Surviving the Surfer// Bax Radic x OC

Chapter 6

I wrestle my way out of Poppy's grip once she drags me to where the other girls are waiting in the bathroom.

"What was that for?"

"The element of surprise." Summer grins fiendishly, grabbing the box of hair dye out of my hands and plunking it onto the counter to be unwrapped.

"So hair, what exactly are we doing to your hair?" Bohdi leans over the counter, using her long reach to drag my hair out of its loose braid and sending the red layers tumbling over my shoulders.

"Nothing too crazy please," I defend, running through the wild ideas they might have in my head and wishing that this impulsive decision didn't end up getting too far out of hand.

"Do you want something like mine?" Summer gestures to her mostly hidden green streaks underneath her windswept curls. "Or maybe more like Poppy's highlights?"

I glance over at Poppy, who beams enthusiastically at me.

"I don't know how my hair will take to that, it's pretty dark you guys."

"What about your bangs?" Bohdi questions thoughtfully, searching for something on her phone before showing it to me. The girl in the photo had deep red hair like mine, but few strands of her hair were dyed a bright bubblegum pink.

"I really like that." I nod, opening the box of dye and dumping out the contents on the counter.

The next few hours are spent bleaching and dyeing my hair, our group hangout only being interrupted twice by the overly-nosy boys in the living room, who were quickly chased out of the bathroom both times. I didn't understand the secrecy, nor did I understand why I wasn't allowed to face the mirror, but after 10 minutes of sulking I relaxed and just allowed it to happen.

"Okay I think...we're done." Bodhi sticks her tongue out as she finishes drying the last strand of my hair.

"Am I allowed to look now?" I ask carefully, almost nervous to see what they had done. The three girls nod, bright smiles breaking over their faces. I turn around, and my jaw drops. They had replicated the picture perfectly, the first few strands of my hair had been lightened and dyed a bright cotton candy pink that blended effortlessly with my natural scarlet. I absolutely loved it, and turned to tell them so when a loud knock sounded on the door.

"Are you guys done yet? This house only has one bathroom and you ladies have been clogging it forever." Griff's smooth voice sounds from the door, amusement blending with the annoyance in his tone.

Poppy rolls her eyes and swings the door open, sending Griff's tall frame stumbling forward from where he'd been leaning against the wall beside the door.

"Thank god," he drawls, straightening up to tower over us. "We were getting bored."

"Yeah because we're the only interesting thing in your lives," Bodhi teases as she brushes past him into the hallway. "You'd all be lost without us."

"That is very true," Mars cuts in, shouldering Griff out of the way to get to his smiling girlfriend. "Hair looks great by the way Outback."

"Thanks Brazil." I bump my knuckles against his proffered fist, squeezing in between him and Griff to make my way into the living room where everyone else was waiting. My eyes catch Bax's first, as they always seemed to now, and I can't fight the blush that spreads over my cheeks when I watch his eyes go wide in surprise. I settle in between him and Bohdi, a smile crossing my face when I feel the solid weight of his leg against mine.

"You look hot Outback." Bax breathes into my ear, his familiar amused chuckle vibrating behind me when I jump, not expecting him to be so close so fast. I elbow him just below the ribs but that only seems to humor him further. His lips brush my ear as he moves back away from me to lean against the back of the couch. I turn questioning eyes on him and he raises an eyebrow, casually swinging one corded arm across the couch cushions in silent invitation. I tuck into his side, viciously aware of every inch of bare skin that touched mine. Now that we were this close I could feel his heart jack-hammering through his chest, betraying how he really felt. I offer him a knowing smile before tuning back into whatever Ari was saying.

"With the comp being next weekend, we really have to step up our game when we go out for morning practice." The eldest Gibson's eyes are bright with passion, utterly focused on making his game plan. Mars nods in agreement to his right, forever loyal to his best friend.

"Will you be joining us?" Poppy's next question is aimed at me, and I take a second to think about it before deciding to commit.

"As long as it doesn't interfere with the summer show season I'm in." A large hand squeezes my shoulder in appreciation, and I relax more into Bax, savoring his warm presence. His arm drifts down to wrap around my waist, and for a moment I'm distracted by the way the manta ray on his bicep glides across his skin.

"Hello? Earth to Rowan." Summer's light voice cuts through my distraction, a satisfied smirk on her face when I finally make eye contact.

"Yes?" I mumble, face burning when I realize that everyone is staring at me.

"I was asking if you were still full from your boardwalk adventure or if you wanted in the wings Griff is ordering?"

"Oh, uh, sure." I briefly cover my face in my hands, entirely embarrassed that I'd been caught. Bax's long fingers ghost over my thigh, tangling in the frayed strings of the rips in my jeans. Even as my heart jumps the casual movement calms me, the surety of his touch being something I had never depended on before. Griff finishes the food order on his phone and stretches his way off the floor, demanding we move outside where he could have an actual chair.

"You guys go get comfortable, I'm gonna raid the fridge for drinks." I volunteer, untangling myself from Bax and darting off into the kitchen. The rest of the group files through the kitchen and onto the patio, but I am preoccupied with filling the four pitchers that I could find full of soda and water. Once I'm done I take a moment to hop onto the counter top, using the silence of the house to settle my mind and heart.

"Doing okay Outback?" I should have known he wasn't going to stay away for long.

"I'm fine Pyro." I tilt my head down to look at him, the raised counter swapping our height differences. I hold my breath as Bax steps closer, bracing his hands on either side of my legs and effectively pinning me to the counter.

"I feel like we've been here before," I muse, a brief flashback dashing through my mind.

"You aren't getting away from me so easily this time." Bax's voice allows no argument, and neither do the fingers he places on my chin. He tilts his own head up, a smile drifting over his lips for a fraction of a second before he leans forward and kisses me. Fireworks explode in my stomach and I almost instantly melt into him, dragging my fingers through his soft curls and earning a quiet groan in return. We stay tangled together in a moment that seems both too long and too short, and I can't help but feel disappointed when Bax pulls out of my reach.

He slides his thumb gently over my bottom lip, displacing it from where I had bitten down in a practiced frown.

"What have I told you about doing that around me?" His voice is deeper than normal, and I can almost feel it charge the air between us.

"Absolutely nothing." I tease, watching a peculiar emotion flash behind his eyes. His fingers spread around my throat, stopping me short and prompting a soft squeak of surprise.

"That's what I thought." He smirks at me before pushing off the counter, grabbing my hand and pulling me off the counter.

"We should get back before someone comes looking." I swallow hard, trying to put my brain back together.

"Oh sure now she wants to go." Bax rolls his eyes playfully and heads out to the patio, pulling me along with him. I follow behind without a fight, still kind of floating with my head in the clouds.

The rest of the night passes by in a blur, but throughout it Bax stays beside me, only getting up to inhale a ridiculous number of wings once they arrive. Once it was time to go home, I could tell he didn't want to leave, but he does without argument, placing a soft kiss on the top of my head before disappearing into the darkness. I climb under my covers, Summer already passed out in her bed beside mine, and drift off to sleep with a smile on my face. 

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Side note y'all I've been listening nonstop to Piercetheskies while writing this and he is literally an American real-life Bax so I'm absolutely obsessed obviously. Go check out his music its addicting.