Chapter Text
Caitlyn was never one to enjoy the “countryside”. Especially when the only thing for miles is trees and wheat fields. The golden waves of straw were interesting for only about five minutes. Then it just seems like an ocean, never-ending and redundant. Caitlyn had been given the opportunity to fly there, but she politely declined. It’ll be a beautiful drive, she had told her parents, it’ll be good to get away from society for a few hours. While the silence and space to think was a nice break, it didn’t save her from a numb back, strained eyes, and weakened muscles from being stationary for so long.
It wasn’t like she enjoyed the city anymore though. It created its own ocean of redundancy, but instead of golden fields, it was of steel and glass. Grey sidewalks blended with the grey buildings that blended with the gray air. Not that anyone in her family would do much to change the blandness of the city streets. They had to sit in the penthouses gilded in bronze and made of marble, high above the grey streets. Caitlyn personally had no care for how tall her building was, or how many bathrooms she had in her house. Her parents did though. They wanted her to run the family business, to raise them out of the smoky streets and into the fresh sky as if they weren’t already nearing the atmosphere. They made her get a useless business degree, even chose the school she attended. Just having the hanging responsibility over her head for something she didn’t choose nor want was enough for her to have a distaste for the city.
So when Caitlyn received a call from her extended family in the countryside, asking to stay with them for the summer, she didn’t have to think before accepting. After years of being in a box constructed by her family, she wanted a break. The fact her mother even let her leave the city was more surprising. She always seemed to keep a close leash on Caitlyn. ‘For the family’ her mother would say. Caitlyn wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by ‘family’. In her defense, it’s not like Caitlyn has any idea how to be outside of the box. Maybe a change of scenery will teach her how to live away from the confines.
A buzz next to her thigh suddenly drags Caitlyn out her thoughts. She lifts her phone screen, it lights up with the word ‘Turn left in 500 feet’. A small dirt road appears from to the left of the isolated road, turning into a wooded area with two houses. The homes belonged to her aunt and uncle on her mother’s side, the family that had asked her there for the summer. It always amazed her to know that her mother and aunt were related, her mother is stoic and uptight and her aunt is the outcast but infinitely more interesting. Such as when her grandfather died, he left an immense fortune to all of his children. Her mother used it to get into city politics and hold champagne parties and started Caitlyn on the same journey to stardom. Meanwhile, her aunt moved almost 400 miles away and built a theme park next to a small lake city with her money, something that caused her to be kind of the black sheep of Caitlyn’s mother’s family. She wasn’t officially disowned, no, but everyone thought of her as an odd figure.
For almost 30 years the park has been running, thanks to the help of Caitlyn’s uncle who had met her aunt in a job interview in the early stages of the park. He’s a shy man, but is a master with accounting and finances, and helped budget the park and do the dirty work necessary to keep it running. Her aunt mostly just supplies the money and fun ideas she finds and is the people person who is mostly in charge of marketing and human resources. They made a good team of owners but had many other advisors and with their help, the park business had been booming over the last two decades.
Caitlyn turns into the driveway, the theme park coming into full view. The color and vibrancy can be seen from the houses, only being about half of a mile away. She parks in the dirt driveway, stepping out of her small car with grace. The dirt beneath scratches under the pressure of her shoes, and she closes the door of her car with a small thump. Taking a second to take in her surroundings, Caitlyn properly stretches her muscles out. Blood flow returns to her limbs, and she stumbles for a moment to recover from the dizziness.
In between the houses and the park, there is another golden field in front, more of a lake than an ocean. Each strand sways in the wind, the sound of dry grass in her ears. The houses themselves are separate, both two stories high. One is much smaller than the other, but she only notices due to how close the houses are to each other. There isn’t much of a lawn, but where there is one there are flowers and well cared for grass, trimmed and green in the spring sun.
Finally, her eyes move to the porch of the bigger house, to see a woman in a rocking chair. She’s reading a book, dark voluminous hair falling over her shoulders like brown waterfalls. She looks similar to her mother in hair tone and facial features, but everything seems more rounded and less angular. The biggest difference is the style of clothing; while her mother wears uptight blouses and pencil skirts, her aunt is wearing a burgundy cardigan and simple jeans. Caitlyn begins to approach the house, a smile beginning to form on her face but her hands fidgeting with one another. Her aunt glances from her book, the genetic blue eyes meeting Caitlyn’s and lighting up in excitement. She stands, folding her book and waving to the girl walking towards her.
