The Lifeguard Hates You (Completed)

June Chapter 31

Is it bad that I'm mad we won?

I mean, once the shock wore off, was it bad to be angry that it was Rory who brought us to victory and not me?

It made sense, right, to be angry? All that training, all that drilling with flashcards throughout the year, that had to be the reason why we did so well, not Rory and her seemingly flawless leadership. Rory was Rory, she wasn't a good leader or a capable guard, and yet when I saw my team under her direction I was surprised, because not only was she good, she got the others to listen to her without yelling. She had been holding out on me, she had turned into someone I didn't recognize.

She wasn't my little incapable Rory anymore.

But I think what has me even angrier is that while we were supposed to be partying together, Rory is with the PEGs.

Sure, her boyfriend is a PEG so it made sense that she would want to dance with him but I didn't think that meant she'd have to do shots with them, or drink with them or stand around with them and laugh at everything he said.

Maybe I'm just really angry that I can't drink.

Everyone is around me drinking and celebrating and I can't because of the concussion. Hell, I should have left Coog's once I realized that he had the sound system blaring music so bad my teeth were vibrating in my skull.

Maybe I was too old for this now.

Lacey and her new boyfriend are long gone, in some corner of the bar, sucking face so hard I'm concerned that one of them might be an alien face-hugger. Candy and Shawn haven't left my side. They're drunk as fuck, but they've stayed with me as Rory goes around the bar talking to everyone, permanently glued to Bryce's side.

I can see that his smile is strained, that he's only happy for her on the outside.

He had been just as shocked as I was when we beat them and I could tell he wasn't really happy with what had happened. I should have figured that it was good of him to be the bigger man and put on a happy face for the girlfriend who beat him as Rory would have done that for him but I couldn't help but be pissed off.

When Rory makes it back to our table, Bryce has magically disappeared, and I'm doubly angry. That's because I wanted to rub our win in his face but it seems that Rory is not going to allow that happen.

She slides in beside Candy, and smiles up to me in a soft way. It's not a triumphant way, as if to say we won because I wasn't on the team, but I take it that way regardless.

I glare at her hard enough that she turns away from me and focuses her attention at the other two at the table.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again! I can't believe we won!" Shawn crows, throwing his drink up in toast to Rory. "You are a miracle worker!"

Rory waves it off. "It wasn't all me. Jay has been working us all year, I just pulled everything together," she says bashfully.

The fact that she's trying to be modest is making me even angrier.

"Oh, come on!" Candy cries. "Your leadership skills were on point today. How's Bryce taking it, he doesn't seem too happy about losing to you, you guys gonna have a fight about it? If you do tell him to take his shirt off."

Shawn swats at her from across the table but even though Candy's drunk she manages to dodge him.

"Oh pshh," she slurs. "I just wanna look. Not like I'm going to do anything."

I can tell that Candy and Shawn are about to start arguing so I kick Rory under the table to get her attention. She yelps and turns wounded eyes back to me.

"So how did you do it?" I ask her, hoping I'm hiding the malice in my voice but the way her eyes narrow tells me I haven't done a good job.

"What are you talking about?" she asks me, her tone hesitant as if she doesn't trust what I'm about to say.

I shoot a defiant glare at her which only makes matters worse. "Well you can't have won any other way than cheating," I snap at her. "So, what did you do? Bribe a judge or did you sleep with Bryce to convince him to throw the competition?"

To my horror, at this point, everyone has decided to come to our table.

Bryce has appeared, Lacey and her boyfriend have resurfaced from sucking face and come to join us, Candy and Shawn have stopped arguing just in time to hear me insult Rory.

There is literally silence from everyone at that table, and it would have been twice as awkward if the crazy dance music hadn't been playing so loudly. Everyone is just staring at me and I can feel my cheeks turning red.

I'm in the wrong, I know it, but I don't want to admit it. I can't even blame this on being drunk because I'm not.

Rory takes a shaky breath. "Why couldn't we just have won because I'm good?" she asks.

It's an out. I should take it, but I don't.

"Because you're not good Rory! You're a mess, a completely immature hot mess! You can't be trusted to sit on a guard chair without falling off of it but you magically managed to bring us to victory? Fuck you! I know you cheated! Tell me how!"

Rory's making that face, the same one she makes right before she slaps me. Shawn is actually looking away from me as if he's ashamed, Candy might punch me, Lacey looks absolutely horrified but it's Bryce who speaks up.

"Look man, I don't know if this is some twisted revenge thing because of how things played out with Marnie but I can tell you this, she didn't cheat. If you actually opened your eyes, you'd see that Rory is actually pretty good at her job. And I mean, if you really believed she was so incompetent, why would you trust her with all the permit work and teaching? I never see any of you guys out there in the lake with the Fablehaven kids. I don't know why you felt the need to drag her down like that, because I had assumed you guys were friends and I really hope it's not because of me. Rory doesn't deserve that."

It's honestly shocking to hear that from him. And maybe it's the pain meds I took four hours ago, but I don't quite realize I've gotten up and slugged him until I hear the gasps coming from all around me and finally the terrible music suddenly stops.

Bryce is on the floor and I'm standing above him, mouth open in shock as I slowly realize what has managed to happen without anyone trying to stop me. Rory has gone to his side to help him, I don't know what she says but whatever it is it convinces him not to throw a punch back at me.

She turns a glare to me, one that is so dark I could have sworn her eyes had gone black. "He's right, I don't deserve this! I QUIT!"

It feels as if a stake has been stabbed through my heart, I wonder if the cry I hear comes from me, but judging by the look on Lacey's face it's come from her. Even though I know—somewhere in my mind I've come to this conclusion—that worry is the feeling that's settled in my stomach I push it aside. I sit back down and ignore the angry and shocked looks and general anger radiating from everyone around me.

"Jay! She can't quit! The only reason Fablehaven stayed with us is because of her!" Lacey cries.

I can see that she's refraining from both hitting me and breaking out into tears. I find it hard to believe that a whole permit relied on whether or not Rory worked with us or the PEGs but I also remember that Rory's the one who does all the teaching there, is the one who the kids are constantly drawing pictures and making arts and crafts stuff for.

Still I shrug them all off and say: "Rory's not going to quit." Because more than anything it's what I need to believe.