbed my eyes sleepily, and ran my fingers through blonde and chestnut hair. I cracked my knuckles, as I did every morning, my fingers where going to be in a very bad shape in 30 years.

I threw my legs off the bed, and placed my feet on the carpeted floor. I stood up, almost toppling over from tiredness and lack of balance. I pulled up the boxers that had been riding down, and scratched my bare chest. I stretched my arms high in the air, yawning in the process.

I let my arms flop to my sides, and I closed my mouth. I slowly walked towards the door of my room, dragging my feet. I trudged past the door and down the short hall to the staircase. I jogged down the stairs and into the living room. I dropped down on the couch, resisting the urge to lay down and fall asleep once again.

I reached for the remote for the TV that was sitting in front of me, and pressed the power button. Some cartoon came on, one I wasn't familiar with. I sighed, and got off the couch. I moved to the kitchen, which was luckily only a few steps away. Based on my limited pay check, there was only so much I could afford. The best I could get was a very small house.

I walked into the kitchen, and headed straight for the fridge. I opened the door, and looked inside. It was fairly full, considering I had gone shopping two days prior. I grabbed the carton of milk and placed it on the counter. I also took out the two gallon jug of orange juice, taking a swig right from the bottle. I mean, who was here to stop me anyways?

I put it back in the fridge, and swung the door closed. I went to the cupboard, and pulled out a box of cereal. I poured some in a bowl, and added milk. I put the milk back in the fridge right away, knowing from experience that milk was disgusting if you left it out on the counter for a whole day during the summertime.

I proceeded to eat my cereal, and walked back into the living room. I sat down comfortably on the couch again, and watched the mindless cartoon that was playing across the screen. I had the volume down low; my hearing was very sensitive in the morning.

Once I was done with my cereal, I got off the couch and walked back into the kitchen. I placed the bowl in the sink, and walked back into the living room. I turned off the TV and made my way back up to my room, where I walked towards my closet.

I opened it, not even having to think about what I was going to wear. It was the same every boring day: my swim trunks with my sleeveless white shirt that said 'Lifeguard' in bold red capital letters on the back. I slipped both pieces of clothing on, and looked around the room for a moment. I spotted my wallet and my phone on my nightstand, the two things I was looking for.

I slipped them into the pocket of my trunks. I turned around, and headed for the bathroom. I felt my feet brush against the cold tile floor. I stood in front of the sink, looking at myself in the mirror. There was really nothing spectacular about me. I had light blue eyes, such a boring color. I had a permanent scowl on my face, which came from being permanently annoyed with the world.

I quickly ruffled my hair with my hand, attempting to make it look less flat and stuck to my forehead, thanks bed. I sighed, my hair still flat but now sticking out in random directions too. Oh well.

I left the bathroom, and walked back down to the main floor. I glanced at the clock on the wall, the time showing ten minutes to eleven. So, considering I couldn't afford a car, I had better get going.

I walked towards the door, and scanned the room once more. I wasn't sure why. I mean, I had no pets to look after, or anything valuable that I had to make sure was safe before I left the house.

I walked out the door, slamming it closed behind me. I walked down the drive, and began heading in the direction of the beach. This was the only time of the day I was ever the slightest bit okay. It was the only time I ever felt at ease: when I was alone with my thoughts. Whenever I was around other people, they never failed to find a way to piss me off.

I reached the beach, finally, and groaned to myself. Even through the gates, I could see the hundreds of people crowding the sand; most of them being children. I hated dealing with them and their whiny complaints, their shouting and splashing in the water. I never left the beach without a migraine.

I sighed, and walked through the open gates. I walked towards the chair I had to sit in, and I saw Tony, the morning shift guard, sitting there. I walked over to him, and knocked on the railing. What I always did instead of calling up to him. Tony looked down, and smiled. But I knew it was a fake. Who would smile at me, anyway?

"Hunter, hey. Right on time." he said, checking his watch.

"I'm not always late you know." I said, glaring up at him, squinting my eyes because of the harsh sun rays. He looked down at me, and shook his head. He got out of the chair, and began climbing down the ladder. I took a step back, giving him space to hop down the last few steps.

Tony turned around to face me, and smiled again.

"So, I'll be off. See you tomorrow." he said. I rolled my eyes, and stepped past him.

"Whatever." I grumbled. I heard him scoff, before walking away.

"Why do I even try." I heard him mumble, obviously not wanting me to hear. I felt my annoyance rise another notch as I climbed up the ladder. I got to the very top, and sat down in my seat. I looked down over the beach, and saw the same things I did every day. Children with water wings bobbing around in the water, radios blasting, teenage girls suntanning on their towels. Nothing new; nothing special.

I was already hot from how powerful the sun was at this time, and I was already getting irritated with the noises of little children. I sighed, and rubbed my temples. I couldn't wait until this day was over.