Underwater

Chapter 1

"You should really pick up that tongue off the floor, Marissa."

I turn my gaze to my giggling best friend. I'm going to strangle her one of these days and I'm not even going to feel sorry about it.

"My tongue isn't anywhere near the floor, Noel." I shove her away playfully. No matter how annoying she can get sometimes, Noelani is my best friend.

My sister.

We both start laughing, but my eyes still find a way to sneak a peek at the ocean.

The endless azure surface has always been my home. Living in the small beach town on Hawaii Island my whole life, I grew up on the coast and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

I learned how to swim even before I could stand on my own two feet. There was nothing quite like it. The lightness of the body cutting through waves. Saltiness kissing my skin. Diving underwater only to feel the chilly kiss of the ocean on your cheeks, lifting the hair all around you as you go deeper inside.

It's simply magical.

Watching Taylor Reed surf is just a bonus. His in wetsuit covered body taming the waves beneath his boar. His blond hair, messy and wet, a shade darker than usual. The look of complete concentration marring his handsome face as his blue eyes scan his surroundings, always expecting the unexpected.

"You're looking at him again, Risa." Noel jabs me in the side with her elbow. "He'll notice."

"We're friends. It's not strange if I look at him."

"Friends don't look at each other the way you look at Ty." Noel contradicts.

It's all in a playful manner, but I know somewhere deep down, under all these cheer she's worried about me. If the situation was reversed I know I'd be worried about her.

"And how is that?"

"Like he's your favorite dessert, and you're in need of a sugar fix."

I roll my eyes, trying to play it off.

We've been friends since diapers. We grew up together, living next door to each other. And although we come from different families, we are more sisters than some blood relations.

"Noel!" I scold, hiding my bright red cheeks behind the wall of golden brown hair. We went swimming earlier, and after my hair air-dries it always gets this kind of crazy curly look that only the day at the beach can give you.

"Don't Noel-me, missy! I say it like I see it." Light breeze picks up, messing Noel's blond hair. Sighing, Noel pulls her long hair up and ties it to the top of her head in a ponytail. "This weather is no joke."

"They did say the storm is coming." I agree, happy with the change of the subject.

The crush I have going on for my friend isn't news or anything like that, but Noelani likes to tease me any chance she gets.

I've been crushing on Ty since kindergarten, but he looks at me as a friend only. On various occasions I debated whether to confess my feelings or keep quiet but, in the end, the need to have Ty in my life if only as a friend won over. We've known each other almost as long as I've known Noel and I didn't want to ruin it by confessing my feelings for him have changed.

"Maybe we should go back. When that dark cloud comes, I don't want to be present."

I nod in agreement.

It wasn't strange to have big storms pass through our town. Usually, they come out of nowhere, fast and furious. Bright sunny day is exchanged for dark clouds, cold, hard winds, and rain. The ocean darkens too, losing its usual bright blue shine. Smooth blue surface ruffles and the waves rise high in the sky.