RaStro FicS

Surf me up (2)

"I'm so sorry! I've only just got my driver's license and I wasn't even supposed to be driving today, but these assholes all got wasted and I was the only one left sober enough to drive, and all because I'm not a drunken slapper!" She turned and glared at her friends who were trying their desperate best to look penitent, but their unfocused eyes and giggling mouths gave them away.

"Well you're here now," said Rhian soothingly, "why don't you come and sit by the fire for a bit, have something to eat and drink, then we can unload your van and get you settled. Sound good?" She said with her eyes sparkling as if she was given a cotton candy.

"It really does!" Said Glaiza. "No more booze for these fools though. I'm not putting up with hangovers and whining tomorrow."

"Deal!" said Rhian, flashing Glaiza a brilliant, white smile. Bianca looked at her, shaking her head. "Not one word!" She hissed at her through clenched teeth as she passed, arm around the other girl as she ushered her to the fireside.

The staff called by Bianca promptly assisted the new arrivals on their luggages to be brought to their villas.

They sat around the fire on logs and Rhian and Bianca busied themselves handing out soft drinks to the 'drunken slappers' (who introduced themselves as Chynna, Katrina, Sheena, Maxene and Isabel) and beers to Glaiza and themselves. They ate some dinner and got to talking, finding out that Glaiza and her friends just graduated from college and they decided to do this trip as an antidote to the stress of campus life and studying, as it meant that they were probably over twenty. Glaiza told Rhian and Bianca that she had always wanted to learn how to surf, that she had always felt a connection to the ocean and that she had always loved anything to do with water. Her father had always called her a 'Water Baby' because she could spend hours at a time in a swimming pool. It was no surprise when she took swimming in school, but she claimed she was never really good enough to swim ultra-competitively.

After a while, the 'slappers' were all nodding off and Bianca thought it was a good time for them to show where they would be sleeping. They got two villas to stay and Sheena, Maxene and Isabel decided to stay roomies so that leaves Kat, Chynna and Glaiza in the other villa beside Rhian's villa where she stays during surfing clinic. Bianca only rolled her eyes when Rhian grinned with a definite glint in her eyes. She tried getting Rhian's attention, but found herself studiously ignored by her best friend.

When the rest of the party went off to sleep with no protest whatsoever, Rhian and Bianca found themselves alone by the fire for a few minutes. "Rhi," Bianca began.

"I know what you're going to say, B, I'm not stupid!" The fire was back in Rhian's eyes.

"I know you're not stupid, but you're quite defensive!" They laughed but Bianca became serious. "Rhi, I've seen you hurt by these chicks over the years who want nothing more than a quick bi fling to satisfy their curiosity and I don't think it's fair on you." She said, concerned.

Rhian rolled her eyes at Bianca. "B, I learned years ago that I can't let my heart get involved in these little flings. I'm scratching an itch that doesn't get scratched the rest of the year, unless I do it myself." She added with a little twist to her lips.

Bianca was quiet for a while, knowing that what Rhian said was part confident, part truth. She had seen her best friend shut off emotionally during breaks and just adopt a philosophy of clichés. It was all about 'carpe diem'. Yet, she also knew Rhian and knew this was not a normal way of being for her. She was someone who connected deeply, felt intensely and loved profoundly when she allowed herself. "Rhi, all I'm saying is to be careful of the temptations, ok?"

"Did you SEE her B?" asked Rhian, incredulously. "If you had a bi bone in your body, trust me, you'd also be tempted."

Bianca looked at her friend with her blonde hair, tawny golden-brown eyes and lithe surfer body. "Rhian, dear best friend, if I had a bi bone in my body, YOU would tempt me first!" Bianca said with an affectionate hug. Rhian blushed. They had this conversation many times over the years, right from before the onset of puberty when she had first Bianca that she liked girls. In THAT way. At first, Bianca didn't quite understand, but then thought about it long and hard and put all the pieces of the puzzle together and realized that it all made sense. Rhian had never shown the slightest but of interest whatsoever in the boys from their town and school. She had never ogled the visiting male surfers with their tight, wiry brown bodies. Bianca started remembering the times she had seen Rhian covertly checking out the girlfriends of the surfers as well as the few female surfers who came through their famous town, though, and had come to realize she had probably always known that they batted for different teams. It also made absolutely no difference to Bianca whatsoever. Rhian was Rhian and that was that. Rhian was profoundly relieved at Bianca's acceptance. They had often talked about the fact that both of them were rather definite about their sexuality. Rhian could not understand how Bianca was not even a little bit interested in finding out about what it would be like to kiss a girl.

