Tides

Chapter 8 - Hidden Love

SKYE

Good... Good... Hold your balance. Pressure on the back... On the back!

"PUT THE FUCKING PRESSURE ON THE BACK!" I yell like a maniac from my place in the water. Damn poser doesn't listen!

I sigh loudly as my current student wipes out. Whenever I feel frustrated, I wonder why I'm doing this, and why I didn't go to college. I have a lesson later with Dylan, and at least it gives me hope. Today is his fourth lesson and I rarely say this, but it is a pleasure to teach him. I paddle back to the shore and let the waves carry me there as I don't even feel like making the effort of standing on my board. I rather save my energy for the people who deserve it.

"How did I do? I looked good out there, right? Did you see me? I was on top form!" says the stupid eager teen in front of me.

"Sure," I say to avoid grinding my teeth.

I don't remember being so irritating when I was his age. I'm mild with him. If my dad were the one giving him lessons, he would cry like a little girl. This is Colin's tenth lesson, and you would think that by now he could make a turn or some other trick. But no, he is still trying to stand on the board. We walk back to the store where Luna wipes the display windows.

"Hey bunny," Colin says to my sister in what he thinks is a sensual voice.

I can't see Luna's face, but I can imagine she is rolling her eyes. She hates being called like that.

"How did it go Colin?" she turns to look at him, a big fake smile on her lips.

"I saw you staring at me babe. You know I killed it out there," Colin cages Luna between his arms.

I want to strangle him for doing that to my sister. He has a big mouth and a careless attitude for just 16 years old. His father has a shitload of money. It's easier to give a wad of cash to his son and get him out of the way, than paying attention to him. Some days, I want to smack Colin and other days, I feel sorry for him. Unfortunately, we subsist because of the amount of money neglected kids like him spend in our store.

As much as I love Sea Glass Beach, it has become the 'place to be' in the last years and it's now full of rich people and their dramas. The area behind the Boulevard consists mainly of large villas owned by these people. We have a big house in the north of the village, which was built with the earnings of the hard work of my father, and the three of us still live there with Boy. We can't afford to live in our own places yet.

I still miss the time when we used to live in the small house with only two bedrooms. It was close to the docks as Dad helped Grandpa Joseph with his fishing boat. The house was made of wood and had a tin roof that leaked when it rained. My siblings and I shared a room. Luna was scared of lightning, and she would crawl into my bed in the middle of the night so I could hug her. Kay and his family lived next to us in a house similar to ours. We were all poor and happy. In those days, we would celebrate whenever there was a good catch or even for selling a jar of wax to a surfer.

"Why don't you take a shower instead of hitting on my sister?" I grab Colin by his arm and turn him towards the changing rooms.

"I will be fresh for you," Colin holds Luna's hand and kisses it.

"See you next week grommet," I pull him once more to make him leave.

As soon as Colin disappears around the corner, Luna shakes her hand in disgust.

"Oh fuck! I will have to burn my hand now," she says, making me chuckle. "How did it go?"

"Terrible like every week, but it pays the bills, right?" I shrug, and she nods.