Tess
If you had told me three years ago that I'd become a trainer at Jurassic World, I would've laughed in your face. Me, a dinosaur trainer at the world's largest theme park… What a hilarious thought! And yet, three years later here I am, an assistant velociraptor trainer on Isla Nublar, home of Jurassic World. A job that on most days doesn't even feel like one.
Who else gets to live in a tropical paradise and train dinosaurs… real dinosaurs for a living. It's so surreal, and yet it's my life. A life full of learning, excitement and growth. A life that I've loved for the last three years of it.
And today is no different.
Walking down the gravel path with a smile, I eagerly make my way towards his place. Today is my birthday, a day that I don't often get to celebrate.
"Hey Beta," Owen, my best friend of three years, greets as I approach his bungalow. It's a small place similar to mine with a sloped roof and deck, only mine doesn't have a trailer attached to the side.
"Hey Owen," I smile, placing the six pack of beer and pizza box I was carrying down on the picnic table. It's old and a bit splintered, yet comfortable.
"I thought we were having wings for lunch?" He hums, leaning towards his bike. He's been working on it during his breaks all week, trying to get it road worthy before the weekend.
"Pizza sounded better." I reply, circling the picnic table to grab a garden chair beside the deck. He watches me from behind the bike, using one of his hands to apply pressure to a gasket.
“Is Sam still coming over?”
“She should be. Said she was finishing something at home before coming over Should be here any minute now.”
“Good. Hey, hand me that valve?” He nods to the part with his chin. Reaching over, I grab it for him and pass it over, using it to pop the lid off my beer in the process.
“Thanks.”
I nod, taking a sip of my beer before holding it out towards him.
"Wanna taste?"
He laughs, shaking his head. "I'm good."
"Why not?" I playfully pout.
"It's two in the afternoon and I plan on taking us out to dinner in a few hours."
"So? Why not get the party started a little early, hmm?" I lean forward, smirking.
"Well-" he draws out, a smirk on his lips as well. "-I'm driving, and just 'cause we're on a tropical island doesn't mean I get a free pass to do anything stupid."
"Well yeah, but there's this thing for us employees called a shuttle. It's there for those times where we feel like living a little and want to drink a beer in the afternoon."
Owen shakes his head in laughter, causing a large and intoxicating smile to engulf his face.
"You crack me up."
"Of course I do. Drink?"
He shakes his head again so I drop it, opting to change the subject.
"Anything happen at the Paddock while I was gone?”
Owen makes a face between amused and annoyed. For a moment it seems like he's hesitant to speak, but when he finally does, he clenches his socket wrench tight.
"Hoskins is back. Asked about another field test."
I groan, sitting back in my chair. My shorts ride up a bit so I tug them back down.
"He still wants to use them as weapons? Even after all the shit I gave him last time?"
He nods.
"You know him, nothing's going to stop him from getting that test. I've done everything I can to keep them out of his hands, but there's only so much I can do. I don't know how much longer we can hold him back."
I bite my lip, trying to think of something only to come up with nothing.
"I'll figure it out. The last thing we need is forcing them into a field test. The next time he comes around, I'll do more than scare him off. Maybe I'll bring up habitat maintenance again. He hated that."
"That was funny." he points his socket wrench at me before wiping his dirty hand onto his shirt.
"It was." I smile, taking a sip of my drink. "Anyways, anything else happen today? Something not Hoskins related?
He purses his lips, thinking for a moment before speaking up. "The girls followed my lead almost perfectly today. No issues."
My eyes go wide for a moment and I can't help the smile that forms on my face. A warm rush fills my stomach.
"Really? No signs of disinterest?"
He shakes his head, though he seems to be thinking about something else.
"None. They did great."
A part of me wants to ask what's on his mind, but I ignore it. Whatever it is he doesn't find it worth mentioning, so it can't be that important. A little mystery never hurts.
After a moment of comfortable silence, Owen speaks up. “What about you? How did it go?"
A sigh escapes my lips before I can fully process his question. I've been dreading this question all day.
“It was okay.”
His eyes meet mine, studying me as I take a long sip of my drink.
"And? Did you get it?"
