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-Chapter 8!-

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The day had finally come for Andy. She awaited for this moment since the time when she was just a child watching her father restock the rigs and wash down the trucks in his station. She loved hearing the sirens go off signaling civilians that help was on the always knew this was something she wanted to do from a young age and today was finally the first day of her training.

She woke up to the sound of her alarm going off and rolled over to turn it off. She then got out of her bed and quickly made it up. She then placed her necklace and ring that sat on her nightstand into a small box and tucked it away in her dresser for safe keeping. She then went and took a shower and got ready for the long day she had ahead of her.

Andy finished showering and she then brushed her teeth and braided her hair into two braids. She then threw on her training t-shirt that was sent in for her and a pair of black leggings. She then found some all black sneakers to match in which she placed on her feet.

Andy knew that this was only her first day and that if there were any more specific rules she would be notified of them later on so she decided that what she had on was fine. She then went into her kitchen and made herself a bagel and a cup of coffee to go. She then filled up her water bottle with ice cold water and grabbed her phone off the nightstand in her room. She placed all of her necessities into her backpack and grabbed her keys in hand along with the travel coffee mug.

When she got into her car she started the engine and took a deep breath. She had felt like she was running on adrenaline since the minute she woke up and she felt that this was her first relief of fresh air. She then texted her dad to let him know she was starting training today and she also texted Robert her usual good morning message.

Andy then drove over to Ryan's house to deliver his meal that he asked for her to save last night. She knew it was still pretty early but she figured this was the only option in getting it to him.

"Ryan" she said, knocking on his door. She was careful not to make too much noise due to the fact it was early and his neighbors were probably still sleeping. "Andrea Herrera" he said, opening the door, rubbing his eyes looking her up and down.

"Sorry for waking you but here's your food and I'll see you tomorrow" she said handing him the bowl and giving him a quick hug. "I know you'll do great today,text me later when you get home" he said patting her shoulder reassuring her that she was ok. They exchanged a quick smile and another hug before Andy ran down to her car to head over to the place.

She quickly noticed that Robert answered back to her and she was happy that she saw it before she arrived.

"Good Morning love you're going to do amazing today. Call me later" he said. Andy figured that he was most likely busy now seeing how simple the message was but she was grateful nevertheless. She replied to him with a quick heart emoji and began driving downtown.

When Andy arrived she noticed the large building and the many cars that were parked outside. She caught a quick glimpse of some equipment and activity things in an open field to the side of the building. She was getting nervous now that she had arrived but she knew that everything would be fine once she went inside.

She parked her car and quickly ate her bagel and her warm coffee. She had all of 15 minutes to eat before she would be running late. She was always good on time so she knew she was ok. She quickly finished eating and placed her phone into her backpack and made her way into the building.

She noticed the crowds of people all in different sections getting prepped for the day they had ahead of them and she even got a glimpse of the trainers who were setting up additional equipment. She then checked in and received her name badge and locker combination and she was soon given the directions to the woman side.

She then placed her bag into the lockers quickly taking a sip of her water and applying some chapstick to her lips. She noticed how there weren't too many people in the locker room on the woman's side but she did see a few. The female rate for firefighters weren't as high as men but she kept the understanding that a job isn't based on gender it's based on your passion and love for the career. Soon after settling in she walked over into the main area that had every new trainee getting into their designated spots. She quickly found hers and soon noticed another female running to stand next to her.

"Hi" she said in a perky tone. Andy looked at her and she already looked pretty fit and toned in the legs. She knew that she must've had additional background to either workouts or sports. "Hi my name's Andy" she said smiling up at her.

"Maya Bishop" she said, returning the smile. "Ready to show out these men I'm pretty sure they're thinking we don't have what it takes" she said whispering. "Of course I always love a good challenge" Andy replied softly knowing that this could eventually be the start of a friendship.

Within 5 minutes the coaches had lined up in front of them and blew the whistle that sat around their necks. They all had a smile on their faces and they all looked ready for some hardcore stuff. They began going over the course of firefighting and all the rules and regulations that were embedded in the career path. They talked about every equipment used and what everything does. They went over all the activities they would be doing over the next couple of weeks and how random checks and tests would be given.

Andy kept focused on the main instructor who spoke basically the entire time she had soon learned that he was 25 years experienced and now retired and only does training. She listened closely to everything he said and although the course seemed difficult it was still something she was sure of and she didn't want to back out on. She looked over to Maya who kept that same smile on her face while also observing the man who had been introduced as "Captain Baker".

After about a 30 minute overview he finished talking and turned the session over to two other trained people. Their first task of the day was to begin workouts which started off easy but gradually became more intense.

When they finished the mandatory workout the were given a small break in which they drank water and cooled off. They then began practicing the EMT requirements that were needed in order to pass the course. They trained on dummies and during certain tasks they partnered up and got timed to see how fast they could perform.

After about the first 4 hours of training they were finally put on lunch break in which they had 45 minutes. Andy went into the locker room and washed her hands and grabbed her packed lunch from her backpack and her water bottle and went to sit beside Maya.

"How was that? The first 4 hours another 4 left to go" Maya asked her. "Intense but not that bad'' she responded. "Your a badass Herrera I like that" she said laughing. "You are too. You look like you could complete the whole course without a single struggle" Andy responded. "I think some of the guys are actually jealous that we picked up on CPR faster than them," she whispered. "Well I guess teamwork makes the dream work" Maya responded quickly.

