Cut Back

by Todd Strasser

  Just as they had on other mornings, Kai, Lucas, and Buzzy shared the waves at Screamers. By eight o’clock Runt and Everett had arrived. So had Shauna, Booger, and Bean. Still not ready to surf Screamers when there were other surfers to watch out for, Shauna stuck to Sewers. Bean went with her. Mostly, Kai suspected, to keep her company and avoid the crowd.

  A little while later Spazzy appeared on the beach carrying a brand-new six-foot-two tri-fin. He stopped by the wet suit and towel Kai had left for him, changed clothes, waxed up his new board, and hit the water.

  And started paddling straight out toward Screamers.

  “What the hell?” muttered Runt, out in the waves near Kai. But Kai paid him no mind.

  Spazzy got outside. Except for Runt, hardly anyone in Lucas’s crew vibed him. Kai had a feeling they were starting to accept the fact that Screamers was no longer their private domain. And besides, Spazzy was probably the last person in the world who’d let a little stink eye bother him. After all, when you had Tourette’s syndrome, you probably got stink eye every day of your life.

  Spazzy got almost all the way outside when a nicely shaped wave suddenly popped up. Since no one else was going to ride it, he spun around and took off Kai realized this was probably the first time that summer that the kid had ridden a short board, since the day before he’d been on old #43. But Spazzy had no trouble adjusting to a board that was three feet shorter and considerably less buoyant. He not only popped up and did a nice bottom turn, but managed a snap at the top and then trimmed out down the line.

  A few more decent waves came in, but Kai let them pass and waited. Spazzy paddled back out and gave him a big, happy smile.

  “You were really starting to rip that last one,” Kai said.

  Spazzy grinned proudly. “Thanks, man.”

  Another wave was coming in. Ever eager to ride again, Spazzy started to turn his board, but so did Runt. While Spazzy didn’t seem to notice Runt, the red-haired kid had his eyes on Spazzy, as if wondering which of them was going to claim the wave.

  “Hey, Spazzy,” Kai called.

  Spazzy looked up from his board, surprised. Kai jerked his head toward Runt. Spazzy swiveled, saw the other kid, and instantly sat back on his board, giving Runt room to take off. Runt shot Kai a brief, puzzled glance, as if he couldn’t understand why Kai had called Spazzy off the wave and didn’t know whether to thank him for it. Then he was in the wave and riding.

  Meanwhile Spazzy gave Kai a questioning look.

  “You just caught a wave and Runt hasn’t had one for a while,” Kai explained.

  “Gotcha,” Spazzy said. He understood. You couldn’t ask other surfers to share their waves with you unless you were willing to share yours with them.

  He and Kai sat in the water, bobbing up and down as the smaller swells rolled by, scanning the horizon for the higher crests that would signify the next good set. As usual Buzzy and Lucas were off by themselves, working on the “moves” Lucas would show at Fairport.

  “You know the competition? I’d like to enter too,” Spazzy said.

  “You serious?” Kai asked.

  “Think about it,” Spazzy said. “This guy with Tourette’s syndrome out there competing. Showing everyone he can surf with the big boys. Think anyone’s gonna make fun of me after that?”

  “If anyone makes fun of you now, they’re just plain stupid,” Kai said.

  “Yeah, but maybe you can make stupid people smarter.” Spazzy nodded at Runt, who was paddling back out after his last ride.

  Kai couldn’t help but grin.

  “Uh-oh,” Spazzy suddenly muttered. He turned his board around so that he was facing straight out, as if watching for the next set, his back to the beach. Kai looked at the beach and saw what the problem was. Spazzy’s sister was walking toward the water, her head twisting left and right as if she was searching for someone. And she wasn’t alone either. A short stocky woman was walking with her.

  Kai sat on his board parallel to the shore, so that he could keep an eye on the waves and the beach.

  “What’re they doing?” Spazzy asked without turning around.

  “Looking around the beach,” Kai said. “Who’s the other lady?”

  “Marta,” Spazzy said. “Our housekeeper. Has either of them looked out here?”

  “Not really.”

