I turn around, wondering about this place, feeling it but not being here.
Then, there he is. Real, and completely handsome. He walks toward me and
I raise my arms to welcome him......
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE.........
I hate good morning calls. I really do. They spoil more dreams for me then my boss does. My eyes fly open. My goodness, I thought, I'm late!.
I bounce out of bed with the grace of a football player. I think I set the record for getting dressed and slide into the tiny kitchen of my basement apartment. Kaylie is already there, eating cereal and reading her drama script.
"Morning, sis, I...." Kaylie starts.
"Sorry, Kaylie! Have to fly!", I say as I reach for a banana. I can't let Kaylie get me talking. She always manages to get me into half an hour conversations. It probably has something to do with her being an actress.
"I was just going to say...." She tries again.
"Kaylie! I can't talk right now!" I grab my bag and head up the stairs.
"AMY!"
I had to stop at that. When she screamed my name, it wasn't just to tell me about some stupid part she got in her newest play. It had to be important.
"Ok, ok, what?" I sat down on the middle steps and looked at her from under the banister.
"Brad called."
I stiffened. I had to. Brad was my ex-boyfriend and the worst nightmare I have ever had to deal with. Now that I think about it, HE spoiled more dreams then even my boss did.
"What did he want?" I crossed my arms and waited.
"The usual, he wants to see you and apologize."
"Kaylie?"
"Yeah?"
"If he calls again, tell him I said get a life." With that, I got up and turned back onto the stairs, and started to climb again.
"Amy, come on......"
"Stay out of this Kaylie!" I slammed the basement door and jogged out to the car that my sister and I shared. I got in, banging my head, and put the keys in the ignition.
As I drove along, I thought about Brad. He and I met through Spanish class in high school and he was beyond doubt the cutest guy there. It was within two weeks that he asked me out and within four that we were considered a couple. Everything was perfect, till the air headed buffoon decided to call its quits for awhile. I made the mistake of asking what was wrong, and I found out through a right hook that he was boss and I was a slave that didn't need to ask questions. After that, I didn't talk to him for close to a month, and in that time I found out that Brad was very interested in our top cheerleader.
I was disgusted, to say the least, and it didn't get any better. Brad eventually got bored of her and decided that I was his first option. He walked up to my locker one day and proudly announced that he had had some second thoughts, and that he wanted me back. On that March 21st of 11th grade, I told him to live life without me.
"Didn't exactly do that, now did he?" I said under my breath, "We graduated and he still is on my back about this."
I saw the exit off the highway, and 10 minutes later, swerved into a parking space at Charlesville Recreation Centre. I grabbed my stuff and ran by the front desk, waving to the receptionist as I went.
"Miss Banton!"
Crud, I thought, if I was in a bad mood before, imagine what this is gonna do now. I slowly turned around, a weak smile on my face. A confrontation with my boss, Mr. Steeley, was always a pain, but did he have to yell my name every time? As I watched him stomp towards me, I thought that he was a twin of the Mr. Clean character. The difference being that that Mr. Clean smiled and this one didn't. Not around me anyway.
"Hey Mr. Steeley, I'm sorry I'm la...." I started.
"Never mind the 'I'm sorry's' Miss Banton!" Boy, was he mad.
"Well, I really am....."
"I pay you lifeguards to work! Not to be late!" Mr. Steeley was so close that I could feel his breath on my face. I sniffed and instantly was overcome by the minty smell. Ugh, I thought, how much do you have to use before it knocks people out?
"....next time you come in late, I'll...."
I was brought back to reality and the fact that I was getting a lecture, again. I thought that he would fire me someday, but it never happened. That's mostly because I'm the only lifeguard that has actually stuck around him for two years. All the others quit. I wonder why.
"Now get in there and WORK!" Mr. Steeley finished his rant with flourish, pointing his finger toward the girls changing room.
"Yes sir." I said, pasting on what looked like a real smile, I hope.
I walked toward the girls changing room. Just as I got there, Mr. Steeley asked me to turn around.
"Yes sir?" I asked.
"Amanda has come down with the flu. I want you to take her swimming class Saturday morning at nine. Understood?"
