OBX Imagines

Surf and Save- JJ Maybank

"Hurry up Lana!" "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."

Mia Rein and Lana Caudwell were cousins. Mia had come to live with Lana in outer banks after Lana's parents became her legal guardians. She loved her new home; she was originally from California, so the island was a comfort to her. 

Today the two girls were going to the beach, like normal. Mia was an avid surfer and dragged Lana with her to surf at least 3 times a week. She wore a multicolored bikini and Lana wore a lilac bikini. 

"The waves look so good today," Mia sighed, tucking a piece of her curly brown hair behind her ear. "Yeah, you better be careful though, the surf looks a little rough. I heard there's a storm coming in too," Lana replied, rubbing in her sunscreen. "Oh relax, I'll be fine," Mia replied, shrugging her off as she headed to the water, "Besides, we both know I'm secretly a mermaid!" Lana smiled at her and waved as she headed out to the waves. 

As Mia paddled out to the surf, she looked back on the beach to see two boys headed out with their boards. She recognized the dark boy; he worked down on the docks and she saw him sometimes when she was on a run. The blonde she didn't think she'd seen before. 

She set herself up for a gorgeous wave and rode it all the way back to the beach. "Slay queen," Lana yelled from her towel on the beach. Mia smiled and began to paddle back out to the surf. She watched as the blonde boy rode a perfect wave back into the beach. "Damn he's good," Lana mumbled to herself. She smiled slightly before going out to look for a wave. 

The surf had begun to pick up a little, and she had a failed wave attempt when she stalled and got caught in the white water. When she came up the blonde boy was paddling over to her. "You okay? That looked a little rough." "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for checking," she replied smiling. "No problem," he replied with a slight smirk. "You surf a lot, right? I think I've seen you out here before." Mia blushed slightly, "Yes, I love surfing. I moved here from California about 6 months ago." "Well, welcome to the outer banks! I'm JJ by the way," JJ replied smiling. "Mia, nice to meet you," she replied.

"What do you say we have a little surfing contest," JJ asked with a playful grin on his face. "I'm down," Mia replied smirking. "Alrighty, I say we go get some judges." "So official," Mia replied chuckling. 

The two paddled back to shore and Mia went to get Lana while JJ told her he was going to get Pope, who was the dark boy she'd recognized. "So, we're just trying to have a competition to see who's the better surfer," JJ explained to the group once they'd gathered. "Woah, you just said a 'little contest.' I already know who the better surfer is," Mia replied with her hand on her hip. "I know, I just wanted to give you a chance for the title," JJ replied smirking. 

Mia just rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. JJ began again, "You two are gonna score us on, let's say 3 waves, and then we'll come back in and y'all can give us our scores and determine who won." "Sounds fair," Pope replied, "Just be careful, that surf is really starting to pick up." JJ patted him on the shoulder, "Thanks mom, we will." Mia held in her laugh, turning around, and heading for the water. 

When she started paddling, she turned around to check on JJ and he was right there. "May the best surfer win," she said with a smile. He smiled too and then the competition was on. Mia caught the first wave and had a beautiful ride. JJ caught the next two, cutting her off to one which resulted in her flipping him off, not without a smile though. 

Her second wave was a little rough, the surf really was picking up, but she needed another wave to beat JJ, so she paddled out again. There was a monster of a wave picking up on the horizon and she headed towards it. She lined herself up and began to paddle with the wave to get on it. It was easily one of the biggest waves she had been on. 

At the start of her ride, she was in control, her flawless movements getting her a few cheers from the shore. Then the chaos hit. It all happened so fast; the stringer of her board got caught in a fold of the wave and it sent her tumbling off her board all the way down the bottom of the wave. She hit the ocean floor hard, and when she came up for air the wave pounded her in the face. 