“Caitlyn! My dear! You made it!”
Her aunt spoke in a gleeful tone, her arms extending to Caitlyn as she approaches. For a moment Caitlyn is confused, but as her aunt pulls her into a tight hug she awkwardly smiles, patting her on the back through the hug. The sweater her aunt wears smells of burnt candles and cardamon, a very nostalgic scent that relaxes Caitlyn after her tense drive to the park. She is only minorly afraid her aunt would not be as hospitable after almost a decade of not seeing each other, but the welcoming hug disproves her thoughts wrong.
“Hello Aunt Brandy. Good to see you haven’t changed in these years,” Caitlyn says, a smile forming in her voice.
Her aunt offers a small laugh in response. Light-heartedly she replies, “Why thank you. You’ve changed though my dear, when did you get so tall? I swear last time I saw you, you were my height and now you’re a tower!” She chuckles again. “Come inside, let’s get you set up in the guest house, and then we can talk with Harold about your job plans over some tea.”
Caitlyn blinks at the mention of a job; she had completely forgotten about the one detail written in the fine print of their agreement. Over the years, her aunt and uncle had been asking members of the family to come to the amusement park to work for a summer. She assumed it is for someone to take over the park, as is customary among her family for things to be handed down through blood.
Her aunt and uncle could never have kids, a sad fact that had them looking for someone else in the family to take over the “family” business. Although she is black sheep from her family, her aunt Brandy still had the deeply instilled traditions of their wealthy family, mainly that business is to be handed down. Something her mother liked to remind Caitlyn of many times. Perhaps that is why her mum had let her leave the city to come to the park; she’s already tied to her own responsibilities. From the looks of it, however, her aunt had already been through all of Caitlyn’s cousins, and she is the last niece before her aunt had to move on.
Regardless, she is here now, and has to fulfill her side of the agreement: try to work there for the summer and see how she likes it. Caitlyn and her aunt walk silently to her car, unpacking the bags and carrying them to the “guest” house. It’s the smaller home of the two but is just as manicured and well cared for as the other. The door opens with a small click, and the pair stride through the doorway. The bags are discarded near the bottom of the staircase leading to the second floor, which is situated in front of the front door. Looking around at the surroundings, Caitlyn softly closes the door.
The decor inside the house is simple, with no real personality. The hardwood floor is lightly dusty as if no one had set foot in there for months. The bottom half of the house is very openly planned, with the living room and kitchen being almost seamless with each other. In the living room, there are two antique paisley chairs, and the main couch made of leather. On the couch, Caitlyn sees her uncle Harold sitting, doing what looks like a newspaper crossword. He is the quieter of the couple, more straightforward in his words. He was nice from what she remembers, but Caitlyn is more well-acquainted with her aunt. Following after her aunt, Caitlyn strolls into the living room, taking a seat on one of the scratchy paisley chairs.
Her uncle folds his newspaper in half, adjusting his glasses to get a good look at Caitlyn. He has jet black hair that’s well combed, not a piece out of place. His shirt similarly looks the same, ironed and not a crinkle in sight. It is something she saw regularly on her mother, the no-funny-business look that is always seen on professionals. He still looks much more inviting though. He adjusts thin glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, staring at Caitlyn. His eyes don’t have the same glint of recognition her aunt did.
“Caitlyn. Lovely to see you as always,” he says, offering his hand for a handshake.
She smiles and shakes his hand heartily in response. “Likewise. Brandy said we had to discuss employment first with you, what does that exactly entail?”
Her uncle gestures aimlessly in response. “Depends. For other family members we usually train them for HR or Operations, but really it’s up to you. You can choose any department. We don’t care for the first years.”
Caitlyn has to pause and think about it for a moment. One of the side effects of having your life predetermined years in advance is that you have no choice in most of your life choices. For Caitlyn, decisions are already difficult and that simple fact doesn’t lend any help.
“To be honest I’m not terribly picky about where I’m stationed. I just want to start at the bottom somewhere. Not looking for a busy summer, to be honest.”
Her aunt seizes the moment to look at Caitlyn from head to toe. She is used to such looks from her mother but from her aunt it is unsettling. Nodding once confidently, Brandy turns to her uncle for approval. He simply nods as well, in agreement over something Caitlyn is unaware of.