"Yes sir." I turned around and pushed the door open. I decided right then and there that my life was impossible
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE.........
I hate good morning calls. I really do. They spoil more dreams for me then my boss does. My eyes fly open. My goodness, I thought, I'm late!.
I bounce out of bed with the grace of a football player. I think I set the record for getting dressed and slide into the tiny kitchen of my basement apartment. Kaylie is already there, eating cereal and reading her drama script.
"Morning, sis, I...." Kaylie starts.
"Sorry, Kaylie! Have to fly!", I say as I reach for a banana. I can't let Kaylie get me talking. She always manages to get me into half an hour conversations. It probably has something to do with her being an actress.
"I was just going to say...." She tries again.
"Kaylie! I can't talk right now!" I grab my bag and head up the stairs.
"AMY!"
I had to stop at that. When she screamed my name, it wasn't just to tell me about some stupid part she got in her newest play. It had to be important.
"Ok, ok, what?" I sat down on the middle steps and looked at her from under the banister.
"Brad called."
I stiffened. I had to. Brad was my ex-boyfriend and the worst nightmare I have ever had to deal with. Now that I think about it, HE spoiled more dreams then even my boss did.
"What did he want?" I crossed my arms and waited.
"The usual, he wants to see you and apologize."
"Kaylie?"
"Yeah?"
"If he calls again, tell him I said get a life." With that, I got up and turned back onto the stairs, and started to climb again.
"Amy, come on......"
"Stay out of this Kaylie!" I slammed the basement door and jogged out to the car that my sister and I shared. I got in, banging my head, and put the keys in the ignition.
As I drove along, I thought about Brad. He and I met through Spanish class in high school and he was beyond doubt the cutest guy there. It was within two weeks that he asked me out and within four that we were considered a couple. Everything was perfect, till the air headed buffoon decided to call its quits for awhile. I made the mistake of asking what was wrong, and I found out through a right hook that he was boss and I was a slave that didn't need to ask questions. After that, I didn't talk to him for close to a month, and in that time I found out that Brad was very interested in our top cheerleader.
I was disgusted, to say the least, and it didn't get any better. Brad eventually got bored of her and decided that I was his first option. He walked up to my locker one day and proudly announced that he had had some second thoughts, and that he wanted me back. On that March 21st of 11th grade, I told him to live life without me.
"Didn't exactly do that, now did he?" I said under my breath, "We graduated and he still is on my back about this."
I saw the exit off the highway, and 10 minutes later, swerved into a parking space at Charlesville Recreation Centre. I grabbed my stuff and ran by the front desk, waving to the receptionist as I went.
"Miss Banton!"
Crud, I thought, if I was in a bad mood before, imagine what this is gonna do now. I slowly turned around, a weak smile on my face. A confrontation with my boss, Mr. Steeley, was always a pain, but did he have to yell my name every time? As I watched him stomp towards me, I thought that he was a twin of the Mr. Clean character. The difference being that that Mr. Clean smiled and this one didn't. Not around me anyway.
"Hey Mr. Steeley, I'm sorry I'm la...." I started.
"Never mind the 'I'm sorry's' Miss Banton!" Boy, was he mad.
"Well, I really am....."
"I pay you lifeguards to work! Not to be late!" Mr. Steeley was so close that I could feel his breath on my face. I sniffed and instantly was overcome by the minty smell. Ugh, I thought, how much do you have to use before it knocks people out?
"....next time you come in late, I'll...."
I was brought back to reality and the fact that I was getting a lecture, again. I thought that he would fire me someday, but it never happened. That's mostly because I'm the only lifeguard that has actually stuck around him for two years. All the others quit. I wonder why.
"Now get in there and WORK!" Mr. Steeley finished his rant with flourish, pointing his finger toward the girls changing room.
"Yes sir." I said, pasting on what looked like a real smile, I hope.
I walked toward the girls changing room. Just as I got there, Mr. Steeley asked me to turn around.
"Yes sir?" I asked.
"Amanda has come down with the flu. I want you to take her swimming class Saturday morning at nine. Understood?"
"Yes sir." I turned around and pushed the door open. I decided right then and there that my life was impossible