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

part 13 - opportunity

My legs were sore after the heat. In the middle of training and preparation, the nerves got to me and I began clutching the board hard with my toes again. It was always a habit Manu dissed me about, but it's true what they say. Old habits die hard. I'm still nervous about doing heats with people almost twice my age. They got years of experience of me, I've only taken surfing seriously for a year now and Poppy's whole life has been surfing too. I managed to get second behind Poppy this heat.

The Wildcard Trials were one of the biggest pre-events to the Subtropix 360. All of Australia will be competing. It's my dream to become a finalist and be in a heat with national pros. If anyone became finalists (top 3) in the next three days, they'd advance with the Wildcard to the 360. (A/N: I rearranged the rules)

Bodhi had finished surfing the Wildcard Trials, but a woman came up to her. The lady was blonde and tall. She actually looked a lot like Sheridan, but no one can be as rude as Sheridan. This one actually smiled and she was older than us, definitely.

I walked up to Bodhi but stayed behind a few feet to not intrude, yet listen at a distance. In certain moments, I can get really nosy. Like what happened with Ari and Summer when I hid behind that red car. It was so embarrassing when Summer told me she knew I was eavesdropping. Swearing to not do it again was pointless.

The woman introduced herself as Molly Novak. I recognized the agency she said she was with as that legendary surfer, Nikki Van Djik was part of. Anyone who was part of that campaign would become an instant rockstar in the surfing community. The campaign was going to promote new young surfers.

"There's an opening in the campaign and you have a fresh look that's perfect to replace the girl who dropped. Have you ever modeled for our agency before?" Molly said and she looked behind Bodhi and made eye contact with me. I had put airpods in pretending to use my phone to seem preoccupied. I guess Molly had caught wind of me. "I remember you." She smiled and looked me up and down. I tugged at my shorts. Her eye contact made me self-conscious, especially with her talking about modeling. "You won that competition at Jackson Bay. My scout was there that day. You were on fire."

Bodhi turned quickly and looked at me. She gave me a dirty look as if I were interrupting them. Yes I was, but my heats were already finished. In my defense, I was looking for something to do and technically I hadn't interrupted them. Molly talked to me first.

"Thank you. I'm sorry you are...?" I acted clueless as if I weren't being nosy just ten seconds ago. Molly wrinkled her nose as if I was supposed to know who she was.

"Molly. Molly Novak. I work at the agency that hosts Nikki Van Djik. Surely you've heard of her." She put out her hand and I shaked it slowly. For being so slim, she had a strong grip like a baseball player. I only say that because surely baseball players need strong grips or else their bats would go flying. "You're Mina Collins."

"I'm glad you know my name. Surely you've heard of me."

I heard a snort behind me and it was my turn to look behind me and saw Ari towering over me.  He was close to 5'10" which gave big differences in height. Bodhi was lucky to be tall, she was even taller than Ari. With that model height, there's no questioning why Molly came up to her.

Molly smiled and turned to me again. "If you're part of the Boardriders, you and Bodhi are friends then."

Bodhi pulled out a coarse noise that sounded like it was between a laugh and her throat clearing. It made Molly turn her attention back to Bodhi. "Oh, Bodhi. I love how active you are on social media. Congratulations on your heat, though. We will pick you up in an hour for the Subtropix 360 shoot, then."

"That... sounds great." Bodhi looked elated and turned to me with a silent squeal.

"Also bring Mina along. She's fresh content, after winning Jackson Bay people will know your face. I'll talk to my folks about squeezing an extra space for you." Molly said and winked at me before turning back to the trail of notifications going off on her phone. The event really had her hands full. I gaped my mouth open. To model with Nikki was the greatest honor ever. She was in the top ten women's surfers in Australia.

Bodhi gave me a flat smile that made wrinkles on the sides of her mouth. "Bodhi, can you believe it?" She shrugged. "Am I even pretty enough to model with you and Nikki?"

"You definitely are." Ari smiled at me and I felt my face heat up. Poppy walked up with her hair wet after washing sand out of it. She shook my shoulders and eee-ed close to my ears.

"I was still hoping on tacos from that food truck, but you can't now or else you'll be bloated before the shoot! You gotta put some makeup on, Minnie!" Poppy said. Summer also joined in after coming to the group circle with Marlon. It seems Marlon and Ari had finished their separate heats, already.

Summer still needs fine tuning to her surfing, but this summer she definitely won't be competing. It's a bit offensive to the other surfers who have been training their whole lives and for her to take it has a joke. Sometimes I feel she's too carefree and only for her own fun.

But that's besides the point. I might not have as many followers as Bodhi, but hearing what Summer said one time: I definitely don't have time to post pictures online for internet creeps like Bodhi. That's her way of expression, though.

Again, this might be a chance to get Ari's attention back on me.

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Bodhi had invited Summer along to shoot content for her, and Marlon invited himself along. Bodhs didn't seem to happy about it since I guess... they were still weird after the roof situation in Jackson Bay. But that was weeks ago, I hope they're better by now. If she broke up with Marlon, Ari would make his move. But I wouldn't be surprised if Bodhi did as well, she's always know Ari has been her number one fan. She's taken pride in that, before.

I borrowed some of Bodhi's makeup to put some mascara and blush on, but Poppy and Summer were doing the work on me and I felt like a dress-up doll. Ari stifled a laugh and I looked up and smiled at him, awkwardly. It was ten minutes before Molly would come pick us up, and Summer said it was practice before actual professional makeup artists would do magic on my face.

Summer attempted to contour my nonexistent cheekbones (Asian genetics gave me chubby cheeks) but it was the wrong shade. "Summer! I look like I was smeared with chocolate." My skin definitely wasn't a glowing tan like Bodhi's. It was pale but olive at the same time and hard to tan with a healthy summer sheen.

I felt my insecurities surface when thinking about it. No matter what I do, even if I beat Bodhi in Jackson Bay, I'll always feel undermined around her. I don't want that.