Her aunt starts, “Dear, you need some sun and some friends, no offense. Being cooped up in that city with your mom watching your every move isn’t going to follow you here. Unfortunately, your mom did request someone check in on you about things, so I have an idea. Let’s put you in lifeguarding. You can start from the bottom and to appease your mom we can have our most trusted Aquatics manager watch over you. We all get what we want.”
At first, Caitlyn is offended at her aunt calling her friendless and pale, but in the end, she does strike a fair point. The opportunity to make lasting friendships is indeed tempting, and the prospect of being in the warm sun constantly is very alluring. The city of glass and steel is cold and rainy constantly, she misses the sun’s rays wrapping around her like a firm hug. The lifeguard department is probably the largest next to ride operators, but the promise of water despite the hot days is more enticing.
Never mind that the job of a lifeguard has its benefits. She could save someone, help people, instead of sitting in her house like a decorative antique doll made of glass. It is a useful skill to have overall, the ability to save a life. Not that it would prove to be useful in the mundane parts of her life. However, it is the most tempting of the options. So she nods slowly in agreement with her aunt, watching her pour them all tea in small cups for when the conversation concludes.
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
The next week approached quicker than anticipated, and Caitlyn was in the midst of her lifeguard training.
She had been sitting in the cold for almost 20 minutes now and is starting to feel the chill deep inside her. Taking a seat on one of the dark-stained wooden picnic tables, she curses the wind and clouds. The expectation of the warm sun that she had signed up for is slowly fading away as time passes. The crowd murmurs, looking around for what they were supposed to do. They all seem about Caitlyn’s age, early twenties to late teens. A loud voice bellows over the rest for a moment, and the crowd falls silent. It’s a man wearing a grey shirt and tan khaki shorts. He looks like every stereotypical suburban father, complete with almost balding hair. It’s the aquatics manager, the man that her aunt said would watch out for her. She had been shown a picture, but it doesn’t do justice for the real man.
He starts his speech by congratulating them on making it through the hiring process, and that today they would start training. As he talks Caitlyn slowly stands, brushing small leaves and pollen off of her pants that the wind had coated her with. When he stops his speech and gestures for the crowd to follow him, she makes her move. Makes sense to her that if this is the man telling her family about her actions she might as well make a good impression. She slowly catches up to him, matching his stride once she reaches the man.
“Hello. My name is Caitlyn. I believe my aunt and uncle talked to you yesterday,” she says softly, extending a friendly hand to wave.
He nods slowly, offering a small smile for her.
“Yeah, they did talk to me. Welcome to our team, Caitlyn. While you might have some influence on your family, you still have to pass the tests and work for the spot. I’m sure you’ll have no issues though.” His smile continues. He radiates a natural charm and charisma that Caitlyn finds amusing.
“Of course not. I won’t take the opportunity for granted.”
As quickly as the conversation starts, it ends. She waves to him once more and slows her pace to rejoin the crowd of mumbling trainees. The park itself is vibrant, with beautiful flowers in every well-maintained garden bed. The grass is perfectly cut into stripes and the concrete path on which they were walking is spotless of leaves or even dirt. The entrance to the water park is about a five-minute walk from the parking lot in which they gathered, and all the while Caitlyn admires the scenery ornately formed by the maintenance department. The path finally divulges into two, one leading guests into the waterpark and the other is closed off by rope, leading to the backcourt for the park employees.
The group climbs over the low hanging rope, towards the employee area. As they approach the building in the back, Caitlyn sees two girls waiting on more wooden picnic tables. The first girl is in a normal lifeguard uniform: a white tank top, red shorts, a red visor, and sandals. Coming from the visor are two impressively long blue braids with gold bands, which reach to her brightly colored mismatching socks. She’s typing on her phone with a speed rivaling track runners, seemingly uninterested in everything going on around her. Her foot taps impatiently as if she’s been waiting for the group for hours.
The other on the other hand is a taller woman with side-swept pink hair. She sports a much different uniform, one for leads. The top is a t-shirt this time, a bright lobster red with white accents. The shorts are the same style as the other except for the color, a black that looks sun-faded. She’s sitting on top of the table next to the other girl, picking at her nails in boredom. She doesn’t sport the same kaleidoscopic socks like the other girl, but they do have small cartoon breakfast foods on them. The lead taps on the lifeguard’s shoulder, whispering something to her before standing up off the table. The blue-haired girl moans but puts her phone away in a locker.
