Riding The Waves | A Bondi Rescue fanfiction

Chapter 12

A/n: This is a day late and I apologise for that. I hadn't quite finished yesterday and was too tired to write the rest.

With no more rescues to complete, the day finished quickly. Deano called everyone out of the water. Then, he and Jasmine headed up to the tower.

Jasmine had continued to act quiet, seeming nervous about how people would judge her. But when they walked into the tower, she was showered with praise.

"That was a brilliant rescue, darling," Harries called cheerfully. "Yeah, I think that is one of the best first rescues I have ever seen," added Reidy, grinning when the young girl smiled shyly and blushed.

Jasmine didn't really believe that her rescue had been any good, but she was grateful that they were being kind to her. She wasn't unhappy with her performance either. She felt as though she had done well that day.

'Of course, there's room for improvement,' she reflected. 'But that wasn't bad for my first day. I think people might accept me.'

The boys had already mostly packed up the beach, but there were a few more pieces of equipment to be put away still. Deano offered to finish closing the beach while the others went home.

Jasmine had already put away her radio and first aid kit and appeared ready to leave. But when the other boys thanked Deano and left, she stayed behind.

"You are right to go home now, Jasmine," Deano prompted lightly.

"I am happy to help stay and pack up," Jasmine responded hopefully. Deano thankfully accepted her offer but felt a hint of confusion. Jasmine seemed quite desperate to delay going home. Was everything OK?

But he brushed it off. He was surely overthinking things. Perhaps Jasmine was simply keen to express her work ethic. She was clearly a dedicated worker. He was looking forward to having her around the beach.

He began to pack up the beach, showing Jasmine where all the gear was put and taking her through the end of day routine. They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Deano was actually reassured when Jasmine offered to help pack up. It meant that she wasn't too scared of him.

As they put the last of the equipment away, Deano decided to offer his own compliments to Jasmine. "The other boys were right. You have done very well today. Most people really struggle on their first day and take time to learn the new skills involved. You picked them all up very quickly."

Jasmine blushed slightly but was quick to brush off his praise. "I didn't really do very well. I have a long way to go."

Deano disagreed with her but figured that arguing would be futile. He would help her improve her self-esteem but it was not the time.

"Well, I thought you did very well. Anyway, thank you for helping me to pack all this away. It was really helpful."

"That's okay. Thank you for all the help you have given me throughout the day. You have really helped me get my head around everything," Jasmine responded in turn.

Deano smiled at her. She was always so polite and willing to support others. He knew that she would quickly become a favourite in the tower. He was grateful that she felt confident enough to talk to him as well.

After double-checking that everything was put away correctly, Deano lead Jasmine outside. He began to lock up the tower, ensuring all the doors were properly closed. Jasmine loitered nearby, seeming unwilling to leave.

Deano finished locking up the tower and prepared to go home. "Nice work today, kiddo," he said to Jasmine, reaching out to ruffle her hair lightly.