Surf's Up

Chapter 2

The next morning Finley was woken at 7 by sunlight streaming in her room. She frowned, shielding her eyes. She'd need to talk to her mom about getting curtains for the window. 

The ocean sparkled, throwing up large waves. Finley saw a huge clump of surfers already out. Every wave had someone on it turning down the wave and throwing airs. She itched to get out there too. She fished out her old spring suit and miraculously still fit into it, although it was a lot tighter now around her chest. She found her parents eating breakfast in the kitchen. 

"Want some waffles, Fin? I made a whole batch," her mom said. She was surprised her mom was up so early but remembered she was used to running on little sleep from long nights in the ER.

"No, thanks. I was actually thinking I'd go out to surf. I'll have some when I come back."

"Oh, great," her dad grinned. "Have fun out there and be careful. I know the lifeguards are around since it's still summer, so make sure you're surfing near them. I put your board in the garage."

"Awesome, thanks!"

Finley dashed into the garage and collected her board. She dug up some of her old wax and rubbed on a coat. She'd read online that T-street was a pretty serious surf spot so she figured she'd start by the pier which was more beginner friendly. She knew she wasn't a beginner, but she worried about how she would perform given that it had been over 3 years since she'd stepped on a board.

There weren't too many people at the pier, for which she was thankful. It was still early on a Sunday morning. Stepping into the water, Finley let out a breath. The water rushed past her ankles like silk, energizing her. It had been so long. She walked out further into the water and set down her board, pushing it forward and hopping on. She paddled out during a break in the waves until she reached the takeoff point. A wave started forming and she paddled into position, her heart hammering. She felt the wave pick up her board and she pushed up on her hands, swinging her legs forward. Her feet connected with the board and she lost her balance and fell.

With all the swimming she did in Indiana, she hadn't worked her legs as much as her upper body. Her lower body felt stiff and weak. Tumbling through the whitewash, she swam upwards and broke through the surface, gasping for breath.

She was already panting. Grabbing her board, she pulled herself up onto it. Her core muscles screamed with the effort. She was nowhere near as fit as she'd been three years ago. She would need to practice if she had any hope of befriending any of the people she'd seen with those tiny boards at the bonfire.

After a few more wipeouts, Finley finally landed her popup and rode a wave. Her leg muscles tired a lot faster but she managed to grab some fairly long rides. Her muscle memory came back to her and the last few rides she was able to briefly walk up and down the board. Another few sessions and she felt she'd be right back to where she was three years ago. Feeling exhausted but exhilarated, she boogie boarded in to shore in the whitewater and grabbed her board and stood up.

She'd only been able to last an hour due to her decreased stamina, so it was just after eight. People were beginning to emerge from the hotels lining the beach and heading to the restaurants. Finley spotted a coffee shop that already had a line forming and made a mental note to check it out one day. She'd seen people walking around barefoot with their surfboards so she had decided to act like a local and do the same. The tiled walkway was slippery under her wet feet and her tired arms screamed under the weight of her board. She shifted the board up onto her head and reveled in the feeling of being a true California surfer girl.

"How was it?" her dad asked when she'd returned home and changed into dry clothes. He started heating up some of the waffles for her.

"Really good. The waves weren't too rough, so I was able to ease back into it. I'm so out of shape though."