They both approach the group and both groups meet in the middle in front of the entrance to the breakroom and the park itself. The manager detaches himself from the group to join the other two who were already there. She can’t help but stare at the two women in piqued interest. Up close you can see both are very toned, but the pink-haired one looks like she boxes with those arms. Both have tattoos she couldn’t see before, with blue clouds swirling on the blue-haired girl’s arm and an ornate collection of gears on the pink-haired one. She also seems to have a small tattoo under her eye, but she can’t make it out. They both look so unique compared to Caitlyn, with her dark hair and unmarred skin. Even if she wanted to look as they do, her family would likely disown her for it.
“Alright as I said earlier now we’re going to split into two groups. One half will start with me and start BLS training and the other will join our Aquatics lead Vi”--he gestures to the pink-haired woman--” in the pool with in-water tests and training. Along with her is Jinx, our resident lifeguard veteran just to help when necessary.”
Both women give waves to the crowd while the aquatics manager starts to give everyone a number--1 or 2-- one by one. When he points at Caitlyn she sticks her index finger up-- one. She looks at the two women again who seem to be scanning the crowd, memorizing faces. When the lead, Vi, looks in Caitlyn’s direction, her stare seems to linger a bit longer. Caitlyn looks down at herself, wondering if anything is on her by the way Vi had stared at her. Nothing is wrong.
“Alright Group 1! You will go with Vi and Jinx to start your in-water training. Group 2 will go with me inside to begin BLS and CPR training.”
Oh.
That makes sense why she would stare, just memorizing her future trainees. Caitlyn scoffs to herself internally. What else would she be staring at regardless? The large crowd starts to split down the middle, forming into two groups. The second looks relieved to not have to swim first, as the sun hadn’t even reached its peak in the sky. As if it could be seen behind all of the clouds. However the first has an abysmal look on their faces, no doubt Caitlyn looks very similar as well. The lead claps her hands together loudly, raising one to the crowd.
“Alright Group 1! Follow me! We’re going to start with some prerequisite swimming tests. Hope you all brought towels!” Vi says loudly, gesturing for the small gathering to follow behind her.
The smile she flashes afterward towards the group is almost infectious, instantly calming the nerves of some, Caitlyn among them. Being optimistic in the face of their training–which will likely be torturous–is something Caitlyn can appreciate in the lead. Vi also speaks in a very confident but soft voice, a good voice fitting for a leader-type position but still exuding a friendly aura.
They all walk through the park, presumably to where their training will be held. The terrain matches the rest of the park with perfectly manicured shrubs and flowers hanging from the walls and dug in the dirt. When they reach the location, Caitlyn’s eyes widen as her eyes meet the sight of the large wave pool. She’s never seen such a giant pool before. It has a baby blue with a large backdrop, and it must be able to hold over 100 thousand gallons. She is the minority in her reaction thought as an outsider, as most of the people there are unaffected by the sight.
They reach the waterline, everyone setting down their things onto white lounging chairs set in front of the pool for guests. The blue-haired girl starts to take off her tank top revealing a red one-piece swimsuit underneath, and Caitlyn has to double-take. Are they already getting in the water? Everyone around her answers the question, slowly undressing in follow. Everyone is wearing a mismatch of swimsuits, but the blue-braided girl is the only one with a proper swimsuit from the uniform, confirming her returning position. Caitlyn hesitantly follows the group, carefully stripping off and folding her pants and shirt. She took the safe route with just a plain black top and shorts. As soon as she is as undressed as the rest of the group a sudden gust of wind blew over them, making them all groan.
Caitlyn turns her head down to put her hair in a ponytail carefully, chlorine is damaging and she wants to take the proper precautions. As soon as she’s satisfied with the tightness she flips her head back up to immediately make eye contact with the lead, Vi. Vi herself looks away quickly to someone else but Caitlyn still caught it. However, she also looked away rather fast. The lead had also taken clothes off, just in a sports bra and shorts. She could see the entirety of her tattoo snaking up her arm and small scars on her stomach. A small pink blush crosses her cheeks, embarrassed by the amount of skin her eyes had seen.
