Chapter 16

Saturday morning, that same day.

JOCELYN spread her hands, sideways, before the moving waves of the beach. She needed to refresh her mind a little, and this was her best option. She'd come all by herself; her parents knew her well enough to understand she preferred being alone when she had emotional problems than to speak with someone about it.

The wind embraced her, causing her blonde hair to fly over her shoulders away from her back. Her silk gown ran hither in the wind. The waves of the sea swooped down and chilled her tender feet. Her eyes were tightly shut, she wanted to feel every sensation of the wind. She wanted to listen only to the song it sang in her ears, she needed the cold to make her pull away from the heat she felt underneath her skin. She let her tears flow gently down her eyes, rolling down her cheeks.

She had her own problems, and was happy the wind understood her, it sang songs about a pretty damsel who seemed to have everything but had nothing on the inside. The water that swallowed her feet told about how, as a youth, it'd seen the mighty and the powerless fall inside it's brace vulnerably, and never going back. It told about love and hate. The song kept playing until she couldn't bear it any longer. She ran on the dry beach, passing lots of families under umbrellas; sandcastles by little children. She didn't look back, she kept running. She felt the urge to tell the mountains her story. Nobody knew her on the inside, not even her parents.

As she ran full speed, her leg strucked a stone she'd been oblivious of, sending her to the moist earth. She didn't bother to get up, only lying there to cry. A memory crawled before her eyes.

"When surfing," came a voice in her head, "you have to think all about the waves. You have to feel it, you have to tell yourself it won't ever hurt you. The waves are more than meets the eye, it can be your companion, but only if you make it your friend by standing tall."

"How's that so, Mrs. Simpson?" she remembered her much, smaller self asking. "How does one 'feel' the waves?"

"Come, I'll show you," she replied, taking Joce's hand into hers. Together, they strolled into the water with their surfing boards, aiming for a rising wave. "The water has a lot to teach us."

They aimed at it, flung into their boards and dived over the wave, reading its next move. They were on a low step, because of Joce. She moved close to Joce when she noticed she was unstable then said to her, holding her hands, "Joce, have you ever seen birds fly?"

"Yes!" replied Joce.

"Are they ever afraid of the wind, despite the odds?"

"No!"

"Then so is every surfer, you've got to just go with the flow like it were meant for you. If it's okay, close your eyes and hold my hand tightly-"

She nodded. Closing her eyes, she heard Mrs. Simpson's voice, "Just like a bird!"

She pictured herself flying and could feel the next turn of the wind, unknowingly to her, the older woman had already let go off her. She'd flowed through the tide perfectly, and had immensely impressed her teacher.

"Just like a bird," Jocelyn repeated with her cheek to the cold sand. She felt a whole heap of her anxieties hurled into the sea. She opened her eyes, slowly, and smiled as it met the sea. Some tears gathered in her eyes, all it needed to burst out like a fountain was a blink. She wiped it with the back of her hand, then raised herself to seat, crossed legs.

She was sad that her teacher and friend had to die into the same waves she claimed could never hurt one. Jocelyn had dropped surfing ever since the death and had resolved not to ever set her feet into this beach. However, that morning proved the fact that nature had its way of doing things.

She had lost her only teacher and most intimate friend; she wondered why it all had to happen that way. Then she remembered something else the former used to say to her, "Whenever you feel inclined to cry again, get up, pick your board and surf." She look to the far left and could see a whole stuck of boards for rent. She smiled, wiped her tears, dusted herself and ran there very fast, feeling more alive this time. She threw the coins at the man there without saying a word, drew out her favorite type of board, then ran for the wave.

She was glad she wore a legging underneath her gown. As she dived on one of the waves, she could feel her heart glow. She finally felt a part of her broken heart mended back. She crouched low and dropped her hand into the moving wave. She could feel the joy in the current. Smiling, she dashed into its peak. Someone from below exclaimed, "Woah, how are you doing that?" but she didn't want to be distracted.

The teenage boy jumped on a board to meet up with her, he had never seen a girl who skated with such courage and passion, he could read it in her eyes. He moved carefully, swaying his buttocks here and there, and pulling himself up from the current to move higher. He was finally able to meet up with her line, he felt the wave about to take a caprice, but couldn't seem to understand what the blonde-haired lass had in mind. All of a sudden, she made a quick swerve and jumped on another wave she'd been aiming at. The auborn-haired bloke went off balance and fell to the lowest tide. Fortunately, he was a good swimmer and was able to make for land, his board as an aid.

