Episode 6550

Extended Summary

A sheepish and distracted Zac returns home to Leah, who heaps him with praise for handing his book in. The next morning at the Diner, She fills in Roo and Marilyn about how Zac has submitted his draft and their mutual excitement fills the diner as John calls them hypocrites – last week they wanted to hang him, but As Leah notes, that’s only because it seemed like he was sneaking around on her. Now she knows better. Returning home Leah finds Zac working. She is eager for any news he remains cagy as Sam arrives at the door – Perhaps Leah can hear it straight from the horse’s mouth? – But Sam wishes to speak with Zac in private. Zac makes it very clear he would not cheat on Leah and that last night Sam made it sound like she was blackmailing him, that it would further his chances if they slept together. Sam denies this before giving the news the publishers are going to pass on the book and there’s no changes he can make to fix it. Furthermore she’s been moved to a new project. Zac questions that this should happen just as he rejects her advances just as Leah walks in to hear the whole thing. With Sam gone, Zac protests his innocence which Leah accepts, but what happens now with the book? Leah offers to read it and give her second opinion but on returning home Leah struggles to hide the fact she’s not enjoying the book – It’s not that she doesn’t like his writing, it just reads like it’s a first attempt and he shouldn’t take it as hard as he is. A disappointed Zac is quick to want to toss the manuscript but Leah reassures him there are other publishers, you can’t give up after the one rejection. But Zac is happy to put the literature aspirations aside for the moment to focus on Leah and Hunter.

At the caravan park Hunter is cramming for his bronze medallion as Olivia arrives full of confidence an support in Hunter but once down at the beach, John is giving Hunter a very hard test and acting uncharacteristically tough. In fact,
John doesn’t think Hunter is up to the task and he calls it a day, leaving a failed Hunter feeling miserable as Olivia arrives eager to celebrate Summer Bay’s newest lifeguard. But Hunter turns on her – he can’t live up to her high standards. It catches Olivia totally off guard. As he leaves, he knocks John’s walkie talkie over. John demands he pick it up, so Hunter does, before smashing it back onto the ground. A disheartened Zac fresh from a phone debrief with his publisher finds an equally disheartened Hunter in the Diner. But Zac’s advice isn’t exactly what Hunter wants to hear, suggesting Hunter rediscover his own path. Olivia is sure of what she wants, Hunter needs to be too. Meanwhile, at Salt, Irene comes to the rescue of a saddened Olivia. But like Hunter, rather than a shoulder to cry on, Olivia finds only tough love from Irene who says the couple have been fighting since they laid eyes on each other. If she’s truly happy, then great, but if not, it’s time to let go and move on. Hunter is emptying his caravan of his school books, done with that part of his life as he apologises to Olivia, its been so crazy lately. Olivia agrees, in fact, she’s not happy and thinks they should take a break. It blindsides Hunter, this isn’t what he was expecting but they both agree that if it’s meant to be, they’ll find each other again. As Olivia finds Irene and tears up, Marilyn tells John he was too hard on Hunter and for him to go and apologise. When John finds a heartbroken Hunter begin to burn a picture of he and Olivia, but embarrassed, he puts it out. John attempts to apologise but his recent ill-temper gets the best of him, getting physical with Hunter, grabbing him by the scruff of his jumper. Hunter breaks lose and leaves as an angry John shouts after him, goading the boy to return. Hunter finds a quiet swing in the caravan park alone, as we see an image of Olivia burns, among his books near a gas bottle…