by Nikki Godwin
“You have quite a colorful staff,” the man jokes. “I’m Miller Brighton. I’m overseeing the construction project for the new Drenaline Surf location. I was here to see the layout of the store and see what kind of blueprints we could put together for you guys.”
A.J. explains that he needs to grab his keys, and we rush outside as quickly as we entered. Emily snaps a few photos under the glow of the Strickland’s Boating sign before Topher tells her we have to leave.
He cranks up my car and confirms Vin’s anger in eight words. “Looks like I’m sleeping on Theo’s couch tonight.”
Chapter Fourteen
“He knew better,” Emily says, punching numbers into the register like I’m sure she’d like to punch her boyfriend right now.
Her mood has made a one-eighty since the carnival a few days ago. Her butterfly happiness has dissolved into black magic, and it’s all aimed at Miles.
“I told him not to go out there. I told him he’d get hurt, but he was all, ‘Nah babe, I’ve got this. I’ll be fine.’ Right – he was fine all the way to the damn hospital,” she says.
My first ‘damage control’ job for Drenaline Surf is this weekend. Instead of babysitting Colby during the Sunrise Valley Tournament, I have to help Miles carefully word how he’ll answer his interview questions. There will be plenty of talk about his broken leg, how it happened, and what this means for his on-the-rise surf career. And according to Vin, he isn’t allowed to admit the truth – which is that he was stupid, surfed in awful conditions knowingly, slammed into the Horn Island rocks, and had to be dragged out of the water by Kale and Topher.
“I am so pissed,” Emily says, forcing herself to sit. She pops her knuckles. “This tournament was a chance for him to actually show his surf skills, to prove that he deserved to be sponsored by Drenaline Surf. There are a lot of haters who think he shouldn’t have won that day. The entire surf world is scouting at this event.”
“Maybe I can talk Vin into letting Topher go instead,” I say. “He knows Topher would pay the money back for the entry fee. Hell, I’d pay it for him out of my paycheck.”
Emily shakes her head. “Don’t bother. Vin already called this morning and explained the situation. Logan’s surfing on Miles’s entry fee, and Miles can’t say anything because Drenaline Surf paid the fee.”
I prop my elbows on the counter and bury my head into my hands. I wonder if the Sunrise Valley Tournament accepts credit cards. My parents could pay Topher’s entry fee, but I really don’t want the phone call from them questioning it.
“This sucks,” I say, stating the obvious.
“For real,” Emily says. “Miles is going to be in that cast and on crutches for at least six weeks, if not longer depending on how it heals. Then he’ll have to go through physical therapy and training before he can even get back in the water. I could kill him.”
I just nod instead of complaining because she’s right. Miles is out of the water for a while. Topher’s just out for this event.
Back at the condo, A.J. and Reed interrupt my never-ending unpacking with text messages requesting my presence in the living room. I gladly abandon the half-empty boxes for some face time with my roomies. With Reed and A.J. working full time and my hardly-ever-needed PR job, the only person I see regularly is Alston, and he’s usually wrapped up in video games or surfing.
“What’s up?” I ask as I squeeze into the corner of the couch next to A.J.
Reed and A.J. both smile at me and then look at each other quizzically, like they don’t know who is going to make the announcement.
“Okay, so, after A.J. got arrested, I got my dad to do a little research,” Reed begins. He talks with his hands, so he’s clearly excited about this. “One of the yacht club members is a lawyer, so he looked over the paperwork, and the arrest wasn’t legit, just as I assumed.”
“Because I didn’t do anything,” A.J. adds. “Pittman hauled me in because he hates me. I didn’t break any laws, and my record is sealed because I’m eighteen. So he had no grounds.”
A.J. stands up and digs a wad of cash out of his pocket. He straightens out the bills before he attempts to hand it to me. I don’t take it.
“The charges were dropped. This is my bail money, reimbursed,” he says. “Plus the fine they charged me.”
“And the money I had to pay to get my Jeep back,” Reed says. “Topher paid us back already. He’s been pulling extra hours at my dad’s store. But since we were reimbursed by the city of Crescent Cove, we want you to take this and pay his entry fee for Sunrise Valley.”
