DAKODA The following afternoon, I find myself at Mac's house, working on school assignments, when she confronts me about the guys. "Spill the beans, sister!" Mac exclaims. “What do you want to know?" I inquire. “Don't be so vague," she retorts. I chuckle at her. "Okay, relax." “So, you know, we went to the beach and trained for a while. I tried to stay angry with them, but as we both know, it didn't last long with those three." “What happened after the beach?" Mac asks, grinning. “What do you think happened?" I ask her, winking."Oh, girl, you better spill the details," she says, playfully tickling me. “Okay, okay," I laugh, and I proceed to tell her about my encounters with each guy separately. “Damn girl, that's hot," Mac says, wiggling her eyebrows. I laugh so hard that tears stream down my face. “Well, I should head home and prepare for school tomorrow." “Okay, call me when you get home," Mac tells me. “Yes, mom," I reply. She playfully smacks my butt, and I burst in
DAKODA The following morning arrives quickly, and before I realize it, the guys and I are at the beach for the surfing games. My stomach is filled with nerves, and Korey leans in, planting a kiss on my cheek."Relax, D, you're going to do great," he reassures me.I playfully slap his shoulder. "Don't jinx me, Korey."He chuckles. "Sorry, didn't know you were superstitious.""I'm not about most things, but I really want this and I'm nervous."As we wait in line to register, I hear her annoying voice."What is she doing here?" she asks Korey."What does it look like?" he responds to Harlan."She'll never beat me, so she might as well give up now," she taunts."You're talking a lot of smack for someone who only scored a 5," I retort, then turn to get my number and write my name on the paper. I watch the other girls surf, and they are incredibly skilled. I start to feel anxious, considering taking Harlan's advice and leaving."Stop fidgeting," Gage says. "You'll be fine. Don't let Harlan
DAKODA "Dakoda Savage!" I hear the announcer's voice boom through the microphone. My palms are drenched in sweat. This is the moment that will determine if I have a chance at making it big."Don't be so nervous, babe. You're going to rock it out there. You did amazing in your first round. Look, you have the highest score on the leaderboard right now, so just take a deep breath and kick ass," Korey reassures me."Hey babe, no need to worry," Kasey and Gage chime in, planting kisses on my cheeks."Give the girl some space to breathe," Mac interjects, joining us from behind. "You've got this, kick ass, bitch," she says, embracing me."Dakoda Savage," the announcer calls my name again, and I snap into action, heading towards the water.On my way, I pass Jojó and the other two girls, and they give me fist bumps. "Knock 'em dead, girl," Claire says.I pump my fist in the air, giving myself a pep talk as I walk towards the water. Once I spot my wave, I hop onto my board and ride it with all
DAKODA Stella and I are preparing to go to the beach to watch the guys surf when I hear a knock on the window. “Koda Bear, there's a good-looking guy smiling at me through your window. Should I let him in or make him wait?" “Make him wait, I say." “Hey now," Korey says, propping himself up on the windowsill. I laugh and walk over to the window, opening it. “What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your tournament?" “Yeah, but I wanted to come over and do this first." Korey says, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me close, then kissing me passionately. “Well, that's a noble reason," I tell him. “God, you two look so much alike it's scary. I thought she was you at first, but she carries herself differently," Korey remarks. “Anyway, we'll see you out there. You'll be late if you don't go." “Yes, ma'am," he drawls. An hour later, we're trying to find spots to sit and watch the guys surf. I spot Mac sitting with her boyfriend, so we make our way
GAGE "So, did she explain why they didn't come?" My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I believe I asked Korey. I'm really messed up right now. I'm completely disoriented. “No, man. That's why I'm so pissed. She ditched me." “She didn't ditch your dick," Kasey remarks. “What would you call it then, dick?" Korey retorts. “Her sister just came home." “Defending her won't get you laid." Korey slurs, clearly intoxicated. “Damn it, Korey." Kasey grumbles. “Alright, guys, are you ready to party?" Harlan says. “Let me explain how Harlan ended up at our small gathering. This happened after Dakoda ignored our boys' texts. He got really angry, the kind of anger only Korey can reach, and he texted everyone we know, inviting them to party at our place. And that brings us to now." “Hell yeah!" Korey and Kasey yell, seemingly unaware of who it is. They're also intoxicated, so I just sit back and enjoy my beer. There's no reasoning with them right now, anyway. I must have passed out because when
KASEY “Dakoda! Hold on," I call out, emerging from our biology class on Monday morning, but she continues walking. This needs to end right now. I understand her anger towards us, but refusing to hear our side of the story is unfair. I catch up to her, grabbing her arm and turning her to face me. “Dakoda, can you please stop and talk to me for a minute?" “I don't have time to talk right now. I'm late for my next class, Kasey, so please leave me alone," she replies. “No, damnit, I'm tired of leaving you alone. Besides, you talked to Gage." “Are you two years old or something?" “I talked to Gage for a couple of minutes before kicking him out of my house." Frustrated, I growl as she walks away from me again. I'm tempted to drag her into an empty classroom like we did before and confront her right now. As I consider this, I spot Stella, Dakoda's sister, who looks just like her, but more timid. “Hello Stella, how are you doing? Are you settling in here?" I ask as she passes by. My h
KOREY I enter Dakoda's house and my gaze immediately falls upon her. Damn, she is stunning. I miss her so much. Is it wrong that I feel insanely jealous of my friends right now? They have her with them, and I don't. “Beer, man?" Kasey asks, approaching me. “Yeah, I could use one." “So, how's our girl?" I inquire, pointing at Dakoda with the hand holding my beer. My other hand remains in my pocket, so I don't make a fool of myself by touching Dakoda. I'll wait until we're alone to do that. “She's good. Heads up, she's going to play hard to get, but it won't take much to win her over," Kasey informs me. “Thanks for the heads up, bro." We walk over to where everyone is sitting, and I shake hands with Kai and Stella, then give Mac a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I approach Dakoda. Without thinking, I take action. I grab her face on either side and passionately kiss her. She's stunned for a moment, then she becomes my fiery little spark. “Don't touch me without my permission again,"
DAKODA Curious about Stella's evening with Kai, I ask her, "So, how was your time spent with Kai last night?" Hoping for a positive response, I silently wish for her to reveal that they are dating, as she truly deserves someone special in her life. “It was good," Stella replies with a smile. "We went to a movie, then we got a slice of pizza from the food court in the mall. After that, we took a leisurely stroll down to the beach, where we ate and talked about everything and nothing at all." As she continues, her voice takes on a hint of vulnerability. "Koda, bear, I have never had a guy who just wanted to spend time with me for me, without any ulterior motives. It's a new experience for me, and I'm not quite sure how to act." A thought crosses her mind, and she wonders aloud, "I wonder if he is gay." “What's so funny, sister?" Stella asks, curious about my laughter. “Well, care bear, it's funny you say that because the guys are saying he's good at telling girls he's gay just to