Stairways | A Surviving Summer FanFiction

Part 4 - Quarters

You watch Summer party, wondering how someone could be so reckless. After dancing all evening, she stands up on the balcony above the half pipe, threatening to jump off and do a 540 at the end. She climbs up onto the railing, pumping her skateboard in the air whilst people cheer below, Marlon and Bodhi included.

You watch from below as Ari comes up behind her, obviously trying to stop her from doing something stupid.

"If she wants to jump, let her jump man." Marlon calls up, and it looks like his words encourage Summer even further, but Ari quickly grabs her skateboard and she jumps down, trying to take it back.

At that moment, light floods the surf school, the sound of an engine reaching your ears and you turn to see the Gibson's car pull up in the drive way. Mrs Gibson's in the front, staring straight at Ari and Summer in anger.

The party disperses, and people rush past you, shoving and jostling to get away. You begin to panic as you lose all your friends in the chaos. Suddenly, a hand grabs you out of nowhere, clinging to your elbow and pulling you from the crowds into the trees that surround the surf school.

Your kidnapper stops when you're safely in the trees, and you take a second to catch your breath, and realise Marlon is the one pulling you.

"Marlon!" You say. He's bound to tell your mum about the party. "How did you know I was here?!"

"Did you really think I wouldn't see you, Y/n?" He sighs. "Look, let's just get home, alright?" He begins walking towards the road that leads to our street, and you follow just behind.

"You better not tell mum about this!" You call.

"Why would I do that? I was at the party too. She'd punish us both." He muttered.

"Maybe I should tell her you were there. Then neither of us will surf the Quarters." You murmur, but he hears easily.

"Look, Y/n, I'm your brother I'm meant to wind you up. I'm sorry I got you disqualified though, okay?"

"Just because you're apparently 'meant to' wind me up doesn't mean you have to." You reply.

"Well I've apologized now, so can we just get over it please? Be friends again?"

"Fine." You reply as you reach your house. "Maybe you should think about being friends with Ari again too." You say, opening the front door slowly.

He scoffs. "Never gonna happen."

"Why not?!" You ask a little too loudly and Marlon puts his finger to his lips to tell you to be quiet. You don't say another word after that.

________________

The next day, you head down to the beach for the Quarter finals rounds, glancing at the names for each heat. Marlon and Ari are together. That'll end well.

You take a seat on the beach, waiting for Poppy and Bodhi who's heats are later on in the day. But the first person who you see is Summer.

"Hey have you seen Poppy?" She asks you. "I need to ask her who her brother is so he can take me to the airport later."

"Which one?" You ask.

"Huh?"

"Poppy has two brothers. They're over there if you want them." You point towards Manu and his brother. "By the way, Summer, what happened with you and Ari last night? Did the Gibsons get mad?"

"Not so much with me as with Ari." She sighed. "Probably think he's leading me astray."

"When really it's the other way around?" You laugh.

"You bet." She smiles back, heading off in the direction of the Tetanui brothers.

Suddenly, a board slams down next to you, sending sand flying and you look up to see Ari pulling on his wetsuit.

"Woah, Ari calm down." You say, brushing sand off your clothes.

"Sorry. I'm just pumped for this heat." he says, but you can tell something's up.

"Are you okay? You look a bit...upset."

"Just my parents saying this is my last comp. This is all I wanna do and they just wanna take it away."

"Well, can you blame them? You did nearly die last year. They're just trying to protect you." You offer, but he picks up his board aggressively, getting ready to head to the sea.

"They shouldn't get to decide what's good for me. Only I know that." He states, and he runs across the sand, leaving you alone and slightly confused. Surely Ari should be able to compete if he wants to. He's right about him knowing what's good for him.