All In

10

Chapter 10

It felt like I was drowning as I let myself sink to the bottom. I felt the water against my skin, burning me as if I had just jumped into a pool of acid. I sat there at the bottom of the pool, the sun hitting my face through the water. Every minute of my childhood spent in the water flashed through my mind 

"Beau, before you can surf you need to learn to respect the ocean," my mom smiled, kneeling in front of me, pushing my hair out of my face as I tried to pull my face away from her, trying to look at the ocean. "Beau," she laughed as I let out an irritated sigh, turning to look at my mom, the sun hitting her eyes in just the right way, making her bright sky blue eyes turn a seafoam green. 

"Are your eyes the ocean?" I smiled as she laughed, grabbing my small hands in hers. 

"Our eyes are the ocean. Your dad thinks that's why we're drawn to it so badly," she smiled, as I nodded, turning to look at the waves crashing on the shore. The local teens were on their boards, surfing the waves. It was something that's mesmerized me for as long as I can remember. 

"One day, I want to be that good," I smiled as I looked back at my mom, her smiling back at me. 

"Well, first we have to teach you how to respect the ocean. Your dad always told me that no surfer is every any good if they don't have respect for the ocean," she sighed, sitting down on the sand, pulling my tiny body into her lap, holding me tightly as we both looked out at the ocean. "We need to respect and protect our oceans because the ocean is just an extension of ourselves," she gulped as I nodded as if I understood what she was saying. "With every drop of water you drink and with every breath you take, you're connected to the sea. You can never turn your back on the ocean when you're dealing with tides and currents - the factors beyond your control. You have to be the CEO of your family and others when you're in the ocean. Do you know what the CEO means when I say that?" My mom pulled my hair out of my face, tying it up into a ponytail on the top of my head as I squinted out at the ocean. 

"Queen of the Ocean," my 3-year-old self said confidently, my mom laughing a hearty laugh. 

"Good try," she smiled, holding me tight to her, placing her chin on the top of my head. "Constant eyes on. The ocean is the most beautiful thing on the planet, but if you disrespect her, she won't be happy. I'm not telling you to fear her, but instead, you need to respect her," 

I gasped for air as I was thrown up to the surface, spitting out water as I turned around, pushing the hair out of my face as I saw a concerned person in the water with me. 

"What are you doing?!" I yelled glaring at him as I coughed, looking into his worried eyes. 

"What am I doing?! What were you doing?! Were you trying to drown yourself?!" He yelled back at me as I shook my head, swimming over to the side of the pool, holding onto the side. He swam over to me, looking into my eyes as I just glared at him. "Were you trying to drown yourself?" He said softly as he placed his hand on my shoulder. I threw his hand off of me, shaking my head as I glared at him. 

"No, I wasn't," I hissed, letting out a loud sigh as I pulled myself out of the water, sitting on the edge with my feet dangling beside the brown hair brown-eyed boy who was looking up at me. 

"What are you doing out here?" He gulped as I cleared my throat, running my fingers through my hair as I looked back down at him. 

"Remember how you told me yesterday how we as people can get over our fears?" I mumbled as Bryce nodded. 

"Yeah, why?" He chuckled, smirking up at me as I laughed softly, shaking my head. 

"I took your advice, and I might've made a mistake," I smiled as he smiled back at me. 

"You said yes, didn't you?" He smirked as I laughed softly, nodding my head. 

"Yes, but nobody knows yet. That includes Josh and Billy," I gulped as Bryce looked at me strangely. 

"I'm the only one that knows?" He mumbled as I nodded, looking down at my feet. 

"I don't know why, but for some reason I trust you," I gulped, looking back at Bryce as he smiled softly, nodding his head. 

"How much do you trust me?" He smirked as I laughed, shaking my head. 

"Not enough to do whatever you're about to ask me to do," I laughed, crossing my arms as I looked at him with narrow eyes, trying to get a read on him. 

"Do you want to do dinner with me?" He smiled softly making my cheeks turn red. 

"I don't do dinner dates," I smirked as he laughed loudly. 

"Who ever said it was a date?" He grinned making my heart beat fast, my smile growing.