Summer Break

Life Guards & Hermit Crabs

"COME ON, Taylor! You've been working since eight in the morning. It's not going to kill you to take one, tiny fifteen minute break," My lifeguard partner in crime, Cohen, relentlessly complained. After spending six hours wandering the basically empty beach mercilessly, we had become bored. There was nobody to watch in the water, other than a twenty year old local named Finn who had went to state for diving.

Biting my lip as I scanned the vast sea, I climbed down from the tall lifeguard chair in the middle of the beach, giving in to Cohen. "Fine. If you have such a better idea than watching out for the safety of the people at this beach, name it."

Cohen smirked, running a hand through his caramel locks before presenting a minuscule bucket to me. "Look, it's a hermit crab."

"Wow," I blandly stated, giving him a stiff smile. "What a treasure. It's not like there's hundreds more just crawling on the sand near the sea. . ."

"You suck the fun out of everything," He pouted, snatching the bucket from my view, almost hitting a passing boy's head in the process. The little boy glared at Cohen before realizing he was a lifeguard.

"Hey Mr. Lifeguard! What's in your bucket?"

Cohen shot me a cocky smile before lowering the bucket to show the little boy his prized possession. "It's a hermit crab. They're very rare to catch on this beach because they move so quickly, but I happen to be a hermit crab whisperer, which means I can talk to them."

The little boy, being around seven, ate this up. His eyes started to glisten and he looked at Cohen with the upmost wonderment. "Can you ask if it will talk to me?"

Cohen pursed his lips, shrugging his tanned shoulders lazily. "I don't know, the hermit crab is pretty tired. . ."

"I'll give you this," the little boy said, holding up five dollars. "My mom told me I could get ice-cream, but I want to know what the hermit crab thinks more."

A large smile extended across Cohen's lips as I frantically shook my head, mouthing no behind the little boy's head. Of course, Cohen ignored me and kneeled next to the boy to show him his animal talking skills.

"Hey Herm, it's the lifeguard who saved you. I was wondering what you think of my new friend—" Cohen paused.

"Dale."

"— Dale, here."

After a few moments of silence, Cohen patted Dale's shoulder, placing the bucket on the ground.

"Herm thinks you're such a kind boy, especially with that generous donation of money you could've spent on ice-cream! He admires you and asks if you could help try to find the rest of his family on the shoreline?"

Dale nodded with excitement. "Of course Herm! I'll go tell all of my friends, too!"

As he ran off, Cohen called after him, "And tell them to bring five dollars too!"

"You're horrible," I complained.

"But I found us another job."