Chapter Text
Summer. What was Oz supposed to do in the summer? Finals had blown by, just like that, and his senior year would be upon him in just three months. What was he to do until then? He was on the ropes about summer… sure, he had no classes during that whole time, but there was too much pressure to go out and have fun.
He remembered his friends and how they spent their last summers… Last year, Vicky served as a Monster Scout, Amira’s folks took her on a vacation to somewhere warm and fancy, while Brian took embarked on a roadtrip touring the country with his family. And what did Oz do? Sat inside, played video games, and stayed out of the sunlight. His friends never let it down… and Oz wasn’t keen on having that happen again.
But that’s just the thing… Oz didn’t have the cash to go do all these amazing summerly activities. And he couldn’t just follow his friends around all summer, either. That’d just be sad.
That’s why he let Amira talk him into this lifeguard job. The pay seemed fine and the standards were surprisingly low… Coach would even be his boss. That didn’t stop Oz from being nervous as all hell. No amount of Baywatch episodes could prepare him for this.
Oz arrived at Monstropolis Waterfront fifteen minutes before noon. His shift was about to start. Already, he was starting to sweat. Not from anxiety, no… just the ever-pervasive heat of the sun, bearing down on his black form. His body just got hot so quickly… it’s a good thing there were umbrellas everywhere.
“Oz!”
Now, there was a familiar voice! There, just by the entrance of the beach, was Brian waving to him. He wore the same pair of shorts Oz did… red, with a white cross on the sides. “Hey, man. You join the lifeguards, too? Cool.”
“Yeah… Amira talked me into it. Is Vicky here, too?”
“Yup. She’s changing up with Amira.”
“So… how does this work?” Oz asked.
“Alright, see those tall chairs?” Brian pointed out. Not even a hundred yards away, there was a tall, white structure, shaded by a wide umbrella. “Those are the watchpoints. There are three of them along this stretch of beach. You basically sit in them all day, and if you see someone drowning, grab the ring thingy and go after ‘em. Easy.”
“You mean the life preservers?”
“Yeah.” Brian answered. His attention was caught by something behind Oz. “Ah, there they are.”
“Hey, Oz!” Amira cheered. “Glad you could make it!”
It’s a good thing Oz was wearing sunglasses, too. If they knew he was staring at them for as long as he did, they probably would’ve slapped him. Vicky, alongside Amira, wore tight one-piece swimsuits, the same shade of red as his own trunks. They certainly showed a lot of leg… was it getting hotter here?
“O-oh! Hey!” Oz stammered. “G-good to see you two again.”
“Yeah, sorry we can’t stay and chat though.” Vicky sighed. “My partner’s waiting out by our watchpoint.”
“Well, get going.” Brian said. “You don’t wanna keep Scott waiting.”
“W-wait, Scott’s a lifeguard, too?” Oz asked.
“I know, right?” Vicky grinned with a wink. “Talk to you three later!” She added, as she started to jog down the sand to another watchpoint.
“She’s so lucky.” Amira smiled.
“So… what about your partners?” Oz wondered. “Are they coming soon?”
“Brian’s my partner.” Amira answered. “We’ll be sitting in the same watchpoint together!”
“All summer.” Brian added.
“Really? All summer long?” Oz questioned. “You don’t… switch partners at any point?”
“No, partners are kinda permanent.” The djinn replied. “Although, if it’s a problem, you could bring it up with Coach.”
“Oh…” Oz sighed. “Hey, wait… What about my partner?”
“What about your partner?” Brian asked.
“I-If I’m gonna be sitting next to them all summer, I’d prefer to know who they are.” Oz remarked. “Don’t you two know?”
“Nope.” Amira replied. “Coach mentioned a sixth lifeguard, but I haven’t seen them yet.”
“Don’t look at me.” The zombie shrugged. “I haven’t met ‘em, either.”
“Well… that’s great.” Oz quietly muttered.
“Oh, come on, Brian! Our shift’s starting.” Amira reminded, nudging him in the arm as she took off in the opposite direction.
“See ya round, man. Don’t drown on your first day.” Brian laughed, patting Oz on the back and following after her.
