Breathe // Bondi Rescue

chapter three

//𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎//

The next morning, I walked into the Bondi Pavillion lifeguard changing rooms feeling sick. This opportunity meant the world to me, and I couldn't afford to mess it up. The guys I met yesterday seemed welcoming, but a small voice in my head still said I would never live up to their expectations or be welcomed as a friend. Sometimes, your worst enemy is yourself.

Taking a few deep breaths, I changed into a black bikini and put on my long-sleeved blue lifeguard shirt. The guys had specific lifeguard board shorts that they wore, but they didn't have them in my size. So, I just put on some black athletic shorts over my bottoms. After putting my hair in two dutch braids, I put the lifeguard cap on my head. I left my bag and clothes in the changing rooms.

A woman stood waiting for me outside the change rooms. "Hello," she greeted me. "I'm Nia, a producer of the show. We just wanted to give you a quick briefing on how filming works. Most of the time we just want you to forget we are here. Just act normal! When you can, we ask that you provide commentary on what you are doing or seeing. If we need to, one of us will ask you some questions to prompt you."

"Alright," I responded, "I'll do my best." The idea of being on national television so that the world can judge my ability as a new lifeguard seemed intimidating and left me feeling uneasy. Surely, the boys have made mistakes before and gotten through it, so I could too.

"Sweet," Nia smiled. "Before you head into the tower, we want you to give a quick introduction to the camera. Then, we will follow you to the tower, and you can forget we exist." She let out a small laugh that was little more than a puff of air escaping her mouth. "Okay," she continued while gesturing toward the camera, "can you just introduce yourself? Maybe say your name, age, and where you are from?"

"Ok, I can do that." I looked toward the camera, and said, "I'm Grace Avella, I'm twenty years old, and I'm from America. I'm stoked to be here and get to work."

"Perfect, thank you so much! You can go ahead and go to the tower now. If we need anything else, we will let you know." She gestured toward the tower.

"Right," I muttered to myself. Heading into the tower, I tried to calm my nerves. I didn't really want the boys, or the whole world for that matter, to know how nervous I truly was. A cameraman mirrored my steps as he filmed me. Doing my best to ignore him, I opened the door to the tower, and Harries just so happened to be standing on the other side. As soon as we made eye contact, he broke out into a huge grin. "Grace! Great to see ya," he shouted.

"Nice to see you again," I responded, trying to match his peppy energy, but failing miserably. Either he didn't notice my nerves, or he blessedly decided to not say anything because he immediately grabbed my arm and pulled me around the corner toward the windows. Four men sat in front of the windows, talking to each other. Corey noticed us first. "Grace! Welcome back."

"Boys, this is Grace. Grace, this is Reidy, Jesse, and Jethro," Harries announced.

"Hi, guys. Nice to meet ya," I said a little shyly while giving a small wave.

"Harrison, that ugly bloke you met yesterday, is already downstairs getting ready to put up the flags and signs. I'm sure you'll see him later," Harries informed me. Someone snickered.

"Grace, I can already tell that you are going to give the guys a run for their money," Reidy said while smiling. Jesse punched Reidy in the arm. "Mate, don't say that! She'll think we're bad lifeguards," Jesse jokingly whispered to Reidy in an exasperated voice.

"Uh, mate, you are a bad lifeguard," Corey muttered. Everyone laughed, and I smile awkwardly. The guys clearly had a strong sense of camaraderie, making me feel a little intimidated. I had no idea how the guys felt about a girl joining their ranks.