Dang It
Crew
Rosie dives back into her pool after I feed her the last of the fish from my bucket. Her diving causes some water to splash from outside the pool and onto me. This is what happens when I help the trainers feed the sea creatures twice on the same day.
Since I started my third year at UCLA, I’ve been interning at the Marbella Marine Wildlife Conservatory. Over time, it’s become one of the few places in Los Angeles County to feel like home to me.
Which is a little sad, considering that I’ve lived in Los Angeles almost my entire life.
After coming back from my field quarter, where I studied marine wildlife in Australia, I asked about returning, and they were all but happy to have me back.
My supervisor and head animal trainer, Leo Tucker—or Tuck, as he likes to be called—comes up to me as I pick up the bucket that once carried Rosie’s food from the ground with both hands.
“Crew!” He greets me, patting a hand on my shoulder. “Have you been hanging out with Rosie this entire time?”
“Have you seen her?” I ask, gesturing over to the bottlenose dolphin, who then pokes her head out of the water and trills.Perfect timing, Rosie.
“I have, and if she were a human, she’d be a part of your groupie,” he jokes. “The animal trainers here have worked with her for longer than you, and yet she’s never been as excited as she is when you’re around.”
“What can I say?” I make my way over to the storage closet, where most of the older equipment and supplies are stored, so that the janitors can clean it after the place closes. “I’m just amazing.”
The aquarium is my safe space—aside from the apartment I share with Vinny—and Rosie, the bottlenose dolphin I’ve become quite familiar with in my time here, is one of my favorites to be around.
“Why are you here, anyway?” Tuck asks, grabbing the bucket that carried Rosie’s diet of fish. “No one was expecting you until tomorrow morning.”
I shrug, following him to the storage closet. “I just wanted a break from school.”
He wrinkles his forehead. For a guy his age, he appears very bright and alive. My supervisor looks a little like Ernie Hudson in his prime. Not many people my age would know who he is, but I used to keep myself up to date with actors and their accomplishments when I was younger, not by choice, but I still did it.
“Are you sure that’s the only reason you’re here?” He questions. “Be honest.”
“I am.”
“I don’t believe you.” He swipes his key card and opens the storage closet, where it practically overflows with equipment that needs to be cleaned. Of course, he doesn’t believe me. Like everyone else, Tuck knows about my past. It’s not a secret toanyone technologically advanced enough to type words on a keyboard and use a damn search engine.
“Tuck, I have four more months until I graduate.”
“Yeah, and then you’re going to be around more often.”
I applied for an assistant position that allows me to work closer with the animals than I already do, and I’ll be working here during my gap year while I apply to grad school.
“I’ll have to force you out,” Tuck continues to joke, switching the dirty bucket out for a clean one. “Mingle with other humans your age.”
I don’t say anything as I grab some supplies and step out of the storage closet.
“Oh, that’s why you’re here,” Tuck observes. “You’re having people problems.”
Yeah, I haven’t entirely told Tuck about this situation. Even though this is technically a professional setting, I see Tuck as more of a parental figure than anything else. He’s my mentor in more ways than one.
However, how I feel about Ali Rios is something I would rather not talk about toanyone.
“I’m not havingpeopleproblems.” The lie falls out so effortlessly. It’s technically not a problem, more like a mini obstacle in the course that is my life. I’ve made it through the underage fame stage of my life, and I can get through a crush. Besides, it’ll just disappear by the time I graduate.
“Yeah. Keep telling yourself that.” He hands me the clean bucket. “Just don’t involve the animals.”
I scoff, glancing at the tank next to me. “I’ll try, but Rosie can be a little nosy. Bottlenose dolphins, remember?”
Tuck shakes his head. “See, if you talked like that in front of other people, then maybe you wouldn’t have people problems.”
