20Chapter 1: Band Boy and the Perfect Wave
She refused to be afraid, even as the wall of water built up, grew too high. And she wasn't ready for it. But she couldn't, wouldn't, be afraid.
Breathe.
She quickly duck dived under the wave, ignoring the sudden increase of her heart rate.
Breathe.
She emerged from the water, shaking the wet strands of hair from her face before sitting up on the board and felt the water bobbing her up and down.
The waves were absolutely perfect that night. Glassy, minimal foam, shining in the moonlight. Of course, no one was supposed to be in the water after twelve o'clock p.m. but it was the first night of summer vacation so she thought screw the rules and waited.
Breathe.
It was what her mother said to her when she learned how to surf. 'Don't think. Don't listen. Don't move. Just breathe.'
That was the best advice she ever gave her. She always followed it. Even when the beach was crowded and some ass holes kept cutting her off in the line up, she would just breathe. Separate herself off from the real world and focused on the air filling her lungs and the water beneath her.
The wave, the one she was waiting for without her even realizing it, swelled. Higher and higher. She took that as her cue to turn back around and paddle. Her arms worked and worked until her board was picked up.
Breathe.
Soon, she was flying across the water, carving the waves with undeniable power, strength, and grace. She cut across the lip and propelled into the air, crashing back down with an audible swoosh, the water fanning out behind her.
Just as she exited, still standing on her board as it skimmed across the now calm water, the wave closed out behind her. A completely perfect swell and there were only two people who saw it.
"That was fucking awesome!" Charlie yelled out to her as she immerged from being in the soup.
"Totally heavy waves!" She yelled back, undoing her leash so she could walk up the beach towards her two best friends.
Holly looked at her almost enviously before saying, "You slashed at the turn. So sick," and gave her a glass bottle of Coke.
The two girls giggled as they popped open the top, sending foam all over their hands, dripping into the sand. She grinned and licked the sticky soda off her hands, tasting its sweetness along with the salt from the Pacific.
Charlie produced a flask and waggled his eyebrows. "Howsa bout it Edie?"
She grinned and stuck her bottle out, accepting whatever he would mix into her soda. Knowing Charlie, it was probably some cheap ass vodka or rum, but it was summer and she was a free seventeen year old girl who had just caught a perfect wave and was living off that high she only got from surfing and hooking up.
She winced as the alcohol burned her tongue.
"What the fuck is that?" She managed to rasp out, clutching her throat.
"Secret recipe," Charlie replied, taking a big swig of the flask before capping it.
"Don't worry," Edie said. "I won't be stealing it," But drained the coke anyway.
She giggled breathlessly and pulled Holly up out of the sand. They started to sway to music only they could hear, moving their hips in lazy circles and slowly swinging their raised arms in the breeze. The air raised goose bumps on Edie's skin, still wet with clinging droplets from the water and coated with sand, but she didn't really give a shit if she got a cold because it was summer and she sure as hell wasn't going to waste that precious first night by worrying about anything but getting home around curfew.
"Man," She breathed, collapsing back onto the sand. "Whatever is in that flask Charlie," she nodded towards it. "I am buzzed and loving it." The world had turned pleasantly fuzzy and her mind was just drifting along…
He laughed his booming honking laugh and nursed the little fire in front of them. "Glad you like it Edie."
Holly sighed, shaking her hair out of its ponytail. "I guess I'm driving tonight?"
"Yup," Edie and Charlie said together, and then started to manically cackle.
"That is so not fair! How come you guys always get to get wasted and I'm stuck doing the driving?"
"Well," Edie said, smirking. "You are possibly the worse drunk I've ever met."
"No!" Holly protested, pouting.
"Uh…don't you remember the last time?" Edie asked while putting her arms through the hoodie Charlie handed to her. "You ended up screwing some guy and I had to take you to the Planned Parenthood in LA. And you know how much I hate the city!"
Holly just crossed her arms over her big chest and glared into the fire, most likely remembering the not so fun trip to find out if she had a bun in the oven. And those stirrups…Edie shivered as she thought of it, and she wasn't even the one on that cold metal bed.
"Well guys," Charlie announced, holding up the flask. "We did it! One more year of high school to go then I can skedaddle outta this town."
