It was a hot sunny day in July, and thirteen year old Alex Kruper was walking with her best friend Belina Sebastian to the store. “It is so hot and sunny today!” said Alex. “I know. It feels like we’re two feet away from the sun!” said Beline. “If we were two feet away from the sun we would be dead.” Belina shook her head agreeing to what Alex said. “Hey! When we get back from the store do you want to see if we can go to the community pool together?” Alex asked. “Sure! I hope they let us because if they don’t I think I am going to die from the heat!” said Belina. Alex had won three golden metals in the past because she won three races. Alex and Belina both love swimming but Alex, she has an uncontrollable addiction. Alex wants to become a lifeguard when she is old enough to have a job so much that when she goes to the pool with Belina they pretend they are lifeguards. “Wouldn’t it be such fun to be a lifeguard? I mean come on, who wouldn’t?” asked Alex. “Ummmm, I wouldn’t!” responded Belina. “But, why do you always play lifeguards with me when we go to the pool if you don’t want to be one?” asked Alex. “Because you like playing lifeguards. I just wouldn’t want to do it for a job, it would get tiresome.” Said Beline. “OH.” I said in a disappointed tone. We walked into the sliding doors and got what we needed.


“Mom!” Alex said as she opened the door to her house. “What?” asked mom. “Can Belina and I go swimming?” “Yes. But be careful and make sure you take you card.” The card she was talking about was a card that I was very happy of. The pool staff gave me a card that has my picture and my name and I have a code on the front. The reason they gave me that card is so that I can go swimming without having to have an adult with me. You have to be fifteen to swim without someone else there but since I’m such a good swimmer they let me go in the pool without an adult, so I have to swipe the card in order to be let in. Belina and I ran upstairs to my room. Belina brought her swimsuit with her in case we got to run in the sprinklers or go to the pool. She looked through her suitcase and got out a pink swimsuit with lime green stripes on it. “Cute! Is that a new swimsuit?” Alex asked. “Yes! Thanks for noticing.” Responded Belina. Alex got out her swimsuit which was bright neon pink with black flowers. “Yours is adorable!” said Belina. “Thanks.” Alex responded. I walked into my bathroom got two towels out and walked back in my room. I laid out my towel then laid down my swimsuit and rolled them up together, Belina did the same.


“We’re here!” yelled Belina as she ran to the dressing rooms. The lady at the counter told her she had to be with an adult. “Oh sorry about that. That is my friend Alex she has a Card.” said Belina. Alex walked up to the counter and swiped her card. The gate opened and they walked into the pool area. The cool, lush, clean, pool water looked so inviting. Alex walked into the changing rooms and got changed into her cute swimsuit.


I walked out of the changing room and quickly looked at the bulletin board. I saw something that made me super excited! There was an ad for lifeguard lessons here at the pool just for teens! It said on there if you pass you get your lifeguard license. And three teens will be picked to be a life guard at our local beach every summer up until they are an adult. “Awesome!” Alex screamed. “Belina! Beline! I am going to do this!” “Do what?” asked Belina. I handed her the ad and she told me I would be great!


Man, swimming it tiring. Alex thought as she sat down in the chair that is in the corner of her room. She turned on the TV flipping through channels. Nothing was on. Alex first lifeguard lesson was tomorrow and she couldn’t wait. Alex just wanted tomorrow to hurry up!


Alex woke up bright and early, did her chores, and then ate breakfast. After breakfast she ran up to her room because her cell phone was ringing. It was her new lifeguard teacher. She was letting Alex know that she would be provided with a swimsuit and a towel and a few other surprises, so that she just needed to bring herself. Alex hung up the phone and flopped down on her bed. She wondered what the surprises were.


