Hey, guys! Merry Christmas! It's wrestling seasons. *insert overly ecstatic and enthusiastic fangirling* Luckily for you guys, we have a brief intermission for Christmas break, so I'm yours until after New Year's. I plan on updating the other stories, too, but no promises. Also, I GOT A NEW LAPTOP AND I'M SUPER FREAKING EXCITED. I'M TYPING ON IT RIGHT NOW AND I'M INSPIRED. That is all. Enjoy.
Clary's POV
"Guess who it is." Warm calloused hands covered my eyes and a smile instantly lit up my face. I would recognize that voice anywhere.
"Simon!" I pulled his hands off my face and turned around, throwing my arms around his shoulders.
"Geez, Fray. It's not like you didn't see me yesterday morning or anything." Simon joked as he hugged me back awkwardly, but I knew he loved the attention.
"Shut up. It's just good to be home." I pulled back and shoved him lightly, reminding me of when we were younger and I'd always man handle him. Simon may have stood almost six feet tall, but he was all skin and bones. Even with my elfin size and 5'4" frame, I could kick his ass if I was mad enough.
"Rebecca told me you paid her a visit." Simon announced as he plopped down onto the living room couch beside me. I didn't even bother to move my growing collection of celebrity magazines I had spread out around me. We had long since out grown such common curtsies and Simon knew they were my way of feeling connected to the big city.
"Afraid I'm replacing you as the favorite Lewis?" I teased him as I flipped through a People's magazine, only partly breezing over the latest gossip about Miley's supposed pregnancy.
"Nonsense. We all know I'm the cuter of the two of us. Besides, who could ignore these dimples?" He grinned so hard, he was almost more gums than teeth. Despite how ridiculous he should have been, Simon still came off endearing. It was one of his many charms.
I simply rolled my eyes at him and through my magazine down. "I'm going to ask Mr. Baker if he needs another Lifeguard for the summer."
"Not again." Si groaned and threw his head back against the head rest dramatically, covering his face with is arms before I could hit him. "Aren't you a little old to be life guarding?"
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I huffed. "I'm only 23."
"If that's what you want to do, then fine, just do me a favor." Simon finally approved. I would never admit it, but it meant a lot to me that he did. I could care less what my folks or the town thought, but Si mattered.
"Anything." I grinned at him cheekily and pulled the opened package of sour gummy worms out of my jacket pocket and started munching on a handful. The blue and pink were my favorite.
"For the love of God, please do not wear that red bathing suit." Simon reached out to snag a handful and I bated him away with a scowl
"Why not?" He was referring to my worn out one piece that I had donned every day of the job. I had originally chosen it because of its similarity to Pamela Anderson's on Bay Watch, who is the person that first spiked my interest in saving lives. Of course, she always looked much better in hers than I ever did in mine.
"Why not! It's old and ragged and faded and I'm sure you can find something better." Simon rambled on, racking the reasons off on his fingers until he saw the angry look on my face and he ended his sentence abruptly.
"Fine, but I'm not showing a lot of skin or they aren't going to take me seriously." I pouted and scarfed down the last half of the bag, laying my head in his lap and stuffing the empty bag in his hands. If blondie and his friends were going to make vulgar remarks about me in tight pants, imagine how bad it would be in a bikini. I had a feeling being their superior meant squat to them.
"Who?"
I realized I had slipped up and I felt my face blush involuntarily. Thankfully, Simon was too busy staring at the beach shots in US Weekly to glance in my direction. "The parents trusting me to watch their children. We don't want them thinking I'm there to flirt with their sons."
"Or their daughters." Simon added suggestively and I swatted him blindly, but I knew I hit something when he cried out.
"Simon, dear! Clarissa didn't tell me you were here." Jocelyn walked into the room and promptly rolled me off of my best friend and onto the floor to sweep him into a giant hug.
"Jocelyn, you look as lovely as ever." Si gave her a wolfish grin as he kissed her hand.
I pulled myself off the ground unceremoniously and glared at the duo, not that either of them paid attention. "Where's Dad?"
"He went to the hardware store to buy some supplies for the new addition. He should be back around noon." I took in her paint spattered clothes and messy hair and realized she was either working on a piece or painting the rooms.
Soon after I had graduated, my parents got it in their heads that they needed more space. I didn't really get it, since I had just moved out, but for whatever reason, they were adding on. The new space would include a guest bedroom as well as a "man cave" according to Luke and a room for my mother's book club to meet every Tuesday.
So far, more plans were being made then actual actions, but they always made sure to act busy whenever I hung around to make it look like they were on top of things. I wasn't clueless, however, but I played along nicely.
"What are you guys up to today? I'm taking a break in about an hour and I need a pie taster. Any takers?" Mom offered and Simon was practically already drooling.
"Actually, I was going to go talk to Mr. Baker, but if you could entertain this dork for a few hours, I would really appreciate it. I'm sure you guys have a lot of catching up to do." I was already shrugging out of my clothes and halfway out of the room before either of them could reply.
Clary's POV
"It's all yours."
"Are you sure? Don't you want to interview me first?"
"Clary, you worked here for three summers. You have the job." Larry Baker laughed heartily, holding onto his beer belly for support.
