Catching Waves

by Stephanie Peters

  When he surfaced he paddled quickly to get out of the other surfers’ way. He hoped no one had seen his fall. He thought he was in the clear, then he heard a familiar laugh and turned to see his father stroking his way toward him.

  “Jeepers, who taught you to surf?” Mr. Ford said, grinning.

  Kai grinned back. “Some guy who thought he was good enough to be a pro at one time!” he shot back. “Come on, I’ll race you to the lineup!”

  Kai and his father surfed together for another hour. Then they took a lunch break. Afterward, Mr. Ford lay on his towel for a quick nap.

  The food and exercise had made Kai drowsy, too, so he lay down on his back and closed his eyes. But he couldn’t sleep. Lights danced behind his closed lids. The salt from the seawater made his skin itchy. He scratched absently at the scar on his thigh.

  Sometimes the scar itched—but nothing at all like it had itched when the gash was first starting to heal. Then he’d wanted to claw the bandage away to get at the irritation, even though he knew that scratching the cut would irritate it even more. After all, the skin beneath the bandage was still red and raw. Later, when the bandage came off, the cut hadn’t itched as much. The skin had gradually turned pink and then, as more time passed, smooth and white.

  Kai knew his scar was ugly, but he was secretly proud of it. It was his first—his only—surfing injury. He couldn’t imagine his leg without it.

  Kai flopped over onto his stomach and looked at his watch. It was past noon. That meant the Seaside Surf Shop was open. He wondered if Sunny had found his form.

  The sun was warm on his back. Kai rested his head on his arms, closed his eyes again, and let his thoughts wander from the upcoming contest to the stories his father told about the competitions he’d been in. He pictured the photo his father had shown him of the surfer Sunny and wondered where it had been taken. Once again, he wished that the surfer Sunny and Sunny Pierce were the same person, for his father’s sake. But the lack of a scar on the surfer’s arm proved they weren’t.

  Then something occurred to Kai. He sat up abruptly, his mind whirling.

  What if they were the same person—and the photo had been taken before Sunny had gotten the scar?

  8

  Kai was so excited by his theory that he almost woke his father up to tell him about it. But he hesitated, remembering how disappointed his father had been last night. Kai decided to prove his theory before he got his father’s hopes up. But how to get proof?

  The obvious answer was to ask Sunny Pierce herself. Then Kai recalled how quickly she’d changed the subject when he asked her about her scar. It was obvious she didn’t like to talk about how she got it.

  Maybe I should just drop the whole thing, Kai thought. But he couldn’t get his mind off it. The possibility that he’d solved one of surfing’s great mysteries was just too exciting. Finally, he shook his head as he thought, How can I just drop it? Every time I go near that shop I’ll be wondering. No, I have to know!

  He pondered how he might go about getting information on the mysterious Sunny. He decided to start his investigation by looking her up on the Internet.

  Then he remembered his computer was on the blink. The library was closed on Sundays so those computers were out of reach, too. And Kai didn’t dare ask his father if he could use the terminal at his workplace. Disappointed, Kai realized he couldn’t do any investigating that afternoon. He hoped the home computer would be fixed by the next day, but he knew that it was unlikely.

  It wasn’t until many hours later, when he was lying in bed that night, that he thought of one other place he could get access to a computer.

  His school library had a number of terminals. However, there was one problem. The library computers were off limits to students unless they had written permission to do research on them. The rule had been put into place a year earlier, after a group of students had been caught playing computer games instead of doing their work.

  Kai wouldn’t have a permission slip, of course. If he got caught he’d get two afternoons of detention. Well, I’ll just have to be sure I don’t get caught! he said to himself. But how? He stared at the ceiling of his room and devised a plan. When he was satisfied it would work, he rolled over and went to sleep.

  The first hours of school the next day dragged on endlessly for Kai. Finally, it was lunchtime — and time for him to put his plan into action. He wolfed down his sandwich then asked one of the lunch room monitors for permission to use the bathroom. But instead of going to the lavatory, he tiptoed into the library computer room.