I don’t even know what to say. I blink away the tears as A.J. forces the cash into my hand. It’s crazy how something that really doesn’t affect me makes me feel like I just won the surf world lottery.
“We’re both working that day,” A.J. says. “So we need you to make sure he gets there. And make sure the fee gets paid because the deadline is five o’clock tomorrow.”
I fold the money in my hand. “Why are you guys doing this for him?” I ask.
Reed shrugs. “Vin doesn’t give him fair treatment. If he was another Hooligan, he’d have already been signed because he’s just that good. Vin’s playing the power card because he doesn’t want his little brother to end up like Shark, which I get, but it’s not going to keep Topher out of the water.”
He’s right. There’s nothing in this world that will keep Topher Brooks out of the water. And I’m going to make sure he’s in the water at Sunrise Valley this weekend.
I wait in Alston’s passenger seat while he goes into Crescent Cove Bakery. Reed normally handles the early morning breakfast deal, but we’ve been here in the parking lot waiting for the sign to flip over and say they’re open for fifteen minutes. Our next stop is Sunrise Valley.
“You ready to road trip this thing?” he asks when he gets back in the car. He sets two cups in the cup holders, cranks up, and hands me the bag to sort out what’s what.
“Yeah, the sooner this money is out of my possession and Topher’s entry fee is paid, the better I’ll feel,” I say.
In all reality, I just want to get this over with because I still don’t know what to talk about with Alston. At least when we’re at the condo, he has video games to distract him. Sometimes Kale comes over, and that definitely helps with the weird silence. But this whole ‘stuck in a car alone with Alston for a long drive’ bit is more than I know how to handle.
For the first ten minutes, we’re able to manage the quiet by eating breakfast and listening to the swell updates on the radio. I’m not an expert on surf conditions, but it sounds like Sunrise Valley is going to have great waves for the tournament.
“I’m glad Topher’s going to get to surf there,” Alston says, turning down the volume. “Maybe we can finally work some reverse psychology on Vin. I think if he sees someone else eyeing Topher, he’ll sign him because he’s not going to want anyone else controlling what his brother does.”
That’s what I’m hoping for. Vin’s smart, and he may catch on, but maybe, just maybe, we can use his control freak attitude against him and work it to our advantage – for Topher’s sake.
“This is all Topher ever wanted,” Alston says to the interstate instead of me. “And Shark wanted it too. He wanted Topher surfing for him.”
I sip my frappe and glance out the window at the endless ocean and string of palm trees. I sort of wish he’d just turn the radio back up so I could pretend to give a damn about the swells and local weather.
“Look, I’m trying here,” Alston says, glancing away from the road for a second. “I can’t carry on a conversation if you stare at the beach and ignore me.”
So I’m not the only one who’s lost for conversation. It makes me laugh, which is at least some sort of response. But I don’t say anything because I’d basically just be agreeing with everything he just said and nodding along like an idiot.
“Okay, fine,” Alston says, reaching for his coffee. He takes a drink and sets it back in the cup holder. “Since I’m
driving, I figure you’re less likely to slap me for asking this question. And since you don’t want to make small talk, I’m going to ask it. Why haven’t you broken up with Vin yet?”
I take another sip of my frappe and secretly hope it drowns me, since it’s said you can drown in a teaspoon of water. After a few seconds, I realize it’s not going to happen, so I set the cup down and rest my head back against the seat.
“I wish I had answer,” I say. “At first, I thought he’d come to me and use the whole ‘this isn’t working out’ line, and I’d agree with him. But he never really talks to me at all, so he hasn’t had an opportunity to say it.”
“So you don’t want to be the bad guy?” Alston asks as if he’s my therapist.
I think everyone would understand and probably even take my side if I broke up with Vin. Hell, Vin would even take my side. He’d probably be relieved. I guess he thought I was worth a try, but in the end, he isn’t cut out for relationships. I just had to learn it the hard way.
