TAN SKIN // A Baxter Radic Story

-004-

"Poppy, she's helped me with everything. So I really do trust her" I look over at her and Marlon. Bax has just asked who I can trust the most, it's mostly Poppy, but Marlon too. It used to be Bax, he used to be the only person I really trusted. But not anymore.

I watched as Bax nodded a little, "who's yours?" I question him while I play with the sand around my body. "Um..." he paused for a moment "it's you, or I guess it was when we were....you know" his gaze traveled to the ground. I get it, he was who I trusted the most at one point too. I slowly nodded, "yeah" I whisper. We were silent for a moment, until we heard Manu yell over at us. "I brought your boards down; I want you two to carry on this conversation on the water." Bax and I looked over at each other then stood up in unison. I yelled over to Manu, "What do you want us to practice?" Bax looks over at me, but I continue to look straight at Manu. "Continue to talk, you two will be the only ones out there from our group." I take a deep breath, "Manu no offense but how does talking help us?"

He looks at me with a deadpan face, "Just go" he points to the water. I stand up and walk over to grab my board. I hear Ari and Wren talking, they seem to be getting along. I'm surprised Wren hasn't got up and left yet due to my presence. But maybe she's changed a little, and isn't super hot headed. Bax was behind me, running over to reach our boards faster than me. He leans down and grabs both of them, those things are heavy. "Bax you don't have to" I motion for him to give me my board. He simply walks past me as I take a defeated breath looking over at Manu. He motions for me to go, so I run to catch up with him.

I bent down a little, and grabbed my board out of his hands. My board was pink, white, black. I got it last year after saving up my money from my job. I put in between my body and my arm holding it securely. "When did you get that one?" He asks, looking down at it. "Last year." I respond blankly. We reach the water, and we make it far enough out I attach my ankle band, and lay down on my board. I start to paddle out hoping to catch a wave or two. "Kaia wait"
Baxter shouts trying to keep up with me. I keep going until I feel myself come to a sudden stop. He grabbed ahold of my ankle strap string, I look back at him, "can you let go? I just wanted to get away from Manu so I don't really have to talk to you now"

"No, we need to talk. About everything." He enforces, "I want to catch a wave" I started to paddle forward again but he still had a hold on my strap. "Baxter!" I shout, he doesn't let go, I could unhook my ankle strap from myself and my board but I didn't want to lose it. I don't really have money for another one. "Fine, what do you have to say" I turn around to face him, then sit myself up. My feet dangling in the water. I look at him in his eyes, they were so soft. Like if he looked at me for to long I would break.

"I've already said this, but I'm so sorry we just stopped talking to you. You didn't deserve that." He speak out, I nod my head. "Ok" I responded with, kind of a bitchy move, but I don't really care. "Kaia-" he starts but I cut him off. "What about the girls, Bax?" I blurt couldn't hold my jealousy down any longer. My eyes looking right into his, he looks down. "It was for sponsors, I never liked any of them" he said, he grabbed the back of my board moving me next to him.

I shake my head, no longer wanting to be by him. I knew about his one girl named Penny. Her while instagram was practically pictures of them all over each other. He was my boyfriend, and she just took him. "What are you thinking" he asked reaching over to play with the end of my long hair. I move at his touch, "Bax" I speak a little, as I push his hand away. I stay put though, Manu is looking at us. "Do you still skate?" He questions, I nod in response. "You?" He nods back to me. "Are you and the guy with the accent like a thing?" Way to be subtle Bax. "Nope. He's from Brazil though. So he's kinda cool. You two would get along" He nods at me, putting his hand in water.

"I saw that girl Penny you dated." I practically squeak out; it was so quiet. "She meant nothing Kaia. She was nothing close to you" I laugh
to myself, I bring my knees up to my chest. "You're funny now-" I paused as I grab my ankle strap from his hand. He doesn't try to fight it. I lay back down on my stomach and start to paddle forward. "Manu is watching" I paused as Bax continues, "We need to talk it out eventually Kaia" I look back to see him, he just looks at me then lays down on his stomach, and paddles next to me. I stay lying on my stomach, "I don't want to talk about it right now, I am sorry I brought it up." I practically whisper, looking down at the beautiful water underneath us.

"Kaia look at me." I turn my head to see his blue eyes already looking into mine. "We can talk about it when you want to, but we are teammates now." My eyes travel down to my hands, we are teammates, we should probably get along. "I shouldn't have brought it up." I speak to him, as I bring my hands up to play with my hair. "No Kaia we need to talk about it" he speaks at me. I nod then start with "Why did you guys do it?" He puts his hands in the water, and begins. "It was all our sponsors. They loved the idea of you. You and Wren were close enough competitors that you would win some and she would win some. They also like having you on my arm, you were pretty and having a love story created another reason for people to follow surfing." He stopped mid way through to look at my reaction.

"They thought you were too good for shorehaven. So they tried to get you back to Queensland by giving me a girlfriend." He finally finished. My eyes glued on his, they're so pretty. "Got to keep the sponsors happy right?" I say, I laugh a little, and I paddle forward ready to catch a wave.