Jocelyn chuckled, it was a trick she'd learnt from Andy's mum. With that single trick, she'd won lots of medals from competitions. It was a trick invented to distract anyone behind her trying to beat her pace. She slowly descended with ease to the beach and did the popular trick of holding one's board as one jumped off the current.

The auborn-haired boy advanced to her. She pretended not to see him as she walked to return the board.

"Yo, howdy, lass!" he called over her shoulders, struggling to meet up with her.

"I'm afraid, I do not speak with strangers," said she without turning her head, an air in her voice.

"How 'bout I introduced myself?"

"Wouldn't be necessary," she said turning to look at him this time. He was barechested, about Andy's build, had a dashing smile on his face that could trap any maiden at first glance, she observed. His abs were well-developed on his stomach, and his hair was thick and completely auburn-coloured. He had only a pair of shorts on.

"I'm Dave - Dave Buttigieg."

She replaced the board to its initial position, smiling brightly at the renter who theb winked at her. Done, she swayed away, quickly.

Dave met up with her pace, and said, "Hey, it's impolite to snub others-"

"And it's impolite, Mister, to pry on others-"

He ran his hand into the thicks of his head and smiled. "Okay, look, I'm sorry I did whatever you just said-"

"I see-"

"And how in tarnation did you surf like that; I've never seen anything like it!" he gestured by pointing at the sea.

She ignored what he'd said. "I'm Jocelyn Redwood."

"A lovely name, you've got there. I'll call you Joce," he said.

Jocelyn rolled her eyes to the obvious. She maintained her pace.

"I live a couple of miles away from here with my brothers; just at the outset of this town."

She was silent, and kept moving.

"And you're dressed too casual I'd want to think you live in the neighbouring town. . . what's it called? Umm... 'Mc-boring', is it?"

And of course, the crazy young girl beat her principles and couldn't hide her "extended" grin. Dave scratched his head, smiling ear to ear, happy he'd gotten the results he'd craved for. As they walked side by side, they heard a testosterone-like voice over their shoulders.

"Dave!"

The duo turned back to see a, slightly, larger version of Dave. He could almost be mistaken for a twin, however, he had more builds than Dave; his hair was just as thick as the former but more untidier in appearance. It spread over his brows, about an inch or two, and was just as auborn. He had this funny-looking expression across his face.

"Howdy," said Dave.

"Yaw, li'l' bro. I see you've gotten company so soon?"

Dave smirked, and they exchanged knowing looks behind their smiles which Joce had failed to notice.

"This is Joce; Joce, meet my brother Luke."

She smiled and waved at him, feeling uneasy.

"Joce?" asked Luke.

"Jocelyn Redwood," she said.

He nodded, and they continued walking - all three.

Breaking the few seconds silent, Luke said, "Bro, where's your shirt? I'm not going to have to deal with you catching a cold?" He began to pull his windcheater and used it to wrap Dave.

"Stop acting like an old crap, I'm not a child, and you're just three years older-"

"Where're your clothes?"

"They're in my car."

Jocelyn's uninterested ears cocked up at what he'd just said: the lad owned a car?

"Oh-"

"You're embarrassing me, Luke-"

"Why d'you have to get all the pretties?" Luke asked under his breath such that only Dave could make of the words.

At the moment, they were out of the beach, and Jocelyn was thinking about how to manoeuver her way from these boys. She looked at them and saw her chance to move away, she was just taking her second step away when she felt a grip on her hand.

How dare he?!

"Emm. . .Miss Joce, I'm sorry for the embarrassment and 'prying', and I think it'd be only polite if I dropped you home to compensate."

She stared at him for a moment, observing his strong, hairy, masculine arms. She did not fail to see the veins that spread across his hardel like the lines on a map. Still feeding her eyes further, her eyes fell on his glossy, pink lips, then when she observed his eyes, she realised his eyelids had a shaded, purple swell.

They stared at one another for a somewhat awkward moment, before she nodded.

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Howdy mates!

What a big Saturday for the Mcbornies, don't your agree?

So who like the big boys? And what d'you think 'bout these characters?

How 'bout Jocelyn, has your view changed on her, or d'you just feel she's messed up, "upstairs"? I'd like to see your thoughts.

Till next week, mates, or before then.❤️