Eventually Bianca turned to her and sighed, taking Rhian's hands in her own. "Rhian, honey, tell me - have you ever thought about kissing a boy?"

"Sure!" said Rhian, surprised. "But then I think about the actual mechanics of it and, well, eeewww. They're just not attractive to me at all!"

"There ya go!" Said Bianca softly. She knew that Rhian found her attractive, well they had been very open with each other, but Bianca never, ever wanted to lead her friend on and knew for the sake of their friendship that this had to be something they both accepted.

"Oh..." Rhian had said, looking crestfallen. Bianca had gone on to say that she could be completely objective about the fact that she thought Rhian was a very beautiful girl, but that there was just nothing there beyond friendship. She had assured her cheekily that if that fact ever changed, Rhian would be the first to know. It had become a standing joke.

While Rhian and Bianca sat next to the fire, quietly chatting, they heard footsteps in the darkness. Bianca didn't have to look up to see who was approaching, she could tell from the look on Rhian's face that Glaiza was walking towards them. She leaned forward and whispered to Rhian that if she was intending to play it cool, perhaps wiping away the drool might be a good idea. Rhian swatted at her, face redder than her sunburned back and hissed at her to shut up.

"Hey..." the vision said, "mind if I sit and enjoy the fire with you for a while? I'm too keyed up after that drive to sleep yet. Maybe another beer would relax me enough." She trailed off, realizing she had interrupted their conversation.

Rhian jumped off, grabbing Glaiza's arm and insisted she sit down, getting another beer from the cooler. She tried to play it cool, as Bianca had suggested, but realized she was failing miserably. This girl just did something to her. Once again they started chatting in that 'getting to know' mode. Rhian and Bianca explained that they had lived in the town their entire lives until they opted to study in the metro to pursue their degrees which will help eventually their businesses as they belong to the prominent families in this town. While other kids enjoy their school breaks, the best of friends opt to help in the surfing clinic.

They chatted about their plans for the future, Bianca explained to Glaiza that they had been doing this for a couple of years now. Glaiza became pensive as she chatted to the younger girls, realizing that their entire lives lay ahead of them. Having been in university for four years made her feel so much older and she uncharacteristically found herself telling the two friends how unhappy she was at the university. The first two years had been fun - lots of partying and little focus on studies, but she had buckled down in her third year and found that she hated her course. She had been pushed into studying Economics by her mother as she hadn't been certain what to do. "It's a pre-Law degree, at least!" Her mom always told her. Now she was miserable and uncertain if she wanted to continue to Law after she graduated.

Rhian couldn't hold back anymore. "But what do you want to do?" She asked, sweetly, innocently.

Glaiza looked up at her and they were shocked to see tears in her eyes. "Honestly?"

"Yes!" Said Rhian and Bianca in unison.

In a small voice, she replied that she really wanted to write songs. She had taken music as an elective and she was good. Good was apparently not good enough for her mother who didn't want her relying on music for a career if she was only 'good'. Rhian felt her heart break just a little bit for the gorgeous young woman in front of her.

"But...but...if that's what you want, that's what you should do!!" she said passionately.

Glaiza's lips twisted into an ironic little smile. She looked at Bianca and motioned her head towards Rhian. "Is she always like this?"

Bianca, caught by surprise, laughed out loud. "Oh, dear, she's toned herself down for the guests!"

Rhian blushed and in their time-honored witty repartee, she said, "Oh shut up, hetero skank!" to which Bianca replied what she had always replied,

"Right back at you, lesbo bitch!"