Amor

The Surf

I've always loved the water. Ever since I was a child, my dad, who is a swimming instructor would bring me to the pool every weekend to swim. On summers we sometimes go to the beach, but there's little difference. It's still the water, and I would still be playing in it. When I was around nine, I learned to surf. I asked my dad if we could move closer to the beach, and we did. Now, instead of going to the beach every summer, I go there every weekend to surf. My friends say it's unusual for a girl to love surfing and to be so tan but there's nothing they can do about it. Sometimes they go with me, and sometimes I just follow wherever new store they want to go.

This week, I'm putting in more practice. There's a surfing competition next week, and I want to win it. The prize is five thousand dollars cash straight up, and I'm not letting that pass. I paddled to the surf, watching the sun start to set on the horizon. It's this time of the day that I really love to surf. The way the sun makes the water shimmer in different colors is just so beautiful and mesmerizing. A few meters in, I felt it. There was a wave coming up, and it's a big one. I paddled a bit more and decided to ride it.

I was doing a great job if I'd say so myself. I balanced myself on the board, riding the wave. Unfortunately, something snagged the back of the board and I lost my balance. The strong wave washed over me and brought me under. Startled, I tried to go back up, but another wave pushed me down, and my foot got caught in some coral. I got it off, but not without feeling the sharp pain of the edges of the coral cutting me. I can feel that it's going to be more than a scratch. I swam back to the surface to be buffeted by another wave. This time, I go down, my energy spent. My flailing limbs are already burning, not to mention my foot that was bleeding. I was ready to let it all go when a pair of strong arms pulled me up. My energy spent, I black out even before I get put into a boat.

I woke up on a small speedboat, and there was a guy wearing a lifeguard uniform with a towel around his neck piloting the boat. He noticed me trying to get up and pushed me back down.

"Not yet, sweetheart. That was quite a beating you got from the ocean," He said with a singsong accent. Only then did I notice the extent of my injuries, and only then did the pain finally register. Darn, does it hurt. I choke back a sob. Will I be able to compete next week? The lifeguard noticed this and talked.

"You training for the competition next week?" He asked. I nodded weakly. "Well, let's set you straight once we reach shore. I was watching you, you know, from the beach. You got talent, I can see that. Maybe you can even win the contest," He said, looking at me.

"Are you- are you just checking me out?" I laughed, which ended in fits of coughing. My stomach hurts, might bruise. I don't know where I hit that. He laughs too, and his laugh was hearty and his eyes crinkled at the edges. I just noticed now that he's cute.

"Are you checking me out?" He laughs harder this time. I only manage to smile because of the pain.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Wait here, I'll dock the boat and get my med kit," He did as he said, and I watched him run off to his post, running across the sand. He was fast, I can tell. He raced back to me before you can even say 'lifeguard'.

"Here, let's patch you up," he said, then started working on my injuries. My legs and shins were pretty scratched up. Scratch that. Pun intended. They were bleeding profusely. The wounds stung when he applied some peroxide and bandaged them. He gave me some aspirin and let me hook my arms around his neck to help me walk.

"Where do you live? I'll have Jake take my shift, and I'll bring you home." I told him where I lived, and he drove me home after talking to another lifeguard, who took one look at me then said something to the lifeguard who rescued me, making motions with his hands. The one who rescued me said something and Jake nodded reluctantly. He jogged over to the front of the car then.

"So what's the name of my savior?" I asked. He laughed before answering me.

"I actually like that, call me that again," he said.

"Not until you tell me your name," I teased.

"I'm Paul. What about the damsel in distress that I 'saved'? What's her name?" He laughed again. I swear, it's annoying that he keeps on laughing, but it's also cute.

"I'm Bailey," I said, and held out my hand. He shook it. His grip was firm but his hands were soft.

"Bailey? That doesn't sound like the name of a surfer,"

"It's not. I just asked my dad that we move here so I can surf." I said.

"Wow, so you're not from here?"

"I'm from here! I've been here for a long time now, you know." I corrected him. He laughed again.

"If you've been here a long time, how come this is the first time I've seen you at the beach? I'm sure I would never forget a pretty face like yours," Is he trying to flirt with me? I shook my head to clear my thoughts when we turned a corner that led to my street.

"There, right there. Okay, I think I'll be able to make it from here. Thank you," I said, then started limping to our door.

"I'll be watching you next week, good luck!" He said before driving off. My dad asked me about my injuries, and I told him what happened. He was worried, but he knows that he can't change my mind about the competition, so he just told me to rest and recover for the competition.

-----Time Skip----- (I know, I like using time skips)

"Wooh! Go, Bailey! You can do it!" I hear Paul yell over the crowd as I paddle to the surf. There were a few ankle busters that I chose to ignore. Instead, I waited for a bomb, or maybe even something bigger. When I caught it, I proceeded to do tricks on the wave. When I finally reached the shore, I looked at the scoreboard.

10 10 10 8 9

Hm, not bad. I waited for the other surfers to finish, watching what they did. Some were great, and some were probably amateurs. In the end, I finished second place.

"You did it! you did it! Congratulations!" Paul was practically jumping up and down like he won the lottery.

"Hey, calm down. I only got second place," I said, patting his shoulder.

"Yes, but considering your injuries from last week, I'd say you did a pretty good job out there," He said, then hugged me. I was so surprised that I didn't hug back.

"Uh, thanks?" I said and awkwardly pat his back.

"At least you won, even if it's only second. You will always be first in my heart." He teased.

"Always? Is this the start of something that I sense?" I decided to ride along with him.

"Hopefully, if the damsel in distress would like to go for a swim tomorrow?" He held out his hand. I take a moment before I came to a decision.

"Maybe, if the savior prince will pay for the whole thing," I laughed.

He laughed, too, and we were reduced to fits of laughter by the beach.

"Maybe," we both said at the same time, looking at each other's eyes.