  The lights in the room were off. Kai crossed to the terminal farthest from the door and switched on the monitor. The screen glowed bright blue in the darkened room. Kai glanced nervously over his shoulder, certain he’d see a librarian bearing down on him and demanding to see his permission slip. But he was alone.

  Every student had a password that gave them access to the school’s network and the Internet. Kai typed quickly and in a matter of moments had a long list of Web sites containing the words “Sunny” and “surfing.” He clicked on the first one and began reading.

  Ten minutes later, he sat back and rubbed his eyes. He’d gone through six articles about surfing. All mentioned a talented up-and-coming surfer named Sunny and how she’d dropped out of the sport without explanation. Kai had hoped to see pictures, but so far the articles had been text only. He checked his watch and saw that he had only five minutes left before he needed to get to his next class. He leaned forward and clicked on the seventh article.

  At that moment, the computer room was flooded with light. Kai spun around in his chair and came face-to-face with the head librarian.

  “Oh, uh, hi, Ms. Kerns,” he mumbled. “I — I was just, um, just … leaving?”

  9

  Ms. Kerns folded her arms across her chest and looked down her nose at Kai. “Tell me, Mr. Ford, what is so important for you to do on the computer that you had to break my rules?”

  Kai hung his head. He knew Ms. Kerns was a stickler for rules. But she also had a reputation for being fair. Kai decided to appeal to her good side.

  “My own computer is busted or else I would have waited until I got home to do this research,” he said, hoping the word “research” would soften her up a bit.

  Ms. Kerns eyeballed the list of articles he’d pulled up. She drummed her fingers against her arm. She seemed to be considering something. Kai’s hopes rose. Maybe he wouldn’t be given two days of detention after all.

  “I’ll tell you what, Kai,” she said finally. “Since this is your first offense, I’m willing to make a deal with you.”

  Kai suddenly felt apprehensive. What kind of a deal would a librarian want to make? Would he have to read a whole stack of books? Or shelve a countless number of titles? Or worse yet, read a story aloud to a group of first graders? He’d heard of other kids doing that — it sounded horrifying to him.

  “As you may know, I am the advisor for the school magazine.”

  The school magazine was a twice-monthly publication put together by students. It featured articles on school and community activities, interviews with teachers, and a list of upcoming events. Kai hadn’t known Ms. Kerns worked with the students on it, but he nodded as if he did.

  “It just so happens we are short one article this issue,” Ms. Kerns continued. “So here’s the deal: you write a 1000-word piece on surfing for the magazine, to be delivered to my desk no later than Friday after school, and I’ll overlook the fact that you broke into my computer room. Agreed?”

  Kai gulped. Two days of detention suddenly didn’t seem so bad! Then he remembered about the surf contest. He wanted to get in as much practice time as he could between now and the competition. Detention took place after school — prime surfing time. He couldn’t afford to spend two afternoons sitting in study hall instead of riding the waves. On the other hand, he could research and write the article after supper, when he wasn’t allowed to surf.

  He realized Ms. Kerns was
waiting for an answer. “Uh, is there anything particular about surfing you want me to write about?” he asked.

  Ms. Kerns smiled. “Just so long as it is interesting, informative, and factual, not simply a story about what it feels like to surf, you may write what you wish.” Just then a bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period. “Okay, Kai, off you go. I look forward to reading your work.”

  By the end of school that day, Kai was still trying to figure out what he’d write about. When he stepped outside, the sun was shining, there was a stiff breeze, and his surfboard and gear were ready and waiting in the back of his father’s truck.

  I’ll just go surfing for a little while, he told himself as he veered toward the shore. I’ll work out the article when I get home.

  Kai loved going surfing right after school. Unlike the weekends, the ocean wasn’t crowded with surfers and he could usually get in a good number of runs without having to wait too long.

  When he hit the beach that afternoon, he was happy to see that only a few other people were riding the waves. He soon realized why, however. The surf was choppier than usual. That meant surfing was going to be more difficult. But Kai didn’t care. He had a contest coming up. The more practice he got in, the better.

