The Lifeguard Hates You (Completed)

August Chapter 23

I've been arguing with Rory for what has to be at least four days now.

It the longest we've ever gone in this state. Normally by now we've made but. But I can't help it. I'm mad at her.

I keep passive aggressively binging up that she's leaving. Abandoning us, as I call it. I don't care that my friend is moving on to better things, that she still plans to come back summers, or that she can get us all really good deals on clothing off on all of Cole's lines. All of these things are good things, I should be happy for my friend. But I'm not.

I'm not because I always figured we were all in this together.

And she's leaving us.

But today, today I have a completely different problem. Because I just found out that we're having Lacey's good-bye party.

I had no idea she was even leaving.

Now, Lacey I've never really cared about but I'm taking my anger about losing Rory on her. Because as soon as we come into our staff room after a long swim to find a small party going on in, I fucking loose it.

For starters she has the room all decorated in balloons and streamers, which she must have done by herself because none of us were aware it was happening. She had a table filled with snacks and music playing like we're at some middle-school formal. Like all of this okay, or normal.

And it was not. Because Lacey never did anything by herself and I was very much not okay with all of this.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" I shout.

Lacey is clearly confused because it doesn't make sense why any one of us would care that she's leaving. She's really not around us unless she needs us to do something, and she's almost always dropping her regular duties onto Jay so she can do something else. Usually something useless.

"Well, I got a better job," she says. "I'm getting a promotion, a raise, and more vacation time. You should be happy for me."

Yes I should be. I should be because if she's gone maybe we'll get someone who actually does their job. And I should be happy that she's moving on to a better location and job where she can foist her work onto someone other then Jay, but I'm not.

I want things to stay the same, even if that means we have a horrible supervisor who overworks Jay. At this point I kind of think he deserves it.

Lacey is standing beside the table which is how I notice that she has store bought cupcakes all laid out nicely. There's also a good-luck cake that I know she didn't ask Rory to make either.

The rest of the staff came in at that point, the new hires went for the cupcakes but none of the senior guards did. That was because it was customary for Rory to make the baked good for situations such as these ones. That means that we're being screwed out of good cupcakes, but the new hires don't know that.

Lacey should have though.

"Who did you get to cater?" Rory asks with narrowed eyes and I turned to her and nod. It's the first time in almost a week that I've agreed with her on anything but that's not the point right now and I'm not about to let her know that I do agree with her.

I've been disagreeing with everything she says on purpose, to be spiteful. It was stupid but I was doing it on principal.

"That's what you're upset about?" I ask her.

"Well... I'm usually the one who bakes..."

"Rory, it's a good-bye party," I cry. "She's leaving!"

"Okay? So? Why did you buy cupcakes? Or a cake? What, you don't like my baking now?"

"Wait... where is she going?" Shawn asks coming to stand beside me.

I note that Jay has not asked a single question, he has, however gone to get a cupcake.

"I got a new job," Lacey cries with an excited clap of her hands. She has completely misread the atmosphere of this situation, or she's just being purposely obtuse. "I'm leaving this week!"

"WHAT?!" Shawn cries. "Why the hell is everyone leaving?"

Lacey frowns at this. "Really, none of you could just be happy for.... Did you just cut my cake?"

At this we all turned to Jay who had cut not one but three pieces of the cake and is going to for a fourth. He's making us plates, clearly. Which is sweet, but I know he's doing it, not to be nice for us, but because he started getting a plate for himself and one for Rory and now he's covering it up by pretending he's getting a plate for all of us.

"Uh... yes? I mean... it's supposed to be eaten..."

"Yes but it's traditional for me to cut my own cake," she tells him.

"That's weddings," he says and then goes back to cutting the cake.

I can't help it, I snort. Honestly that is so Jay.

Lacey realizes that there's no point arguing with him so he turns back to us. "Seriously, can't you just be happy for me?"

"No!" Shawn shouts for me and I smile. "Because what the fuck Lacey? Who are they pulling in to fill your position?"

"Oh well I told them that Jay could handle things while they go about hiring a new Director of Operations."

Wow. Wow, so like, she couldn't even recommended him for the job, she straight up just said let him fill in until they find someone new.

"Please tell me you're applying for the job?" I ask him but Jay just shrugs. He's busy handing Rory the plate he made up of snacks for her.

And I can already see that he's got significantly less for me and Shawn.

"The posting's already closed," Lacey says with a sniff and I turn a glare at her. "Honestly not a single one of you have said congratulations yet."

"Congrats," Rory said around a mouthful of cake. She then makes a face. "This cake is too sweet, by the way, and the icing is way off."

Lacey just huffs and storms out of her own party leaving us there to speculate about how bad the replacement is really going to be since Lacey did Jay dirty and didn't recommend him or tell him about the job being open.

It's the first time we've actually sat down as a group and talked like we used to. Between Rory leaving, and her and Jay being awkward and fighting, we've been pretty fractured this summer.

And it's only going to get worse in September when Rory leaves for and we have to hire for a new full time guard.

I, however, am stuck in my own head. Because I've realized something today.

I'm exactly like Jay.

I don't like change at all, especially if it's not instigated by me.

And it is my fault that this is happening, cause I'm the one that proposed the change that started it all. I just never knew that me moving into a cabin with my long term boyfriend would lead to... well... this...