Trouble at the Beach

Here's a story a wrote for children a little while ago.  Enjoy!! (And let me know what you think!)

Trouble at the Beach

Joe and his sister Charlie were sitting in the back of the car arguing again.  Even though they knew they were on their way to the beach it made no difference – they carried on quarrelling.  As they arrived at the beach car park and the car rolled to a halt Joe leapt out, eager to escape his family. 

But his dad called after him, ‘Joe, where do you think you’re going?  We need a hand here.’

He groaned and slouched back to the car, helping his parents unpack the boot.  Charlie was standing scowling at him.

‘Why isn’t she helping?’ he complained.

‘I don’t know,’ his mum said shortly.  ‘Come on, Charlie,’ she said.  ‘This car won’t unpack itself you know.’

Charlie unwillingly began to help.  Once they’d finished unloading the car, the family made their way down the slope to the beach, their arms full of the things they’d need for the beach: towels, swimming gear, windbreak and much more.  In spite of himself Joe started to feel better.  The sun was warm on his back and the sea sparkled in the light, looking inviting.

‘Why don’t you and Charlie go and play in the sea?’ Joe’s mum suggested as they began setting up the windbreak.

‘Mum, I’m not five,’ Joe said scornfully as he quickly changed into his swimming trunks.

‘Give your mum a break, Joe,’ his dad said.  ‘Anyway, it doesn’t feel that long to your mum and me since you were that age.’

It was Joe’s turn to scowl. ‘Well I’m not anymore,’ he said rudely and stalked off quickly towards the sea, ignoring his parents shouts to him to come back at once and apologise.

When he reached the water, Joe breathed out heavily.  He hadn’t even realised he’d been holding his breath.  He dipped his big toe in the water and shivered.  It was so cold.  Taking a step back from the water, he turned around and shielded his eyes from the bright sun to see where his family were.  He didn’t want to lose sight of them completely. He could just about make out the familiar green, yellow and purple windbreak and his mum in her red swimsuit leaning over to get something out of a bag.  Satisfied that he knew where they were, he turned away and walked along the shore, feeling happy that he was on his own for a change with no clingy sister or pesky parents bothering him.

He hadn’t got far when he came to an abrupt halt.  Three boys were walking towards him.  He couldn’t believe it.  How could they be here?  He thought that school holidays were when you escaped the bullies.  And yet here they were, on the same sunny beach as him: Johnny, Freddie and Simon.  Worst of all they’d seen him.  Joe considered turning around and heading back the way he’d come but then something inside him snapped.  He’d had enough of running away from these boys.  He would stand his ground and defend himself.  So he stayed put and pretended he hadn’t seen them, splashing around in the water half-heartedly.

‘Well look who it is,’ said Johnny, who was the leader of the trio, as the three boys sauntered up to Joe. 

‘Yeah we never thought we’d see you here,’ smirked Simon, the shortest and fattest of the three.

‘Say hello then,’ Freddie demanded rudely.

‘What are you doing here?’ Joe asked defiantly.  He could feel his face go red with anger and the words just kept spilling out.  ‘I know what I’m doing – I’m minding my own business!  So why don’t you just go away and leave me alone!’

‘Getting cocky are we?’ Johnny said and looking at him, Joe could see his expression darkening and felt his confidence evaporate.  He turned away.

‘I’m on holiday with my family,’ he said in a low voice, ‘and I just want to be left alone, please.  I haven’t done anything to you.’

Joe could hear hoots of laughter behind him.  Then a rough hand on his arm forced him to turn around to face his enemies.

‘I think you have,’ Johnny said menacingly.  His two friends were laughing and smirking.  ‘You didn’t do what we asked you to do.  You didn’t bring us the answers to that test like we told you to.’

Joe’s stomach lurched.  This couldn’t be happening; it was like his worst nightmare come true.  But then he felt the same indignant feeling as before. 

‘I don’t have to do what you tell me,’ he said slowly and calmly.  ‘If you don’t all go away and leave me alone, I’ll report you to the lifeguard.’  He knew that sounded really lame but he couldn’t think of what else to say.  And it must have sounded pathetic to the three bullies, because after looking around furtively and seeing that no one was watching, they grabbed him hard by the arms and began to drag him out to sea.  As Joe shouted and looked desperately around him for help, he caught sight of Charlie in the distance standing on the beach with a look of horror on her face.  She seemed glued to the spot, but then he saw her turn and run off up the beach.  He hoped she wouldn’t be too long in getting help.

Why had no one apart from his sister appeared to have seen what was going on? he wondered dully.  The three boys dragged him kicking and screaming out to sea, laughing and sniggering as they did so.  Then as he felt his voice go hoarse, Joe stopped struggling and remembered his swimming training. He was on the swimming team at school and had been told by the swimming coach he was one of the best in the team.  Joe had a suspicion that the three older boys didn’t know as much about swimming as he did, especially not swimming in the sea.  The water was getting more and more choppy the further out they went.

