Stay Alive (Completed) [Owen Grady/ Jurassic World]

Chapter 1: Personal Bubble

One thing you had to know about me: I was the quietest in a crowd. I was the one that you would avoid to invite to a party. I was the one that would have costed you embarrassment if you tried to hang with me. For the mentioned reasons, I tended to stay in my personal bubble.

The staffs and trainers at the Jurassic World liked to nickname me as the scariest trainer here, only because I was the trainer and companion of the only T-Rex in the theme park. So whenever there was a new staff addition to the Jurassic World, they would always look at me with a confused expression, as my colleagues continued to introduce me as the scariest trainer. I guessed my flushed cheeks and tensed shoulders didn't really sell the 'scary' impression.

My fellow workers were never tired of the joke, and I never really had the effort to tell them I didn't think it was a joke at all.

Then, last month, construction workers began to occupy the spot from across my bungalow. After inquiring Claire, who was surprisingly one of my few friends at the Jurassic World, she had informed me that they were indeed building another bungalow for a new trainer. A scowl was masking her face as she said so, which led me to imagine all the terrifying scenarios of having a horrible neighbour as well as colleague.

After all, I picked out the spot on the outskirt of the theme park personally when I first moved here. It was quiet and deserted. I had been the only lucky resident slash staff living here. And now, someone was about to change that.

When I heard the sound of a loud, motorbike engine roaring by the road that led to my bungalow, I straightened up from where I was sitting and cleaning my boots. I squinted under the sunlight and caught the figure of a well built man climbing off his motorbike. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced over at me. Confused, I was flustered when he called out a greeting.

I waved slightly and peered at the boot that was resting on my knee. Should I continue to clean my boot or do I walk up to him? Which one is more socially acceptable?

During the period of my intense inner struggle, I didn't notice that Ben, a man in his fifties who had been working here as long as I had remembered, joined the new comer and they both began to approach me. I swallowed and placed my boot on the ground. If Ben was here, then that meant there was some news that I might not like. No one liked to tell me bad news, mainly because I was awkward and there would be a thick silence that usually resulted in vigorous coughing and mumbled stutters.

While Ben was almost like a father figure to me, since he was a close friend of my own father, who had passed always just last year, I still preferred not showing too much attachment to him, just in case he would be tired of me.

"Stacey," Ben greeted as soon as he was feets away from me. We hugged and I fluttered my eyes close briefly at the warmth of his arms. When we pulled apart, my guards were up again. The new comer that was standing next to Ben had a vest on, his dark brown hair short and messy, his lips curved into a boyish smile that was accompanied by his stubble.

Ben glanced between us and introduced, "This is Owen Grady. He's our new raptors' trainer and he will be living right across from you."

I peeked at the newly built bungalow that stood before mine and my heart sank. Well, there goes my reserved life.

"Hi, you must be the scariest trainer that they've been talking about," Owen remarked jokingly as he reached out for a handshake. My face dropped, and my stomach turned into a knot. Next to Owen, Ben grimaced but for his sake, I shook Owen's hand and shrugged. Our hands locked for a brief heartbeat, with his skin slightly paler than mine. I had tanned even more recently with my lengthened hours in the sun, that was on top of the Indian blood that ran in me from my mother's side of family.