  “Yeah, this is the last place they’d think I’d be,” Spazzy said.

  Spazzy’s sister and Marta stopped at the water’s edge, then parted and walked in opposite directions.

  “I hate to say this, but your sister looks a little freaked,” Kai said.

  “What am I supposed to do?” Spazzy asked. “She ever finds out what I’m up to, I’ll never get near the beach again.”

  “Can she really stop you?” Kai asked.

  “Easy. All she has to do is take away my board and my credit card.”

  “But she can’t really stop you,” Kai said. “I mean, you could always borrow a board.”

  “She could make it really hard,” Spazzy said. “Believe me.”

  Marta and Spazzy’s sister were still walking along the beach. Neither of them had yet looked out at the water.

  “You really think you could enter the Fairport contest without her knowing?” Kai asked.

  Sitting on his board, Spazzy’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know.”

  “Maybe you should just tell her,” Kai said.

  “She would freak, I mean, totally freak. You have no idea.”

  “I guess not,” Kai said. “But at some point you have to start living your own life, don’t you? I’m not saying it has to be now or even this summer. But how much longer are you gonna wait?” The strange thing was, even as the words came out of his mouth, Kai realized he could have been talking about himself.

  It took a while for another set to come in. When it did, everyone was eager to jump on it. Runt took off on the first wave. Lucas nailed the second. With the third looming over them, Spazzy and Kai traded looks. Spazzy nodded and Kai kicked into the wave and slashed down the face, ending with a front side tailslide just before the close out.

  He paddled back.

  “I have an idea,” Spazzy said when Kai got outside again. “Suppose I have everyone over for a Fourth of July pool party? That way she can meet you and see that you’re okay. Maybe after that, if I tell her I’ve been surfing with you guys, she won’t freak as bad.”

  “It’s worth a shot,” Kai replied.

  “Yeah, maybe that’s the way to go,” Spazzy said.

  That was the last they spoke about it. By now Spazzy’s sister and housekeeper were both so far away that Spazzy could start catching waves without worrying about being seen.

  As usual Kai surfed until a little after 9 A.M., then headed back to the motel to get ready for work. His father was waiting for him at T-licious.

  “You finish that logo yet?” he asked.

  Kai showed him the finished piece of art.

  “Good, good, I like it,” Pat said.

  He seemed to be in a good mood, which was fortunate considering what Kai had in mind. “I need to take the Fourth of July off.”

  “You’ve been taking a lot of time lately,” Pat said.

  “I work plenty for you, and I should be able to take time when I feel like it.”

  The Alien Frog Beast thought for a moment. “Sure, go ahead. In fact, you picked the right day. Enjoy yourself.”

  It was too easy, Kai thought. There was no doubt in his mind that his father was up to something.

  Twenty-nine

  On the morning of July Fourth Kai and his friends surfed. The waves were small, mostly knee to waist high, and the swell was coming directly out of the south in the form of slow-moving mushburgers. It was one of those mornings when the surfing might actually have been better at Sewers than Screamers. At least, over at Sewers they were definitely getting more rides, and Kai and his buds had no problem moving from Screamers over to their old break.

  At one point Kai and Bean
were sitting outside, waiting for the next set.

  “No work today?” Bean asked.

  “Got the day off,” answered Kai. “How about you?”

  “Same here,” Bean said. “We’ll just be busier tomorrow. Like my dad always says, ‘People can’t wait to die.’”

  Kai had to think about that for a moment. “That’s sick, Bean.”

  Spazzy paddled over to them. He pointed over at Screamers, where Lucas and his crew were bobbing in the water like corks.

  “Why don’t they come over here?” Spazzy asked.

  “That’s an interesting idea,” Bean said. “But no way.”

  “Let’s see,” Kai said, and waved until he was certain Lucas and the others saw him. They sat on their boards and didn’t move or respond.

  “They just can’t lower themselves,” Bean said.

  It wasn’t long before the onshore winds picked up and blew the weak surf out. Kai and his friends went in and started building the bonfire for that night. Down the beach, opposite Screamers, Lucas and his friends had also come in and were stacking scrap wood into a huge cone-shaped pyre. Sam was there, his right hand bandaged, carrying pieces of wood with his left hand.

