Confessions of Your Friendly Neighborhood Lifeguard

Chapter Seventeen

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Lyle grumbled, walking up behind us girls. As he storms past us, his fists are clenched and Avery immediately jumps up to his side and grabs his shoulders, pulling him back.

"Lyle, don't be stupid, they haven't even done anything yet," Avery snapped. 

"Just their very presence here is enough," Lyle snapped.

"I'm going to get John," Raven mumbled. "I don't want him to see this." Raven got up and left, grabbing the hand of the boy I didn't recognize, and they quickly scurried up the sand dune on the opposite end where Jo was with her friends.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Aside from the obvious fact that Josie is here."

"She brought her damn beach guard friends," Chip said, appearing as well. I turned around and saw that all the guys had arrived to the aid of us damsels in distress.

"Are you going to fight them?" I asked, jumping up quickly to Patrick's side.

"Only if they start it," Patrick replied reassuringly, but I was not reassured. I was annoyed. Here we've got some petty little rivalry and all these men are jumping up and ready to start a war. Well, I didn't care if I liked Jo or if I liked the beach lifeguards, I wasn't about to let these boys get violent. Fuck. That.

"You know I never meant that thing about going in swining!" I shouted after my boyfriend, but he didn't hear me. Or ignored me. Either way, my efforts were futile. 

So, as Josephine and her possy walked down the dune, approaching us, I took a dutiful spot in front of all the boys. It didn't exactly work when Patrick and Lance got in a fight, but I was willing to take another punch. But, really, what are the chances I could get punched twice?

"So, you losers got fresh meat," an older guy, maybe about 20 stated. 

"Cute meat," another guy laughed. I felt Patrick's body stiffen behind me, and I nudged him lightly. 

"Jake, shut up," Josie snapped, her arms folded and her hip popped. Her voice was raised slightly and I could tell she was bothered, which brought a smile to my face.

"Don't you guys have a beach to watch?" Meg whined to the group of about ten, three girls including Josie, and the rest guys. 

"We're off duty. It's a free for all now," one guy answered.

"Sounds safe," Lyle muttered. 

"Listen, we're not here to start a fight," the one named Jake said. "We're just here to talk to her." Jake pointed forward, directly at me. 

"Me?" I questioned, pointing to myself and they all nodded and I felt my heart drop. "Why? I don't know any of you?'

"No, but I do," Josie snipped. "And you and me have got a problem."

"Jo, seriously?" Patrick groaned. For the first time I realized that Patrick and Josie were in the same place and i was there, which I didn't like. 

"Yes, seriously, Pat. I don't like you seeing that girl, and I don't appreciate being lied to either." Josie stared right at me at that last statement and I rolled my eyes.

"So, what all of you have to come?" Lance shouted at the men. And just at that comment, the men were charging. It was like they had this testosterone building up in them for years and they ran at each other like bulls. The girls in the beach lifeguards were doing their part to cheer on their men, but my friends, for the most part, were trying to hold one another back. Meg, though, was trying to join the fight. 

"Patrick, stop!" I shouted, but my voice was lost in all the shouting. "Patrick this is so stupid!" I grabbed his waist and tried to pull him back, but I wasn't near strong enough. So, again, I threw myself in front of him, to stop the pushing that was happeining between the boys.