New Beginnings | A Bondi Rescue Fanfic

A New Start

Tania took a deep breath as she pulled down her goggles. "Don't think about Mum and Dad, just do this for yourself," she muttered to herself. 

As she walked towards the edge of the pool, from where she was warming up at the back, she was very aware of the eyes that were following her back. 

Surprised murmurs filled the air-"Who is this Asian chick?"

 "She's got a pretty face, but she's what? Barely 5'3?"

"Oi, Mouse! I don't think you're any taller than her!" 

"Mate, you know I'm 6 foot-"

Tania gritted her teeth, forcing all those whispers out of her head, then mounted the starting block.

A stern voice, Hoppo's, Tania recalled, boomed, "Alright everyone, get ready on the count of the three! You'll have complete 800m, which is 16 laps under 13 minutes to make the cut! 3! 2! 1!"

Diving into the crystal clear water with adrenaline pumping through her body, Tania flew through the water effortlessly. This is what I live for, thought Tania, unaware that the boss, Hoppo, had his gaze fixated on her.

C'mon, two more laps to go, Tania mentally growled to herself. She felt herself tiring, and soon realized that her secret training sessions at the local pool were not enough. Fueled by determination to prove everyone wrong, she did one last somersault, then powered through the water, her eyes set on the wall just an arm's length in front of her.

"Wow! That was exceptional!" A man with a tanned face and gentle blue eyes was the first thing Tania saw when she rested against the wall, catching her breath.

"I'm sorry? What- what was that?" Tania asked between gasps. 

The man's eyes twinkled merrily, "Oh, I just said that you beat our current record 9 minutes and 55 seconds by nearly half a minute!"

It was only when Tania turned her head around and realized nearly all the other lifeguards had yet to finish the swim, except for a friendly looking bloke who pulled up in the next lane, gasping for breath. He pulled down his goggles, then gave Tania a weary smile, "Whew, you were lightning fast! There was no way I could catch up to you!"

"Thanks heaps. I guess I just really went for it as this is my ultimate dream job." she ducked her head, flushing. 

"Ah, so you're a modest one, you'll fit in perfectly with us, but it'll be interesting because you'll be our first ever female lifeguard. I'm Dean Gladstone, but please just call me Deano." Deano ended his introduction with a warm smile, which made Tania feel instantly welcomed.

As she emerged from the pool dripping wet, Hoppo handed her a towel. Tania stared at his face, her heart pounding, looking for any sign of rejection. Here was her future in the hands of this man-

Then he spoke, "Tania, although you're only 17, you do excel in the water and I sense lots of potential in you. However, since you don't have any lifeguarding experience, completed the first-aid courses, or a jet ski license, I've drawn up a plan for you." 

Tania could only nod numbly, her knuckles white from clutching the towel so tightly. Was her dream of moving away from her family and being a lifeguard on Australia's most famous beach coming true?

"So the plan is to put you through a traineeship this summer at Bondi, so you can gain experience and hopefully complete all the necessary courses to become a fully fledged lifeguard. Does that sound good to you?"

Tania threw her arms around Hoppo's neck, catching him by surprise. "Thank you so much, thank you, for making my dreams come true." Tania whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

"That's quite alright, I'll give you a call later on to confirm the details, and you should start you first shift next Monday. You'll be fine going home on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks heaps!" Tania gathered her bags, then walked through the exit, unaware that she had caught the eye of the other boys.

Whistling a happy tune to herself, she lined up at the bus stop, and even the thought of breaking the news to her parents did not dampen her spirits.

A/N: This is my very first fanfic, so please excuse any mistakes in my writing. Feel free to vote, leave comments and suggestions!
enjoy reading:)