Oz gulped. Today was already off to an uncertain start. The watchpoint nearest to him was still empty. He anxiously wandered over to it, and ascended the ladder. The seats of the watchpoint were just like foldable chairs… but adjusted not to collapse at this height. It also helped to have an umbrella between the two seats, and low enough to keep the sun out of one’s eyes.
High places weren’t a major phobia for Oz… but he could feel a sort of pressure from this seat. Everyone below could be staring at him… there was nowhere for him to hide He felt a little exposed. No… he wasn’t supposed to hide. He was a lifeguard now. He had to be able to see the water from here… able to rush in at a moment’s notice when someone’s life is on the line. Now the responsibility was starting to weigh on him.
He shook his head, reminding himself to relax. It was just day one… the odds of him having to rescue someone were slim… besides, the other guys could handle it, too.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Oz didn’t even notice someone was climbing the ladder until he heard that voice. Wait… it was familiar somehow…
And that’s when he saw her. Pale features, a beauty mark under her green eyes, dark violet lipstick, raven black hair, and… the curviest figure Oz had ever seen, squeezed in a tight red one-piece.
Oz had definitely seen her before. She went to Spooky High! She was one of the witches of the Coven!
“Oh. Well, aren’t you a familiar face.” She mused, recognizing him in return.
“H-hi.” Oz greeted. His face flushed into a red hue… he never realized how nice she looked up close. He tried not to stare, keeping his gaze hidden behind his sunglasses. “Uh, I-I don’t think we’ve actually introduced each other, have we?”
“Now that I think of it, no.” The witch remarked, taking her seat beside him. “Ozwald, right?”
“Y-yeah.” He replied.
“Of course.” She nodded. “I’m Joy.”
Joy… hearing that made Oz feel a little lighter. “So… what about the other two?” He asked.
“You mean Faith and Hope? They’re volunteering at Lil’ Warlock’s Summer Camp as counselors.” Joy answered. “I decided to stay here, though. Being a lifeguard will certainly keep me occupied.”
“I see.”
Oz just couldn’t help himself… Joy just looked so fine. He could only stare for so long, his sunglasses wouldn’t hide his gaze forever. His cheeks never felt so hot. Though if asked, he’d blame the weather.
But his decency came back to him, and his averted his eyes from her. Instead, he scanned the beach…. It was still noon, so there were plenty of visitors. Kids, teens, adults… and a fuckton of umbrellas.
Oz noticed a pair of binoculars hanging from the seat. He picked them up, and decided to look through them. The distance on them was superb… he could even see the other two watchpoints clearly.
Brian and Amira seemed to be having fun. They were old friends, even though they sometimes get competitive with each other. Vicky way in the opposite direction, sat beside Scott. Oz wondered if that was the real reason she joined. Judging how Vicky sat on the werewolf’s lap, Oz pretty much confirmed his answer.
He let out a quiet sigh, and looked back over the sand. He was a little tense, what with it being his first day.
“You seem nervous.” Joy noted.
“Hmm? Y-yeah. I’ve never had a job like this before.” Oz answered.
“I can tell.”
“Uh… is this your first time, too?” He asked.
“No. This would make my second year as a lifeguard.”
“R-really?” Oz mused. But she was so pale… if he didn’t know any better, he would’ve guessed she was a vampire. She should at least have some semblance of a tan. No, he couldn’t bring that up… it’d be rude, wouldn’t it?
“Indeed. So technically, I outrank you.” She mentioned.
“Outrank?”
“Nevermind. Don’t worry about it.” Joy waved.
Oz decided to let it go… if it were up to him, he’d probably talk her ear off. He didn’t want to come off as annoying or nosy. Especially not on his first day. He decided to play it safe and stay quiet for the moment.
Oz was certainly a nervous guy… he had his tics. Often, he’d check his watch for the time, but he left it at home today. Without it, the minutes and hours kinda blended together… not a good feeling for a high-school student with a schedule, but he didn’t have anywhere else to be. Normally, he’d kill time by scrolling through his phone or playing some music, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that. If someone needed help out in the water, he couldn’t afford to be distracted. Those weren’t ironclad rules of the lifeguards, but Oz was never keen on taking risks.
How long has it been now? An hour? Two? Three? His shift only covered six hours of the day, but it felt like forever when Oz was on edge. It wasn’t easy, sitting up high in a wooden seat in the summer sun, looking over a crowd of monsters, responsible for their safety… and not to mention sitting next to Joy the whole time.
