There were alot of sneers as Charlie crossed the beach with his new friend. Someone called out to them, followed by a cheer.
"Hey Pretty Boy, can you work out which ends the front?"
"Can you work out which part is the sea?" Charlie yelled back, and whoever shouted tried again, with a less witty remark.
"Sorry, mate, I cant understand your accent, are you speaking english?"
"Had that joke three times, very original. Mate." Charlie snapped back, and the caller fell silent.
Somewhere in the waves, a must be popular boy pulled a three-sixty on his surfboard, and the popular parts of the beach gave a weak cheer. The new guy didnt get popularity, clearly, because he took one look at the surfer, scanned the beach for something and set his board down on the sand.
He then took off his shirt and trainers, picked his board back up and walked towards the shoreline. His friend, Tommy, I think, watched him go with a smile and held the kid brother's hand. Most girls concentrated on Charlies body, the boys concentrated on how he was going to make an idiot of himself. Maybe i do admit a bit, the new guy could have looked alot worse in just beachshorts.
Charlie waded until it was too big, then paddled into the deeper water and waited.The school kids held their breath or laughed, and Charlie caught the next wave. With ease, he stood, smiled and turned his board three-sixty. Then did a Frontflip,board continuing to glide with the wave. After a second more, he turned away from the wave and stepped off his board into the shallow water.
The kids froze in whatever they were doing. The tricks might not have been to hard or dramatic,but I would like to see them copy.
+++
Charlie-
I wasnt thinking. It was so stupid. And pointless and idiotic and now everyone was staring at me. I still wasnt thinking properly. I walked right up to the guy who shouted out before, tucked the board under my arm and smiled, he glared and looked like he wanted to mash me.
"I think I can manage, thanks." I told him, and i tried to grin more friendly. A bikini-clad girl hugged me for some reason, and i almost jumped back a step. She smiled girl-ishly and laughed at the guy sitting on the sand.
"That was awesome, I bet Brad couldnt do that, can he?" She sounded childish and flirty, and her two friends from a few steps away came over too.
"Sorry," i muttered to Brad, and jogged back to Josh, who had changed into his shorts and was jumping up and down excitedly.
"Hey, lets go," i told him.
We spent about an hour and a half on the beach. More than half in the water, and sometimes messing around with Olly and Tommy on the beach. It took a while for the not so occasional girl to come up and congratulate me, and alot of surfers ended up being wiped out and knocked off their boards after trying a trick. It made me feel shy and trapped, and a bit sorry for all their other friends.
