Chapter Two

Official First Day

The rest of the day dragged on forever. After the pool we had to fix deck chairs on the beach, re-patch the grass on the golf course, wash the golf carts, and pick up all the popped balloons off the hotel grounds. After all this was done, and Johnny made his final check on Baumer's list, he led us to the staff house. It was very underwhelming. It looked like it had been nice in its heyday, but now it was a decrepit three story building, with windows cracked and creaking floor boards. We walked on to the porch, where two older boys were playing a video game. Broseph walked over and bumped one of their fists.

"No-Pants, what's happenin'?" Then he jumped backwards, landing on one of the couches set up. A plume of dust flew into the air when he landed, but it didn't seem to bother him. Johnny gestured to the two boys.

"Guys, this is No-Pants Lance," he said, before sniffing the air. He smelled something foul (we all did) and waved a hand in front of his face. "And Ripper. They're returning staff."

"Which means we're, like, gods around here," said Ripper. He had a thick Australian accent. I realized he was the blue haired boy I'd seen shredding earlier when I first arrived. "And should be treated as such." Lance waved a hand.

"Don't listen to him, guys," he assured us. "He's just full of hot air." The two seniors exchanged a look, and Lance giggled.

"The fire before Labor Day rate is 42%," Ripper said. "So one of you's not going the distance." Fin grinned, and pointed to Reef.

"My money's on him," she said. Emma giggled, and I just shrugged. "You just have that 'going to get fired' look about you." She explained. Johnny quickly interrupted the petty insults.

"Okay…" he said. "Girl's dorms upstairs. Fin, you're in 202, Emma 203. Guys," he said, turning to us. "Mi casa, es su casa!" Reef and Broseph looked at him confused. I sighed.

"We're rooming with Johnny," I explained slowly. They nodded signifying that they understood. Reef, Broseph and I went to go up the stairs.

"Careful on the third step," Johnny called after us. "It's a little…" but just then Reef crashed through the step Johnny was talking about. "Busted…" Everyone else on the porch laughed heartily, but Reef didn't seem too pleased.

We pulled open the door to reveal a rather small room, especially considering that four people would be sharing it. There were two bunk beds, one that already had things on it, signifying that it was Johnny's. We all looked at each other, and at the same time screamed out "I call top bunk!" Our eyes simultaneously went wide, and we began a race for the bed. Reef got there first, but before he could get up, Broseph threw him backwards, towards me. I side stepped him, and jumped on top of Broseph, using his fluffy hair as a springboard, and landed in the bed.

"HA!" I shouted triumphantly. "It's mine!" Broseph and Reef sighed, and picked their own bottom bunks. Reef would be with Johnny, and Broseph with me. Once that was settled, the three of us unpacked our bags. We didn't bring much; just one duffel each. Soon all our stuff was organized, and we got to the last part of our unpacking; the boards. Reef did the honors first, pulling out a red hybrid, maybe eight feet long. It had the shape of a cow's skull near the front end. Broseph brought his out next, a yellow long board, probably nine and a half feet long. There were a few intricate stripes on it. Then I pulled out mine. It was a nine and three quarter foot long board, a dark shade of blue, with three orange lines going down the center.

"Sick board," we all said to each other at the same time. There was an awkward moment of silence, and Reef said, "Should we go back down?" Broseph and I nodded, and we returned to the front porch, where Johnny, Ripper and Lance were waiting. Soon after we'd arrived the girls walked down too.

"They don't clean this place much, do they?" asked Emma, just as Fin sat on the couch, another puff of dust coming off of it.

"What was your first clue?" asked Ripper sarcastically. Emma sat on the arm of the couch (the other spots being taken by Broseph and me) and sniffed the air. We all looked to Ripper, but he held up his hands. "Wasn't me." He assured us.

"These couches smell like surf wax," Emma informed us. Reef seemed impressed with her commitment to surfing.

"Wow," he said. "You really love surfing, huh?" We all did, of course, but Emma seemed like surfing was what kept her going. If surfing wasn't around, where was the good in life?

"Yes!" she declared, but then changed her answer. "I mean, I think so. I've never really tried it before." Everyone's eyes popped wide open. Calls of "what?" and "are you serious?" could be heard.

