CHAPTER 8
The day started just like every other one that summer. Hannah woke up, showered, ate breakfast, and then drove to the zoo. If she didn’t think too hard, she could pretend she had a whole summer ahead of her.
But she didn’t.
It was her last day at the zoo and the second-last before she left for college. Her whole life was about to change and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it. It had crept up on her, she thought she’d have much more time to be prepared.
The biggest task she had to undertake involved Harry. She had spent the last week trying to tell him how she felt, promising to do it the next day, which always turned into the next day. Now she had run out of days.
As she went through her normal routine at the zoo, she couldn’t help but ruefully think it was the last time she would do it. The last time she would sign in, the last time she would say hello to the cockatoo and receive a friendly response, the last time the otters would make her smile.
It was all coming to an end and she felt sadness far greater than she thought she would at the beginning of summer. Over the weeks, she had become attached to the zoo. She had to keep reminding herself that college awaited her and it would be exciting too.
Hannah started with the monkeys and took a deep breath at the door to the enclosure. They hadn’t exactly volunteered to help her with the Harry situation, but they were. She had stayed up late last night to prepare for it.
The monkeys screeched as she entered with a rolled piece of canvas tucked underneath her arm. “Hi Laura, Jimmy, Peter,” she said, greeting them each in turn. The monkeys were very friendly and happy to see she’d brought them food.
She scattered the food as the monkeys scampered to claim their share. While they were busy, she secured the roll of canvas to the tree she had identified in the previous week. It was perfect for its length and the way it faced the public area.
Nerves made her hands shake as she tied the last corner. She could have walked away and left Harry in her past, never telling him how she felt about him. Maybe that was the smarter idea, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t do it.
The possibility of Harry rejecting her was very possible. In fact, she felt it was more likely than not. Yet she still had to do it, some things were worth the risk of complete and utter humiliation.
Alicia went past the enclosure, giving Hannah a thumbs up. She was the only one who knew of her plan and knew today was the day she was going to do it. There wouldn’t be another chance, it was either today or never.
“I guess it’s time,” Hannah said to the monkeys as they came to climb on the tree. They looked at her, knowing she was saying something important, but unable to speak the same language.
Hannah pulled out her walkie-talkie and clicked the button. “Harry, please report to the capuchin monkey enclosure as soon as possible.” Waiting for the response was painful, it seemed to stretch out for a very long time.
“On my way,” Harry said, his voice crackling with static. She didn’t know where in the zoo he was, so it could take him any amount of time to arrive.
What Hannah did know was that Harry would have to walk past the visitors’ viewing area of the enclosure before coming around to the staff only area. She hoped to stop him there before he could go any further.
She stood as still as a statue as she watched the viewing area. The monkeys seemed to watch too, although they probably didn’t know exactly what they were waiting for. Hannah’s breathing was coming quick and fast as she prayed everything went as she hoped it would and not how she feared it would.
There were about a dozen members of the public watching on, completely unaware that the zoo intern was about to put her heart on the line. They had no idea how important the next few moments were going to be.
Finally, she spotted Harry and quickly spoke into the walkie-talkie. “Harry, please stop at the viewing area.”
She saw Harry hear the message and stop, wandering to the front of the platform. His expression was a picture of confusion as he peered down at Hannah.
“It’s show time,” she said to the monkeys. While she pulled on one of the ties holding the canvas rolled up, the monkeys grabbed the others and pulled. Together, they untied the roll so the sign could fall open and reveal the message Hannah wanted to tell Harry:
I love you and I always will. Please be mine.
It was simple and to the point, exactly what Hannah couldn’t physically say to Harry. Her heart thrummed in her ears as everything seemed to stop around her. Her palms were sweating as she worried she had made a huge mistake. At least her humiliation would only last a day, just to the end of her shift.
And maybe to the interns’ party later on.
It was impossible to read Harry’s reaction from down in the enclosure. He seemed to be giving nothing away, even though the visitors around him were smiling. Did he think she was a fool? Did he feel sorry for her, having unreciprocated feelings for him?
So many things flashed through her mind yet she still couldn’t move. Her feet were firmly planted in place while her thoughts were starting to tell her to run away.