“Honestly, I think the fact that it wouldn’t bother him is what bothers me,” I admit. “We both know we’re over. We’re just waiting for someone to do something about it. But I can’t handle the thought of bringing it up and him just saying, ‘Okay, no problem,’ like it’s nothing.”
Alston nods but doesn’t say anything else for a few moments. The gears in his brain turn, and I’m almost scared to know what he’s going to ask next. I turn my attention back to the blue water and crashing waves in the distance.
“Here’s my next question,” Alston says. “What are you going to do when you actually do decide you want to date someone else? Because I heard from a soon-to-be manager that his head cashier is already planning double dates for when you make the brother swap.”
I reach over and turn up the radio’s volume. Alston laughs manically, but I absolutely refuse to have this conversation. If Emily is conversing with A.J. about my love life, there’s no telling who else is making assumptions and predictions. Yes, I spend more time with Topher than I do Vin because Topher is around and Vin never is.
I wish I’d never had to have left last summer. I could’ve stayed right here, wrapped up in a world of paper stars, blue seahorse spirits, and chasing dreams. This summer, the stars are unaligned, my seahorse spirit is dead, and any dreams I had have dissolved into the salty air. My relationship has fizzled, Colby’s secrets are tabloid headlines, and there’s an east coaster in the cove. How in the hell did everything fall apart while I was trying to survive my senior year of high school and get back to the west coast? And when did forever stop lasting?
The rest of our drive to Sunrise Valley was less awkward. Alston apologized for the brother swap remark, and then he asked about Linzi. I sort of wish she was here this summer. I knew she wouldn’t be able to come back with me, but I miss her at times. I miss her go-get-‘em attitude and her impulsive bravery. If she was here, she could handle this Vin situation for me instead of making me face the music myself. But she’s on the east coast, right where I left her in North Carolina, waiting for fall so she can go to college and move forward without me – just as I’m doing here without her.
“Damn. Look at all the people,” Alston says as we take the exit into Sunrise Valley.
He’s right. RVs and cars sit bumper to bumper on the street leading down to the beach. If they’re already here for this weekend’s tournament, there’s no way we’ll find parking on Saturday morning. Topher will definitely have an audience to show off for.
“Are they here for the tournament?” I ask, although I’m sure I already know the answer.
Alston nods. “Definitely. The surfers probably came in early to see what the waves are like. It helps them decide which boards to ride during the event. It’s going to be worse this weekend. You might want to drive up Friday night instead,” he says.
The closest parking we can find is blocks away from the registration spot, so Alston drops me off and tells me he’ll walk. I get out of his car, grab the registration forms I printed off the internet, and grab my bag from the floorboard.
The lady at the desk gives me a number and tells me to take a seat. Seriously? This is registration for a surf competition, not the DMV. I text Alston to let him know it may be a while.
“Dude, you’ve got this,” a tanned guy with long black hair says. He elbows the blonde guy sitting diagonally from me. “Don’t back out. You never know who will see you.”
I glance up from Topher’s registration and the signature forged by Miles. The words ‘in case of death or dismemberment’ send chills over my skin. It’d be enough to make me back out. I can’t really blame the blonde guy.
“I’ll choke,” the blonde says. “I can’t choke in front of everyone in Sunrise Valley and the entire surf world. I don’t have the luxury of leaving town when it’s over. I live here, Clover. Everyone will know I screwed up if I do.”
The dark haired guy – Clover, apparently – throws his head back. “Who the fuck cares what anyone else thinks? You’ve wanted this your whole life. Now you’re going to sign this damn form, pay your damn money, and get the fuck in the water and show the world who the hell Kieran Caples is, got it?”
The blonde signs the form and walks back over to pay his fee. Clover tilts his head back in that universal guy nod. I smile instead of even attempting to look cool. He reminds me of A.J. – mouthy yet badass with what I’m sure is a good heart underneath his ‘I’m probably a drug dealer behind the scenes’ exterior.
“You entering the event?” he asks me, nodding to the papers in my lap.
“Me? No,” I say, shaking my head quickly. “I’m just here to pay the entry fee for a friend of mine. He doesn’t actually know yet.”
