Chapter Text
It's a Saturday. Last Saturday in May to be specific. The sun is out, bright as can be. A few birds chirp outside the window; they're practically my alarm. I rise from my bed with a warm smile on my face as I prepare for the best day of the summer. Ya know it, I know it, it's…
“First day fever!”
Oh, sorry. I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sally Suds, but you can call me Sal. I'm a lifeguard working at Aquarius Beach, the best beach this side of the ocean. As any beach would, they are only open to the masses during the summer. Since summer is imminent, it's time to get to work.
My morning routine is down to the minute. 7:30 is breakfast. Toast strudels and devour them whole. 8:00 is when I clean myself. Go in the shower, brush my teeth, and groom my hair. I would do makeup like other girls but I don't want it getting ruined in the water. 8:30, it's almost time to punch in, so I get my swimsuit, phone, and my wallet before walking out. Saturdays are paydays and we get a little bonus for the first day, so I couldn't forget that last thing
“Oops, almost forgot you.” I stepped back in for a bit as I grabbed a small purple crown. Why would I have that? I’ll tell ya in a bit. But with everything ready for the day, I get outside and see the beautiful city that Aquarius is in: Finbay.
Finbay is the best seaside town I’ve ever been to. Well, it's the only seaside town I’ve been to. I have lived here since I was born. It's a quiet town but you find your place in it when you get to know it. The route to the beach from my house is so ingrained in me now that I can run it by memory. First, getting downstairs from my apartment complex, luckily I’m on the second floor so it's not too many stairs. Next, it's a quick turn past the local bakery. Get a quick hello from the owner, Penny, along the way. Smelling those fresh donuts she makes just gives me a feeling of getting one after work. Then it's a hop, skip and a jump from the local medical facility. We work with them whenever a swimmer’s condition is fatal.
“First day of summer, eh Sal?” Doctor Tito asks me as I pass.
“You know it! Hope I don't have to send any folks to you.” I laugh along with him as I continue running.
Third is a downward slide. I pass by more of the fishbay landmarks there. There's Mia Pizza, the slice by the shore. Freezerburn, freshly made ice cream right next door to Mia. I know I’m close to Aquarius when I pass by Tees of the Sea, the local T-shirt shop that tourists love to shop at. Just this run I saw a family trying on “I heart Fishing” tanktops. Blegh, always hated those. It's there that the sands of Aquarius begin, can't miss the spray painted blue on the sign. I’m the first one at the beach. Usually I get there a few minutes before opening, but when I’m as excited as I am now, I can get there 10 minutes before anyone else. Well, everyone else except for my boss.
“Yo! Sally!” A gruff voice greeted me. I know it all too well, that's my boss, Tyla. Muscular, dark skin almost like mine, and a green streak on otherwise black hair. “Ready for another summer?”
“All over it, Ty!” I cheer. “First, I gotta do my water check.” Looking out at the ocean, everything seems to be pretty clear. Not a single piece of- “Garbage ahoy!” I cry out, seeing a single empty soda can in the ocean. With that, the crown goes on and I jump into the deep blue. The feeling of the initial splash hits me, and it feels so good on my body, face, and tail.
Oh yeah, the tail. Almost forgot to tell ya, I'm a mermaid. My mother, or at least what I remember, was a mermaid, while my father was a human. I'm able to transform with a crown my father crafted one year for my birthday to better control my tail coming out. Ever since I left my parents to commit to being a lifeguard full time, I’ve been taking almost every swim in my mermaid form. This swim wasn't as slow as I usually do, however. It was just a matter of getting the can and swimming back to Tyla.
“Love whenever you're up for litter duty.” Tyla complimented, bringing a little smile to my face as I took off my crown and regained my legs. After that, the sound of a car started roaring near the area. “Oh, those must be the new crop.” Tyla said as she ran to the parking lot near Tees of the Sea. Oh boy, one of the best parts of the summer starting, new recruits! Of course, we have some regular lifeguards here, but the newbies are always fun too. They're almost always so positive, helpful, and willing to do anything to save a life. However, Tyla is strict when it comes to early days training. If you mess up more than what's expected on your first 3 days, you're not gonna stay the rest of the summer.
Tyla came back with the newbies soon after, walking in front of them to the sands. Clearly, all of them came from where I was trained when I became interested in lifeguarding. All different body shapes, genders, and energy levels drenched in that iconic lifeguard red. Everyone here looked more than ready for what was sure to be their first fantastic summer at Aquarius. Once they all get there, it's Tyla’s time for a roll call.
“Ok, new recruits. Raise your hand to acknowledge your arrival.” The boss started, busting out a pencil and paper to write the attendance. “First up; Giver, first name, Fred”
“Here, miss.” A ginger haired guy barely out of puberty answered, raising his hand as he did.
“Hanson, first name, Dinah.”
“Present.” a slightly heavy woman said.
The line continued for some time. About 15 of these people were down the long line Tyla was counting. I’ll spare you a lot of them and just tell you about one, because this is the girl I really want to tell you about.
“Shelly, first name, Candace” Tyla commanded a blonde girl with freckles upon her face.
“Hi there.” Candace simply greeted, using her hand raised to wave. “You can call me Candy, boss.”
Candy there is gonna be important for this little tale. Sure, she may seem like another unassuming new recruit, but as they say, don't judge a book by its cover. The blonde girl was more than just a pretty face, but why would I just tease and tease when I can actually tell you more about her? Oh right, it's almost time for opening.
Yes, at 9:30 AM, with all the recruits, old and new in position, it's time to get the beach set up for a 10AM opening. First, every one sets up their own little lookout station. Aquarius lifeguards work on the buddy system, meaning teams of 2 each guard their own sections of the beach. I ended up getting paired with Candy. Always nice when I get paired up with newbies. Given they're still fresh out of school, letting experienced people like me give them further knowledge is great. I scoot over to Candy to strike up conversation.
“So, newbie.” I start, a little giddy “ready for your first day of making this beach a better place?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Candy replied, a little dry compared to me.
“Nervous?”
“A little. I know I should’ve gotten everything from school but I fear I might mess up somewhere.”
“Hey, I know the feeling. I first got here 4 years ago and I still mess things up sometimes. You just can't let that get to you, ya know?”
“I guess so.” Candy smiled a little after hearing that. That's a sign that today's gonna be great for her.
A few minutes later, the rope blocking off the dunes drop as the first guests of the day and of the season enter. A rush of anticipation goes over me. Everyone coming in here is clearly here to party, and I’m one of their honorary guests. At the same time though, I can't help but think about Candy. This being her first day, she probably has a lot to prove to Tyla.
“Are you ready for this?” I ask her whilst turning my head as the roar of the crowd grows to a fever pitch. As I turned to ask her that, I could see a slight drop from her. I know that feeling all too well, opening day jitters. They're not ready for a lot of what the summer holds and what people can do in this combination of sand and sea. “You’ll do great, I promise.” I said confidently to her while putting my hand on her shoulder to pump her up.
“I will do great!” Candy replied back, obviously getting more energetic than she was before.
“That's the spirit! Now let's go! Somebody's about to go outside the buoys.” With that, I charge out of the lookout, Candy following a little behind. With sand forming on my feet and my crown kept safe on my head, it's time for summer to truly begin.