Love's In The Water ~Jake Nolan~

Chapter Ten

I walk into the tower the next day in shorts and a midriff, it's late in the afternoon but about 45°C, "Going for a swim later?" Beardy asks as he opens the door "Yeah, definitely. Is Hoppo there?" I ask and he goes and gets Hoppo and I ask if we could talk outside. "What's up Eve?" He asks folding his arms "I know I just started, and this is going to sound weird, but I want to go back to school and finish high school, at the very least" I say "You know what this means right?" He says "Yeah, leaving the service and giving up the traineeship" I answer "Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. I love the beach and I love being here, with the guys, but I've put a lot of thought in this decision weighing up both ends, and school has more pro's" I explain "I get it, Eve. You want to see what's out there and explore the world and I know you're only young. I would have been disappointed if you didn't go to school, I mean look at Maxi. Came for work experience and we still can't rid of him" Hoppo said "Thank you Hoppo" I say and hug him. "When were you going to tell the boys?" Hoppo asks "I was thinking knockoff," I say "I better be going back. It'll be strange without you Eve" He says and walks back into the tower while I walked back to dad's car and got my surfboard and ended to the south end to surf.

I stripped off and Jake was on duty in the south corner and I walked over to him with my surfboard in hand "Hey Jakey, many rescues?" I ask "Yeah..." He looked away from the water and at me. I don't wanna toot my own horn, but I've got a pretty good body, from years of swimming and having good strength everywhere and you could see the definitions of my muscle on my arms, I'm tanned as well so having a tanned and toned body go hand in hand. "Wow," He said "Last night..." I say changing the subject, and I could tell it was on his mind "Was amazing, too bad the timing isn't right. You're going to do your HSC which will mean less time here on the beach and less time with me and the guys" Jake says I was about to speak when a rescue was announced over the radio in south corner "Can we talk about this later?" He said taking his shirt off "Course" I say and he ran with a board and rescued the man when he noticed others out the back and no one was coming as Beardy only noticed one. "Mass rescue down at south, if any lifeguard are available, come down immediately," I say into his radio and I paddle out on my own board to back up Jake as the others arrived. I got a teenage girl on and friend clinging to the board as well and Jake's board was overloaded and if a wave came and smashed them, he would lose everyone. "Jake, pass me one!" I call and paddle as best I can to him "You! Hold here" I say pointing to the man closest to me and he held onto my board letting go of Jake's as we waited for back up to arrive. Harrison and Reidy arrived and took one each, meaning Jake and I now had two patients each.

"Wanna continue that talk now?" He asks and I agree as its 45° and he's not gonna get many breaks "I'm sure I'll be able to handle school and us" I say and we were silent "Jake, just because I don't work here anymore, doesn't mean we have to end what we started" I say "If you think you can handle school, and me at the same time" He says not convinced "We may not see each other every day but I still like you Jake and I don't want to put those feelings aside until I finish school" I said as Harrison and Reidy came back for two others "We'll see" Jake says and paddles in. I stare at the back of him, he has so little faith and confidence in me. In us. He has no idea how hard it was to be in a different country for school while your family and friends are back here and keep your grades up, I'm sure I'll be able to do well in my HSC and keep a relationship with Jake. How hard could it be? Many people have done well and had a boyfriend or girlfriend at the same time. I paddle in and catch a wave into the trip from ocean to shore was shortened. The girl got off my board and I paddled out for a little surf session.

"Just so you all know, the lifeguard service will be ending at seven. We highly suggest that you move close to shore or leave the beach" Harrison said over the megaphone as pack up came and I didn't realise how long I'd been in the surf until Harrison's announcement and I caught a wave in and dried off. "Hey Eve, you going to the tower?" Harrison drove up "Yeah, wanna give me a ride?" I ask "Wouldn't have come then" He says and I sit in the passenger seat and hold my board on the back and he drove to the tower.

We walked into the tower and I walked in with my board in hand and leaned it against the spinal board "Hey Evie" The guys said "Hey, I've got to tell you all something" I say "About what?" Jesse asked leaning against the railing above me "I'm leaving. I'm going back to school" I say and everyone in the tower stopped moving and I actually think Mouse and Yatesy stopped breathing. "What?" Harrison said behind me surprised as we had just talked about how nice it would be to stay here forever "Yeah, I'd been thinking about what I wanted to do when I'm older and I wanna go back to high school, in case lifeguarding doesn't work then at least I have a backup" And everyone is staring at me in disbelief "So, I'm going back to high school" I conclude "But you'll still come and visit, right? Who'll do the lunch runs?" Jethro asked "Not the time to be thinking about ya stomach," Deano said hitting Jethro in the stomach "I never thought anyone would ever say that in real life," Maxi said "When did you decide this? What made you think of this?" Deano asked "I dropped out of school in America as it wasn't what I wanted to do. I didn't want to be a professional surfer, I wanted to do something more. Like finish school, well, high school and do the HSC" I explain myself and no one said anything.

"We're gonna miss you, Eve. When does school start?" Jesse asked "Two weeks. The day after I turn seventeen" I say and you could feel the sadness in the tower and I feel guilty as I was the one who brought the mood down. Mouse was the first to walk over to me and hug me, soon followed by every other lifeguard - even Tommy and Ryan who I've only known for a short period of time. "Thanks, guys," I say and Dad drives himself home in his car that I took while Jake drove me.

Jake pulled up outside Dad's place and we just sat in the car. "Why don't you believe that I can do school and have be with you?" I ask "Because when I was doing my HSC, and doing year twelve, that's when my girlfriend broke up with me because she didn't think that she could get a good ATAR and be with me," Jake said and I was honestly taken back. He thinks that I'll leave him when the HSC comes around and I literally had no idea what to do as I was so taken back by what he said.

"Eve...Evie" He said snapping me back into reality "Jake, I'm not her. Many people have done the HSC and been in a relationship at the same time" I say holding his hand "I get that but, just after my experience and what happened, I don't want that to happen again" He said "Yeah, sure many people have finished high school in a relationship, but they were in the same year and in the grade. You're going back to high school and I work at the beach. I'm twenty-one and you're sixteen, this isn't going to work" He says with his hand on top of mine "I don't care about age. I like you and you like me and I know you don't want a repeat of your year twelve, but it's not going to happen unless you allow it to happen" I say and we were silent "Do you know how awkward it's gonna be for you. When people at your school find out you're dating a guy who's five years older then you" Jake says. He's trying to find any excuse not to go out with me "Are you trying to find excuses not to date me because that's what it seems?" And he started stumbling over his words "I thought you actually wanted to go out with me. First, it was your ex-girlfriend who dumped you before your HSC, then it was you being a lifeguard and me being a student, then it was the age gap which isn't that f*cking big" I say, ripping my hands away from his grip "Talk to me when you know what you want. Don't play me like that again" I say stepping out of his car, slamming the door and walking up to the door and closed it behind me without turning around.

*In case, you're not Australian and don't know what the HSC is. It's basically the final test all students sit when they reach the end of year twelve and it is graded for an ATAR and a good mark of about 90+. I realise how offensive the first sentence seems but just in case anyone not Australian that's what a HSC is and I only know it because I'm Australian ~ Byeeeee Charlie*