The Lifeguard Hates You (Completed)

July Chapter 9

Rory used to be able to tell when I was lying.

Maybe it's because I'm not really lying but half lying, she doesn't seem to notice.

Shawn and Candy had no intention of coming here, but I didn't even bother to ask them, I just agreed to show up.

Actually, the permit wasn't that bad. It's run decently, the kids are all well behaved because apparently Rory's terrified them into proper behaviour and I enjoyed being in the water in general so it didn't bother me to be the one the in the water.

Also, it was really, really nice to see Rory again.

She didn't look any worse for wear, so I had to guess that Polished Elite was treating her well.

But she was still mad at me, and I had to acknowledge that I did deserve that.

Still, she agreed to stay behind and teach me the paperwork, which I wouldn't have needed help with if the Camp Counsellor Maggie had just left the paperwork alone. What I didn't know was that Rory had a hidden set of paperwork, one set Maggie fucked with and one set she had hidden in the manual's pages, folded neat and crisply down the middle, and that was the good copy.

Rory's paperwork, I understood. This was not the issue. I didn't need the walk through, I just didn't want to leave.

I hadn't just sat beside Rory without screaming at her in weeks.

Okay, years.

Usually when I sat beside her I was on edge, she had always been so flirtatious with me, so I was careful when around her to make sure that she didn't get the wrong idea. Now I was on edge for a different reason. I was still nervous, still worried about what she was thinking and if she was going to touch me or look at me or make me participate in meaningful conversation but for a completely different reason now.

Her shoulder is pressed against mine, and I can't help but shiver. I've missed her contact and that is absolutely ridiculous.

"So that should be it," she says putting the pages away in her manual and putting the fake pages back into the folder for Maggie to mess with.

This should be the end of the conversation but I can't accept that for some reason.

"How are things at PE? They treating you right?" I ask. Seems like a safe territory. A standard question any regular old friend would ask, right?

"Why? What have you heard?" she snaps. She's defensive. And I don't know if that's because she's still mad at me or because they haven't been treating her right and she doesn't want to tell me. I'm immediately concerned and protective over my little Rory. I don't know what they're doing to her, but if they don't stop I'll... I'll... I don't know what I'll do. Write a letter maybe?

"I don't know what you mean by that," I say softly. I may be stupid when it comes to girls but even I know I shouldn't gloat so shortly after chasing the girl out of her home and job.

"Nothing," Rory says quickly before squaring her shoulders and splaying her hands over the folder in front of her as if she were smoothing out imaginary wrinkles. "Everything's fine there. Everything I expected and more. I'm totally happy."

Her voice sounds flat, and even though I never really paid attention to her, I knew enough about her to know that she's clearly lying. She isn't happy at Polished Elite I just don't know if it's because of the clientele or because of Bryce.

"Did... did people complain about me a lot? About being too strict? About not making enough special allowances?" she asks suddenly and it catches me off guard.

"No. You've always been super considerate unless it messes with the safety of your class. Why?" I ask. Rory just shrugs but I think I can guess why she's asking me this now. "Are they complaining about you over at PE?"

"No," she whispers, but she also won't look at me when she does it.

"Is Bryce not backing you up?"

I ask this because I know what it was like over there. She used to tell me how mad she'd be when Bryce wouldn't back her up, because the clients always had to get their way and Bryce and his Father would rarely support the guards in cases where the safety came into play.

"No. I mean yes. I mean no, there haven't been any complaints," Rory says quickly suddenly very flustered. "Can we change the topic please?"

I raise my hands in mock surrender and decide to pick an even safer topic. "Finish any good books?"

She opens her mouth to answer only to be cut off by a very angry shout of "Rory!" and when I turn Bryce is barrelling towards us. I can't help but crack a smile because now that the tables have turned I can see that he dislikes this as much as I disliked finding them together last month.

"What is going on?" Bryce shouts. Apparently, unlike me, he doesn't give a shit about starting a scene in front of all of the Fablehaven campers and counsellors. "Why the fuck is he here?"

"Bryce!" Rory hisses but this only makes him angrier.

"NO!" he near screams, his voice cracking. He is going a horrible red colour and I'm trying not to laugh at him. "Why is he here? Why are you talking to him? Why couldn't you have just met me at the car like you said you would?"

I stand quickly and turn to Bryce. I floored him once and I could probably do it again. I don't have a concussion this time so he can hit me back, and that worries me a bit, but still I puff out my chest and glare at him.

"I'm the new Earth and Body guard for the permit," I tell him in my smuggest of tones.

Bryce's face is so red I think he may be about to explode.

"I was showing him how to fill out the paperwork so I can go in the water next week. We're going to rotate," Rory explains coming to stand beside me.

The fact that she is backing me up just makes Bryce angrier but it emboldens me. I straighten to my full height and try to glare down at him but Bryce is still the same height as me even if I'm not slouching.

"What's the matter Bryce?" I ask him. "Don't like the new EAB guard? Then you shouldn't have stolen the only guard on our roster willing to do it."

"May I remind you, Nishiyama, that you had no interest in her before this, and unlike you, I will make sure that she knows just how much I like her," Bryce hisses.

I glare at him, because he's right. I had no interest in Rory before this, and its suspicious looking that I'd be interested now.

But it's Rory who says: "He's not interested in me, you idiot. He's here to work. Nothing to do with me at all. Stop being ridiculous."

"What's the matter Bryce? Afraid she's going to get tired of your preppy, daddy's-going-to-let-me-take-over routine and come back to a real man?" I taunt.

And that's when Bryce hits me.