Surviving Summer // Baxter Radic x OC

Chapter Four - The Perfect Not Date

☼ Kai ☼

"Oh my god! You like him!" Poppy squeals as she bounces up and down on her bed. I needed someone to help me make sense of my thoughts and she was the only close friend I have here in Shorehaven. "I barely know him Pops and besides I don't think jumping into a relationship right after my mum's passing is smart. What if this is like a midlife crisis? I find the first attractive guy I see who happens to be ridiculously witty and cheeky and just oozes this laid back easy going confidence and I'm drooling over him. Who says he even likes me back, maybe I'm just being delulu! Maybe he just flirts with everyone? I'm probably just reading too much into it because I want him to want me too....." Poppy lightly slaps a hand over my mouth to shut me up as my eyes widen in shock. "Kai you're spiraling!" she drops her hand from my mouth as I sit closed lip watching her. "Bax is a bit of a flirt but he's all green flags I swear. When him and Summer had their situationship he was seriously the sweetest and only had eyes for her." Poppy explains but my stomach felt like a giant black hole just opened up and my heart dropped into it lost forever.

"Him and Summer had a thing?" I ask my voice sounding meek. "Yes well yeah they did but Summer chose Ari." Poppy stumbles on her words a bit. "So Summer chose Ari over Bax....." I repeat her words. I silently groan, of course I would like a guy who was probably still pining over his situationship. I mean how am I supposed to compete with someone like Summer? She was like a chaotic fresh breath of air, she knew how to let loose and enjoy the moment. Meanwhile I've been standing in corners watching everyone as I feel like my world is spinning out of control and if I stop for even a moment then I'll break down. I'm barely hanging on by a thread the light in me died when I lost her. How could anyone want someone so broken.

The next day Manu asked everyone to come over for some much needed training with the whole team. State surf team tryouts was in a few days and we needed to be ready, if we all wanted to stick together. Summer pulled me towards the couch forcing me to sit with her and the girls, telling me that no one was going to stand in the corner on her watch. We listened to his long speech about teamwork before he let us lose to hit the waters. I grab my thruster as we all head down the path to the beach.

There was a mix of excitement and nerves coursing through my body as I dive under the salty sea water before the wave breaks. We all make it to the line up waiting for the right set. I watched Poppy, Mars, and Ari drop in on their own. Poppy's technique was flawless as always, Mars caught some air and Ari has a surprising amount of soul in his surfing. "Ari that was sick" I tell him giving him a high five. Mum always believed that one small compliment could give any surfer the confidence they needed, I always made it a habit to compliment everyone. Bax raises an eyebrow before he takes off for a set beating Bodhi to the drop. I could watch him surf all day and never be tired of it. He does a 360 trick, the pure confidence he has in the ocean was fascinating. He belonged in the water. He comes paddling back towards me, that cheeky smirk splitting his face. "You look really good out there" I compliment him. "How good?" he questions me playfully. "Blush worthy good" I tease. "I take that as the highest compliment." he winks. I see a swell coming that looks beautiful.

Summer must have had the same idea as we both start paddling for it. Is it awful that I'm a little jealous after finding out about her and Bax having a thing....or does it make me a bad person that I secretly want to catch this wave before her to show off in front of him. Either way my experience beats out her grit as I drop on the wave first. "You got this Kai!" She cheers me on as I pop up and for five euphoric minutes I felt like I was riding the sun. The white foam nips at my toes as I carve in. The deep turquoise waters glistening under my board. There was nothing like this, nothing that could bring you such a high and yet be so peaceful. My heart sung for those five minutes.