  By noon the winds died down and the ocean went flat. Even on the beach the temperature rose to uncomfortable levels. Kai wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the sand so crowded or counted so many beach umbrellas. The way people splashed in the shallows reminded him of a crowded swimming pool.

  Kai, Booger, Bean, and Spazzy all worked bare chested. Sweat ran down their faces and their skin turned red.

  “Anyone want to go to Pete’s?” Booger asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his hand.

  Pete’s Hubba Hubba Seaside Saloon was the closest place on the boardwalk that sold sodas. It had a patio with tables shaded by umbrellas. They started up the crowded beach. A lot of people stared at Spazzy and his herky-jerky way of walking. The funny thing was, with the sand so hot, Kai and the others were also hopping and dancing.

  “You guys better stop it,” Spazzy warned. “Or people are gonna think we’re all weird.”

  At Pete’s they got sodas and crowded around a table with an umbrella over it. All around them sat people eating Pete’s specialties: chilicheese dogs, chilicheese fries, and chilicheese burgers.

  “You guys know how to get to my house?” Spazzy asked.

  “I’m sure we can find it,” Bean said. “It’s not like this is a big town or anything.”

  “Five o’clock, right?” Booger said.

  “Yeah.”

  “Should we bring anything?” Shauna asked.

  “Just bathing suits and something dry to wear,” Spazzy said.

  They finished their sodas. Other people were crowding around Pete’s patio with trays of drinks and food, waiting for a table to open.

  “Guess we better get going,” Bean said.

  They got up, threw out their cups, and started across the boardwalk … and came face-to-face with Lucas and his crew.

  “Impressive stack of wood you got there,” Runt said, jerking his head toward the beach. From the boardwalk Lucas’s pyre looked at least twice the size of the one Kai and his friends had made.

  “Yeah, well, we didn’t have one of our fathers buy our wood and have it delivered,” Booger shot back. “We went out and found it ourselves.”

  “Now, now, children,” Bean said. “Let’s not argue.”

  “I know what you would say,” Lucas said to Kai. “It’s not about competing, right?”

  Instead of answering, Kai turned to Sam. “How’s your hand?”

  “What do you care?” Sam asked.

  “It was an accident,” Kai said. “I thought you were going to snap a fin off my board.”

  Sam didn’t reply. Probably, Kai thought, because he really had been planning to snap off one of Kai’s fins.

  “How long before you can surf again?” Kai asked.

  “Go to hell.” Sam stepped around Kai and continued toward Pete’s. Some of Lucas’s crew followed, but Lucas hung back.

  “Still thinking about Fairport?” he asked Kai.

  Kai nodded.

  “Not much to lose by entering,” Lucas said. “I mean, we all know how well you can surf.” His words seethed with taunting sarcasm.

  “We’ll see,” Kai said. He and his friends started down the beach. About halfway there, Bean stopped and looked back. Kai followed his gaze. Shauna was still on the boardwalk, talking to Deb Hollister, Lucas’s girlfriend.

  “What do you think that’s about?” Bean asked.

  “You got me,” said Kai.

  Thirty

  The address Spazzy had given Kai was on the east side of town, a part Kai had only passed with Bean on the way to Belle Harbor. He strolled along Main Street past some stores, restaurants, and a few fancy beachfront motels, then found himself walking along a tall pink concrete wall, too high to see over. At the next corner he made a right down a street leading to the beach and found himself in a community of beautiful modern houses with large windows and pools and tennis courts.

  Kai walked to the end of the street and up the driveway of one of the most beautiful houses he’d ever seen. It was large, but not huge or fancy. Instead it was a low, modern, one-story structure nestled in the dunes, with grayish, weather-beaten siding. Parked in the driveway was a black Mercedes Benz station wagon with California license plates. Kai went to the front door and rang the bell.

  The housekeeper, Marta, opened the door. She was wearing a black skirt and white blouse that sort of reminded Kai of a waitress’s uniform.

