Waves

CHAPTER 12

(}--|NINE DAYS LATER|--{)

NORA

Nora leaned over her computer as she entered the answer for yet another mathematical equation. She let out a little victory cry when it was correct. That was her last math lesson for the year. She was ready to enjoy the rest of her summer, and then start ninth grade in public, Australian high school the year after. Or year nine as it was called in her new country.

Squeezing the squish-mallow stuffed animal that Jesse had given her a week and a half ago, Nora glanced at the bandages across her hand. The wound was mostly healed, thankfully, because Jesse and Matt Dee had promised to take her surfing that day.

Mouse was in the living room, watching some sort of television talk show that bored Nora to death. Not that she would say that out loud.

Over the past week and a half, Nora had gotten closer to each of the lifeguards. Especially Jesse, Matt Dee, and Mouse. She hadn't gotten to speak with Jules much, but Nora had her number and the two had texted.

Talia and Nora had talked a lot, too. They had even face timed once or twice, but Nora's old phone was too decrepit to keep its battery when that happened. Nora feared that her phone might die once and for all pretty soon, since it had to almost constantly be on the charger.

Nora stood from her desk and pushed her chair in. She clicked off of her math program and closed her computer lid, before stretching as largely as she could. She yawned, squeaking slightly like she always did, and then walked out of her room.

Mouse glanced up as Nora walked into the living room. She offered him a wave, and he lifted his hand in greeting, before turning back to the television. Some dude dressed in a purple suit with sparkly golden dyed hair spoke into a microphone. Nora thought he looked like Caesar Flickerman from the Hunger Games.

"Jesse and Matt should be here in like five minutes," Mouse told Nora, "You should go and get your wet suit on."

"Okay," Nora turned and scampered into her bedroom, where the wet suit she'd bought from Rosie was hanging next to her closet.

She slipped a small bikini for underneath the suit, and then struggled into the piece. It was hard to get on, and she knew she would probably have to have help zipping it up. And then she grabbed the board bag from the closet and struggled to lift it down the hall.

"Mouse?" Nora asked as she lifted the board into the living room and leaned it against the back of the chair.

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Can you help me? I can't reach the zipper at the back of the wet suit."

"Sure," The television paused and heavy footsteps thumped around the living room. Nora couldn't see Mouse, because she was trying to grab the zipper and pull it up.

"Here," Mouse's calloused hands wrapped around her own and pulled them away. He reached down and zipped up the back of her wet suit, all the way up to the little turtleneck thing.

There was a knock on the door, and then the door opened. "Hey guys!" Jesse's voice sounded out.

"'Sup bro?" Mouse walked from around Nora's board and did some sort of weird handshake with Jesse and then Matt Dee. A third man popped up from around the two, and then another after that. Nora recognized Reidy from when she had met Jesse and him after her drastic disaster of a swim with Mouse, but she didn't know the other guy.

"I'm Whippet," He was quick to introduce himself, and he offered her a one armed hug, which Nora accepted.

"Have fun," Mouse told the group as they traipsed outside. Nora turned back to wave goodbye, before Matt put his hand on her shoulder and steered her across the pavement.