Doubts infiltrated her mind, covering it with stories about it being a very bad idea. Harry had told her he wanted to just be friends, why hadn’t she accepted that? Why did she think she could change his mind? All she was doing was being silly, in front of a dozen people – and the monkeys.
It felt like every second lasted an hour while she stood there. She thought her heart had broken when Harry said the whole friends speech, but now it was breaking even further. She hadn’t thought that was possible.
His message was loud and clear, even though it was silent. Hannah understood what he wasn’t saying. Harry was a nice guy, he would be thinking how to let her down gently. She didn’t want to hear that speech, especially if it started with ‘I think we should be friends’.
She watched Harry bring his walkie-talkie to his mouth. She was unable to breathe while she waited for his words to come through her speaker.
CHAPTER 9
“I love you too,” Harry said.
Hannah wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly. She waited for the rest of the comment, the but that would follow it. Like ‘but I think we should be friends’ or ‘but we’re going to college’ and a plethora of other equally as painful remarks.
But it never came.
Harry let his arm drop back down to his side as his feet started moving. He left the public viewing area and continued on toward the staff only door. Hannah still couldn’t move, neither did the monkeys. They were watching the door too, knowing Harry was only moments away from coming through it.
The door opened and he emerged into the enclosure. He strode right up to Hannah and kissed her like he had been waiting all summer for that single moment.
Hannah let herself melt into his hold while the monkey screeched their approval. Even the public were cheering from the viewing area. Every one of the witnesses – both animals and human alike – were revelling in the happiness of the moment.
When Harry released her lips, they couldn’t stop smiling. “I didn’t know how to tell you before,” she said.
“This is perfect. I just wish we hadn’t wasted a whole summer getting to this moment,” Harry replied. “We could have had hundreds of kisses.”
“I know. But we’ve got a lifetime to make up for it.”
Harry gave her another bone-crushing hug. “We do. What’s one summer in the space of a lifetime?”
“We’re going to different colleges…” Hannah said, addressing the one thing she couldn’t change. She wanted it out there and open, lest he get caught up in the moment.
“We’ll make it work. We can still see each other every weekend, and we’re not going to be very far from one another. I’ll do anything to be with you, Hannah.”
“Me too. You’ve always been the one for me.”
“I’m glad you feel the same way.”
“So
you don’t want to be just friends?” Hannah laughed out the words, never wanting to hear the expression again.
“I never wanted to be just friends,” Harry confessed. “I thought that’s what you were going to say. I thought it would be less painful if I said it first.”
Hannah shook her head. “Let’s not be just friends ever again.”
“Deal.”
They embraced while everyone cheered and clapped. The monkeys thought it was incredibly entertaining and laughed all the time they were in the enclosure with them.
Hannah’s walkie-talkie crackled. “What did he say?” Alicia asked.
She looked at Harry for confirmation before replying. “He said he loves me too.”
A shriek of joy came back from the speaker, making them both laugh. They still had their last shift to finish, but they made plans to hang out afterwards at the interns’ wrap party. They would make bigger plans tomorrow.
At the end of the day, all the interns were called into a meeting – those that weren’t rostered on too. They all crowded into the administration office, waiting to hear what the head of the intern program had to say.
Dr. Johnson was five minutes late, he breezed in like he owned the place. All the interns waited, holding their breaths while waiting to hear whatever he was going to announce.
“Thank you for attending,” Dr. Johnson started. “Thank you also for the work you have undertaken here this summer. We wouldn’t have been able to run the zoo to such a high standard without each of you.”
Hannah felt immensely proud of herself for everything she had done at the zoo. She came there to learn, but she had worked incredibly hard too doing the mundane tasks that helped the zoo function.
“When I came into this role after taking over from Dr. Barry, I didn’t have a high expectation of any of you. You’re inexperienced, young, and untrained. I expected to have to clean up your messes and that you would only add to my headaches.”
The interns all exchanged offended glances. They didn’t like the direction the speech was going in.
Undeterred and oblivious, Dr. Johnson continued. “What I didn’t realize was that Dr. Barry had trained you all to a level rarely seen in interns. I stepped into an intern program that was productive, functional, and excessively good. You surprised me, each and every one of you.”
