Boys, Babes, and Bondi

Chapter Fifteen

It had been two days since I last saw Jesse. Since then, anytime I caught myself thinking about him I would scold myself and push it away. As far as I was concerned, that night was just a bad dream that didn't have a place in reality. 

I was walking to my ecology class when I saw Dean watching the door. When I came through he smiled and pointed to the seat next to him. I laughed and joined him, dropping my bag onto the floor and pulling out my notebook and pen.

"Not even a call or a text," Dean said, leaning back in his seat with his hands folded behind his head. It took me a second to realize what he was talking about.

"Oh my gosh! I swear I meant too." I said, hiding my mouth with my hand. Dean shook his head and tisked. 

"This is the first time that I have ever been rejected by a potential study date." He frowned, holding his chin between his thumb and forefinger. He leaned forward and held out his hand. "This won't do. Give me your phone."

I did what he asked and he typed in his number. Then, as I was about to take it back he pulled it away and dialed himself. I laughed as he waited for it to ring and then I laughed even harder when he left himself a message saying that this phone belonged to the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. 

I giggled and took the phone back just as the prof entered the room. Dean took notes this time but he was still able to make a point of joking around enough to make the class enjoyable. By the time class had ended I had filled up ten pages of notes. 

"Why don't we go get some drinks tonight?" Dean asked as he reached down to grab my bag for me. I frowned at the memory of the last time that someone asked me to go get drinks with them. Still, I shoved that thought aside and nodded. 

"I get off work at 8:00." I say as I take my bag from his hands. 

"I'll pick you up then." He winks before turning around and walking away. Something about Dean makes me think that I don't have to worry about him flaking. 

I make the shuttle to Bondi in time to go to the cafe but I feel weird about getting coffee for Jesse so I opt to disappoint everyone except for my bank account. Instead, I snack on a protein bar I found in my bag and call it good enough. 

I get to the tower and greet Hoppo, Yatsey, and Harrison. I quickly change into my uniform and come out for directions.

"You are going to be at backpackers with Maxie today," Hoppo explains as he turns around in his chair. "How is school?"

"School is good. I think it will be a lot of fun this semester." I say clipping on my hip pack and grabbing a radio. Hoppo nods.

"Well don't have too much fun." He warns causing me to laugh.

"Okay, Dad." I tease, shaking my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hoppo tense but I think nothing of it as I am already on my way out of the door. 

I see Whippet making his way down the beach in the rhino so I radio him and ask him for a lift. He waves at me as he pulls up to the tower. 

"Hop on in, little lady." He says, patting the seat next to him. I laugh and greet him as I climb in. Whippet catches me up on what's been happening at the beach today. It had clearly been a pretty hectic day. 

The Rhino approached Maxie who was sitting in his own. He had his sunglasses on and was watching the water intently. I waved Whippet off and walked over to Maxie, holding my water bottle by my side. He looked up at me as I approached and his smile warmed my heart. 

"If it isn't my favorite lifeguard!" I tease, as I walk around to the other side of the rhino. Maxie's smile widens as he breaks into a laugh. 

As we settle in together, Maxie points out a group of people swimming out dangerously close to the rocks. Maxie calls it into Hoppo who calls over the radio that he had been watching them. 

"If they go out any further both of you will have to go in." He instructs in a serious tone. I shake my head knowing that if we both get in it leaves the entire section of the beach unprotected. I grab the binoculars and watch for any signs of distress. 

"We got hands," I say to Maxie as I climb out of the rhino and pull off my shorts. Maxie relays the message to Hoppo who gives us the all clear to go in. 

The two of us race off and dive into the waves side by side. Maxie, being more experienced and faster zoomed directly towards them. I rode the rip out and got out behind them. Maxie got two of the people on his board already and I was going for the third. I fought against the waves to grab the woman who was chocking on water. 

"GRAB ON!" I yelled over the sound of waves smashing into the rocky cliffs. Wide-eyed she grabbed to board and coughed. 

"My son!" She cried looking around. I pointed at Maxie about twenty yards away. 

"He's got the other two." I yelled back.

"No!" She cried, "There is someone else!" 

Just as the last word escaped from her lips I felt a hard tug at my leg. I screamed as I was yanked off the board and into the churning water. I was screaming when I went underwater and as I looked around for what pulled me in I saw the horror-filled eye of a teenage boy grabbing onto my leg.  

He began climbing me like a ladder as I fought to push him off. I could help him if I could just flip him over but as we were underwater I had no way of explaining that to him. I tried to push him off by clawing at him and hitting him with my fists and feet. He didn't budge, pure survival instincts had taken him over and he was going to kill us both trying to save himself.  

I tried to kick us both up. He was pushing me down by the shoulders now so I had to get him up onto the board. I had to get him up. My lungs began to scream as I struggled against the boy and the waves. 

Looking up I could see his face breaking the water, but he still pushed me down, now his hands, on the top of my head, knotted in my hair while he kicked his knees dangerously close to my face.  

I saw the blue board glide above my head as his mothers kick guided it to him. He released my hair and pulled himself up onto the board. Finally able to move, I kicked with all of my might until I was able to hit the surface. When I reached the top I sucked in as much air as I could, coughing in the effort. As I did, a wave crashed over my head filling my throat with water and sending me whirling closer to the rocks. I pulled my self back upright and yelled for the victims to swim further out so someone could get them. I pushed them off with as much strength as I could muster right before another wave smashed into me sending me hard into the rocks. 

The impact caused the air to get knocked out of me and the splitting crack caused my head to ache. I clawed my way up onto the rocks long enough to get a few deep breaths in. I looked over at the mother and son who were well out of the impact zone and being met by Harrison. He looked over at me alarmed but I gave a weak smile and gave him a thumbs up. He hesitated before towing the two people in. 

I saw two more boards coming back, presumably for me. I turned back to see Jesse and Maxie making their way towards me with more serious expressions than I had ever seen on either of them. I laughed as I began to lose my vision. The mother and son were safe. That's good. I faintly hear Maxie and Jesse screaming something at me before a final wave comes down and smashes my head into the rocks again.