Jenna Tests the Waters by Elizabeth Doyle Carey

Author:Elizabeth Doyle Carey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2021-02-23T00:00:00+00:00

9

The Ocean Test

It was fitting that Sunday morning dawned gray and chilly, spitting rain in sharp little needles. It matched my mood.

I had tossed and turned all night thinking about the pool test, Junior Lifeguards, Bud Slater, his family history, Hayden Jones, my friends, and our summer. One conclusion I’d reached was that the ocean test was a formality. Slater had already made his mind up about me; I just couldn’t guess whether I would be in or out.

Another conclusion I’d reached was that Selena would get Hayden if she really wanted him. What I couldn’t decide was whether I’d put up a fight for him along the way.

Finally, I’d concluded that, despite my misgivings about Slater and the other participants, I really wanted to do Junior Lifeguards this summer. I wanted to learn all that interesting stuff. I wanted to sit up in that stand. I wanted to save people and have them think I was a hero like Molly. I wanted it all.

At the ocean test at Lookout Beach this morning, there were about half as many kids as yesterday, though I wasn’t sure if that was because of who qualified or because of the weather. Probably a bit of both. I stuck my bike in the rack and jogged over to the beach pavilion where a crowd of kids had gathered under the roof. Most of them were kids I knew from school or town in general, though there were a bunch who were unrecognizable to me—summer kids and some kids from other nearby towns.

Selena, Piper, and Ziggy weren’t here yet, but Bud and Luke Slater were. And so was Hayden Jones. I took a deep breath. I wanted to go say hi to Hayden, but I was shy; I knew I should turn in my forms first anyway. Clearly, Bud Slater was a stickler for punctuality, so I might as well show him I was early.

I wound my way through the group to the pavilion railing where Slater stood with some other town lifeguards.

“Mr. Slater?” I began.

He turned. “Ms. Bowers. Nice to see you here bright and early this beautiful morning.” His tone was friendly, but he wasn’t smiling so I didn’t smile either. I couldn’t help but wonder if his knowing my name was a good thing or a bad thing.

I held my release form out toward him. “Here is my paperwork.”

He glanced at it and nodded, then handed it to another lifeguard who had a growing pile of papers. “Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got today.”

Was this a challenge?

“I’m a pretty good ocean swimmer,” I said evenly.

Slater paused for a second, looking out at the water. Then he said, “I don’t doubt that. I’m mostly interested in attitude.”

Now it was my turn to hesitate. After a second or two, I said, “I think you’ll find I have a very good attitude.”

He turned to me and smiled at last. “Good. I’m looking forward to it.”

And suddenly, “Well, well, well, looky who’s here!”

I turned at the sound of the gravelly deep voice arriving behind me.

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