Summer Paradise: A Bondi Rescue Fanfiction

Chapter 45 The Talk

Tomorrow was now today, and if anything I felt more nervous to face Hoppo than I had previously. Deano had said Hoppo had tried to contact me. Did that mean I was already meant to be long gone, not even suppose to still be in Bondi now. 

All I knew for sure was that I had the first shift of the day. Luckily that meant there would still be a few hours before I faced Hoppo, and thats if he was back today anyway. I think I heard some of the other boys saying that Hoppo had been in Europe? That explains why he probably had, had difficulty reaching me. 

Don't stress, everything will be absolutely fine, they can not send me all the way back to Brisbane today at least. Could they? Why hadn't anyone else mentioned it to me? Stood up for me even? Surely Deano even knew, if Hoppo had spoken to him. It was him after all who seemed shocked to see me here yesterday. 

I thought that these people were my friends, considered family even. Had that all changed over the past few months. At least I hope it hadn't. This was what I wanted to do. This was the dream I had longed for and so greatly appreciated when first excepted into this traineeship.

"Hold yourself together girl, you've got this" I tried telling myself over and over. 

Next thing I knew, I was wriggling a flag pole into the grown, hoping the surrounding sand would keep it stable for the course of the day. With a final placement of the rescue board, Harries and myself made our way back to the lifeguard tower. 

As I climbed  the stairs, rather excited for the work, whilst also trying to avoided Hoppo. I was devastated to see him standing in the door way. He gave me 'the look', the one when you know the news can't be good, or the rather we need to talk speech is coming. 'The look' the you always hope to escape, that you rather not face, instead run as far a way as possible. 

There was no escaping this look though. He was my Boss, my employer, the single man that I alone had to thank for even considering me for this fantastic opportunity. I could even go as far as to say I loved him for everything he had done. Except at this very moment I dreaded his existence, for the simple fact that this whole experience could be over. All at his decision. 

As we walked out of the door way of the Lifeguard tower, I turned looking over my shoulder. Through the door I could see Harries and the boys laughing with each other. Probably at one of Harries jokes, something someone was doing on the beach. Could that have really been the last time I walk out of that doorway. No more group training sessions, board rescues, early morning set ups. 

My hands grasp the side of the office chair, with pools of sweat forming in the microscopic gap between that of my skin and the fabric of the arms of the chair. Hoppo, sat directly across from me, had specific expression across his face that signalled anything at all. 

"Deano said you needed to talk to me", I started the conversation. Good start Taylor, play it cool, don't show any fear. "Ah yeah, its about our last conversation we had awhile back", Hoppo began to reply, before I butted in. "I know what your thinking, why am I still here? Please Hoppo, I'm perfectly fine now, no broken ribs, not even a bruise. This has been the best opportunity to ever happen to me. Please don't", "Taylor, I'm not cancelling your traineeship", Hoppo cut me off.   

A sigh of relief filled my lungs. Had he really just said what I think he said. All this worry for nothing? He wasn't cancelling my traineeship. But why had he wanted to talk to me for all this time then?

"I've seen your progress, and at the simple threat that your job might be taken away from you in a time where you were injured, you proved yourself to not only me but all your peers. Your determination and will is why you are still here. If you keep up the good work, you may be in for a chance", Hoppo concluded without further elaboration.

I was shortly ushered out, signalled to go back to work. "A chance", a potential chance at obtaining a full time position at the end of the traineeship?

What was going on? I don't know how to feel. Excited would be an understatement. But right now I had a job to do, and that was to be the finest possible lifeguard I could be on one of the best beaches in the world. Bondi Beach.