surfs up!

chapter one: first stop, giant wave!

salty air blew across the ocean, slapping against the constant ripple of waves. gawking seagulls croaked out their loud tunes, a harsh contrast to the tranquility i felt in that exact moment. paddling farther out to sea, my long blonde hair shining against the bright cherry red of my lifeguarding uniform.

the current below my orange surfboard got more and more impatient, and in turn me getting more and more restless. the colliding waves danced in front of my olive colored eyes, standing up on my board to meet their inviting stature. and then, the moment came.

i moved like a well oiled machine; i didn't think twice about what to do or when to do it. i just surfed, like i've been doing all my life. surfing ran through my veins just as much as blood did. i was content with spending the rest of my life right there, surrounded by the ocean.

and for the most part, that's exactly what i did. i live in miami, my family owns a beach house not far from where i was. i work as the head lifeguard at giant wave beach, the private beach home to all my surfing exploits. this is where my family, my friends, and the sea was - and that was perfect enough for me.

i swam back to the shore, completely soaked yet grinning from ear to ear. it was still early in the morning, maybe 2 hours before the beach actually opened, but i was expecting someone to be waiting by the bathrooms for me.

life working at giant wave got to be repetitive in some ways. i always knew that the ice cream machine will only work for a few hours before it broke down, customers are always going to complain about how much it cost to rent out beach towels, and that there will always be hookups behind pink rock. and just like that, i knew that courtney satella - my best friend and coworker - will always arrive to work extra early.

i rounded the corner, my board tucked underneath one arm, keeping my eyes out for courtney. it wasn't until i saw a familiar head of brown hair that i knew courtney was there, just like clock work. "courtney!" i sang towards the brunette who turned towards me with a smug smile. "bridgette! what a surprise to see you here!" rolling my eyes, i leaned in for a hug. i suppose i wasn't exactly spontaneous with my early surfing either. i began digging through my bag, swapping my wet uniform for a pair of jean shorts and a hoodie.

"how was it?" courtney leaned against the paint chipped wall, her dark sweatpants a stark contrast against the white of the deck. i felt my grin from earlier quickly creeping back onto my face. "it was perfect. i don't think i will ever get tired of waking up and surfing." "i know that i'll get tired of being here soon enough though," courtney muttered. "oh, well in that case, do you want to head to the coffee place before our shift starts?" i feigned innocence while asking, a poor attempt to hide the true meaning behind my request. "is this because you can't drive or because you want to see geoff?"

big coffee was where most awake teenagers go before heading to work in the mornings, or in this case where most of my lifeguarding team hangs out before their shift starts. seeing right through me as always, courtney grabbed her keys from the counter and started off towards the employee parking lot.

geoff was one of my many coworkers, and probably the one i spent the most time with alongside courtney. he was tall, had long blonde hair, and always wore a cowboy hat and a smile. i might have a small crush on him, but honestly, so does everyone else! ironically, geoff is infamous for treating literally everyone he meets like the most important person in the world.

courtney had a white minivan, which she drove like a mom wherever she went. her car was usually the only one in the small lot, but today it sat next to black beetle; meaning gwen was here.

gwen was one of giant waves' greatest mysteries. she worked at a beach during the summer, but remained paler than ever. no one knew why she chose to work at giant wave of all places, especially since malibu has such a wild variety of jobs to offer her. she was more reserved and introverted than my usual crowd, but she's rebellious and has a crazy wild side that makes her a great addition to the team. still, it was odd seeing her here so early.