Forever Summer | Justin Bieber

Chapter 4

"If you feel you're sinking, I will jump right over into cold, cold water for you."
__________________

Ellie

I weaved my long dirty blonde hair into a single braid that cascaded all the way down my back, landing just short of my bikini bottoms. I wriggled into my wetsuit and looked at the clock one last time. It was already five forty-five and there was still no sign of them.

Grabbing my surfboard, I headed out, closing the glass sliding door slowly and carefully behind me. The last thing I needed was to wake up my brother, who had come in late the night before, or even worse i've had, who was on my case for just about everything these days.

I've made my way down the stairs leading from my house to the beach, and scanned for my friends, hoping they were already out there, but secretly knowing better. After a few stretches and beach sprints to warm up my tired muscles, I headed into the water, dropped my board, and began paddling out. When I got past the break, I lay resting, with my chin propped against my folded arms, enjoying the mellow sway of the water and the quiet solitude of an empty beach. I loved getting out early and watching the ocean chance from a moonlit sparkly to sequin to a sun-warmed velvet. Even though I liked the waves to myself and not having to wait in a never-ending lineup, I still missed the company of my best friends, Lola and Jade.

It had started last spring. The early morning surf ritual that had bonded them all through elementary, junior high, and well into freshman and sophomore years of high school began to gradually taper off. First to three times a week, then two, and now, by early September, I was lucky if we surfed together on a random Saturday. And even then, by the time they showed up practically all of Laguna Cove was in the lineup and it took all day just to get a turn.

But Jade and Lola didn't seem to care. Suddenly, they were content to just lie on their towels reading fashion magazines and checking out all the guys, just like all the other beach barbies they used to make fun of, and I just didn't get it. For one thing, they were looking at were the same old totally immature, unfocused bros they'd known since grade school. And I knew for a fact that not one of them was worth talking about, much less missing waves for.

Well, except for Chris, who was not only amazingly cute, with his aqua-blue eyes (the same color as the Fiji waters on a cloudless day), tanned skin, and shaggy, sun-streaked hair that was constantly falling into his eyes, but also incredibly smart (he was in all the same advanced-placement classes as me) and an accomplished surfer, maybe even the best in Laguna Cove (well, after my older brother, Dean)

Nobody knew how I felt about Chris. Not Jade, not Lola, and definitely not Chris! To him, we were just good buds who went way back, and that's the way it would stay. I couldn't afford to waste time obsessing over some guy. I had to stay focused on the important things, like maintaining my perfect 4.0 GPA, my position as a Surf Club president, and taking first at the upcoming Onofre Surf Fest competition so I could get noticed by sponsors I'd been dreaming of for too many years to count.

With my five-foot-nine, slim, toned frame, and long dirty blonde hair pulled back into it's usual braid of ponytail, exposing my perfect face, there was something so graceful and delicate about me, people often assumed I was a model or ballerina. That is, until they saw me surf. In the ocean, I was a strong and fearless competitor who could carve up the face of a wave with both elegance and aggression.

Guys also came easy to me, always drawn first by my looks, then later by my brains and talent. I had a handful of good guy friends I could always count on as a last-minute prom date or emergency flat-tire fixer. But I never allowed any of these friendships to go further than a quick peck on the cheek or, even more likely, a brief hug. That I could have pretty much any guy I wanted was merely a fact that didn't mean much to me. Especially since I could only wanted one.