By now the water was deep.  Suddenly the other boys let go of his arms as they began to feel themselves float.  Joe knew he needed to get help and raised his arm out of the water, waving it in what he thought was the direction of the lifeguard.  The other boys were floundering.  They obviously had no idea of what to do.  Their faces had changed from smug and satisfied to scared and terrified.  Joe knew he must help them.

‘Don’t panic,’ he said calmly.

‘I’m not panicking,’ Johnny said shivering.  His face had a bluish tinge from the cold water.

‘Whatever.’ Joe said.  ‘We’ve got to swim parallel to the shore.  That way we’re less likely to get caught in a strong current.’  He tried to get the three boys to follow him as he began to swim parallel to the shore.  But it was no good.  The tide was too strong for them – it was too strong for him and he was struggling.  ‘All right, let’s stay where we are for now,’ he said loudly over the sound of the waves.

‘That’s stupid,’ said Freddie panting.  ‘If we stay where we are we’ll never make it back.’

‘We can’t do it on our own,’ Joe said with an effort.  By now the sky had clouded over and the water was getting more and more choppy.  ‘Just try and tread water.’

‘I don’t know how,’ Simon said miserably.  ‘I’ve never been good at swimming.’

Oh great, Joe thought.  He knew he would be responsible for looking after these boys until help arrived.  He hoped that Charlie would’ve raised the alarm by now or that the lifeguard would have spotted his waving. 

‘Just move your hands backwards and forwards in a figure of eight and kick your legs out to the sides,’ Joe said.  Simon tried to follow his instructions but he didn’t do very well and Joe could see that he was struggling.

‘Try not to panic,’ he said again breathlessly.  ‘It won’t help.  The calmer you are, the easier it is to concentrate.’  To his surprise they nodded and were quiet for a while.  As the minutes went by, Joe was relieved to see that they were managing to stay afloat a bit better, even Simon.

After a while longer though, they had a new problem.  The day had begun sunny and warm but now it was beginning to rain, softly at first but then harder.  Joe felt as though he was getting a soaking, though of course he’d been wet for a while.  Added to that, the sea was rougher and Simon’s head kept going up and down, in and out of the water.  Joe remembered what he’d been taught about safety when swimming and managed to swim to Simon and grab hold of his arm.  Now that he had to support himself and someone else, Joe rapidly began to feel exhausted.  Then to his surprise he felt a hand supporting his arm and saw that it was Johnny, who gave him what might have been a smile.  On the other side of him was Freddie looking scared but holding on to Joe’s other arm. 

The four boys managed to bob up and down in the water, supporting each other so that they didn’t go under.  They weren’t talking now and Joe had time to think.  Part of him was glad that these three boys who’d been giving him hell at school were struggling.  They deserved it, didn’t they, after what they’d put him through.  But Joe was not a boy who held grudges and while he didn’t want to have anything to do with Johnny, Freddie and Simon after today, he didn’t wish them harm either.  He just wanted this all to be over.  Even a trip with his family to the zoo would be better than this!

Just when he was beginning to think he couldn’t go on, Joe heard the sound of a motor and then he saw a boat approaching them rapidly.  He couldn’t have felt happier as he nudged the other boys who looked dazed and then relieved as they saw help arriving.  Then everything happened very fast; Joe found himself being lifted up by strong arms into the boat, with the other three boys just after.  A blanket was wrapped around him and he was given a flask with hot liquid in it, he wasn’t sure what it was but it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.

As the boat carried them back to the shore, Joe began to feel very sleepy and shut his eyes.  But he was nudged awake by Johnny, who looked shaken.  ‘I’m very sorry for everything, Joe,’ he said miserably.  ‘Maybe we could…you know, forget it ever happened?  Just be…you know, friends?’

Joe looked at him incredulously.  How could he possibly think they could ever be friends after all he and his two friends had done?  ‘I don’t think so,’ he said.  ‘I don’t want to be your friend and I don’t think you really want to be mine either.’  Seeing Johnny’s face fall, he went on, ‘I will say hello to you when we see each other at school but that’s it.  And when the lifeguard asks me what happened today, I’m going to tell them the truth.’  Joe turned away from the three scared faces of the bullies and buried his face in the comforting softness of the blanket.

As he felt the boat slowing down, Joe looked up to see his anxious parents and sister waiting at the front of a crowd of people as the boat approached the beach.  He’d never been so glad to see them in his life.  As he was helped off the boat, he didn’t look back at the three boys cowering in the boat but went straight to his parents who hugged him tightly and listened as his mum told him she’d thought she was going to lose him.  Then he felt a gentle tap on his arm and turning saw that it was Charlie whose eyes were filled with tears.

‘I thought they were going to kill you, Joe,’ she said in a small voice.  ‘I promise I’ll never bug you about going to the zoo ever again.’

Joe and his parents laughed aloud at that and Charlie looked hurt.  But Joe squeezed her hand and said, ‘Do you know after what happened today, I think a trip to the zoo would be the best thing ever.’  His sister beamed and gave him one of her bear hugs.

‘So you won’t be interested in a trip to the cinema tonight then?’ their dad said casually.

‘Oh yes, definitely,’ Joe said grinning.

And without looking back, Joe and his family walked away from the churning sea.