Seasons

Chapter 5 - Into the Water

School flew by in a blur that day. Faces passed before mine, both smiling and glaring, and a million names flew past my ears. By the time the final bell pierced the air, my eyes were drooping and my bag was dragging on the floor.

My orientation was over lunch break, and was lead by a bubbly senior who had pigtails and a badge that yelled in red her position on the school council. However every hall looked the same with the dented metal lockers, out dated posters and throngs of jostling teenagers.

"Well that was great," said Rikki sarcastically, twisting the combination into her locker, pulling open and shoving her books in, slamming it quickly shut as to avoid the avalanche of paper inside. She grinned nervously and turned to face me. "Where are you heading now?"

"Home probably," I replied, "but I might check out the beach later."

"Do you want to come with me?" Rikki asked and I nodded, "Emily?"

She looked up from her phone and groaned,"Can't sorry, my mum said I had to be back home for tutoring."

Rikki gave a stifled laugh, "Is she crazy? You're already the top of the class!"

"I'm pretty sure she is actually," Emily rolled her eyes, "but I should probably get going before she throws a tantrum." She leant in to give me and Rikki a quick hug each and I was washed by her cinnamon scent, "see you tomorrow."

"Bye," I said, waving my fingers gently as she turned her back and started to walk away, head bent over her phone again.

"Well then," said Rikki, turning to face me and leaning a shoulder against the lockers, "surfing?"

I pulled my skateboard out of my locker and closed it, grinning back at her, "I would love to."

We both turned and walked down the halls, through the labyrinth of the school, past walls lined with countless lockers and garish flyers taped to every available surface, flapping every time someone passed.

Rikki offered to lend me her spare board until I managed to buy my own as I couldn't bring my old one from England over. Since we lived just outside of Devon, Maddie often took me down to the beach to stay in her cottage for the weekend and we had multiple surfing lessons. Since I went so frequently, my 14th birthday present was a brand new surfboard. This got battered by the waves for and year and a bit until we had to move and I reluctantly left it behind.

We turned a corner into the sunlight and out of the doors. I shaded my eyes against the harsh light and nearly tripped down the stairs, struggling against the swarms of high schoolers until we reached the car park.

"Want a ride?" Called Rikki from up ahead, her hand already on the handle of a tiny Fiat.

I laughed, "This is yours?"

Rikki scowled and said, "Don't laugh, my parents would only pay half and this is all I could afford." She continued in answer to my surprised expression, "oh right, English. We can get our license here when you're fifteen and a half, so most people can drive here, except Emily who's totally taking advantage of my taxi service."

I continued to stare, mouth open.

"Jump in idiot," she called, laughing.

I jogged over to the other door, uncertain of the switched sides due to the American system.

"I'm just going to swing past mine to grab a bikini then we can go to yours. The boards are already at the beach" she mumbled through the arm of her sunglasses in her mouth as she rummaged for her keys. She found them and started up the car, slowly rolling it out from between the vehicles either side, honking at the kids wandering in front of us.