Following Vi, they all walk to the side of the pool, going around the edge till they hit the 6-foot mark. She explains the tests, demonstrating what she wanted from them.
To say the tests were hard for her would be a lie. They are simple enough, a simple feet-first dives and lift, then a two-minute tread. She has always been physically active all her life but specifically swimming had been one of the things she could enjoy in her city life, with the warm water and everyone’s inability to talk to her. She volunteers to go first almost every time and finishes with haste. On her final test, a 100-meter swim, she finishes before anymore else.
The only other person to match her pace has been the veteran lifeguard, Jinx, as the aquatics manager called her. She thought it had been a nickname at first, but when she got close enough to see her name tag, “J-I-N-X” is printed in small block letters. She always went second, and finished second, mostly just because she keeps Caitlyn’s pace instead of passing her. After the two were done with the last test, Caitlyn continues to stand while the blue-haired girl sits down, swinging her legs over the edge of the pool. After a minute of waiting, Caitlyn decides to try and talk to her, slowly sitting down on the concrete.
“Hello there. I am Caitlyn. I heard your name was Jinx, am I correct?” Caitlyn introduces, holding her hand for a handshake. Jinx looks at her hand and instead of shaking it, she slaps it, like a sideways high five.
“Yup that’s me. You talk kinda funny. You’re not from here I’m guessing.” Before Caitlyn could say anything Jinx kept going. “Yo, you swim fast. You might end up being a wave guard, but that’s not a bad thing, that’s what I do too.”
Caitlyn gets in two words. “Wave guard?”
“Yeah, they mostly guard the wave pool. Vi does that too when she can, cause she’s got big strong arms.” Jinx puts her arms up to flex mockingly, matching the sarcasm tone her voice took on.
“What about me and my ‘big strong arms’?” The voice cutting into their conversation is Vi, who had walked from the main crowd of people to join the other two women.
Her presence caught Caitlyn off guard, not hearing her come behind them at all. Jinx huffs in response, giving Vi a light punch in the calf. Vi gives a light punch on the arm with a light laugh back. Their friendly behavior is teasing but loving, like two siblings almost. Vi crouches in between Jinx and Caitlyn, bringing her face way closer to the two. Caitlyn has to mentally strain herself not to instinctually move away, for fear of offending the woman. She’s not used to anyone getting that close to her. Vi looks at Caitlyn for a second or two.
“Hey swimming pro since you’re flying through everything, you wanna be my example partner for water rescues? I don’t bite too hard.” She grins in a playful manner, but the tone behind her words is serious. A genuine question.
At first, Caitlyn is surprised by the offer. Not only have they just met, but she is completely inexperienced at lifeguarding. Of course, Vi knows that though, she wouldn’t ask her unless she’s planning on making a fool out of Caitlyn. She didn’t seem like the type of person to do that though.
“Sure. I can do that,” Caitlyn replies finally, after a small pause of hesitance.
Vi grins at the response.
“Cool. Sorry sis you’re sitting out this time.” She pats Jinx on the arm. Ah, sisters. The demeanor makes more sense now. That explains why Jinx is here in the first place.
Jinx shrugs at her sister’s statement. “You’re not gonna see me complaining about it. You nearly drown me every time.”
The accusation causes Vi to look offended, a mock expression of hurt on her face. She glances at Caitlyn to see her reaction, but her face is unchanging.
“I’m going to assume that’s a joke?” Caitlyn asks uncertainly.
Vi simply shrugs. “Why don’t you find out?”
She suddenly moves around them, her feet planting themselves on the side of the concrete ledge. Vi takes a step, then gracefully jumps into the water and sends droplets up into the air. Some even reach Caitlyn’s feet from high up on the wall, and she simply stares amused. Not only is Vi a good leader but she’s fun, which makes her an even more respectable lead. Resurfacing from under the water, Vi tosses her head back quickly to flick pink hair out of her face and instead onto the back of her head. For extra measure, she slicks back the hair, her head tilting up as she does so.
“You coming in prodigy?” Vi asks, her tone in the same light-heartedness. She extends her hand out as if to offer it to Caitlyn as if she isn’t several feet away.
Rolling her eyes, she stands up on the concrete and instead takes the option to climb down the ladder. The water that meets her is marginally warmer than the air. It feels like a warm hug enveloping her body. It’s a sensation she never gets used to and always enjoys. The warmness dissipates quickly as her skin adjusts to the temperature, and suddenly the comfortable pool feels like lukewarm bathwater.