  “Hi, I’m here for the party,” Kai said.

  “Please.” Marta swept her arm in a gesture for Kai to go in. He stepped into the living room. It was filled with sunlight. The other side of the room, which faced the beach and ocean beyond, was all tall sliding glass doors. There were bright, colorful abstract paintings on the walls and sculptures here and there and sleek modern-looking furniture. Hanging on one wall was the largest flat-screen plasma TV Kai had ever seen.

  A woman Kai recognized as Spazzy’s sister stood by one of the sliding doors, looking outside where Spazzy and his friends were in the pool. It was a hot, sunny summer day, but Spazzy’s sister was wearing navy blue slacks and a light blue polo shirt. When she saw Kai, she came toward him with her hand held out.

  “Hi, I’m Jillian Winthrop,” she said, shaking his hand in a businesslike manner. “You must be Kai. Caleb has said so much about you.”

  It took Kai a moment to remember that Caleb was Spazzy’s real name. Somehow he had the feeling that Jillian wouldn’t appreciate hearing her brother referred to by his nickname.

  “I hope it’s mostly been good,” Kai said.

  “Oh, yes, he’s … he’s quite taken with you,” Jillian said. The look she gave him felt piercing, protective, and suspicious. As if she was trying to peer inside and make sure that Kai’s intentions regarding her brother were good. At the same time suspecting him merely because he wanted to be friendly to a guy who behaved so strangely.

  “He’s a cool guy,” Kai said.

  Jillian forced a smile on her face, as if deep down she secretly believed that that could not possibly be true, but was willing to go along with it. In the meantime Kai could see that Spazzy had been right. His sister dressed, acted, and sounded like she was much older, but she was just a few years older than Bean at most.

  “Well, I’m sure you’d like to join your friends,” Jillian said, guiding him toward the glass doors facing the pool. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” Kai said, and stepped outside into the sunlight. At first no one noticed him. Shauna and Spazzy were sitting at the edge of the pool with their feet in the water and their backs toward him. Bean was lying on his back on a big silver raft the size of a mattress, his eyes covered by shades and his long black braid hanging over the edge of the raft and into the water. Booger was swimming under the crystal blue surface with a mask and flippers. On a nearby ta
ble under the shade of an umbrella was a large hero sandwich sliced into sections and a big bowl of chips. On the ground beside the table was a cooler filled with ice and sodas. Music was playing on some outdoor speakers.

  “Hey, look who’s here!” Booger said after popping up for air. Everyone turned and said hello to Kai. Spazzy got up. While he still jerked and ticked a bit, it wasn’t nearly as pronounced as it had been the first few times Kai had been with him.

  “Glad you could make it,” Spazzy said, and pointed at a cabana behind the diving board. “You can go in there and change into your bathing suit.”

  “No, that’s okay,” Kai said.

  Spazzy blinked very quickly, and his eyebrows formed a puzzled V. “What do you mean? This is a pool party, dude.”

  “Yeah, well, I spend so much time in the water that it doesn’t matter that much to me,” Kai said. The truth was he kept meaning to buy some surf trunks, but his father barely gave him enough money to eat, and the ding repairs he did at Teddy’s were going toward paying for the custom-shaped thruster she’d given him. Any extra money he got seemed to slip through his fingers for drinks and surf wax.

  Spazzy licked the back of his hand, then sniffed it, then licked it again. Kai realized he was deep in thought. He gestured toward the cabana and spoke in a low voice the others wouldn’t hear. “There’s plenty of trunks inside. And when you’re done, make sure you take a pair home with you.”

  For a moment Kai was tempted to say that he appreciated the offer, but didn’t need it. But it wasn’t true. That would have been pride talking.

  “Thanks, man,” he said, and went into the cabana. On the shelves were lots of matching, fluffy blue-and-white-striped towels. Hanging on hooks were a dozen different men’s and women’s bathing suits. At first Kai couldn’t understand why Spazzy and his sister would need so many. Then he realized that the suits were different sizes and were probably meant for guests. Kai found a pair of green-and-blue trunks and pulled them on. Then he grabbed a towel and went back out.