Surfing lessons

"Where are you going?" Ruby asked sleepily from her bed as I slipped on a shirt over my bikini. "Beach." I replied rummaging through the drawer for my flip flops. "At this time of the morning?" She asked looking at the clock. "Yeah. Perfect time to catch some waves before the beach gets overflown with swimmers." I said. "You surf?" She asked pushing herself up into a sitting position.

"Just enough to catch a wave. I can't do all those tricks pro-surfers can do." I answered. "Do you want some company?" She asked standing up. I watched her looking for her glasses and fluff out her long, natural blond hair. "I'm leaving in five minutes." She nodded and scrambled to get dressed.

The door opened and Janelle entered the room. "You guys are up early." She muttered shutting the door behind her. "We are going surfing." Ruby answered excitedly. Janelle quirked an eyebrow. "You can't even surf." Janelle replied. "Yeah, so. I'm going to show her how." I replied not liking the way Janelle always looks down on her.

Ruby is a little different than the rest of the world, she's shy when needed and likes talking but nothing of her gives anyone the right to label her as a nerd. So, she has a genius brain and blurts out random things from time to time. She wants to fit in just like the rest of us.

"Can I join you guys?" Janelle asked after a minute of silence. "I would be sunbathing of course." She continued. "Duh. You are not the "sporty" type." Ruby replied. "Okay. Enough you two. I'm not taking anyone if I have to babysit." I said grabbing my things and making my way over to the door.

I turned to look at them. "Are you going to leave your attitudes at home?" I asked. They looked at each other and nodded. "Good, let's go."

Janelle made herself comfortable on the beach once we reached the shore while Ruby and I made our way into the water with our hired surfboards. I first had to demonstrate to Ruby how a board works and how to paddle through waves on the beach before taking her into the water.

Her first few tries were unsuccessful as the waves threw her off her board but every time she resurfaced she looked more determined than before. "Ready to go in deeper?" I asked motioning to the deep side of the shore. She nodded. "Okay, let's go." I got on my board and started to paddle. I kept an eye on her just making sure she is still with me and surprisingly she handled herself quite well.

We turned around once we reached our spot. "Okay, so we are going to take the small waves for now. When I tell you to paddle. You paddle like a boss. Got it?" I asked her. She only nodded. "And when the waves reach you, you push yourself up as fast as you can. Use all your upper body strength and just go with the wave." She nodded.

"Ruby?" She looked at me as I spoke her name. "Are you alright? You want to go back?" I asked. "No, I'm all good." She replied. "Good. Because here comes our first wave." I said pointing behind us. "Paddle!" I yelled leaning forward on my board and started to paddle. Ruby followed me. "Get up!" I said looking over my shoulder.

She pushed herself up and caught the wave perfectly while I stayed behind. She didn't stand as long as she wanted but she got in her first wave. I threw my hands in the air and cheered her on. I then went back to our spot and waited for my wave which showed up before she could reach me. I paddled as fast as I could, pushed myself up on my feet as fast as I could, and surfed with the wave down to the shore.

I heard Ruby's excitedly squeal before I jumped into the wave. I resurfaced and to my surprise found Travis making his way over to where I was with a surfboard tucked underneath his arm. "She surfs, skates, and pranks. Where have you been all my life?" He asked in a joking manner.

"How many times have you used that line?" I asked smoothing out my wet hair. "That would be the first time actually. Because I've never met a girl as interesting as you." He confessed with no lies intended. "That was pretty nice to watch you take that wave." He said entering the water.

"You call me interesting when you are, the sports fanatic." I asked. He pulled up his shoulder. "I grew up in L.A and close to the shore so it would be kind of embarrassing not to know how to surf." He said. "Ah. I see." He snickered at my short reply. "Like your tattoo by the way. For a moment you got me there thinking you have no ink." He said pointing at my rebel tattoo close to my v-line.

"I would compliment you on your tattoo but I guess you've had enough of those." I said watching him smile. "Only by females who want something so I know when it comes from you. You actually mean it." I tried to keep my face passive but with him around it was hard.

"So, are we going to join the newlyweds?" Travis asked pointing in the direction of where Ruby and Zack who was out on the ocean waiting for waves. "Newlyweds?" I asked amused. "Yeah, ever since he laid eyes on her, it's all we talk about." He said making me snicker. "I feel like a stalker that I know so much about her." He said making me frown.

"Maybe you can explain to me what the story is with her and Janelle." I asked. "I think it has to do with Isabella who used to pick on Ruby." He said looking in the direction of where Ruby was with Zack.

"Seems like you know a lot about this." I said. "Yeah, well. I'm the kind of guy who hates bullying and they went too far with Ruby. She's a nice and interesting girl. We became friends as I was in most of her classes and I tried to help her out and protect her from Isabella's army."

"But it doesn't explain Janelle though." Travis looked over my shoulder at Janelle sunbathing. "She lost her way, forgot who she is and I think it is in her nature to pick on her." I just shook my head. "And here I thought you had a thing for Ruby." I teased making him chuckle. "Ruby is a nice girl but I don't think she's mine." He answered.

"I think Zack will agree with you." I said looking at them. Travis followed my eyes and smiled.

"Let's go catch some waves before they start planning their wedding." I said getting on my board. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He muttered as we made our way further into shore where we caught waves for the rest of the morning.