Her head was fuzzy, but she managed to swim to the surface, taking a big gulp of air before being hit in the face by another wave. It pushed her down to the sand and she was getting groggier by the second. She felt black spots begin to cover her vision and began panicking as she frantically tried to get to the surface. She was almost to the surface when her board got caught in a wave and dragged her back down to the ground. The black spots completely covered her vision now and she felt herself slipping away.

Back on the shore Lana was panicking. JJ had come in since he'd rode his last wave and they all watched as Mia rode one of the biggest waves they'd ever seen. When she wiped out, JJ began to get his board just in case and when she went under a second time, he began paddling hard to her floating board. 

Lana was yelling out for Mia as Pope tried to get her to calm down. He was nervous too, but he wanted to be composed, for Lana. He had never seen someone have such a harsh wipeout. 

JJ was almost to her board, and he didn't see any sign of her. "Please be okay, please Mia," he mumbled as he reached her board. He pushed off his board and swam down to Mia's sinking body in the water. He grabbed her waist and began swimming up to the surface. When they reached the surface, he pushed her on her board and began swimming back to shore, towing her with him. 

She was unresponsive and JJ was worried as hell. When they reached the beach, JJ dragged her board on the sand and knelt next to her. "Mia," Lana yelled franticly. She brushed the hair out of her cousin's face and whipped her head to the two boys, "She's not breathing!" Pope gently moved Lana and began to start CPR. "Thank God for that certification class," Pope mumbled.

"Come on Mia. Please come back," Lana cried holding Mia's hand. JJ ran his hands through his hair. It was all his fault. After Pope gave a few more compressions, Mia began to come to. Her eyes began to flutter open and then she rolled over hurling all the water from her lungs. Lana immediately began to rub her back, "That's it, let it all out." 

When Mia had finished expelling all the water from her lungs she started coughing and then she felt the tears begin to fall from her eyes. "Lana," she cried weakly. "I'm right here Mia," she replied, hugging her cousin. Lana smiled slightly as she hugged Mia tighter. "I'm so glad you're okay," Lana said as she pulled away from Mia. Mia smiled weakly, "Of course I was gonna be okay. I told you I'm a mermaid." "You're so stupid," Lana scolded, giving Mia a slight shove. She chuckled slightly before turning to JJ and Pope. "Thank you, guys." "Yeah anytime," Pope replied, looking relieved and shaken. 

JJ didn't even look at her, he stared at the sand instead. "I mean you too JJ," she said reaching over and put a hand on his arm, "I know you brought me to shore. Thank you." JJ smiled lightly, "Anytime. I am so sorry though." Mia shook her head, "Nothing to be sorry about." She smiled reassuringly at him and then began to get up. "Woah there mermaid, maybe you should take it easy for a little longer," Lana said quickly, standing up to steady her. "Nah, I got it," Mia said smiling. 

As she began to take a step forward, she got dizzy and stumbled, right into the waiting arms of JJ. "I told you," Lana huffed, hands on her hips. Mia looked up into the gorgeous blue eyes of JJ, "Sorry about that," she breathed out, voice a little shaky. JJ smirked at her, "It's all good." Lana looked at Pope and they both held the same expression on their faces. 

"Well, I think we better go Mia," Lana said, coughing slightly. Mia turned around to look at Lana, still in JJ's arms, "Uh yeah, I guess so." She turned to JJ, patting his arm, "Keep up your reflexes, I many need them again." JJ smiled, "Will do. You just let me know and they'll be there." 

Mia smiled at him before turning back towards Lana and Pope, "Pope, thank you once again." She gave him a hug and he hugged her back, "Glad I could help." Mia broke away and went over to Lana, "Let's go home." Lana smiled at her and the two said byes to the boys before walking away. Mia turned around watching JJ and Pope as they left. "I'll see you around JJ," she called out to him. He turned around smiling, "Looking forward to it." 

Mia smiled before turning back to Lana. Lana was already looking at her with a mischievous look. "What," Mia asked. "Oh nothing," Lana said, looking away laughing. Mia rolled her eyes but smiled, "Let's just go home."