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Cove
I stare at the quirky chick and her friend as they walk away. That was the strangest Freshers’ Fair experience I’ve ever had, and there have been plenty of weird moments to compete. This isn’t my first rodeo.
I glance down again at the newest name scrawled on the clipboard. Malia-Tarni. Unusual name for an unusual girl. I wonder if the number she left was a dud. I program it into my phone for later, then send a quick message to Reef that I’m taking off. He can come down here and man the sign-up stall. Or not. I don’t care. We only oversee the surf club for extra credit and to keep Vance off our backs.
I grab my board, which is propped against a tree behind the stand, and head off in the direction of Avalon Bay. If the new girl is that eager to surf, she’s going to hit the nearest beach to be in the water as quickly as possible. It’ll be a disaster; all the locals and surf enthusiasts know that Shark Harbour and Ben Weston are the best locations on the island to catch a decent wave.
New girl doesn’t know that though, so I’m pretty sure cutting her off at the bay is the best bet. May as well see if she’s any good, before I go sharing insider secrets about the best locations and secret coves. Last thing anyone wants is a total rookie dropping in on them or getting into trouble out there.
That said, she was pretty unlike most of the other girls I’ve had visit the stall before. Sure, some are genuinely interested in the sport, but most are only interested in my buddies and me. Spending most of our time half naked, working out in the sun, sure gives the ladies something to look at, but the new girl wasn’t looking at anything I had on offer. Well, not beyond my surf times at least. She seemed completely immune to my charms – which I’m not used to at all. Did she not realise I was flirting with her? Or did she just not care?
There’s a direct path from campus down into town and it cuts so much time off taking the road route, even if it’s a bitch to walk back up the steep slope with your board afterwards. Another reason why I never surf down here. I wasn’t about to leave my beloved Betsy behind though. My board goes everywhere with me.
Avalon Bay beach isn’t too crowded when I arrive. Tourist season is dwindling out, most of the newbies are at the Freshers’ fair, and the older students will already be hitting the bars lining the streets of Avalon. Well, I know that’s where I’d be if I hadn't drawn the short straw to man the sign-up desk this year.
A quick scan tells me my girl hasn’t arrived yet, so I walk a short way down the beach, plant my board in the sand, and flop down to watch the ocean.
I wait about twenty minutes, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m fairly sure I dozed off for a minute or two, but when a shrill whistle brings me round, I spot her. She’s snuck past me and is already out riding the waves, and watching her move kinda makes me want to join her. I’m not going to though. I have a much better view to check out her talent – if she has any – from where I’m sitting.
The surf here is pretty shit, but she’s still managing to catch what little there is easily enough, and within a couple of minutes of watching her, two things are confirmed. First, she really can surf. And she’s damn good at it too. Second, that means she really did just want the tide times from me and not my number.
Which I’m oddly bummed out about.
It’s not like she’s the hottest chick I’ve ever laid eyes on or anything ridiculous like that. More like, she’s perhaps the first to show zero interest in me. I don’t like it one bit.
Still, as pissed off as realising I’m not quite the god’s gift to women that I thought I was should make me, I find myself hypnotised watching the disinterested girl surf. She has an appeal I can’t quite pinpoint, and it’s not just because her lack of attraction towards me simply poses a challenge.
“Yo! Bro! Whatcha doin’ down here? Skiving?”
The arrival of my loud, obnoxious friend Bhodi disturbs me from my thoughts.
“Piss off.”
“Oooh, someone’s tetchy today.” He sniggers.
I don’t bother to reply, but as he flops down on the sand beside me, I lazily flick my arm out and backhand him in the balls. He crashes down with an ‘ooof’ that makes me grin.
“What are you doing here?” I ask when I eventually manage to drag my eyes from the chick surfing.
“The boss send you down here?” Bhodi asks, completely ignoring my question.
“Nope. You?”
“Nah, came to see you.”
I turn to face him, and he grins at me. I don’t bother asking how he knew where to find me, he’ll have just traced my phone. It’s only supposed to be used for emergencies, but Bhodi is a law unto himself. Fucker.
“What do you want, Bho?” I sigh.
“Nothin’.”
“But you just said—”
“Jeez, alright calm ya tits! Boss said to join you, Reef an’ him will be here faster than blowing sprinkles off a cupcake.”
Great. So I’m stuck with Bhodi and his annoying-as-fuck mannerisms and speech until Vance arrives and shuts him up.
I turn back to the ocean and locate my little surfer chick a bit further out to sea. Her mistake, she won’t catch anything on this side of the island that far out.
