Serenading Sunshine - JJ Maybank

Page 1

No one ever really knows how their life is going to end and I can admit that even I didn't really know how I would die but I figured I would go out in a radical way or at least out on the water. Hurricane Agatha, it's only my second day in this town and I found myself surfing during a hurricane, on purpose. Running off as my new home was 'hunkered down', I only wanted to settle into town with some waves; but said waves were harsh. The surge was thoroughly trying to kick my ass, I knew waves like my heart knew how to pump blood through it, but no matter how good you are at something, sometimes you can make mistakes. I just finished riding the water onto the sand off of a large rough wave, not even double thinking about how dangerous it had to be to be able to ride straight onto the sandy bank, I didn't even see the two other teenagers until I picked my board up ready for another ride.

"Well then," I didn't expect anyone else to be riding the surge or planning to, I stood there for a few seconds as we all watched each other with curious eyes, they clearly had just gotten here, ready to surf, boards under their arms and shirtless. I started turning to go back into the water and the next thing I know is we are all riding the waves together. None of us spoke to each other through the whole thing as we could barely hear anything over the wind and the crashing waves, I watched each of them fall off their boards a few times before they both managed to see one through. The waves brought us all closer to the bank each time as the tide was rising from the storm, the last wave I rode left me almost in the sand only a few feet from the bank and I knew I needed to pack up and get out before we were struck down by the hurricane itself.

"Hey! Wait up a minute!" I turned back after I was called after, "you boys need something?" I watched them both jog up to me, boards in hand and in a rush, "sorry no it's just, we don't really meet a lot of people who'd be willing to even step foot outside during a hurricane," they both kind of laughed awkwardly, "let alone surf the surge."

"Well now you have," I smiled at them before looking back and pointing at an occurrence in the sky, "just in case you two don't know, that cloud right there, means that we each have twenty minutes to get out and bunker down before we get sucked into the ocean and more than likely swim with the jellyfish."

"Well you're welcome to bunker down with me," The pretty sandy haired boy spoke up loudly as we sorted our way back up to the vehicles, "I don't wanna intrude. Besides, racing against a hurricane sounds like an okay way to go." I laughed with a smile and they both watched me, looking forward I cursed at the site ahead of my jeep, "Shit."

"What's wrong?" I pointed as I strapped my board into my jeep, "I won't be able to drive back, a tree fell down on my road out," I cracked my neck looking at the other road in contemplation, "just drive behind me you can hunker down at mine, I gotta drop him off real quick takes like five minutes we'll be there before the hurricane hits us fully," I sighed and nodded reluctantly, "thanks."

Hopping into my jeep I cringed while starting the metal contraption up, my wet shorts and the wetsuit shirt was digging against my skin now.