It had been a week since the death of Mr. and Mrs. Samuels and although Melabee was told by the school principal that she could take as long as she needed, Melabee chose to resume her life seven days after her parents' funeral. It seemed the more she spent at home, the less she was able to recover.
And so she went to school, hung out with her friends, and came home to her refuge by the beach. She decided it was best to avoid the house altogether for the time being, until she was strong enough to come back to it.
Homework and school activities distracted her and she was grateful for it. She concentrated her focus on her studies and gave her attention to her friends. She rarely thought about herself and how she was feeling. It wasn't a foolproof plan to recovery but it was still a plan and it seemed to be working. For the first time since she learned of her parents' death, she was able to laugh again.
Still, she knew she needed to confront her feelings. She just didn't know when she'd be able to. She did know that now was not the time.
"Mel, let's go!"
She was currently learning how to surf and her friends, who knew absolutely nothing about surfing, were teaching her how to. In other words, they were all learning how to drown under waves they knew not how to conquer.
"I think we have to stand," Ellie pointed out.
"No, Ellie," Max said in her sarcastic voice, "I think we have to surf on our stomachs."
"I mean after we lay on our stomachs," Ellie said.
"Duh," Max told him.
"Let me see you do it!"
"Easy peazy!"
"She's going to try again?" Melabee approached Ellie.
"Yup," he answered. "For the sixth time."
Melabee sighed. "Let's go."
They paddled after Max and followed her lead. A mild wave was coming for them.
"Stand up, kids!" they hear Max shout. They did as they were told and before they knew it, they were all coughing up seawater.
"Easy peazy!" exclaimed Ellie.
"You just suck at it!" Max yelled.
"We all suck at this, guys," Melabee corrected. "Surfing isn't for us."
"Or," Ellie started. "We just need to hire us a hot surfer guide."
"Or that," Melabee agreed.
"Fine. Dibs," Max said to them.
"Dibs what?" Ellie asked.
"Dibs on the hot surfer guide."
"You can't call dibs. He's not even here," he told her.
"Dibs for when he's here," she said quickly.
"That makes no sense."
"Dibs. You make no sense."
"What!"
"I called it."
"Guys," Melabee interrupted. "Don't move."
"Huh?" they said in unison.
"There's a," Melabee breathed, "shark."
Ellie screamed. "Where, Melabee!" He scrambled to get on his board.
"In," she paused, "my imagination."
"Melabee!"
Max laughed hysterically. "You...almost...you looked like.."