Oz glanced through the binoculars once more. He looked back over to Vicky and Brian… well, just Brian up at the seat. Vicky was busy pulling a toddler out of knee-deep water. At least those two seemed to be handling things just fine.
The longer he sat up here, the more he got used to it.. The shade and the sea breeze helped with the heat… and with so many beach goers, there was no shortage of monsters to watch… not in a creepy way, of course.
Oh. And a mother was screaming about her kid.
“AHH! SOMEONE HELP!”
Oh! A mother was screaming about her kid! Oz quickly grabbed the binoculars, and peered out to the waves. It took a while, but he saw a little gargoyle struggling to stay above the water. Seeing that the kid was literally a rock, it was no wonder. No second thought, and Oz dropped from the tower, dashed across the sand and into the water, life preserver in hand. He wasn’t even thinking about it. It was more internal panic than anything. He can’t let someone drown on his first day!
He plunged into the water, hurrying towards the distressed monster. Soon enough, Oz reached the gargoyle toddler, tossed the life preserver around him, and began swimming back. Oz dragged him back to the shore, already out for breath from his first rescue.
“Here… ahh… here you are…!” Oz panted. “Now please be more careful, kiddo?” The boy looked disappointed to say the least.
“You weren’t supposed to save me. My mom was!”
… Huh? The older woman walked over to Oz, taking her son in her arms.
“Thank you, sonny!” she thanked. “Gary, I told you I couldn’t play Lifeguard with you. That’s what the actual lifeguards are for.”
“Oh, i-it’s no problem.” Oz remarked. “Just… please be more careful.”
“Okay…” the child groaned before the pair walked off. Oz returned to the tower, climbing back up to the seat. That was his first real life saved… so why did he already feel so exhausted? Was it because the kid was a rock heavier than he likely was? Maybe. Was it just being this far out of his comfort zone? Also maybe.
“I’m impressed.” Joy began. “I hadn’t even spotted the boy and you were already on your way.”
“Huh? Oh… I-I guess it was just a spur or the moment thing.” Oz replied. “I-I didn’t want to screw up my very first rescue.”
“You did fine. I think you’ll be well suited for this job.”
After that little exciting moment, Oz was able to take it easy… he had earned a chance to relax a little. Before he knew it, the shadows were growing long, and closing time was upon them.
“Well, I suppose this is it for today.” Joy remarked, shielding her eyes from the sunset.
“Really? Our shift’s over?”
“Yes.” Joy remarked. “Well, you seem like you have a good handle on this job.”
“Y-yeah. I-I look forward to working with you.”
Joy said nothing, but just descended the ladder. Oz gulped. Did he say something wrong? Did he blow it? He probably made a bad first impression. He waited for Joy to get a headstart before he started to make his way back to the beach’s entrance.
He already found Vicky and Brian waiting there, chatting some more.
“Oh, hey Oz.” Vicky waved. “How was your first day as a lifeguard?”
“It was… alright.” He answered.
“Hey, was that hottie that walked by your partner?” Brian asked. “You lucky dog, you!”
“Brian! That was Joy!” Vicky said through her teeth.
“... Who?”
“Joy Johnson-Junpei! She’s in our homeroom!”
“I have no idea what your talking about.”
“Ugh… the leader of the Coven?” She groaned.
“Ohhhh! I thought I recognized her a little.”
“Uh, y-yeah.” Oz added. “She’s my, uh… partner.”
“Hey, Oz… wanna trade?” Brian whispered, only to earn a harsh elbow and a stink-eye from Vicky.
“Brian! Have some decency!”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” The zombie groaned. “She has a boyfriend.”
“Wh-what?” Oz stammered. “Uh, I mean… oh, really? Wh-who?”
“Wait, really?” Vicky asked, equally surprised.
“It’s Liam, right? Didn’t they have a thing goin’ on?” Brian mused.
“But… I thought he said they broke up.” Vicky pondered.
“Ah, you know how he gets embarrassed about his Coven phase. He probably lied to save face.” Brian shrugged.
“I… uh… gotta go.” Oz quietly said, turning his back and leaving without so much as a proper goodbye. He just had a bit on his mind… but the summer was only just starting.