“Well, in that case, you’re one hell of an awesome friend to have,” Clover says. “Whatever you do, don’t let your friend wimp out. It’s easy to let these things get in your head and psych you out.”
I laugh. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure nothing will keep Topher out of the water,” I say.
Clover’s face grows solemn. “Topher as in Brooks? Horn Island Topher Brooks? Shark McAllister’s protégé?”
I nod, unsure if this is a good thing or if maybe Topher and Miles jumped this guy and his friend at some point in the past. Clover seems like he could hold his own. He could probably even be a Hooligan, if he surfs. He seems like their type of guy.
“Fuck yeah!” Clover shouts out. “We watch his clips on YouTube all the fucking time. He needs a better filmmaker. That Theo dude can’t hold the camera steady for shit.”
Because he’s probably wasted while he’s filming. I don’t dare say that, though, because I actually care about Theo’s reputation. At least filming Topher keeps him out of the water while he’s plastered.
“I’ll pass the word along,” I say.
“Awesome,” Clover says. He digs into his pocket, pulls out a receipt, and asks to borrow a pen. “Here’s my number, in case Topher ever needs a filmmaker. Or you know, if you guys have some downtime at the tournament, we can hang.”
He hands me the receipt, which was for two packs of cigarettes, and waves as he exits with his friend. Alston passes them on his way inside.
“What’s that?” he asks, pointing to the receipt in my hand as he sits next to me.
“The phone number of a guy who might just change the world someday,” I say.
If Clover is anything like A.J. Gonzalez, he definitely will. Alston stares at me, waiting for me to elaborate. The lady behind the desk calls out my number before I can.
Chapter Fifteen
“Your boy toy is here,” Alston shouts out from the kitchen. “You want me to let him in or would you like the honors?”
I shoot him an evil glare. I do not want Topher to hear Alston say crap like that. I glance over at the time on the microwave as I head to the door. I’d hoped we’d leave a little earlier, but since we didn’t tell Topher until this morning, he hadn’t packed. Kale texted me throughout the surfboard-choosing cri
sis.
Miles hobbles in on his crutches while Topher grabs their bags from the back of Miles’s truck. I watch him through the window as he transfers his boards into the bed of Colby’s truck. I volunteered to let Miles ride with me since he’s injured. That’s the reason I gave Vin anyway. Colby and Logan have been forced to ride with Vin in a rental vehicle, to “arrive as a team and show that Drenaline Surf is united.” That’s what Colby said when I asked if he was driving himself. What Vin doesn’t know is that Colby is letting me borrow his truck so Topher can fit all of his boards in it.
“We have to hurry up and leave,” Miles says to me. “If we wait too long, he’ll want to go back to the apartment and change out boards again. I didn’t think I’d ever get him out the door.”
Alston volunteers to grab my stuff from my room and load it into the truck. I wish Emily didn’t have to work tomorrow so she could go with us to Sunrise Valley. We lucked out on the condo rental tonight. Sharing a hotel room with Miles and Topher would’ve been more awkward than someone finding the Spaceships Around Saturn CD hidden in my car – and that would be pretty damn awkward.
Miles stumbles back outside, mumbles about his ‘stupid crutches,’ and curses everything under the sun as he tries to climb up into Colby’s backseat with one good leg. Topher walks around the truck to help him but laughs throughout most of it, which only results in more expletives from Miles.
Once the Hooligans are secured in Colby’s truck, Alston walks me out to see me off. His final words to me are that he’s just a phone call away in case I need someone for ‘girl talk.’ For Alston to be the super hot playboy of the group, he could border the metrosexual line. But for now, I don’t have Linzi, and I can’t talk to Emily about the Brooks brothers, so Alston will have to do.
It’s after sunset when we pick up the keys and settle into our rental spot for the night in Sunrise Valley. Miles sends Topher on a GPS-inspired trip to find a Taco Bell while I go over the agenda for tomorrow’s event. Miles has three interviews, about thirty minutes apart, and Colby has a Q&A early in the afternoon followed by a more formal interview after the event. Vin told me to go with them to each meeting. I just hope they don’t overlap with any of Topher’s heats. I can’t stand the thought of missing him surf.
