Me The Ocean And My Board

6. Weak Bladdared Friends

*TW This chapter contains abuse*

The school is such a maze, I'm lost throughout the halls and it's halfway through second period. A door opens down the hall and a thin girl with red and black hair sweeps out of the classroom. I attempt to hide behind one of the lockers but she sees me and slowly pads over to me. She's definitely in at least one of my classes.

"Olivia Anderson?" Her voice is sweet and high. My head nods and she sighs. "What are you doing? You should be in class."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" I say, staring at my feet from embarrassment.

"Kendal. Kendal Rightenhouse. Also, you're new friend and savior." I cock and eyebrow and she laughs.

"Well Kendal, how are you going to save me exactly?"

"You're in my class right now, but I just asked to use the bathroom." I nod slightly.

"Hm and how is your weak bladder supposed to help me exactly?" She giggles and rolls her eyes.

"I go to the bathroom and hear someone in there. You are bent over a toilet vomiting your guts out and that's where you've been all period. You didn't feel good and once you found a bathroom you got sick. Noticing how long you were gone you stayed." This girl is brilliant.

"Wow, aren't you just a smart cookie." She laughs and then drags me to the bathroon.

She gives me a makeup bag and tells me to make it look like I'm sick. I follow and when I'm done I look horrendous.

"Perfect!" She exclaims and pats me on the back. "Now just act the part." I nod and she takes me to class.

"Kendal I was about to call the office." Mrs. Burkley exclaims not noticing a sick me. Kendal drags me up towards her.

"Miss, I found Olivia." Mrs. Burkley eyes me through her glasses and scoffs.

"And where was Miss Anderson?"

"Well I saw her in the bathroom, throwing up in the toilet." She nods and then her eyes travel to mine.

"Are you okay dear or do you need to go home?" I can hear Hayden chuckling in the background, making my blood boil slightly.

"I think it was just something I ate." I make my voice slurred and I hold my stomach.

"Hm, alright. I still want to send you to the nurse. Kendal can you take her?" Kendal nods and leads me out the door. Once we get far enough away from the class she reaches her hand over for a high five. Reluctantly, my hand smacks hers and she's smiling.

"Great work!" I laugh and then we round a corner into another hall.

"So how long have you been here?"

"My whole life." She smiles, the lobby coming into sight. "I'll wait out here."

The nurse takes my temperature and other sorts of 'tests' to see if I'm truly okay. After five or so minutes I get sent out to finish my day, now with my new friend.

***

Friday afternoon comes around sooner than I would've thought and the drama died down around Wednesday. Jack agreed to teach me how to surfboard, so now I'm standing next to him showing me how to balance and proper footing.

"Oh come on already. I just wanna surf." I beg and he rolls his eyes.

"I'm not about to send you out onto the water with a chance you might drown."

"I won't drown, I know how to swim."

"Not out there you don't. The waves can be brutal."

"That's why you teach me now when they aren't."

He slams the board onto the sand and stares at me. "Fine." He hands me a different board and he starts walking towards the water.

"Well you can't expect me to know how to do everything. You still have to help." He laughs and continues walking.

"Hey, you're the one who wants to surf. Just follow what I do." I follow. Balancing isn't as hard as he made it to sound like, we're now a couple hundred feet from the shore, rocking over waves.

"This isn't that hard." I state and he glares at me.

"It took me three weeks to learn how to do that and you come out here and do it in an hour. What the fuck."

"I guess I'm just good at everything I do." I boast and he laughs. He's sitting on his board next to me, watching the horizon. The sun is slowly setting and the waves fold over and over in front of us.

"The water is calm today." I nod and then try to turn around. I fail miserably and nearly fall of my board but Jack's hand is holding me up. "Yea were gonna need to work on that." We both laugh and he helps me turn around, then we paddle back to shore, a chill throughout the air.

"Race you to the house?" He laughs and lines his foot up with mine.

"You wish." We dart up the trail, Jack slightly in front of me. I reach my hand out and grip his arm, pulling him back putting me in the lead.

I start laughing, dodging his grasps. "Too slow." My voice comes out in raps from me being out of breath. I just barely win the race and we're both bent over catching our breat.

"Cheater." I shake my head and shrug.

"Eh you do what you gotta do." We both laugh, heading inside for the night.

The next few weeks are full of training and practicing. Nearly everyday after school me and Jack are out on the water, him teaching me simple tricks and me following, perfecting them every time. On the weekends I hang out at Kendal's house or her at mine. She's my best friend and I'm proud to call her that. I've spent the past few weeks with Kendal and Jack. Hayden Shortt has basically disappeared and he doesn't talk to me anymore. Can't say I'm not glad because he is the biggest jerk I've ever met. Even worse than my good for nothing dad. My dad beat me and my mother and then continued to kill her. That's how all of this started, where I began before the Anderson's. I'm traumatized from it but I deal with it.

The sun's setting once again, marking the end of training. Now I can surf better than Jack and I make sure to rub it in his face whenever I get the chance. Tonight is no different.

"So, Jack. How does it feel that your little sister is better than you?" I tease and he pushes me to the side playfully.

"Eh I've never been into surfing anyways." I roll my eyes at him.

"Most pathetic excuse I've ever heard." I tease again and he rubs an elbow into my side.

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