  He changed quickly in the bathhouse and then grabbed his board and ran into the surf. He planned to work on a series of three moves to do for the upcoming competition. He’d start with a bottom turn, gaining speed as he hurtled up the wave. Then he’d launch into a double grab air off the lip. And finally, assuming he was still standing after grabbing the rails, he’d try a tailside reentry, coasting back down the wave looking over his shoulder.

  He went over each move in his head as he paddled out to the lineup. He did a few easy runs to get the feel of the day’s waves. After his third ride, he was ready to try the tricks. He dangled his legs in the surf, watching for his turn and working hard to keep his balance in the choppy water.

  Just then, he heard someone call his name. He glanced around and saw Vaughn paddling toward him.

  Kai felt a stab of uneasiness. He wondered if Vaughn was still mad about the other day. A close look at his friend’s face told him he was.

  “I’ve been looking for you,” the other boy said, his voice laced with anger. “You really goofed things up for my cousin on Saturday, you know! Not only did you mess up his surf time, but someone almost stole his board!”

  Kai opened his mouth to apologize. Then suddenly he felt something nudge his foot. He looked down and saw a large shadowy shape swim beneath him. A moment later a triangular fin cut the surface of the water then disappeared beneath the waves. Before his brain could process what he was seeing, he heard Vaughn gasp a single word that turned his blood to ice.

  “Shark!”

  10

  Kai pulled his legs out of the water as quickly as he could. Vaughn did the same. Heart pounding, Kai knelt on his board, clinging tightly as waves rocked him from side to side and threatened to dump him into the cold ocean. He searched the sea, but the shifting surface made it difficult to see into the depths below.

  Then he saw it — a torpedo shape rising up toward him. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for dagger-like teeth to sink into his board and topple him helplessly into the surf.

  Instead, he heard a loud puffing sound. A gentle mist that smelled faintly of fish wet his face. His eyes flew open and he found himself staring into a shiny, blue black eye. A moment later the eye — and the sleek body attached to it — disappeared beneath the waves.

  Kai almost sobbed with relief. The creature wasn’t a shark. Shark eyes were flat and dull, the eyes of a killer. The creature that had looked at him just now showed intelligence and good humor.

  “It’s not a shark, Vaughn!” he called excitedly. “It’s a dolphin! A bottlenose dolphin!”

  Kai had heard other surfers talk about sharing waves with dolphins. Dolphins didn’t attack people; in fact, there were many accounts of dolphins helping humans who were being threatened by sharks. And according to eyewitnesses, the graceful mammals with the built-in smiles seemed to love playing in the surf as much as the humans.

  Kai had always wanted to surf with a dolphin. He sat up on his board and scanned the water, hoping the mammal would surface near him again.

  Vaughn hung around, too. His earlier anger seemed to have vanished in the wake of the scare. Kai seized on the change of mood and apologized to his friend again and again for causing problems for his cousin.

  Vaughn finally started laughing. “Okay, enough!” Then he sighed. “I just feel bad for my cousin, you know? He loves to surf, but ever since he started making movies he can’t catch a wave without people hounding him. I’d promised him he’d be left alone here. He trusted me, and I let him down.”

  Kai felt lower than a sand flea. He was about to apologize yet again when suddenly the dolphin broke though the water between their boards, heading in toward shore. Kai and Vaughn exchanged delighted looks.

  “Come on!” Vaughn yelled. They spun their boards to follow the animal. The dolphin seemed to want their company, for instead of swimming away it lingered in the surf. And when a wave formed at their backs, the dolphin rode the white water with them before turning back out to sea.

  “That was so cool!” Vaughn cried. “C’mon, let’s see if we can find it again!”

  Kai and Vaughn paddled back out to the lineup. Twice more the dolphin swam alongside them. Then it splashed farther out to sea where it joined a number of other dolphins. That was okay with Kai. He knew he’d remember catching the waves with the graceful animal for a long time.

