AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was reading some fanfiction on AO3 and the author had so many series she didn't finished and it makes me realized I needed to finish some stories. Luckily, this story was actually already done a couple of months ago and was just sitting on my laptop. I actually wrote this story out of a request; its hard to do request, I don't think I'mma do anymore.

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Raven sat nervously in her car outside of the beach, feeling a mixture of excitement and apprehension. She had recently been fired from her job as a dancer, and she knew she needed to find a new job quickly if she wanted to continue buying Starfire's coveted squishmallow collection. She had searched online for various job openings and came across a lifeguard position at the beach. Although she had no prior experience in lifeguarding, she knew she had to take a chance.

Taking a deep breath, Raven stepped out of her car and made her way to the lifeguard stand. She approached the head lifeguard, a tall and muscular man with a stern expression on his face.

"Hi, I'm Raven," she said, introducing herself. "I'm here about the lifeguard position."

The head lifeguard raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Do you have any experience in lifeguarding?"

Raven shook her head. "No, but I'm a quick learner and I'm willing to work hard."

The head lifeguard hesitated for a moment before nodding. "All right. We're short-staffed this season, so we'll give you a chance. But you have to prove yourself. Can you swim?"

Raven nodded, feeling relieved. "Yes, I'm a strong swimmer."

"Good. We'll start you off with some basic training, and then we'll see how you do on the job," the head lifeguard said, handing her a whistle and a lifeguard uniform, a skimpy one at that, as if she were the cast of Baywatch from the 1990s.

Raven spent the next few days training rigorously with the other lifeguards. She learned about water safety, CPR, and how to spot potential dangers in the water. She was grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow, and she was determined to prove herself as a capable lifeguard.

On her first day on the job, Raven arrived at the beach early, feeling nervous but excited. She put on her lifeguard uniform, grabbed her whistle and sunscreen, and made her way to the lifeguard stand. The other lifeguards greeted her warmly and wished her luck.

As the day went on, Raven kept a watchful eye on the swimmers, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed the job, the feeling of responsibility, the adrenaline rush, and the warm sun on her skin.

But despite her hard work and dedication, Raven's salary as a lifeguard was not enough to buy the entire squishmallow collection for Starfire. She could only afford a few squishmallows at a time, but she was determined to keep working and saving until she could finally surprise Starfire with the complete collection.

As the weeks went by, Raven grew more confident in her lifeguarding skills. She had saved several swimmers from potentially dangerous situations, and she had even made some new friends among the lifeguard staff. But she never lost sight of her ultimate goal - to make Starfire happy by giving her the squishmallow collection of her dreams.

Finally, after several months of hard work and saving, Raven had enough money to buy the entire squishmallow collection. She felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that she had worked hard to achieve her goal.

On Starfire's birthday, Raven surprised her with the complete collection of squishmallows, wrapped up in a giant gift bag. Starfire's eyes widened with joy and amazement as she pulled out each squishmallow, hugging them close to her chest.

"Raven, how did you manage to get the entire collection? I thought it was impossible," Starfire exclaimed, tears of happiness streaming down her face.

Raven smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction. "I got a job as a lifeguard

As the summer went on, Raven's life guarding job became more and more routine. She would arrive at the beach early in the morning, set up her station, and spend the day scanning the water for any signs of trouble. There were a few minor incidents throughout the summer, like jellyfish stings and lost children, but nothing too serious.

Despite the monotony of her job, Raven found herself enjoying her time at the beach. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was soothing, and the salty ocean air filled her lungs with a sense of freedom. She even started to enjoy the company of the regular beachgoers, some of whom would stop by to chat with her during their daily routines.

But despite her newfound appreciation for the beach, Raven never forgot the reason why she was working so hard in the first place: to afford the entire squishmallow collection for Starfire.

Every paycheck she received, she would put a portion of it towards the collection. She would scour the internet for any new releases and hunt down the rarest ones. It was a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, but Raven was determined to make it happen for Starfire.

One day, towards the end of the summer, Raven was scanning the beach when she saw a familiar figure approaching her station. It was Starfire, wearing a bright red swimsuit and a wide smile.

"Raven!" she exclaimed, running up to her girlfriend. "I didn't know you were working at the beach!"

Raven grinned back at her. "Yeah, I got a job as a life guard for the summer. It's been...interesting."

"I can imagine," Starfire replied, looking out at the water. "It must be nice to be out here all day, though."

"It is," Raven agreed. "I'm glad I did it."

As they chatted, Raven couldn't help but notice the small bag Starfire was carrying with her. It looked like a shopping bag, and Raven wondered if she had bought something while she was out.

"What's in the bag?" she asked, gesturing to it.

Starfire's eyes widened with excitement. "Oh, I almost forgot! I found a squishmallow store down the street, and they had the entire collection in stock! I couldn't resist buying them all with Robin's credit card."

Raven's heart sank. She had worked so hard all summer to buy the collection for Starfire, and now she had missed out.

"That's amazing," Raven said, forcing a smile. "I'm happy for you."

But even as she said the words, Raven couldn't help feeling disappointed. She had put in so much effort and had come up short. It was a frustrating feeling, but she knew that she couldn't let it get to her. She had done everything she could, and that was all that mattered.

As the summer came to a close, Raven finished up her last shift at the beach. She packed up her lifeguard station and said goodbye to her fellow guards. It had been a long, hot summer, but she had made it through.

When she got home, Raven collapsed onto the couch and closed her eyes. She was exhausted from the day's work, and her mind was still reeling from the news about the squishmallow collection. But as she lay there, she realized something: even though she hadn't been able to buy the collection for Starfire, she had still accomplished something incredible. She had worked hard all summer and had managed to save up a considerable amount of money. And who knows? Maybe there would be other ways to surprise Starfire in the future.

With that thought in mind, Raven drifted off to sleep, content in the knowledge that she had done everything she could to make Starfire happy.