Slowly Sinking

Slowly Sinking by fellintothemoon
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring my guy best friend to the beach ever day. Especially when trying to seduce the hot new lifeguard.
Banner Credit: Casey

Annie Thinks: If it was legal to get married to an inanimate object, I'd marry this one-shot. It's everything you could want in a spouse--funny, sweet, cute, and so much more.

It's about a girl named Hailey who goes to the beach with her best friend, Greg. She's maybe a little obsessed with the super hot lifeguard, who is, in her eyes, perfect--Greek god status. And who's there to hear her go on about him but Greg, who she affectionately refers to as Porkchop. It sounds simple, and it was for the most part, but it definitely had some emotional stuff going on and a very good message at the end: Sometimes, your hero isn't the one in the shining armor.

Hailey and Greg are the cutest pair in the world. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but they are both very likable and realistic. Hailey is a determined, strong female protagonist, which FictionPress (and the world) could use more of. She knows what she wants and she does what she has to to get it. (She's also a redhead, which alone made fellow judge Helen love the story.) Greg is so adorable. He's that cliche guy best friend--sweet, caring, attractive. Despite the stereotype, the emotion he carries is very much real, and it was conveyed beautifully. The dialogue sounded like something people would actually say, and still funny and aww-worthy.

And a plus: Slowly Sinking was written by our very own Melissa, who is a wonderful writer and a great friend. Her charm and wit is evident in her story. Also, I feel compelled to add that she worked very hard on this one-shot, and it certainly showed. Honestly, though, even if she wasn't a fellow judge, I'd still add this story, no doubt about it. It's a light, easy read that you should definitely check out if you find yourself with a few extra minutes.