  He was glad Vaughn had been there to share the experience, too. It helped patch things up between them. Before their next ride, Kai told Vaughn about the surf shop and the contest.

  “I know all about it,” Vaughn told him. “Gonna win me a new board for my quiver!”

  “Oh yeah?” Kai said with a smile. “You got to beat me first, pal! Check out these moves!”

  For the next half hour, Kai practiced his three maneuvers. The less-experienced Vaughn worked on some simpler tricks. When it was time to leave, the two boys walked up the beach together.

  “I gotta get going. See you at school, Kai,” Vaughn said after he’d rinsed off.

  Kai waved good-bye, finished cleaning his board, and hurried to his father’s truck. He’d made it in time for a ride. On the way home, Kai told his father all about the dolphins. “Sure am glad they weren’t sharks,” he said, shivering a bit as he remembered his initial fright.

  “You and me both!” his father said. “I’ve never witnessed a shark attack on a surfer. They don’t happen that often, fortunately. Still, it’s important to remember that when we’re surfing, we’re in their turf. You see one, you get out of the water as quickly —and quietly — as you can.”

  As Kai listened to his father, he suddenly had an inspiration for his magazine article. He would write about shark attacks on surfers — where they happened, why they happened, and what surfers could do to prevent them from happening. He could open with a story of one such attack then follow up with the dos and don’ts of sharks and surfing. After that day’s scare, he realized it was information he’d like to learn about too!

  11

  After dinner that night, Kai did his assigned homework. Then he asked his father if he had any books on sharks. When his father wanted to know why he needed such a book, Kai confessed about what had happened at the library. Mr. Ford chewed him out for a full five minutes, telling him how disappointed he was Kai had broken school rules. Then he pointed Kai toward the computer and told him to get working.

  “But, Dad, isn’t the computer broken?”

  His father looked embarrassed. “Turns out it was just a loose connection. I could have repaired it myself in a second instead of calling in the repair guy.”

  Kai groaned inwardly. If only Dad had tried fixing the computer on Sunday, I wouldn’t be stuck writing this article! he thought.

  But he was stuc
k, and he knew the sooner he started the work the sooner he’d be done. He logged onto the Internet, pulled up a number of sites containing the words “shark attack” and “surfing,” and began reading.

  He soon found himself engrossed in his subject. He learned that shark attacks on swimmers and surfers were rare, with an estimated fifty to seventy-five people attacked per year. In fact, people were more likely to be struck by lightning or killed by an elephant than fatally wounded by a shark.

  Scientists classified three types of attack — encounters, provoked attacks, and unprovoked attacks. Encounters were chance meetings of humans and sharks. There was no contact between the two species during these meetings; they simply were in the same place at the same time. Provoked attacks, on the other hand, did involve contact. These attacks happened when a human did something the shark may have found threatening, like trying to touch it. Then the shark was likely to defend itself by biting the human. And finally, there was the unprovoked attack, when a shark went for a human for no apparent reason. Many researchers thought unprovoked attacks happened because the shark mistook the human for a seal, sea lion, or other kind of prey.

  Kai thought about what the underside of a surfboard must look like to a hungry shark and realized it probably resembled a tasty meal. One article mentioned that some surfers painted large eyes on the bottom of their boards as a way of scaring off sharks. Remembering how frightened he’d been when he thought the dolphin was a shark, Kai decided to paint some eyes on his own board — and soon!

  When it came to preventing an attack, people were advised to use common sense. One rule of thumb was not to swim or surf alone or where sharks were known to swim. People were also advised to keep an eye on other sea creatures swimming near them too. If those creatures started acting differently — if seals suddenly left the water, for instance — the swimmers should follow suit because it could mean a shark was nearby. Shiny jewelry or flashy clothing might look like the scales of a fish to a shark, so swimmers were told not to wear such things. They were also advised not to thrash around when in the water; such violent motions mimicked those of an injured seal or other shark prey. And finally, it was recommended that surfers and swimmers stay away from places where people are fishing — sharks are attracted to motion and the scent of blood.