- surfing feelings ⛅️ | ari gibson | a surviving summer fanfiction

part 11 - ice cream again?

Ari Gibson said he liked me just now. I'm estimating about twenty seconds ago. I can't really tell, my mind's all fuzzy with different ways I can respond. Cool? Oh nice. Something nonchalant. But that's dumb.

"Sorry, say that again?" I asked and rubbed my eyes to make sure what he said wasn't just a figment of my imagination, a hallucination, do I need hearing aids?

"I said I liked you. I like having you around and it's nice to just be an open book sometimes. Summer is basically what you and I are, but I feel more comfortable because you're one of my friends since we were little." My hopes dropped immediately. Forget my crush about Ari. I absolutely, definitely want to punch him in his stupid face right now. The fact I dealt with his obliviousness for so long and the fact I keep getting my hopes up about him is so bad.

"Cool." I said and forced a smile. I punched his shoulder before grabbing my board and luggage from the back of the van. His mouth opened with an "uh" sound, but I didn't want to hear what he had to say, if anything can save face for what I thought he meant by saying he liked me. Apparently I'm just friends with him.

When I got to my room I whacked my board against my bed and winced at the sound. In the middle of my frustration, I failed to realize how expensive surfboards are. Looking around for damage, a sigh came out of my mouth relieved I don't owe Manu a hundred bucks.

"Mina, are you okay? I heard a banging noise." Poppy knocked on my door and opened it slowly. She was so cautious as if expecting a tornado to have went through my room. "Oi, your room is so bare. How long has it been since you moved in? You should really decorate it."

"I haven't felt the urge to since I wasn't really welcomed by you." I said. She winced and looked down at her feet. If Poppy would have moved into my house after my mom or dad had just died a few months prior, I'd also not want her around. "Everything's fine now. I would have decorated but I haven't had time to since all the competitions for state team are this summer."

"You're right but aren't you going to tell me what's making you abuse your surfboard?" Poppy pointed to my board lying on its side against my bed. It looked as deflated as me.

"It's nothing, I smiled. I think I'm starting my period." I curled my legs up to my chest on the ground against the bed's front frame. Poppy sat down and pulled her arm around my shoulders.

"What fixes mood swings? Ice cream. Come on, let's go." She pulled me up from my slumped position. I could have done with a few more minutes... hours of self wallowing and pity, but Poppy wasn't dealing with my whining. After she dragged me up, I took my bag and tried to make myself look decent if she was taking me out for a bit.

"Ice cream where?" I asked.

"Cream and Ice. Where you work."

"You're really taking me to my job to make me feel better?"

"It's free." That was the end of the conversation.

━━༺❀༻━━

After begging Manu to drive us again to Cream and Ice, he dropped us off. At first he vehemently said no and told us to rest, but I pulled the "I'm on my period" card in order to get him uncomfortable and take me instead of dealing with a tornado of emotions. I had to admit, Poppy was right. It was weird to see my coworkers outside of when I was actually working, free ice cream felt so good.

Poppy got some mint ice cream with fudge and chocolate chips, while I got strawberry ice cream with extra strawberries and whipped cream on top. I haven't been able to eat junk food in a while since I was training for the Jackson Bay comp. It paid off because I got first place, though. I forgot how good ice cream can be after a hot day of exercise.

"Isn't it good?" Poppy was already halfway done with hers down to the cone. It dripped onto her hand and she laughed.

"It is." I agreed. Me and Poppy were chatting at one of the pink-themed booths that went hideously with the uniform I was forced to wear.

In the middle of laughing, ice cream went up to my nose mid-lick. Poppy and I had our differences, while she may have not made a good immediate sister, she was a really great friend. After recovering from my freak accident, I just needed to know about something. I was so curious. At Jackson Bay on the roof, I remembered when she raised her hand during the Shame Game after Summer's question. "So I wanted to know, did you actually have a crush on Ari?"

Poppy stopped laughing and put her little plastic spoon down. "No. I still have a crush on him now."

"Are you serious? Have you tried to talk to him or anything?" I smiled but inside I was gritting my teeth. It felt like every girl in our group wanted to get with Ari Gibson.

"No, he's indirectly friend zoned me before when talking about me being 'the best surfing buddy ever' and it's obvious he's obsessed with Bodhi." Poppy smiled but I saw it drop for a moment and she looked devastated. Even Bodhi didn't know about her crush on Ari. It seemed like Poppy had been keeping it in for years. I guess it didn't matter since Poppy had been the one who welcomed me into the group. I had been part of the Boardriders Club before moving in the Tetanui household, but not all the way there in terms of best friends with the rest of the group. Group meaning Ari, Bodhi, and Poppy before Summer and Marlon joined the mix. For all the years we've been in school together and at the same surf club, truly, becoming step-sisters forced us to form a bond.

"I know it seems that way, but I can tell you now that Bodhi has zero interest in Ari. Besides, how long have you had a crush on him. And why?!"

"It's actually really embarrassing. And dumb. The reason I like him. It sounds like those cliches in romance movies." She fiddled with her long hair and wiped her nose before speaking more. "Remember when were 11 and Bodhi wanted to have a fashion show as the yearly fundraiser?"

The yearly fundraiser was an all-day event the Boardriders Club had in order to raise money for new wetsuits and boards. It also brought free exposure for new members.

"Yeah I remember. She was so set on it and cried when it didn't happen. Ari didn't want to be a mermaid." Ari had long hair even then. It was the start of his phase of him refusing to cut his hair. Abbie, his mom, had to give him haircuts in his sleep. Since Marlon hadn't moved to Shorehaven yet, Bodhs was determined to dress Ari up all nice and feminine. She didn't succeed.

"Ok so... I was getting nervous when Bodhi had started planning the fashion show, she wanted me to be the main model. I was feeling insecure since the designs she made were... out of the appropriate age range for 11 year olds. Ari came up to me when I was hiding from Bodhi trying to make me put on her tiny design made out of toilet paper. I'm telling you, she went all out. He called my eyes honey and it was cheesy, but it made me start noticing little things about him. Like worrying if someone couldn't come surf, his stupid bad-timing jokes, and stuff." I saw Poppy smile lightly talking about fond memories. I would hate to get in her way. Technically, she had first "dibs" by having a crush on him since 11, I've only just started to be interested in him.

So much for ice cream.