The Player

Brielle

6:23 AM

"Get out of the car!"

I rubbed my eyes, staying put. "I'm too tired to get up. Why did you insist that we get here this early?"

He opened my door, reaching over me and unbuckling my seatbelt. Despite my efforts of clinging onto the car seat, Christopher managed to rip me out from his convertible.

"For the fifth time, the waves are better in the morning."

Now that my ankle had gotten better, Christopher insisted that the first thing I did was learn how to surf, like I promised. I tried my hardest to talk my way out of it, but he was persistent.

"Why are you so gung-ho over me surfing with you?"

He walked to the backseat of the car, picking out two surfboards and a bag from his trunk. "First, no one says gung-ho anymore."

Really?

"And two, surfing is actually fun when you get the hang of it. I bet you that by the time you learn you're going to like it more than me."

"I highly doubt that."

He didn't respond after that. Instead, he started making his way towards the shore. He had parked near the beach, and it was deserted due to the time of day. There were only a few surfers littered in the ocean. We had just come at sunrise, and the view took my breath away. The sky was a mix of orange and pink hues, all forming together into one beautiful sky. We walked in silence, each of us taking it in.

When we reached the shore he reached into his bag and threw an article of clothing at my chest. "Put this on."

I held it up in front of me, inspecting it. It looked like a waterproof, skintight, onesie. He must have seen the confusion on my face, because he explained what it was.

"That's a wetsuit. You're supposed to put it over your swimsuit to keep you warm." I nodded my head as he took off his shirt, before slipping his legs into his own suit. I managed to get a good look at his bare upper body, and nearly choked when I saw his defined abs. I quickly looked away, afraid that he would spot me.

I turned away from him, taking off my t-shirt and jean shorts to reveal my bikini underneath. All that I had were one-piece bathing suits, so Sam leant me one of hers. I told her that I was fine with my own, but according to her I looked like a grandma going to water aerobics.

Sam was much smaller than me, so the bathing suit was way too tight. I blushed, quickly putting my legs into the wet suit. I left the top part of the suit off, like he did, so that the sleeves were dangling from my waist and my upper body was exposed. When I turned around to face him, I noticed that his eyes were on me. He quickly looked away, but not before I caught it.

"Okay," he said, coughing. "Here's your first lesson." He picked up the surfboard next to him and laid it on the sand. He then threw a piece of wax to me. I fumbled with it before finally catching it. "Wax the board."

"Why?"

He let out a huff. "Just do it."

"I didn't know that Nike had a new spokesperson," I mumbled underneath my breath.

"I heard that."

surfboard, I turned towards him, waiting for him

what he said as he

kneeling beside me. He placed his hand on the small of my back, his cold hand against my

placed his hand on my shoulder,

let in a ragged breath, hoping that he didn't notice. Just contact from him was enough to make my heart

Get it together Brielle.

He showed me how to do it, before making me do it for what felt like a hundred times. When my arms felt like

on a surfboard as we paddled into the ocean, waiting for a wave to

my oldest sister Bianca's thing. She dragged

well don't expect that to

smile. It wasn't fair how white his

wave. It was almost mesmerizing. He looked completely at peace, gliding through water. The sight alone made me excited to

"Your turn."

****

At all. Christopher seemed to have given up on me too, because he had returned his surfboard back to his car and was

I had finally reached my breaking point. "I'm not kidding

him to let me quit, then it was worth it. I began paddling towards

I felt one with the ocean, soaring across the water. The wave

my surfboard, I looked to the shore to see Christopher jumping up and down, cheering for me. An adrenaline rush hit me as I paddled

face. He held his arms out to me, and I jumped into them, wrapping my legs around his

I'm straddling Christopher!

must have had the same realization because his eyes grew wide. I quickly jumped

rambled on. "I really shouldn't have jumped on you like that. And your dating Melanie, so it

stopped talking once I spotted the giant smile on his

he just

react, he kept going. "Melanie isn't

got back together every other

conviction, "I'm not

him off. "Crazy, insane, psychotic?"

was

in school and her parents were

"You."

"Why would she

too much time together. I

heard that word. Friends. That's what I wanted us to be. So why did it hurt

tell her that I don't think of you

not to be offended as the pang in my chest returned. "Why

"You're just different."

or not someone's type. It made me feel like some gross, ugly sea creature that had un-dateable stamped on

my facial expression

good way. You don't care about all the things that most girls do like fashion and drama. All you care about is your family and dance." He wiped his