You Looked Lost (Narry Lifeguard AU)

Chapter 8

I think this chapter might be really short, but it was kind of just an inbetween. New character introduced and all that jazz. Enjoy!

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There was a new guy at work on Sunday, which I thought was a weird day to start, until I found out that he was just getting trained.  Natalie was showing him around on her break, which was when I met him.

Our breaks are only fifteen minutes, and I’d learned that there really wasn’t time to eat a proper lunch.  There wasn’t a large selection of food to choose from at the snack stand, but it was the easiest way to get food.  That way you didn’t have to bring food, and you got a discount.  I’d just gotten a bag of chips to hold me over for the next couple of hours, when I ran into Natalie and the new guy, Brian.

“Niall!  This is Brian.  His first day’s tomorrow,” Natalie introduced us, and I gave him a nod that he returned nervously.

He had short brown hair and brown eyes, and was playing with the hem of his shirt.  A nervous habit.  He kinda reminded me of myself.

“Hey, I’m Niall.  Nice to meet you,” I said, giving him a reassuring smile.

“Brian,” he responded.

“Niall’s only worked here a week, but he never wants to leave, right?” Natalie smirked at me, and winked.

I rolled my eyes, but nodded.

“It’s great, you’re gonna love it,” I smiled and he returned it tentatively.

“Hey, well, I have to get back on rotation.  Do you wanna stick with Niall for a little bit?” Natalie looked to me.  “You don’t mind, do you?”

I shook my head, opening up the bag of chips.  Brian looked like he wanted to protest, but didn’t want to be rude.  Funny, I’d probably have reacted the same way only last week.

“Great,” Natalie breathed a sigh of relief, and waved to us as she got back to work.

Brian was glancing around the park, pretty much everywhere but at me.

“You hungry?” I asked him.

He looked to me like I’d startled him, but then shrugged.  I got back in line, and got him a bag of chips, figuring I got the discount anyway.

“There ya go.  Let’s go sit down somewhere,” I motioned toward the break room and started walking that way.  “Did Natalie show you the break room?”

I looked behind me at Brian, who shook his head.

“Well, it’s where most of us go during our breaks, to relax and eat and talk or whatever,” I told him.

I felt like a tour guide.  Tour guides always begged for questions, but rarely did anyone ask any.  That’s what I felt like as I led Brian around the park, hoping he’d speak but getting nothing.

I held the door to the break room open for him, walking over to one of the tables where Craig was already sitting.

“Hey, man,” Craig greeted as I sat down.

“Hey,” I sat down on the bench and motioned for Brian to sit next to me. “Brian, this is Craig.  Craig, meet Brian.”

Craig nodded at him.

“Did you report that bottle of vodka to John yet?” I asked Craig.

Craig smiled mischievously, but nodded his head.  He turned his gaze to Brian, and preceded to tell Brian what had happened yesterday.  It didn’t feel like that was just yesterday.  It felt like ages ago.