Surf's Up

Chapter 7

After wiping the horror of the knowledge that Jerk-Face heard my every complaint about him to Justin, I reach the waves and Dylan with his eyes closed basking in the sun. I throw the wax at his stomach and he makes a winded noise yet still catching it.

"You ready?" He smirks at me and a worry arises in my stomach.

"It's impossible!" I say in utter defeat after being thrown around my the waves for more than an hour. "I hate surfing." I murmur.

"Hey no whining remember." Dylan winks whilst holding the board I'm sat on steady. The sun is up in the middle of the sky so I lay back on the board and take in some sun. I tell Dylan I'm just gonna use the board as a sunbathing tool, as it's a lot more effective this way. He scoffs.

Before I know it I'm back in the water and the board's been whipped out from under me.

"Jesus Dylan!" I scream when I manage to stop myself from drowning. He splashes the water at me and a start to laugh splashing him back.

Within minutes we're worn out and I'm back on the board giving it another shot. I know all I have to do is get on my knees and some gravity defying way make it to my feet, even just on a small wave. Determined I try again. And again. And again. Until finally I manage to stand. For a second granted, but it's still a massive achievement that I will accept. Smiling giddily I run through the water to Dylan who's sitting on a rock up the beach clapping at me.

"I did it!" I scream running into a hug.

"Next pro surfer: I swear I can see you up on that podium!" He laughs at my excitement.

Returning home I collapse into bed with a will to sleep for a thousand years. My arms ache, my legs ache, my head aches, my whole being aches and I'm supposed to be up tomorrow to face Noah. Oh god, give me strength.

Just as I'm ready to sleep Finn shoves my door open and glides into my room with a grin similar of the Joker's.

"Date went well then?" I asked smirking. He sighed as if a weight was being pulled of his shoulders.

"She's wonderful Em. I could stare into those beautiful brown eyes for years, I'm telling you. And that ass." he adds.

"Oh god, okay enough. I thought you were actually going to be romantic for once." She laughed at him, throwing a pillow in his direction. He catches it and throws it right back.

"Me? Romantic? Not even Melissa could do that to me." He says holding his head high as if it were something to be proud of. "Now you better be in this evening, she's coming to meet the fam, and she'll need support from you if she's going to handle mom and dad at the same time..." He's right, they can be... intense. "And Casey's coming, without James." I throw my hand over my gasping mouth.

"Without, Jake?" I say purposefully dramatically whilst shooting up to a sitting position.

"You know it. The World's gone mad I'm telling you sis. We've gotta make it out while we can!" He shouts throwing my pillows into a rucksack I have leaning against a door. I laugh throwing another at his head and telling him to pack that one.

"Now we gotta lay low so nobody finds out our plans, stay safe." He winks pointing his finger at me and slams my door behind him. As much as he drives me up the wall, I love my brother. There's something about having a twin that's hard to explain to anyone that doesn't have one. He's my best friend who I mindlessly hate half the time. It's complicated.

I wake to a pain ten times worse than the night previous. Checking the clock to my right I see that I'm running late, so I hop in the shower, get dressed, grab breakfast and sprint out the door all under the space of ten minutes. Pushing my Ray-Bans so they're keeping my hair out of my face I open the door into the Surf Shack to find an empty room.

"Hello?" I shout to see if anyone's in. Noah pokes his head round the corner. His eyebrows drop into a frown and his head goes back round the corner.

"Pleasure to see you too." I shout ironically.

"Sorry, should I be bowing your highness?" He spits as he storms back round the corner.

"Well it'd be a nice change." I hum back.

"God you're so full of it you know that?" How dare he. I turn with a face of disgust. What happened to the nervous Noah I thought I liked. What crawled up his ass and died?

"What's gotten into you?" I ask accusingly crossing my arms.

"A sense of realisation Princess." he says bitingly. Ugh he drives me mad. Who does he think he is? I ignore him and storm over to the till fuming. What happened to the boy that asked me to dinner just a few nights ago.

I keep myself busy on the till and if there are no customers in the store I rearrange stands or do anything that keeps me on the shop floor knowing that Jerk-Face is doing the same in the stock room. Deciding to take a lunch break I write a note and slip it under the door: going for lunch, want anything? sour cream? My poor attempt at light humour is answered by the door being swung open by a furious Noah who storms past me to the shop floor. Alright then.

"Hey." I shout following him out. "What the hell have I done to deserve this? I've been nothing but pleasant to you and you're just a... a complete jerk."

"Yeah," he scoffs, "nothing but pleasant to my face."

"What's that supposed to mea-"

"It means nothing. Go for lunch." He cuts me off. I turn on my heels muttering fine and slam the door behind me.

Heatedly I storm down the beach to a hut that serves the best sandwiches. Trying to calm down I order a water and a sandwich. I take a seat on the sand and open my water.

That boy. That damn boy. If he were even half a decent human being I could seriously see myself falling for him. But I can't stand to be in a room with him for more than a couple hours. I watch the people on the beach sunbathing, swimming and surfing. Some are couples, in fact, quite a lot are couples, there are many families and those who have just come here to hang out. I'm jealous to quite plainly put it. I don't want to spend my summer working. I want to spend it with my girls hitting up every party and every beach. But they're not here.

After about ten minutes I feel guilty and start to head back to the Surf Shack. Opening the door I find several teen girls swooning over Jerk-Face. It's pathetic. I glance over to him, he loves it. The girls laugh at ever other word that leaves his mouth and one even places her hand on his bicep whilst she throws her head back in laughter. What could possibly be so hilarious about a damn surfboard. Nothing that's what. It's so obvious, I roll my eyes accidentally catching a glare from one of the petite girls surrounding Noah.

Bet she wishes she was in my shoes, spending all day with Noah, oh how naïve. I'd gladly let her take my place for a day.

Once they leave having bought absolutely nothing he saunters over to me.

"Jealous?" He smirks.

"W... what? over what?" I manage to stutter out knotting my eyebrows together.

"I see you stare Princess." And with that he disappeared back into the stock room. One minute he hates me, the next he does this. It's killing me I swear. Does he find it fun? Is this all a game to him? I shake it off and get back to work.