CHAPTER TWO
Teaching kids to swim was hardly the cool relief I'd been hoping for.
'Brian! Do you want to sit out?' The little punk had splashed me in the face yet again. I understood that the kids were excited to be in the water, but it would really help my job if they'd apply their excess energy to their strokes rather than to splashing me. I didn't remember being this hyperactive when I was in primary school.
I looked over at Lara. Her deceptively strong yet slim arm muscles flexed as she helped a child push off from the wall. Lara was a natural-born athlete, with long limbs, a powerful frame, and boundless energy. Her curly, chestnut brown hair clung in stringy wet ringlets to the sides of her heart-shaped face as her hazel eyes intently watched her class. Lara's students were obediently practising their tumble turns.
No surprise there. Lara is one of those girls who commands respect. Her calm demeanour seems to inhabit a five-metre radius around her. Unlike me. Somehow I generate a war zone wherever I go.
I grabbed hold of a freckled arm that flew past my face in an awkward attempt at freestyle and offered some helpful coaching. Unfortunately, the squirming eight-year-old attached to the freckled arm had little interest in my wise advice. I hoped her parents weren't witnessing my unsuccessful attempt to teach their daughter. It was hard enough meeting my own parents' expectations without having to answer to other kids' parents as well.
I don't know why I'd ever thought this was going to be an easy, fun job over summer. My stress seemed to heat up my body more than the water cooled me down. I wished my parents would just give me decent pocket money like my friend Brooke's parents do. I could be in the air-conditioned shopping centre right now, spending it on a double chocolate fudge brownie.
'Bluuurgh!'
I almost threw up. Something was wrong.
Yeah, I haven't mentioned the other side effect that comes with my ghost curse. Sometimes when people are in grave danger and I'm close by, I can feel their pain. I have a theory that it's because their spirits are on the brink of leaving the world of the living and crossing over into the spirit plane where I regularly deal with them.
And just so you know, I don't appreciate this gift either.
It's a hideous feeling when there's a car crash in your suburb and suddenly you feel queasy until the ambulance arrives. It's also quite awkward trying to explain to the emergency services how you know there's an accident five blocks away if you haven't seen it yourself—which is one of the reasons that I'm a huge safety freak. I don't want to have to put up with any more nausea than I have to.
'Bluuurgh!'
I clutched my stomach. The feeling was really strong. Much stronger than usual. Whatever was happening was happening nearby. My head was going foggy. I felt like I was about to pass out.
I had to focus. I willed myself to straighten up and tried to take in the external environment.
No car noises. No burning smell. No cries of pain. Everything seemed fine except for the pain in my head that was growing stronger.
I can't breathe. My lungs are burning.
Someone in the pool! Someone was drowning. Frantically I scanned the pool area.
Nothing.
Then I noticed the water-polo pool. A boy was floating. Face down.
'Lara!' I yelled. 'Watch my kids for me!' I jumped out of the lap pool and ran towards the boy. It was only fifteen metres away, and I made it in seconds. My whole body felt like it was tearing up on the inside.
'Lifeguards! Help!' I yelled as I ran forward.
The boy was floating not far from the edge. I could reach him if I stretched. There was no way I was getting in the water, feeling as sick as I did. I did not want to be face down on the bottom of the pool myself.
I kneeled down beside the pool and stretched out to reach him.
Help me! My lungs are burning, I heard in my mind.
I couldn't reach him. My head was throbbing now. I couldn't go on. I was about to pass out.
I can't hold on much longer. Please hurry! The voice in my mind pleaded again.
Determinedly ignoring the pain in my head, I reached forward and tried to grab the boy again. My fingertips brushed his hair.
'Here, let me in.' I felt a strong arm pull me up.
Thank goodness. The lifeguards were there. The tall, sun-browned lifeguard easily reached the boy with his hands and dragged him towards the edge, then the second lifeguard helped to hoist him out of the water. It was definitely a sign of how close this boy was to dying that I didn't even have the energy to admire the lifeguards' bodies.
I crouched on the concrete, barely able to raise my head to watch what was happening.
The lifeguards were checking to see if the boy was breathing. They were blowing into his mouth. Suddenly the boy was coughing and sitting up.
My head cleared. He was going to be all right.
I felt two wet hands on my shoulders. 'Hey, are you okay?' Lara asked.
'Yeah I'm fine. That was just really intense,' I replied, standing up. 'Where's my class?'
'Relax, Fiona,' Lara smiled. 'I let them join my kids for the last five minutes of class. That was our last lesson for the day, remember? By the way, you've got some really good swimmers in your group.'
Trust Lara to have transformed my wild class into Olympic champions in five minutes.
I rolled my eyes. 'Yeah they're real athletes.'