"This is a disgrace," Ripper said. "We have got to get this girl in the water, pronto!" Reef immediately stepped up, but Fin shut him down. She reminded Emma how kooky Reef was, and offered to teach her herself. Just then, however, the large PA system near the Staff House blared, and Baumer's voice came out.

"All new staff are to report to training immediately!" he commanded. Emma looked downtrodden.

"Whoa, we have to train today?" she asked half heartedly. "But I was going to learn how to surf." Reef crossed his arms over his chest.

"This stinks!"

"Get used to it mate," Ripper said. "Management owns my butt, your butt, everyone's butt." Reef shook his head.

"Nobody owns my butt!" he exclaimed.

"If I don't see your faces in twenty seconds, I'll fire the whole lot of you," Baumer's voice came through the PA system again. "This is not a vacation, and I don't tolerate slackers! Move it people, MOVE IT!" We began a full out sprint for the front door of the hotel, as Baumer began a countdown. "Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven…"

XxXxX

I looked myself up and down in the mirror in my changing room. My outfit was, for all purposes, a pirate costume. I had a red bandana, beige shirt, and heavy pirate boots. Not the best outfit, but it could be worse. I pulled back the curtain and walked out, finding Reef and Broseph also in their outfits. They were clad in purple shirts (Reef's being sleeveless) and purple shorts with gold flowers.

"Man, this is really itchy," Broseph said, as the three of us walked over to where the girls were changing. We rounded the corner, and caught sight of Emma, in what looked like a wench costume from the sixteen hundreds. Clearly the Dining Room employees were meant to be pirate-themed. Broseph and I had to hold our hands over our mouths to keep from laughing, and Reef pulled out his phone, trying to snap a pic.

"Arrrg, little wench," he said, in a pirate voice. "Fetch me some cola, or I'll make you walk the plank!" his camera flashed, and Emma chuckled.

"At least I don't look like preppy little mama's boys," she said, looking from Reef to me. I looked at Reef's outfit, then to my own, and groaned.

"She's right, you totally do!" I said. Broseph, Emma and even Baumer chuckled at this. Another curtain pulled back, and Fin walked out, wearing a pink and yellow maid's outfit. Reef laughed and pulled out his phone again.

"Do it, and you lose it," Fin growled. "This is so humiliating!" she threw her hands in the air, exasperated. Baumer paced back and forth.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said impatiently. "Life is unfair, daddy doesn't love me, blah, blah, blah." He handed out our name tags. "You are required to wear these at all times while on duty. Now pay attention! You may have heard a rumor that I have a tradition of firing one employee on the first day. That rumor is completely untrue," Everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief, but then he continued. "Sometimes it's more than one. Your performance in training today will be rated by your supervisors, so I suggest you give them your full attention. Any questions?" Reef tentatively raised a hand, but Baumer ignored it. "Good." He walked away, signifying the day had started.

XxXxX

The dining room was practically empty, aside from Emma and I, plus a few other staff members. A guy wearing a getup similar to mine walked out the silver double doors of the kitchen, carrying trays of silver ware.

"Shall we?" I asked Emma, holding the door open for her. She smiled.

"Let's," she agreed. We strolled in, confident this job couldn't nearly be that bad. We moved to the back of the kitchen, where an impatient looking girl, maybe a year older than us, was standing. She had the full pirate suit; hat, overcoat, even an eye patch.

"Listen up, Groms," she said, using it to sound derogatory. "I'm Kelly, your senior supervisor, and your boss. Do what I say, and everything will be fine between us. Don't…" she made a slicing motion across her throat with her index finger. I chuckled, but Emma inched a bit closer to me, being intimidated by the older girl.

"So what d'you want us to do, captain?" I asked, joking about her pirate outfit. She didn't seem to find it so funny.

"First, wash up," she said, pointing to a sink. "Company policy. Then, when Gavin's done setting up the plates, you'll start taking orders."

"Orders?" asked Emma. "No one's here."

"Give it a minute," said Kelly. "Now get to washing."