Glancing at him, the bike, and the ground between us, I'm at a loss for words. For the last three years, I've been the assistant trainer for the raptors. Originally they hired me as lead trainer for the baby triceratops exhibit, but instead partnered me with Owen on a research project. Our current one. Since then, I've helped raise, study, and train the velociraptors to get a better sense of their behavior. After all, that's why they hired me. I'm an animal behavioral expert.
“They um..." I bite my lip in hesitation. "They want me to be lead on the Adasaurus project."
His eyes widen the size of quarters and a smile breaks out on his face. It's larger than any I've seen from him in a while. He's happy for me, hell, he's ecstatic.
“That's amazing! You get to be the Alpha of your own pack." I resist the urge to roll my eyes and nod in agreement.
"I guess so, yeah."
He pauses, studying me for a moment before lifting an eyebrow. His chin juts out, emphasizing his concerned pout.
“You're not stoked?”
I shrug, running my hand through my hair. It falls in loose waves onto my shoulders, brushing against the straps of my tank top.
“I don't know. I mean, I am. I've worked my ass off to get this. Countless weeks of overtime, documentation and paperwork. These last three years have been amazing... and I'm excited to head my own project..."
"But you don't want to leave the Raptors?" Owen finishes for me. I nod.
"They're my girls. We've worked with them ever since the day they hatched."
"Yeah, but Tess... Do you hear yourself right now?" I throw him a look, but he continues.
"You said it yourself, you've worked three years to get to where you're at. You've been offered the chance to head your own research project. You'll be the one who calls the shots."
"Yeah, but-"
"It's your dream job." He emphasizes, grabbing a red mechanics rag off the stool behind him. "Take the job, Tess. You deserve it."
I do deserve it. I know I do. Yet there's still that feeling deep in my gut... Something keeping me from diving head first into all of this. Is it the unknown? Anxiety? Both? Who knows.
Owen gets to his feet and his bright green eyes meet mine. They're always so honest and kind. Truly a window into his soul and I can't help the tingle that fills my stomach. Instinctually my cheeks flood with warmth and I continue to gnaw at my lip in an attempt to quell my nerves.
"If I do accept the offer, promise me you won't do anything stupid when I'm gone?"
"I thought I made that obvious a long time ago."
I give him a look, one that he laughs at, but he still lifts his finger and lazily crosses it over his heart as a promise.
"You're an ass."
"Yeah, I know."
A horn honk interrupts us. Turning, I spot an almost too familiar sight. Behind the wheel of my red pickup is my sister Sam, who wears a wide smile as she turns onto the gravel path of Owen's driveway..
Parking a little crooked, my truck jolts to a stop as the engine flips off. Throwing the driver side door open I'm met by my younger doppelganger.
"What's up bitches?"
I set down my beer, getting to my feet.
“You park worse than your sister!" Owen shouts at her before I can say anything. I look at him and he sends me a playful look.
“I'm not that bad!” Sam replies with a large, comical grin, walking towards us. Her bright blonde hair hangs in a loose ponytail behind her head, covered by her usual all black ball-cap. The red logo on it never fails to bring a smile to my face.
"You finished what you were doing?"
"Yup, but you can't see it until later."
"Sam."
She shakes her head, laughing as she stops beside Owen, pulling him into a side hug. He returns it.
"Hey, give the kid a break." Owen interrupts, letting go of the short blonde I call my sister. Something tells me he already knows what it is.
I go to open my mouth, but he turns to Sam.
"How are you doing pipsqueak?"
Sam rolls her eyes at the nickname, throwing him a cheeky smile.
"I'm fine Grady-" she draws out, fumbling with something behind her. "Miss me?"
“In the three days since I last saw you? Totally. I haven't been able to live life without you."
Sam snorts at his blatant sarcasm, rolling back onto the heels of her shoes. My eyes widen as I finally get a good look at what she's hiding behind her.
"How in the hell did you get that?" I rush towards to her, trying to snatch to the bottle of tequila out of her hand.
“This?" She lifts the bottle up playfully, wiggling it back and forth just out of my reach. I grab her arm and yank the bottle from her hand.