“My name is Caitlyn,” she says softly, submerging her body fully into the water.
“Well, Caitlyn, thank you for your assistance.”
Offering her hand out, Vi starts to situate the rescue tube near them. Hesitantly Caitlyn grabs it and she is dragged closer, Vi offering the tube for floating. The feeling accompanied by the simple grab is almost overwhelming. The warmth in the hand is hot on Caitlyn’s skin, a burning fire that somehow feels comfortable. She doesn’t quite notice the warmth spread to the rest of her body until Vi lets go of her, an icy coldness replacing it. Disappointment then fellows suit of the shivering, a hint of regret for letting go of the warmth. Caitlyn makes a mental note in the water that after this she needs a good blanket and cup of tea.
Vi begins to explain the rescue she’s going to demonstrate but Caitlyn is only half paying attention, instead focusing on the missing sensation. She must be beaten down by the cold weather, it has been atrocious. By the time she shakes herself from her thoughts, Vi is finishing up explaining the rescue. She only manages to catch the last sentence.
“First is when someone is unconscious lying face down.” Vi gestures to Caitlyn.
It takes a second to register that Vi is talking to her, and she follows the command, letting her body go limp and float aimlessly in the water. Suddenly the warmth comes back, around her waist and up to her chest and shoulders. Vi, who is now hugging her from behind, tilts them both backward. The life tube is now between Caitlyn’s back and Vi’s stomach. Caitlyn resurfaces, taking a sharp breath of air that is icy in her throat. Caitlyn sucks the air in fast in surprise, now floating on her back. Vi’s arms are still around her chest, holding her firmly to the tube. Vi’s head is right behind hers, breathing warm air straight onto Caitlyn’s neck. Her voice is loud next to her ear. The warmth isn’t unwelcome again.
“After you flip them over, you hold onto them until they wake up or you get far enough in to stand and drag her in using a backboard. For today our lovely assistant will just be waking up.”
Vi lets go of Caitlyn and the same coldness ushers back in, followed by the same feeling of disappointment. Caitlyn falls from the tube and back into the water before realizing what Vi had told the entire crowd of people. ‘Lovely’. Maybe it was just Vi’s personality to hand out compliments, but it still felt nice to hear from someone. Smiling to herself, Vi instructs the guards to partner up and practice the rescue. The pool is filled with guards after a few minutes, and they continue the practice.
This continues until they’ve completed their day’s worth of water training. Caitlyn climbs out of the lukewarmness of the pool, immediately being hit with wind, freezing the droplets on her skin as they continue to drip down. Both the wind and water were cold enough already, but the combination made goosebumps prickle across her arms and legs. She walks quickly to her towel, immediately wrapping herself in it trying to warm herself up. After sitting there for a few minutes, slightly shivering from the cold before, she sees someone’s feet in front of her vision.
The lead Vi is standing in front of her, already dressed, with her arm outstretched holding out a jacket that says “lifeguard” on the back. It's the same red as the uniforms given out. Caitlyn blinks slowly at her, not understanding.
“For being my partner in the water. Also, you look cold as shit, no offense,” Vi explains, a small smile on her lips. She doesn’t seem to be moving her hand at all. The jacket hangs loosely, swaying in the wind. Hesitantly Caitlyn takes the jacket from the lead, putting it around her shoulders as she dresses.
“No hot chocolate to go with it?” Caitlyn grins a small tease to the lead. “Kidding of course. I appreciate this.”
“Maybe next time I will then,” Vi responds heartily, patting her on the shoulder.
Waving to Caitlyn, she starts to walk to the other guards in her group. She checks on almost every single one, asking about their thoughts and if they’re okay. Caitlyn can’t help but shake her head and smile. One hell of a person right there.
Finally, she finishes dressing, topping the outfit with the jacket that Vi had given her. The inside has small threads that are pilled inside as if it has been worn and washed several times. Not to say however that Caitlyn didn’t find it comfortable. It’s a nice gesture from Vi, and she had been kind in the water as well. Despite what Jinx had said, Vi was very careful in the water not to let Caitlyn drown in the water, and asked after each one if she was alright.
Caitlyn smiles to herself. If she already made a friend on her first day, she can’t imagine what the rest of the summer will look like.