Half the world away

Chapter 8

Sammy

Watching Ruby destroy the ice cream was one of the best things I'd ever seen, she seemed like she was more comfortable than she first did this morning and that's all I wanted. I just wanted her happy. And she looked it. But I couldn't help but feel like there's way more to her than what you see on top.

In the years we'd been friends I'd never asked her why she didn't like to leave the house. Not that I wasn't interested, I was but I didn't know what the answer was gonna be. But when she's talking sometimes if you look closely there's a fire hidden in her eyes under that slightly nervousness there's a confidence and I just want to see it.

We'd been sat in the cafe for an hour now, the lunch rush was dying down but the cafe remained busy. I wanted show Ruby what Bondi was like on a hot day, how people just seem to appear from everywhere all for a moment in the water. It never fails to impress or amaze me.

"Now who's spacing out?" Ruby grinned chucking a screwed up napkin at me hitting me in the nose.
Making her laugh to herself.

"Wanna see what I do when I'm not talking to you?" I asked. I actually really wanted Ruby to see the tower and meet everyone. She met the twins earlier and even though she was a little nervous I could see that they'd get along but there's one person I know that'll love Ruby.

"Are you sure it's okay? Like I don't wanna be a distraction." She muttered softly.

God damn she's cute.

"I'm not working today remember, besides you'd have more of a chance winning a boxing match with Mike Tyson than taking their focus %100 off of the water." I reassured her.

The walk down to the lifeguard tower was more me pulling Ruby along, but despite being nervous she could stop laughing as I dragged her down the promenade.

"Sweetheart I've seen sloths move faster than you." I laughed at the lagging girl.

Looking into her eyes that flash of confidence shone through. I cracked a half smile that mirrored on to her face when an idea popped into my head. My smile went full smirk as I pulled her closer to me.

"Sammy what are you doin—- arughhh put me down!" She yelled through laughs as I ran up the path with Ruby over my shoulder in a fireman carry.

People laughing as we passed them. It must've been pretty funny to see one of the lifeguards acting like the people that we usually end up saving. I carried a laughing Ruby all the way to the tower where I set her back down on her feet.

I could hear the others up in the tower talking from down here. Taking ruby's hand I gave it a squeeze and walked up the stone stairs.

"Hey guys." I said as I went in the door and up the steps with Ruby out of sig behind me.

"Get that bored on your day off did ya Sammy?" Roodie the head lifeguard, my boss laughed not taking his eyes off the beach goers.

"Damn Ruby run out on ya already." Jesse said earning a slap upside the head from hhs twin brother.

Ruby's name got Stevies  attention. Stevie's like a sister to me and the only girl on the team.
"whose Ruby?" she asked looking out to the water through the binoculars.

before i could say anything Ruby sidestepped me coming into view.
"Hey I'm Ruby. And no Jesse as you can see I didn't duck out." I said smiling.

Stevie and Roodie turned towards me seeing Ruby stood next to me. The smile on Stevie's face grew when she saw Ruby standing next to me. Stevie's the only girl on the lifeguard team, tough as nails but a total sweetie underneath it all.