"You're not old enough to drink."
"In a few countries I am."
"Not this one." I square my jaw, lifting my eyebrows. "How'd you get it?"
Sam purses her lips together, glancing between Owen and I. After a moment, she sighs, giving in.
"The back cabinet in the kitchen."
I grunt, nodding my head.
"Of course you'd look there."
"Come on Tess-" she whines, "It's your birthday. Relax. Let me try some."
"I'll relax once this is locked away."
She glances at Owen in an effort to get him to reason with her, but he doesn't budge. Groaning in defeat, she presses past me towards the picnic table. Glancing to Owen, I mouth a quick thank you in which he nods.
"So, whatcha doing to your bike now?" Sam gestures towards it, opening the pizza box from Hammond's and taking a large bite of cheese pizza.
"Replacing a valve. Luckily, I had one on hand since you know-" he gestures to the spare bike parked next to his porch. It worked just fine till last year when it crapped out on him, prompting me to drive up to the Paddock on my day off to bring it back down for him.
"RIP Big Buddah." Sam mutters, sparing a glance at the bike.
"You have got to stop calling it that."
Sam laughs at Owen's response, taking another big bite of her pizza.
"Why? It fits perfectly."
"No, it doesn't."
I shake my head, trying my hardest not to laugh at both of them.
Gravel shifts behind us once again and I turn to the source of the noise. A sleek white car pulls up next to my truck, shifts into park, and shuts off.
Oh great. Just the person I want to see on my birthday.
"Hey Claire!" Sam shouts with a mouthful of pizza.
The familiar redhead presses her lips together in annoyance before forcing a smile onto her lips.
“Hello. It's nice to see you. Ms. Williams. Mr. Grady."
“Wow, last names?" Owen snorts.
“Careful Mr. Grady.” I warn, teasing him. Claire rolls her eyes at me.
“Wow. Real mature.”
“There she is.” He coos at the frustrated redhead. She throws him a glare.
“Ignore him,” I press, although still amused. “What do you want?”
She seems relieved at my question, rolling her shoulders and straightening her posture. Now this has got to be good… or at least humorous.
“Well, every time we unveil a new attraction here at the park, attendance has spiked-”
"Boring!" Sam hollars, wrapping a hand around her mouth. "Spice it up a bit!"
I nearly choke on my own spit.
Claire looks like she's a hairs breadth away from losing her patience, and if I'm being honest, I'd love to see it. Instead of continuing on what I assumed to be her pre-planned spiel, she sighs.
"We have an attraction."
"That's not what you said the last time I saw you." Owen says this time.
"I'm talking about the dinosaurs, Mr. Grady."
"I know." He retorts.
Claire sighs, glancing towards me as if she's asking for help. I don't say anything, instead bending down to grab my drink. I take a sip, hopeful she'll take the hint.
"What species is it?" Sam asks for all of us.
"A new one that we've made."
“You went and grew a dinosaur?” Owen asks.
My eyes grow wide as the reality of her words hits me. I had heard some rumors in the head office this morning about a new attraction, a hybrid that they've been designing to bring in new visitors.
“It's that stupid hybrid isn't it?” I ask, setting down my beer on the picnic table.
"Yes it is. It's what we do here at Jurassic World. Mr. Masrani asked that I consult both of you before opening it to the public."
"Hmm-" Owen drags out the syllable, taking a sip of his drink. "Well, we can consult out here or in the bungalow."
Sam sputters mid bite. "What?" She shouts, causing Owen to laugh. I shake my head, muttering a few choice words under my breath.
“That's not funny.” Claire deadpans.
“It's a little funny.”
The annoyed redhead rolls her eyes. "Whatever. We would like you to double check the captivity and make sure it's safe.”
"You doubt its security?" I ask. She shakes her head.
"No, Mr. Mastani and I thought that since you and Mr. Grady are good at controlling the raptors then-"
"We don't control the Raptors." Owen and I clarify in unison. We spare a quick glance before I decide to let him speak.
“You may see it as control, but it's a relationship built on personal respect."
"One that's difficult to earn." I add.
Claire rolls her eyes.
"Animals don't understand respect."