I had changed into a pair of old jean cut offs and a loose baby doll tank top before practically skipping down the street to the pool. Now we were sitting inside his small air conditioned office that placed neatly in the back of the building behind the locker rooms and concession stand, which was really three vending machines filled with junk food, pop and flavored water.
"Thank you so much, sir. I won't let you down." I gushed and jumped out of my seat, allowing myself to show some excitement as I jumped up and down before turning bright pink.
"It's just Larry and you never did." He winked at me and I sat back down sheepishly with a nod.
"Now, I'm sure I don't have to go back over all the rules. You seemed to follow them pretty well except for a few of your less than brighter moments." I thought of the time Larry forgot his wallet and he walked in on me skinny dipping with Joshua Kenny at midnight. He wouldn't have even came back, but the lady at the 7-Eleven was a stickler and hated him after he got mouthy with her once when he was drunk and she always insisted on carding him even though everyone in town knew him. I thought for sure he was going to fire me after that, but the next day he just told me that Joshua Kenny was a cheap date and that I should aim higher.
There was also the time that he caught me smoking a cigarette on my break, but he had simply asked to bum one off me and said these damn things would kill him yet.
Those were just a few of the reasons why I liked Mr. Baker so much. He wasn't like other adults. He didn't yell at you or try to tell you that you were ruining your life. He treated you like an adult. He just let life happen around him and if he thought something was important, he said it.
"You'll be sharing shifts with Izzy. This is her second year. She's a pretty little thing like you, but she gets distracted very easily. She's a junior, so she mainly flirts with Sebastian and the boys, but she's a kind heart." Larry caught me up as he walked me to the door.
"Does that mean Sebastian will be hanging around a lot?" I tried to make my voice sound nonchalant, but I secretly wanted to know if his band of misfits would be making a daily appearance at my place of work.
"They practically live at the pool." Larry groaned and I couldn't help but laugh at his misfortune. "Do me a favor and watch after Seb, will you?"
"Anything for you, Mr. Baker." I smiled as I opened the door and slipped out.
"It's Larry." We both said at the same time and I winked at him. "You start tomorrow."
"Aye, aye captain." I saluted him as I walked backwards until he finally shut the door again. Went to turn around and I collided into something hard.
I felt arms steady me and I pulled back to see I had ran into a perfectly bronzed bare chest with a tribal wolf tattoo over his heart. I realized the carefully sculpted body belonged to none other than blondie himself and my heart skipped a beat involuntarily.
"Fancy meeting you here." Damn. Even his voice was like liquid velvet. It was deep but smooth and I found myself fighting the urge to lean in.
"Actually," I placed a hand on his chest and pushed him to the side a little. I told myself it was to show him who was in charge, but I knew I just wanted to touch him. "I'm the new lifeguard."
"Hey, Clare Bear! Long time no see." Sebastian came up from behind us and he snaked his hand around my waist to envelop me in a giant hug, catching his friend's eye.
"Seb, it's good to see you, too." I peeled him off of me and placed some distance in between us. I pretended not to notice how the corner of Blondie's mouth twitched up. "I think you've grown a good two feet."
"I wish I could say the same about you." He poked fun at my height and I scowled at him before shoving him into the pool.
"Normally, I think I'm supposed to frown upon that, but I've decided I like you." A deep brunette girl in a semi modest bikini floated over to me. She had a light cluster of freckles and was very pretty and seemed to be about the average height for a teenage girl. "I'm Izzy by the way."
"I'm Clarissa, but everyone calls me Clary. Larry just hired me to be the other life guard. I start tomorrow." I added. She seemed nice, but I wanted to be clear I meant business.
"Oh, that's great!" Izzy squealed joyously and turned her attention back at the children playing Marco Polo at the deep end. Since it was still fairly early in the morning, the pool wasn't overfilling with overactive kids just yet. "Don't get me wrong. I love my job, but I also love my free time."
"I get you. Well, it was nice meeting you. Larry has my number if you need me for anything." I offered kindly, though I kind of hoped she took me up on it.
"It was great meeting you, too. I know we are going to be great friends." Izzy gushed and gave me a giant hug. My eyes bulged and I awkwardly hugged her back. Blondie chuckled at us and gave me a mysterious head nod before walking off. I decided he was rude, but I still wanted to know more about him. Like his name for starters.
I was looking around for Sebastian when two giant arms seized me in a bear hug and completely drenched me in water. "Oh, you ass hat!"
"I missed you, too!" I stormed off after that with children laughing at my misery, but by the time I had walked all the way to my house, I was mostly dried off and my mood was back to normal.
I opened the door to find Simon bloated from eating too much pie and my mother in desperate need of a muffin taster.
This summer was definitely going to be one to remember.
Tadaaa. I'm so tired. It's 12:18. It's no longer Christmas. Oh, well. Not the most eventful or longest chapter, but it's a chapter. Feel free to review or PM your ideas for this story because I don't have many. I'm great at winging things, though, so I'm sure I can come up with a plot to go along with my illegal age difference summer time fling smut. Also, sorry for the grammar, I'm sure it's crappy, because I'm worn out and tired.
On a side note, I am still depressed, but I'm coping with it well. On another side note, I am going to the doctor on Monday for an MRI and MRA, so pray for me (I don't care in what religion. Praying is nice period.). Please review and you guys and wonderful, beautiful creatures.