“We’re here!” Alex said as she ran to the gate. She swiped her card and ran to her new teacher. Her teacher said hello and handed her a big bag stuffed with a bunch of lifeguard stuff. I walked to the nearest chair and sat down. In the bag was a mouth guard, gloves, a CPR booklet, lifeguard booklet, a whistle, a red swimsuit with a white cross on the front, a red towel with a white cross on it, and lastly a lifeguard pass. I thanked the teacher as I walked by her. Alex swiped her lifeguard pass and walked into the changing room. She had to swipe her card because only lifeguards can go in there. When Alex was done changing she looked herself over. Here new swimsuit was super cool because it told people she was a lifeguard, her whistle hanging from her neck and her new lifeguard pass in hand she looked ready for her job! I walked over to my new teacher. “Ok Alex. The first thing you need to learn is CPR and First Aid.” She led me to an office close to where the lifeguard changing rooms are. “Slide your card.” Said my new lifeguard teacher. I slid the card and we were in. “Are we going to swim at all today?” I asked. “Nope. Today is just CPR and First Aid.” I was happy because I always wanted to learn that stuff, but I was bummed because I was hot and I wanted to cool off. “Oh I’ve been meaning to tell you. My name is Sabrina.” Said the lifeguard teacher. “Oh, ya, my name is Alex, nice to meet you.”


I collapsed on my bed, I had taken a shower and I felt so tired. I closed my eyes and the world went black. I had a dream I was surfing and someone fell off their board and got knocked unconscious. In my dream I saved their life. I woke up and ran down the stairs to have dinner. We were having biscuits and gravy, yummy!


It was at my next class when I asked Sabrina if I could go in the water today. “No.” Was her reply. Two weeks had passed then finally I go to go in the water. First she had me sit in my big lifeguard chair. She showed me where everything would go. On the leg of the chair was a pack with my mouth guard, gloves, my CPR booklet, lifeguard booklet, and lifeguard pass. On the left arm of the chair was my towel, and my whistle would stay on my neck the whole time so I can blow the whistle is someone is disobeying the rules. Then Sabrina pretended like she was drowning, I jumped into the water, swam under her came up so she lay on my back and swam to the stairs, then I plopped her on her back. “Great job! Now I’m going to show you what to do if they are unconscious, and or have taken in lots of water. I could tell today was going to be a long day.


It had been a month since my first lifeguard class. I slid my key and walked up to Sabrina. “Hello!” I said. “Hello. Today is going to be a little different. You have made so much progress, you are strong, you eat healthy, your watchful and so many more things that a lifeguard needs to be. So since you are doing so wonderful you are one of the teens to be picked to be a lifeguard at the beach every summer until you are twenty.” “Are you serious? I am so excited!” I said in response. Sabrina handed me a card. “What’s this?” “It is your lifeguard license.” “Cool!” Sabrina told me that was the last time I would see her. She sent me off after that to head to the beach. She told me I would go to the lifeguard chair on the left and that I would meet a girl there that was my age.


I walked up to my lifeguard chair. I put my towel on the left arm of the chair I put my pack on the leg of my chair and I had my whistle ready to blow. Then a girl walked up. “Are you Alex?” “Yes.” “Hello! My name is Samantha. Your teacher, Sabrina, told me that I would be your junior lifeguard instructor. All I’m here to do is go out in the water with you in case you need help. Sabrina told me to tell you that you can go out in the water by yourself in two weeks. I couldn’t wait for those two weeks to show up. Nothing ever happened before those two weeks showed up except blowing her whistle constantly telling people, don’t do that, don’t jump off of there, don’t climb up that. The first day I could go in the water by myself I was a little nervous. Nothing was happening. Then when her shift was almost over she saw a boy struggling to keep himself up. Oh no! Alex thought as she ran into the waves. Alex dove under the water and came up under the boy who had nearly fainted. Alex grabbed for the boy and started making her way to the shore, Alex constantly looking back to make sure the boy was above the water. Finally Alex made it to the sand where the little boys mom came over to make sure her son was ok. The mom thanked Alex and Alex in return said, “I’m just doing my job.” Alex made her way over to her lifeguard chair.


“You did it on your first day!” Cheered Samantha. I felt so proud of myself. I saved a sweet little boy’s life. Samantha and I high fived each other. I could tell we were going to be good friends! Oh great, a little girl was yelling for help! I started running and dove into the waves. This was going to be a great summer!