"Can I help you?" asked a man. He was in his early twenties with long, curly blonde hair like Madeline's. The young man was wearing a sleek, black bodysuit. Debra backed away when he picked up the yellow, paisley surfboard and carried it with one arm.
"Oh, sorry about that," said Debra. "I was just admiring your board."
"Well, thank you," said the man, scanning the surfboard in his arms. He had a strong valley accent. "This used to be my grandma's board."
"Your grandma used to surf?"
"Oh, yeah. She was the it girl for surfing in Laguna Beach back in the sixties. I like to think I got some of her surfing blood in me."
"Well, that's nice to hear."
"Do you surf?"
"Oh, no. I mean, I used to but not anymore."
"Why not?"
"Well, I had been surfing ever since I was eleven. When I was fourteen, I went to catch some waves and gone too far into the ocean. The waves crashed over me and while I was in the water, I saw a shark. I knew sharks were big but this shark was too big. It went after me and luckily I swam away. But my board didn't. I assumed it was a sign that I should never surf again. So since that day, I never surfed."
"Never surfed? Dude, you should never say never."
"I know but I can't surf again. Even if I wanted to, I don't have a board."
"You can buy one."
"I don't have the money for it. Besides, it's been so long. I probably don't know how to surf anymore."
"Dude, surfing is not in the head. It's in the heart. If you knew how to surf, you'll always know how to surf. It doesn't leave like an alcoholic father. It sticks with you like a ghost who died in your house."
"O-Okay."
"Listen, I was once a kid like you once."
"I don't think I'm any younger than you."
"Just hear me out. When I was a youth, I really wanted to surf but I was so scared. But my old man said, 'Just listen to the waves. Do you hear 'em? You hear how they go whoosh-whoosh? Just listen to the waves and become 'em, man.' So that's what I did; I went into the water and heard the whoosh. I didn't hear the whoosh-whoosh but I heard the whoosh. Then a wave came up and it was like, shhh-whirl. Then another was like, wha-wha-whirl. And I was so fascinated that I stood up and just listened to the whoosh-whirl. And I rode that wave like a bull. I could hear the shh-whoosh and the shh-ahh. I was like, 'Whoa, this wave is pretty crazy, bruh.' I could feel the water over my head like shh-ahh. Then the wave went down on me like ah-baa, baah! And when I got back on my board, I heard the whoosh-whoosh. It was such an amazing feeling. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"For some reason, I think I do. And I'm getting excited."
"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about. So you think you'd want to surf again?"
"Yeah but ... like I said, I don't have a board. I really think I'm never going to surf again."
"Okay, quit saying 'never'. It grinds the gears in my ears. Use my board." The young man stood his surfboard up.
"Oh, no, I can't do that."
"Yes, you can. It's only for one day. It's better to surf one day than to never surf at all. And when you get old enough to afford a board, you can start catching waves again."
Debra took the surfboard from him. "Thank you so much. But I don't think I can do it."
"Hey, just listen to the whoosh-whoosh, man. You'll know what you're doing from there."
"Oh, gosh, thank you. Sorry for not asking earlier but what is your name?"
"My name is the Magician." The young man threw his arms in the air.
"Really?"
"Well, my real name is Carl but I prefer to be called the Magician."
"Then, thank you, the Magician." Debra grinned at him.
Meanwhile, Madeline and Lizzie were off to the side of the beach with Mat and Stefan. They were using water guns that the boys brought with them to play with. They ran around in circles, spraying each other with water. The four were having a good time, laughing and shielding themselves with their hands.
While they were busy having so much fun, Skye showed up, witnessing the whole thing. She rolled her eyes, shook her head and approached Madeline. Skye snatched the gun from Madeline's hands and used it to spray her in the face. The boys and Lizzie ceased when they saw Skye interfering.
Madeline wiped her faces and gave Skye an infuriated look. "Skye, I have makeup on!" she yelled.
"Who wears makeup to the beach?" asked Skye.
"Those who slay."
"Enough with the slaying crap. Who are these guys?"
"That's Mat and that's Stefan."
"Why are you hanging out with them?"
"Because you were gone."
"I was trying to take pictures of the girl trying to get the jellyfish off her leg."
"Then why did it take you so long?"
"You should've seen her friends trying to 'help' her."
"That's gross, Skye."
"Okay, I'll admit it. It's gross; I'm not ashamed. But what's really gross is you and Lizzie hanging out with Mat and Steven."
"It's Stefan," he corrected.
"It's Steven, okay?"
"What's wrong with making new friends?" asked Madeline.
"You guys know that you have boyfriends. Faithful boyfriends."
"We're not cheating on them."
"Yeah, I thought girls and boys can be friends without making out with each other," said Lizzie.
"They can but let me ask the boys," said Skye. "Mat? Steven?"
"It's Stefan," he corrected again.
"Whatever. Do you want to be friends with Maddie and Lizzie?"
"Absolutely," answered Mat. "Why wouldn't we?"
"Yeah, they're hot," added Stefan.
Lizzie gasped.
"Was that too much?"
"See what I mean?" Skye asked the girls.
"Friends can think that their friends are hot," said Madeline. "Hey, Lizzie, you're hot."
"Why thank you, Maddie," said Lizzie, smiling.
"Now tell me I'm hot."
"Why? You tell yourself that every day."
"You do know these girls have boyfriends, right?" Skye asked the boys.
"Now we do," Mat replied.
"So you care?"
Mat shook his head. "No, not at all."
"Nope," said Stefan.
"I stand corrected," said Skye. "Come on, girls, let's go back to our friends."
"Wait, wait," commanded Mat. "So what if you guys have boyfriends? We can at least try to be friends."
"Okay," said Lizzie, smiling.
Skye interlocked her arm with Lizzie's arm and used her other arm to do the same thing with Madeline.
"No, Lizzie," said Skye. "These guys are bad news."
"You don't even know us," said Stefan.
"Is that an Iron Maiden T-shirt? Do you actually listen to them or are you wearing that shirt because it's 'fashionable'?"
"I listen to Iron Maiden."
"Your Mohawk says you're right but your mandals say you're lying."
Stefan gave Skye a quick squirt in the face with his water gun. Infuriated, Skye sprayed Stefan incessantly in the hair. He did his best to block himself from the endless stream of water.
"Stop!" he ordered. "You're messing up my hair!"
"'Stop, you're messing up my hair'," Skye mocked him. She dropped the water gun on the ground. "Come on, guys. Let's go."
"What about our shaved ice?" asked Lizzie.
"You can get it later."
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