The Lifeguard Hates You (Completed)

July Chapter 8

My week at Polished Elite does not get better.

So by the time the permit rolls around, I'm more than excited to go back to take over the Fablehaven Permit for the PEG Guard, or Bryce. The Fablehaven permit is something familiar that I know I can do well where people like me and I won't get yelled at... probably.

Bryce is kind enough to drop me off as the Fablehaven camp grounds are now too far for me to walk to. Before he leaves, to make it to his massage, he tells me that we're going to start on getting me a license.

It occurs to me that, unlike my Earth and Body friends, Bryce won't let me slide without having a license unless I tell him why I don't want one. I don't like explaining why I don't want a license, no one's ever asked me to do it before, but I have a feeling that Bryce will. And that terrifies me.

It's because I'm thinking about this that I don't notice that Maggie is practically hyperventilating she's panicking so bad, until she's right up in my face.

"I swear to god! He is the rudest, most arrogant, most handsome man I've ever had to deal with!" she shouts at me and I take a little step back.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, trying to side step her so I get can to the dock.

"Your Earth and Body replacement!" Maggie snaps. "He's extremely good looking and arrogant to boot. Plus he's super rude, he told me off and complained about the way you guys have been doing the paperwork cause it makes no sense. I thought it made sense."

I turn to Maggie and try not to smile. Sounds like they couldn't get anyone to come to the permit so they drew straws. Poor Shawn must be dying right now.

"Did you try to improve my paperwork again?" I ask her and she colors. I end up shaking my head. "Right, well don't worry about that, I'll talk to Shawn and see if I can salvage the paperwork..."

"No, no, it's not Shawn. I know Shawn," Maggie interrupts fixing the glasses that have fallen down her nose as we walk. "Shawn's an asshole who refuses to get in the water. No, I don't know this guy, he's new."

My eyes crinkle with confusion and as we're nearing the dock, I hear a familiar deep voice. I recognize the big hulking frame but I can't be right. He wouldn't come here. He hates permits, he hates teaching, kids hate him and he hates me. There is no way in hell that it could be him.

And yet it is.

I reach the dock and there is Jay, reorganizing the kids into different groups. My groups were fine before, I don't know why he has to mess them up.

"What are you doing?" I snap and the kids are all smiles all of a sudden and shouting my name. Many shout how worried they were that I wasn't coming back and how happy they are to see me.

I snatch the paperwork from Jay and smile down at the kids. "Alright, get into your regular groups and hop in. Once we're all used to the water we'll start our swimming. Now remember, no head first entries, those are for the Raft. Which entry do we use here?"

"Feet First!" all the kids chime together. I nod to them and they all start jumping in, splashing and having fun.

I turn back to Jay and glare at him noting that he doesn't look the least bit mad at me. In fact he looks afraid or at least mildly concerned.

"What are you doing here?" I ask with a pointedly rude tone. To remind him I'm mad at him and haven't forgiven him yet.

Jay avoids my eyes. "It's my punishment," he whispers. "We don't have someone for the Fablehaven permit and that's my fault, so I get to teach the permit now."

For a moment I'm horrified and I can feel my cheeks slowly turning red. I legitimately thought that maybe, Jay had shown up today because he wanted to apologize to me. I should have realized that the only reason why he'd be here was because the others forced him to come. I nod.

"Well... that sucks," I say softly before turning away from and beginning to strip down. I'm in nothing but the green Fablehaven volunteer t-shirt and my bathing suit in seconds, being sure to drop my stuff in my bag so it won't get wet.

When I turn around Jay is shirtless and in his bathing suit, he too is stuffing things into his duffle bag and for a brief second I'm blinded. I stare at him, appreciating the planes of his chest and the broadness of his shoulders before shaking off that admiration and donning my angry face again.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

Jay huffs at me, no longer apologetic or afraid, now he's glaring at me. "It's a permit, I'm paid to go in the water."

"I usually go in the water," I remind him and he rolls his eyes. He should know, that was the charm of doing the Fablehaven permit with me. I always went in and everyone else stayed dry. I should have remembered just how much Jay likes water and swimming. I shouldn't have been surprised that he wanted to go in, but never-the-less, I am.

"It makes more sense to send me in today. I'm not familiar with your paperwork, so I'll go in, teach them and you can do the paperwork," he tells me and I frown, because it makes sense, but I don't like that he's still bossing me around even though he's not my boss.

I sigh but I have no choice but to relent. "Alright," I whisper before adding: "Thanks."

"It was always supposed to be an even split between the two instructors going in the water. It's what we negotiated after all. You were the one that let the PEG guard trick you into doing all the water work," he says to me before jumping off the dock to join the kids.

I should be introducing him to our group and giving them tasks to do, but instead I find myself glaring at the back of Jay's head as he lazily moves through the water with the ease of a shark just hunting through the waves. But thanks to that comment I suddenly remember why I hate him so much and why I'm never going to forgive him.