Emma and I walked over to the sinks, turned them on, and began washing our hands in silence. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Checking to make sure Kelly wasn't around, I quickly dried off my hands, and pulled out my phone. It was a text from my little brother, Jackson.

How're the waves, bro? It asked. I texted back quickly.

Haven't gotten a chance to ride any yet, I said. Btw, rock wall got taken down. Working the dining room. I sent it, and Emma peered at my phone.

"Who you texting?" she asked, not nosily, but just trying to pass the time.

"My little bro, Jackson," I replied. "He's stuck going through summer school back in the California."

"You're from the U.S.?" asked Emma. "Cool. I'm from Alberta." Having nowhere to go from there, I glanced back to my phone, which had just buzzed again.

Any babes? Asked Jackson. Without thinking, I glanced up at Emma, who was drying off her wet hands.

Maybe, I texted back. Too soon to tell. Emma caught me looking her direction, but smiled all the same. Just then, the door swung open, and Kelly stuck her pirate head in.

"Come on Groms," she called. "These tables aren't gonna wait themselves!" Emma and I sighed, then walked out of the large double doors.

"Okay, boy, you'll take tables three, four and five. Girl, you take nine and ten." Emma and I exchanged a glance of confusion. Kelly sighed. "You will wait these tables," Kelly told me, gesturing to three tables, two of which already had families. "And you will wait these tables." She said to Emma, showing the red head her tables. Emma and I nodded, and Kelly walked off.

"Good luck," I said to Emma, before walking off to the first table. It was a man in a suit, sitting quietly. I smiled. This would be easy. "Good morning, sir. I'm Nate, and I'll—"

"Yeah yeah, here's what I want," said the man. "Three eggs, over easy, brought promptly to me so that it doesn't cool down. Cover it with a sprinkling of pepper. A sprinkling! I would also like a side of toast. Rye. One side buttered, the other with jam. Grape, not strawberry. Do not put the jam and the butter on one side. To drink, I would like a coffee, two packets of sugar, stirred counter clockwise." I raised an eyebrow.

"Sir," I said. "You do know that there are complementary sugar packets on your table don't you?" He looked taken aback.

"Are you questioning my intelligence?" he asked, flabbergasted. "Yes, I know that there are sugar packets. I want you to stir the sugar for me, so it has time to add to the flavor before it arrives here. Now, repeat my order back to me." I blinked, somewhat blindsided.

"Um…" I said, scratching my head. I had stupidly forgot to write anything down, as I had assumed it would be a simple order. "Okay, you wanted three eggs, over easy, with some pepper—"

"A sprinkling!" he interrupted me.

"Right, a sprinkling," I said. "And rye toast, with jam and butter. Grape." I said quickly, sensing he was going to interrupt again. I smiled and began to walk away, before reading the rest of his order.

"Young man!" he called after me.

"I've got it, dude, don't worry!" I called after him. I didn't turn to see his expression.

As I walked towards the door, I saw it swing shut, and there was a loud crash. I ran over, and when I looked inside, I saw Emma, lying on the floor, surrounded by broken dishes.

"Oh no!" she cried. "Man, I bet they're gonna take this out of my paycheck." I kneeled down, and extended a hand to help her up.

"You okay?" I asked her. "No cuts or bruises?" She looked herself over, then shook her head. Suddenly, Kelly walked in.

"What happened in…" she began, then saw the dishes everywhere. "Groms!" she shouted. "Gavin, get in here!" The pirate boy from before, Gavin, walked in. "Nate, give Gavin the order that man gave you."

"Why?" asked Gavin, through a mouth surrounded by a thin beard.

"Because," Kelly said, sounding slightly like a wicked step sister. "The Groms will be cleaning up the mess Emma here made." I looked to Emma, who smiled apologetically. Kelly moved to the back of a kitchen, and got a broom and a dustpan. She shoved the broom into my hands, and gave Emma the dustpan, and the two of us set about cleaning.

"Sorry about this," Emma said, as I pushed broken dish into the dustpan. "I didn't mean to get you involved in this." I shrugged.

"It's cool, Chiquita," I said nonchalantly. "My customer was a total kook anyway. Real stuck up. Didn't want to serve him anyway." And we continued to sweep and clean Emma's first (of many) mistakes.