The Lifeguard

It was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon and I was sitting in my garden with my best friend, Candis. We had nothing to do, and our summer holidays were nearly over.

"Why don't we go swimming?" I suggested. I loved swimming, but was aware of how much Candis hated it.

"Mmmmm... no, I can't be bothered to go to Ashborn today." Candis said. We sat in silence for a few more minutes.

"How about we go into Fair Oaks?" I asked.

"No, Kat, let's just stay here for a while." Was the reply. I thought for a bit, I wasn't happy with Candis's laziness. I HAD to get her out, and I really wanted to do was cool off in the pool. Also there happened to be a totally gorgeous life guard at Ashborn and I always flirted with him each time I went, which was probably why Candis didn't like going!

"You know, I heard that Ben was going to Ashborn today." I mentioned after we had been laying on my grass for what seemed like forever.

"WHAT?!" Candis sat up, and looked at me as if to say 'carry on..'

"Well I heard him talking the other day to Mark and they were planning on going swimming today."

"Well let's go then." and with that Candis stood up and began grabbing my arm to get me up. I smiled as I got to my feet.

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We got to the pool to see that in fact Ben wasn't there. Candis wasn't happy but we stayed anyway. It wasn't long before I spotted the hot life guard. Candis must have seen me looking at him because at that moment she pretended to be in trouble in the water. 'She always was too loud' I thought as I swam away from her and to the life guard to tell him she was OK and just fooling around. At that moment she began shouting

" Kat! Kat!"

"What?!" I shouted. She then swam away, to the opposite side of the pool. 'strange' I thought. I was about to follow her off before I heard a cute Irish voice behind me: "So that's your name then."

"Huh?" I spun round in the water to see the life guard looking down on me.

" Kat. I'm Shane." He said as he helped me out the pool.

"Oh, hi" I replied "do you wanna grab a bite to eat?" He asked. I was hardly going to turn him down and when I gave him the okay we went to the poolside bar. Hardly romantic, but still I was weak in the knees.

"So who's your friend?" Shane asked. I glanced over at Candis, she had met some of our friends from school and gave me a wave before running to the deep end. I was glad she stayed away, now I got time with Shane. We talked for ages about everything, how he was in a band named Westside but it had yet to get big, how he was only in Christiansburg for the summer, and this was his summer job.

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The rest of the summer holidays I spent with Shane and it was fantastic. We went around like boyfriend and girlfriend, yet all I wanted was to kiss him, but I was too shy to be so forward, if only I was more like Candis! Then August came, and Shane's visit drew to a close. I was at the park with him, on his last evening. He was holding me so close, I never wanted it to end. But, at last, it was time for me to leave. Shane walked me home as usual, but as we turned into my road he stopped me. I looked at him, about to ask him what was wrong, but he put his finger to my lips.

" Kat, this is really hard for me to say, I don't want this moment to end." His eyes began to fill with tears.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before, and the thought of me going back to Ireland and you staying here is heartbreaking. What if we never see each other again?"

"Don't say that. We will meet again. You know where I live and I've got your address." I said, and I put my hand to his cheek.

" Kat, you don't understand. I think... I think I'm in love with you." Shane said and he gave me a hug, which lasted for ages. When we broke it was ovbious what was going to happen. I knew it and so did Shane. We leaned our heads forward and began to kiss. This was perfect, so natural and right. When the kiss ended, and I was back in my bed at home, dreaming about what had just happened my phone beeped to signal a text. I picked it up and saw that it was from Shane. It said:

had a gr8 nite.thinkin of u always.look under ur bed. love Shane xxx

I looked under my bed, Shane and I had been in my room earlier. I found a CD. It said on the cover: WESTLIFE: WORLD OF OUR OWN. Shane had written somthing inside it.

Kat, I was lying when I sed I was in an unsucsessful band named Westside. I'm in Westlife, I just didn't want you to take me any differently if you knew I was in Westlife. Listen to song number 6. This is the song that I wanna dedicate to you. I love you. Love Shane xxx

I put the CD in the player, my hand still shaking. The song started and all the words seemed to fit. 'I wanna grow old with you, I wanna die lying in your arms, I wanna grow old with you, I wanna be looking in your eyes....'

A tear ran down my cheek, I was in love with Shane not Shane Westlife, yet still they both make my heart skip a beat when they look at me, still I can't help wanting to kiss them, still I wish I could just see them, even for a second. Now I know who he is, will I ever get to see him again? Probably not, and as I thought this I looked into the Westlife case. There I noticed a silver ring. I studied it closely and saw that engraved in it was Kat I love you, love Shane. I put it on and immediately felt closer to Shane then I ever had before.