Stairways | A Surviving Summer FanFiction

Part 2 - Disqualified

You run in from the shore, feeling elated as you hear your final score for that last wave. You come second to Sheridon, but that means you're through to the Quarters.

Manu still doesn't look very happy though.

"Y/n!" He calls. "A word please?"

Oh crap, you think as you run up the beach to where you coach stands, arms folded and frowning.

"What was that? I told you you're not ready for comps."

"But, Manu I came second, and only to Sheridon-" you start, but he puts his hand up to silence you.

"You disobeyed me, Y/n. So you're not surfing in the Quarters."

"What?!" You reply incredulously, about to retaliate, but your eyes catch on Marlon smirking in your peripheral.

You march up to him purposefully, dropping your board and shoving him only lightly, but he stumbles backwards.

"Oh my god, Y/n, what have I done? Not my fault you-" he starts, still smirking.

"Keep laughing. Ari will beat you next round and you won't even make it to the semis." You snap.

"Well you're not even surfing in the quarters, so I guess I win."

"I will if I can convince Manu. Maybe I can get Poppy to-"

"Y/n!" Manu calls, walking over, flanked by two judges.

"Good luck convincing Manu when you're disqualified." Marlon brushes past you, an innocent smile on his face as he passes the judges, who stare coldly in your direction.

___________

"Disqualified." You say defeatedly, aggressively yanking your wetsuit off and practically throwing your board in Bodhi's van. "What did I even do?"

"Well, you did shove Marlon." Poppy replied. "And pretty much the whole beach saw."

"Not helping, Pops." Bodhi whispers.

"I didn't even push him that hard! He overreacted. Like always." You say, pulling on a summer dress over your bikini.

"Well, Manu wouldn't have let you surf anyway, so it's not really a big deal. Just let it go." Bodhi says, shrugging.

You sigh, knowing she's right and you're probably just overreacting. You make a mental note never to let your anger at Manu come between you and Marlon again. You know it wasn't really him you wanted to shove. But then you think of his face, smirking and smiling wryly, and all the anger comes flooding back.

"Congrats on your heat by the way." You tell the girls, who smile.

"Thanks, but I'm going against Poppy and Sheridon next round. I'm preparing myself for failure." Bodhi laughs.

"Come on, Bods you know you can beat me." Poppy replies. "I-" she starts, but is interrupted by a girl with blue streaks through her hair and a heavy American accent. You sigh.

"Hey! Poppy is your brother still good to give me a lift to the airport?" She says, removing her headphones to hear Poppy's response.

"Err, yeah he should be." She looks around and finds her brother in the crowd. "Hey! Can you give Summer a ride to the airport?"

"Sure." He replies casually. "If she's ready to go by three."

"Yep, you're good." Poppy smiles.

"Where are you flying to?" You ask this new girl, Summer. She seems to remember you from earlier. "Didn't you only just arrive?"

"Yep, and more time I spend here talking to you is more time I'm not in New York, so..." she smiles awkwardly, heading in the direction of Reception Point.

As much as that statement was extremely backhanded, you can tell Summer didn't fully mean it. She sounded more...homesick. And you knew more about that than anyone.

______________

Bodhi drops you home that evening. She pulls up outside your house and you quickly grab your board and wetsuit from the back of the van.

"Remember: party later at Poppy's!" Bodhi calls as she drives away, and you wave back weakly, feeling too drained for a party.

As you enter the house, your mum must hear the door, for she hurries out the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Y/n! Marlon told me you were disqualified. What happened?" She snaps. You know that she's not angry you won't be surfing, she's angry that you'd obviously done something to get yourself in trouble. "I thought you were meant to be keeping your head down. Focusing on school and surfing."

"Surfing's why I got disqualified! Manu was mad because I surfed when he said I shouldn't, and then I saw Marlon laughing and I just got mad!"

"So you let your fists do the talking? Is that how I raised you?" She snapped.

"It wasn't my fists I just pushed him!"

"And you think that's okay?

"You haven't seen the way he is at comps. He's so patronizing it makes me insane!" You exclaim.

"Doesn't matter. Violence is never the answer. You're grounded." She said coldly, making her way back to the kitchen. You dump your stuff in the hallway and run up the stairs to your room.  Once you're there, you start pulling out an outfit for the party.