What Are We?

Chapter 10

11 years ago

At the end of swim season, Coach convinced all of the sophomores to sign up for an after school lifeguard course. So every Monday for 2 months Payton, Casey, Melinda, and I came down to the pool to get trained on how to save lives. 

When we took the test in April, we all applied to work at the local pools. Our city has 3 different ones. Last night, we all received a letter informing us which pool we had been assigned to work at. We agreed in a group chat to bring them to lunch so we could open them together. 

As I sit down with my lunch tray, Casey is bringing out her purple lunch bag. "What pool are you hoping to get Jenna?" 

I open my plastic utensils and get ready to stab my pierogis with my spork. "Well, Dean park is closer to my house and I grew up there. I'm most familiar with that pool. I'm hoping to end up there since I'll be biking to work this summer." Payton and Melinda slide into the seats next to us.  "What about you guys? Where do you hope you are stationed?"

Payton is pulling her iced tee out and shaking her Tupperware salad. "I really don't care as long as one of you is with me. It is going to be a long summer if I have to lifeguard by myself."

"True, true," Casey says as she begins eating her leftover rigatoni. "I'm surprised your ladies don't want to be at Ledgewood. Isn't that where your summer swim team practices?"

I nod my head as I chew and savor my pierogis. It is one of the few school lunches that I actually enjoy here. "It is, but my mom already agreed to drive me to practice after work if needed. She said she's done it the last 7 years. What's another summer of it?" 

Melinda is unwrapping the foil around her PB&J sandwich. "What about the fact that Charlie  works at Ledgewood with his brother?" She teases." Don't you and Casey want to be closer to him so you can check him out in his lifeguard suit?" 

I feel myself blush at her comment but Casey swats it away. "Yeah, no. I am sooooo over that. One rejection is enough for me, thank you very much. If he doesn't want all this, that's his loss. I'm more than happy to find another hot lifeguard to spend my summer with. Right Jenna?" 

"Right," I nod my head. The truth is, since Charlie said no to my suggestion of him going to the dance with me in the fall, I've found myself falling even harder for him. As we've grown closer and closer, I've gotten to know more about him. We have been seeing each other every week since he lifeguarded the lifeguard class (and made fun of every one of my failures each week). As our friendship has grown, so has my crush.  Not that I'll admit that to Casey. I want her to think that I lost interest in him. However, Melinda knows that isn't the case. 

"Should we wait until we finish eating lunch to open our letters?" Payton asks. 

"Hell no! I have been waiting all day. I'm dying to know. Let's do it now!" Casey leads the charge by yanking her envelope our of her backpack first. We all follow her lead. Once we all have out letters in hand, we count to 3 and rip them open. 

"Dean Pool," Melinda says. 

"Me too!" Payton exclaims.

"Same here," Casey adds. "What about you Jenna?" 

I smile at my friends. "Dean pool isn't ready for us to take over this summer."

We cheer and high five each other before getting back to lunch. Even though I got the pool I thought I wanted, I'm a little disappointed I won't be spending the summer lifeguarding with Charlie. At least I'll see him at swim team practice I think to myself. 

"Well hello ladies," I hear Charlie say as he sidles up to our lunch table. He's leaning on to the end of the table, his face right above me. "Word on the street is that you all passed your lifeguarding exams. Where are you all working this summer?" 

"We all got put at Dean Pool for the summer," Payton responds.  "how lucky we all get to spend the summer together."

"What a coincidence. So am I," Charlie answers. 

I pry my attention away from my lunch and back up to Charlie. "What? But you worked at Ledgewood last summer. What happened?" 

"My brother is managing this summer." Charlie rolls his eyes. "Debbie decided it wouldn't be in my best interest to work for my brother, so she transferred me this summer. It is what it is. Anyhow Dean Pool is closer to my house and a lot more chill than Ledgewood, with the added benefit that I get to work with you this summer." Charlie looks at me as he says this, but I'm sure he means all of us, right?

Payton stands up to throw out her trash. "Well I for one am glad to have some familiar faces. It's going to be an amazing summer. I can already feel it." 

Our group nods in agreement. "Oh it will be interesting. That's for sure." Melinda nudges my arm as she says that.