Hannah breathed a sigh of relief as Harry squeezed her hand. Alicia gave her a smile on the other side of her. Their summer hadn’t been wasted, they’d contributed to the zoo in ways that impressed even the head vet.
“As you know, all the enclosure projects burned in the fire. The competition for the sole recommendation is officially off. There is no time to run another one.”
Grumbles ran through the interns. No competition meant nobody was receiving the recommendation that would launch their career. The mood in the room swiftly changed from hopeful to annoyed with just a few words.
Dr. Johnson waved his hands at them, asking for calm and quiet. “I have observed you all over these last two weeks. I have watched, listened, and paid attention to each and every one of you. It has caused me to come to just one conclusion.”
They all went silent while waiting. It was agonizing as he let the seconds stretch out.
“Every one of you has impressed me, and I’m sure Dr. Barry would be proud of your commitment and hard work. For this reason, I have decided to give you all recommendations. You have earned them and you deserve them. Go into the world and put them to good use.” He had to pause until the whoops of joy calmed down. “Thank you, from all the animals and staff of the Mapleton Regional Zoo.”
The interns burst into a round of applause as they were officially dismissed from their duties and the intern program. They all had successfully graduated.
CHAPTER 10
Veronica was waiting in the car, her hand poised over the horn. If Hannah didn’t hurry, she was going to let her impatience be known. She was keen to get to college to set up their dorm room and they had quite a drive ahead of them.
“Are you sure you’ve got everything?” Coco asked as Hannah placed the last bag into the trunk of the car. Billy was in her arms, being cradled tightly because she wasn’t letting him go too.
“I think so. I can always pick up anything I forget when I visit.”
“You’d better visit, a lot.”
“I will.” Hannah gave her another hug, tears stinging her eyes. She told herself she wasn’t going to cry, that she would see her mother again soon, but they were stubbornly wetting her eyes anyway. “You can come to the campus and visit me too. Plus, there’s always the phone. We will talk all the time.”
“And you’ll study hard so you can be the best vet you can be,” Coco reminded her. She knew how important Hannah’s dream was to her. College was only the first step.
“I will. Look after Billy for me.”
“Oh, he’s going to get so spoilt.”
“He already is.”
Honk.
“I guess we should say goodbye,” Coco said reluctantly. The moment she had dreaded for eighteen years was upon them. “I’m so proud of you, baby girl. If you need anything just call. I can be there as quickly as I can drive.”
“I know, and thank you. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, my precious girl.”
They shared a final hug before Hannah slipped into the car. She took one last look at the home she’d lived in for most of her life. It was still scary going off to college, but the excitement was starting to take over.
Life was full of adventures and this was the start of another one. It wasn’t an ending, but a beginning.
She went confidently into the world, determined to do great things. At the heart of everything was the animals, they were the reason she was placed on earth and given the skills she had. At least, that’s how she felt. It would always be about the animals, no matter what else happened in life.
And succeed, she would indeed.
Continue on with the Hairy Tail Series:
A Hairy Tail
A Hairy Tail 2
A Hairy Tail 3
A Hairy Tail 4
The Complete Hairy Tail Collection (First Four Books – Save money!)
Another Hairy Tail 1
Another Hairy Tail 2
Another Hairy Tail 3
Another Hairy Tail 4
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Jamie Campbell grew up in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie as the youngest of six children. She now resides on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Writing since she could hold a pencil, Jamie’s passion for storytelling and wild imagination were often a cause for concern with her school teachers. Now that imagination is used for good instead of mischief.
Visit www.jamiecampbell.com.au now for exclusive website only content and free downloads.
Also by the Author:
A Hairy Tail
Fairy Tales Retold
All The Pretty Ghosts
Ashes to Ashes
A World Without Angels
Angel’s Uprising
Gifted
Fashion Fraud
Liar
Love Songs
The Project Integrate Series
Dark Eyes: Cursed
Songbird
The Star Kissed Series
Through a Tangled Woods
Trouble
Two Beating Hearts
Copyright © 2016 Jamie Campbell
Smashwords Edition
Jamie Campbell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.
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