Edie frowned but tapped her bottle against her friend's anyway. Yes, she was happy it was summer. Summer was always like a vast desert chalk full of endless opportunities. Anything could happen, really. Her days would be filled completely with surfing and her two best friends and skateboarding and not having to worry about waking up on a Monday morning with a killer hangover. But she knew that it would eventually have to end and school would start. Then she would worry about college and everything else that goes along with the scary, fucked up world of adulthood.
Because she wasn't ready for that. Leaving home and the town she grew up in. It was quiet and peaceful, a laid back surfer girls dream. She had her pick of boys and waves and life couldn't get any sweeter. But Charlie didn't think so. Ever since she and Holly became friends with him in junior high, he was just itching to leave. Skedaddle. He wanted to be big. Surf big, live big.
"I'm thinking I'll go to Hawaii first-stay in the states ya know? Then I'll hit Australia and New Zealand. Try Britain after that. Maybe I'll even be more active in SAS. We're members but we don't do anything really." He said to the sky, grinning slightly.
As much as Edie loved surfing, she wasn't like Charlie. He was a surfer. Plain and simple. He knew every slang, lingo, term. Saw Endless Summer a million times. He breathed, dreamed, and ate surfing. It was his life and was all he wanted.
But Edie wanted more. Yeah, surfing was great and fun and nothing could make her more high then catching that coveted pipeline, but she didn't want to end up like her mom, with her semi normal life living in a bungalow with four daughters and one screaming two year old, spending her time at the diner and the garden.
Edie's dad was MIA, but she didn't play the gone daddy gone card. Hell, she couldn't even remember ol' daddy dearest. He took off when she was four and mom had been preggers with Brigid. Andy didn't remember either, being one at the time. The only Sullivan girl who could remember was Nico, because she was six and had always been the smartest out of the sisters. Well that is until she went and got herself knocked up…
"Ah shit," Charlie yelled, stomping on the fire to put it out. "I completely forgot about that…that thing that's happening!"
Edie rolled her eyes. "What thing dumb ass?"
"Christ…hm." He pulled on the ends of his spiky bleached tips of his brown hair, a habit he always did when he was thinking. "The thing. Yes! I got it! Some kick ass band is playing at the Thirsty Turtle."
"Who said the band was kick ass?" Holly inquired, picking at a hangnail with a bored, sullen teenage girl look on her pretty face. She looked more like a Barbie than a pretty awesome surf chick, with big boobs and a deep tan and golden hair. But Edie knew that Holly was the smartest girl in the whole school. She just didn't like to…show it. Yeah that's right. She didn't like to show it.
"Does it matter?" Charlie snapped. "A band is playing at our favorite bar and we need to go before we miss anything. Come on!"
He started to run up the sand to the boardwalk, trying to pretend he wasn't huffing and puffing because, even with all the surfing, he still wasn't back in shape like Edie was.
"Alright…" She said slowly, standing up and getting her board. "I guess we're going?"
Holly shrugged. "Whatevs."
The two girls walked in the path that Charlie did, deliberately taking their time because they knew it would just piss Charlie off.
Sure enough, he started to yell at them to hurry up and move their asses because he wouldn't wait forever. Edie snorted, knowing that even though Charlie liked to act all bad ass, he would never drive when he had even just a little sip of alcohol. That's how he was.
Edie carefully slid her board into the backseat of Charlie's, in his words, vintage station wagon. She knew he was trying to be all ironic and kitschy, but it just didn't work. Especially with that hula girl on the dash.
"Move, move, move," He chanted, bumping up and down in his seat like a little kid.
"Calm down," Holly laughed, sliding into the driver's seat after Edie less gracefully moved in next to Charlie, and started the car, thumping down the street.
"Can't this thing move any faster?" Charlie complained.
Edie scoffed. "It's your car loser!"
He blinked. "Ah right. I knew that. Totally."
Edie laughed and slung her arm over his shoulder. Usually, she would have been more annoyed about his stupid ness, but that flask really had magical de-bitching qualities and she was sure feeling fine. Going to the Thirsty Turtle also boosted her spirits, because it was one of their favorite hangouts, with its cool name and that great after- you get piss drunk coffee. Not to mention the bartenders were the hottest ones in town.