"They understand it a lot better than you do. That's why we never had a second date."
That's right. They went on a date a few months back. The one that Lowery set up and asked for my help. I remember it ended with Owen at my door that night in board shorts, bitching about a bottle of tequila and Claire's attitude.
“I never wanted a second date.” Claire crosses her arms.
“Who prints an itinerary for a night out?” Owen asks in annoyance.
“I am an organized person!”
“You wasted my tequila!"
"I am dieting!"
"What diet does not include tequila?” he questions sarcastically.
“All of them. What man shows up in a pair of board shorts?”
"It's Costa Rica!"
“It is hot here.” Sam points out the obvious, causing me to burst out laughing. Owen points his thumb at her.
“Let's just get back to the current subject?" Claire raises her voice, turning a bit red.
Owen tosses his mechanic rag to the ground beside his Harley, glancing at me briefly before heading towards Claire.
“Look, you're in charge of the thing. You have decisions to make. We all do." His features turn serious. "You may not realize it, but these animals are more than numbers on a spreadsheet. They're alive.”
“I'm fully aware of that.”
“Then why do you grow them in test tubes, raise them in captivity and expect them to entertain?"
"Your point is?"
"They aren't science experiments. They're living, breathing animals that expect to be treated as equals. They aren't above or below any of us. They're thinking 'I've gotta eat, I've gotta hunt. I've gotta...” he repeatedly punches the air in a slow manner, his serious nature disappearing in moments. I roll my eyes, smacking on him on the shoulder.
"Not in front of the prude."
Sam snorts, turning away from the group laughing.
Claire releases a frustrated groan. "Whatever. I'll be in the car when you're ready to take me seriously."
"You want us to go there today?" I speak up.
"Yes."
"I have the rest of the day off. I'm not going."
"We'll pay you for your time." She replies without a second glance. I frown.
"I don't get paid enough to-"
"It'll be fine." Owen interrupts me, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Right?"
"What about dinner?"
"We'll make it."
Claire mutters something under her breath, turning to her car. Her heels wobble as she heads back towards her car. Gravel and strappy heels do not mix.
“That was pleasant.”
I look at Owen, incredulous. “Says the guy trying to get laid.”
Owen looks at me, a mix of surprise, mischief and confusion on his face.
“I'm not trying to get laid," he draws out the last word, "and maybe if I were it would have to be the right person, not her."
“Mhmm, In your dreams horndog.”
“I guess we're taking a raincheck on lunch Sam. You gonna be okay while we're gone?" Owen turns to look at my sister.
"When am I not?" She retorts, grabbing my beer off the table. I snatch it from her before she can take a sip.
"No."
"Come on-" Sam whines. "-Just want a taste of it."
"Not until you're old enough."
She groans, eyes narrowed in frustration. "You suck."
"I know."
I grab the rest of the six-pack and my bottle of tequila before heading into Owen's bungalow. I pour out my beer and stash the rest under his sink, hiding the tequila bottle behind his bulky microwave. I don't need Sam trying to sneak it while we're gone.
"- and don't do anything stupid while we're gone. I've got Netflix on the TV if you're bored." I hear Owen say to Sam as I emerge from the bungalow.
"No boys." I jokingly add. Sam rolls her eyes.
"There's no cute ones on the island."
I hum in amusement, pulling her into a quick hug, squeezing her tight before letting go. Her blonde hair is messy under her Marines hat. I remove it carefully, brushing back a few blonde knots before placing it back on her head.
"That's better."
"Bye Tess."
"Bye Sam."
Owen flashes her a goofy look, one she returns, then gives her a high five. We head towards Claire's car and I get in. Her seats are fancy compared to the old ones in my truck.
"Don't get oil on my seat." Claire says before Owen can sit down . He throws her a look and they silently argue before he shuts the car door.
"I'll go change then." He announces, heading towards his bungalow. I throw Claire a look.
"You're annoying."
"Whatever."
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[Hello everyone, thank you for reading this updated version. This story has grown in the past few years. Who knew 75 reads and two votes would turn into 100k+
I appreciate all of you and remember to favorite, bookmark and comment! Thank you!
-ashandhayes