July 11, 2018 – Glenview, Illinois, USA
Zach Dabrowski worked as a lifeguard at a swimming pool. During the summer, many young people laid around the pool all day. Zach called them mannequins because they never moved.
Valeria was one of the teenage girls Zach called a mannequin. She loved the pool. She enjoyed listening to music and talking with her friends. They ate food from the pool’s snack bar. They called the people who worked at the pool “poolies”. Poolies had to work because their parents did not have a lot of money.
One day at the pool, Zach walked past Valeria and her friends. Zach thought Valeria was pretty but he did not like that she was a lazy mannequin. Zach thought Valeria’s parents were rich because he only saw her laying around at the pool. Valeria’s friends saw Zach staring at her and they laughed at him. They thought she was too good for a poolie.
Valeria did not tell her friends that she secretly liked Zach. She worried that her friends would laugh at her. Even if she thought Zach was handsome and sweet, she was scared to be seen with a poolie.
Zach had a secret too. He lived in a big house and had a nice car. He worked at the pool because his father thought it was good for him. None of the mannequins around the pool knew about his secret.
Valeria was also hiding something. Her friends had lots of money and nice cars, but she did not. Her friends took her to the pool and bought her food and drinks, but she lived in a small house in a poor neighborhood. She only pretended to be rich.
On the same day that Valeria’s friends laughed at Zach, Valeria had to help her father with his carpet cleaning business. She put on a dirty uniform. She and her father drove to a rich neighborhood and parked at a giant house. When they knocked on the door, Zach answered. Valeria was very embarrassed when Zach saw her.
“We’re here to clean the carpets,” said Valeria’s dad.
“My mom says to come in,” said Zach.
Valeria’s dad noticed that Zach and his daughter recognized each other. “Do you know my daughter?” he asked Zach.
“We met at the pool,” said Zach.
Zach and Valeria smiled at each other. Their secrets were gone. Did they have a chance at love?
For a more advanced version of the story click here: Mannequins and Poolies
Questions about the Story
What was Zach Dabrowski’s job?
What did Zach call the people who laid around the pool?
What did Valeria and her friends call people who worked at the pool?
Why was Valeria afraid to tell her friends she liked Zach?
How did Zach treat Valeria when he found out she cleaned carpets?
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