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꧁ － － － － － － ✧ － － － － － － ꧂
𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 — 𝑎𝑤𝑘𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑
LEILANI IGNORED HER pounding headache as she got ready to go surfing the following morning. She knew it would rise from smoking with JJ the night before, and she honestly felt like taking some aspirin and ignoring it. Leilani pulled on a bathing suit and tied up her hair, leaving the house with Scout as the sun rose. She drove to the south end of the break, listening to 1989 by Taylor Swift to help put her in a good mood.
Leilani trained especially hard that morning for an especially long period of time because she had competitions coming up and John B's return and arrest had hindered her ability to train. She was stressed, and surfing let out all of her emotions. Leilani was constantly looking over her shoulder at home for Rachel, throwing up everything she ate in case it was poisoned and having to listen to every single thing she said.
Maybe one day, Leilani would take her little brother and sister away and they would go to the coastline. Far away, to a sunny place. JJ would come, maybe her friends. She just had to hold onto the idea of safety and of paradise. Maybe one day.
Leilani dove out of a barrel with perfect form, submerging and wiping the water from her face. She decided it was time to go in, seeing as Scout was impatiently barking for her. Leilani drove to KMR. "Hey, Sunny girl." Leilani cooed, pulling on a rash guard and stepping into the dolphin pool.
"They were good last night after the pairing." Kat explained. When Leilani was at KMR the previous day, she headed the pairing between the two female dolphins, Rosie and Sunny. They were good companions, but Leilani could tell that Rosie missed Pepper, and she did too.
Leilani smiled, squirting water into Sunny's mouth the way Pepper used to love. "That's great. We don't have to worry about that anymore." using her ring, Leilani led Rosie over to her, stroking her silky skin.
Sunny affectionately splashed Leilani and she splashed her back, diving into the pool with the two dolphins, swimming with them. Leilani fed the turtles and gave her attention to the sharks and the otters and the blue whale before she finished her shift. Her friends were waiting at the Chateau. Leilani changed into jean shorts, an orange top with an orange and white bandana in her hair and her white converse on her feet. Her hair was double dutch braided over her shoulders, sunglasses over her eyes.
Leilani and Scout drove to the Chateau and she parked her car in John B's yard, taking off her sunglasses and closing her door once Scout jumped out. Kie was strumming on her ukelele, JJ was propping his surfboard up on a panel and Pope was standing near him. "Think fast." Leilani said, tossing JJ the surf wax he had asked to use.