They pulled up to the curb, all ready lined with cars, leaving a cloud of dust behind them. Holly shut off the engine and climbed out, not bothering to lock the doors because no on in their right mind would want to steal that hunk of crap. The only thing valuable was Edie's surfboard, but everyone in town had one and the tourists hadn't arrived yet, so she knew it was safe. She hoped.
Holly marched right past the line that waited outside the door and stepped up to the bouncer, flashing her teeth, flicking out her fake I.D, and thrusting up her boobs. She wasn't usually the one to be slutty so they could skip lines, which was more Edie's job, but whatever. Seconds later, Edie and Charlie were being pulled inside by their annoyed friend, ignoring the protests of the people who had actually waited.
"What did you say to him?" Edie asked as they made their way to the bar.
"Oh," Holly said with a casual shrug. "The usual."
Edie eyed her wearily. "Fine. As long as there won't be a surprise trip to PP…"
Holly glared at her and ordered a soda, somewhat bitterly. Edie knew that she wanted something…stronger…but those stirrups…
"Hey!" Edie yelled to the bartender. "Can I get a Lazy Susan?"
He walked over to her. Blonde, muscled, tan. A perfect boy to add to her collection.
"Coming right up," He replied with a smirk.
Edie smirked back. Boys were too easily won. She wasn't a Holly. Yes, she also had blonde hair but hers was pale, champagne, not the gold of her best friend. She didn't have many curves, considering her height, which had always made her feel somewhat awkward and gawky. But something about her…she guessed it was the surfer girl vibe she emitted with her small star tattoo and the drinking and the smoking and the piercing along one ear, made guys want her. Badly.
"Thanks," She smiled flirtatiously and dragged the glass along the counter in a squiggly line.
"You surf?" He asked, nodding towards her bikini and board shorts, the sea water making her long hair turn into unruly waves.
"Mhmm," She replied, trying to make her eyes smolder.
It worked. She saw him melt underneath her eyes. He seemed like he was the type of boy to actually believe he was in love with her. The poor bastard.
"Hello? Hello? Check. C-ch-check it out," Some goofy feedback came from the stage and Edie reluctantly turned away from her little passionate stare down with bartender boy. She'd have time for him later.
Seeing the mike was working, the guy on the stage picked up his guitar and started to introduce the band.
"Hey, we're Suzy Says Hi and this first song is called 'You Left Your Panties on My Comics.'"
Edie couldn't help but get into the music. They were like a weird mix of The Academy Is…and Dead Kennedys. And the lead singer…there was just something about him. He wasn't like the type of boy she usually went for. Then again, she usually picked the type of boy destined to work at the hotdog stand down on the beach.
But he was different. He wasn't muscular. Calling him lean would be stretching it. His golden brown hair fell into his eyes and was way too long. Going almost to his shoulder's long. He was wearing dark clothes and she could see chipped black nail polish on his fingers. Definitely not her type. But there was this time when he looked past everyone in the crowd and she knew he looked right at her…
'Whatever,' She thought with a slight, almost pleasurably shiver as she walked through the jungle that was her mother's garden later that night. So she shook band boy out of her head with those eyes and that voice and smirk, focusing on bartender boy instead with those oh so glorious lips and hands that had touched her just minutes before.
Edie's Endless Summer had started and for that she was so damn ready.
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Knarly Surfing Dictionary
Duck Dive: Diving under an oncoming wave when paddling out
Glassy: Ultra clean surf without a ripple
Carve: Turning on a wave
Leash: The cord that attaches your ankle to the surfboard.
Slash: A Rapid turn at the top of a wave that sprays a lot of water.
Heavy: Kick ass
The Line Up: The place outside the breaking waves where surfers wait.
Pipeline: A barrel wave
Endless Summer: THE classic surfing movie.
A/N-Welcome to my new story! A week ago, me and my boyfriend were sitting in his car eating Wendy's (best fries ever, even before those bastards took the transfats out of McD's fries) and I saw these pictures in this magazine I was reading and his Jack's Mannequin CD case was on the dashboard and I had just been talking to my Californian cousin and BAM. New story! So yeah. Tell me if you like it!
P.S. (Don't worry, Echo is still my numero uno story. If you've only ready this story and can't survive the long waits for me to update, I suggest you take a looks see at Echo. I have to plug my baby.)