Andy then sat and ate her salad telling Maya a little bit about herself and what her childhood was like. She didn't really tell her much about Robert due to the fact that it was still a secret and she also just didn't want her to know too soon. She was happy with the fact that she was able to make a friend within the first day. She had the feeling that this friendship could just be that amazing.

"So you have an extra hot lover of whom you just came back from Spain with correct?" Maya questioned. "Yes he's amazing and we love each other a lot" she responded smiling. "Can't wait to hear more about him of course whenever you're comfortable" she responded.

Maya then took it upon herself to tell Andy some things about her life just leaving the main parts of her childhood out. She knew there friendship was fresh and she didn't really want to put a dent in between them just that fast. She decided to give off the same energy for now and say everything else later.

Lunch was soon ending for them and they decided to return to the locker room to freshen up for their next set of activities. They put away everything back into their bags and they changed their hairstyle back into a low bun for the remainder of the time. Maya quickly slipped Andy a small piece of paper in which Andy noticed it was her number. She quickly put the number into her phone and sent her message so she could in return have her number.

They were soon called back into training and they spent the next 4 hours finishing up the first set of basic training. They were now finished for the first day and was told that tomorrow they would be working on hoses and ladders. Everyone left into the lockers to retrieve their bags and they soon left out to their cars dripping with sweat and the look of tiredness planted on their faces.

Andy was tired but she still felt the small surge of adrenaline through her body. She quickly rinsed her face off and grabbed her backpack and head out to her car.

"Bye Maya see you in the morning" she called out to her. "Bye Andy" she responded.

Andy thought about what she could do now seeing that it was still early and she wasn't quite ready to go home. She decided to stop by her dads house seeing that he wasn't on shift today.

"Hi dad" she said walking inside his house. "Andy good to see you again it's been a while. How was the trip?" he asked sitting down. "It was good a very well needed breath of fresh air" she said smiling. "How was training?" he asked. "It was good met a friend and I'm pretty sure I'll make it through just fine" she responded.

Andy sat and spoke with her dad about all of the things she did on her trip and at training. She knew that he was very proud of her based off of the smiles he was giving her and she was thankful for both them and himself. She sat around a little longer with him giving him the company that she felt was needed for him especially since she was gone for a while.

Andy soon made it back home and realized a flower vase with red roses waiting at her front door. She was a little hesitant to grab it at first but she did anyway and brought it inside. She placed it on the kitchen counter and placed her shoes by the front door.

She read the small note that was attached and she instantly smiled. She was happy to see that Robert thought about her and was just as excited for her first day of training. She placed a little more water into the vase and laid it onto the table.

Andy then went to take a shower and wash her hair in which after she changed into comfortable clothes. She then placed an order for takeout and she sat on her couch talking to Ryan on the phone.

She told him everything about her day and specifically told him not to come over because she was tired and just wanted to sleep. She soon finished talking to him and received the takeout from the door. She sat back onto her couch watching the channel that was currently playing on the screen.

After a while Andy became tired and so she cleaned everything up and made herself a cup of hot chocolate and two chocolate chip cookies and took her phone and laptop with her into her room.

She quickly placed her laptop on her bed and looked over to her clock. She knew it was about an hour earlier than usual from the time they call each other but she was too excited to tell him thank you so she decided to call him anyway and hope for the best.

"Hi gorgeous" he said smiling at her. "Hey I know it's a bit earlier than usual but I really wanted to see you" she said. "Well I just got out of the shower which means you'll still have my full attention" he responded. "Thank you for the flowers. I appreciate the thought sweetheart" she said, taking a sip of hot chocolate. "Your most welcome speaking of that expect a lot of random surprises from me" he said laughing. "How exactly did you get my address Robert?" she asked. "I'll let you think about it and trust me it wasn't too hard," he said. "You're so suspenseful" she said sighing.

They sat there like usual every night conversing about the new things they did in their day and about how much longer till they'll see each other again. Most of the time they spent it looking at each other smiling and making silly faces enjoying each other's company. They both couldn't wait until the time they would be reconnected and be together forever.

"So what happened to your wrist?" she asked, cancelling the good conversation. "Oh so you caught that" he said. "Of course you thought I wouldn't see it huh" she said laughing. "Andy it's nothing, I'm fine baby" he said trying to dull the conversation. "Tell me Robert" she demanded in a soft tone. "Fine I was in the field and I grabbed something a little too heavy so it's sprained but it's wrapped now and I'm fine" he said ensuring her he was ok. "Does it hurt,do you have medicine?" she started asking. "It only hurts with sudden movement but I'll be fine within three days" he said.

Andy decided to let the conversation go and she turned it back around happy. She talked to him about her new friend and how she was glad she was getting out there and making friends. She soon looked back to her phone and realized it was getting late so she went into the kitchen to wash the plate and cup she used and she then washed her face and brushed her teeth and decided to say goodbye to Robert.

"I'm tired now so I'm going to sleep and I know it's late over there so you should head to bed as well" she said looking at him. "Goodnight Andy" he said, blowing her a kiss. "Goodnight babe I'll text you in the morning" she said, blowing a kiss back.

She ended the call and placed her laptop on her dresser and she turned on her alarm and plugged in her phone. She then got comfortable under her comforter and soon after fell asleep.

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-THE END!-

-Thank you guys so much for reading and all of your beautiful comments!-

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