Page 80 of Beyond The Break

“It’s okay, Eliana, they won’t do anything to me. They’re just upset that I screwed up their chances at winning the Regional Surf Team Finals.”

“It’s not okay, you shouldn’t let them threaten you like that.”

“I promise they won’t do anything,” he says, letting go of my wrist, “now, can you tell me what’s going on with Fin?”

We both look toward him and see that he’s no longer waxing his board, staring blankly at the ocean instead. I sigh and shrug, turning back to Colton.

“I wish I knew. Every time I ask him, he avoids the question…but I don’t think it’s good, whateveritis.”

He nods. “I don’t think it’s good either.”

Both girls camefirst place in their heats and it’s now the boys’ turn. Koa, Zale and Griffin were paired to surf in the same heat and are currently near the edge of the water, stretching. I stand near the makeshift stage not too far away, taking pictures of the banners and flags of this competition’s sponsors.

I hear the horn blow and spin around to capture photos of all three of them as they paddle out in the water, their sleek bodies cutting through the waves easily. As they reach the lineup, the judges give the thumbs up and the competitionbegins, another horn echoing across the beach when the waves start rolling in.

My heart races as I zoom in, snapping pictures of Koa as he sinks further into the wave barrel, breaking out at the last second and scoring major points. Zale is next, performing aerial after aerial with ease and precision that also earns him a huge point jump.

I focus my lens on Griffin who looks more focused than ever as he paddles after a wave and drops in on it without hesitation. He carves intricate patterns into the face of the wave before he executes a heart-stopping aerial, spinning completely around in mid-air. My finger holds down the capture button as my camera explodes in shutter mode.

When he lands the maneuver, the crowd erupts into cheers, almost everybody standing up as they clap for him. Without looking through my camera lens, I can see the huge smile that spreads across his face as he sits on the board and stares at the cheering crowd. I can’t stop my own lips from pulling up into a grin, a giggle escaping me.

I know this is the moment he’s been waiting for since returning to the team. It took a lot of work for him to get back to this point, but he did it. It’s inspiring, the way he pushed through all the physical and mental blocks that were stopping him from getting to this point. I knew he could do it, but I’m so happy that he now knows he can do it too.

The sun begins to dip below the horizon, casting a rosy glow on the ocean and sand as the competition comes to an end. All three boys paddle in, their faces lit up with wide grins and they laugh and push each other playfully. I walk towards the tent and meet them there as we wait for the judge’s final score.

“Fin, I didn’t know you could surf like that!” Zale exclaims, his eyes lit up with excitement.

“I had to give it my all, it’s our last chance at getting into Qualifiers.”

Gabriel joins us in the tent, patting Griffin on the shoulder. “You did great out there, kid. I knew you still had it in you.”

Griffin’s smile falters but he quickly pastes a forced one right back into place. Alarm bells ring in my head as I watch him thank Gabriel before his eyes slide to mine. I give him a small smile, not wanting to kill the adrenalin high he’s on right now, and he pulls me in for a kiss.

A camera goes off beside us and we pull apart to see Meghan standing just outside our tent with a photographer. Her eyes travel from Griffin to mine with a psychotic smile plastered on her face, causing goosebumps to crawl up my arms.

“I guess this is why you didn’t want to get back together, huh?” she asks, waving a dismissive hand my way.

Griffin doesn’t reply, but his body tenses next to me as his grip around my waist tightens.

He’s scared?

I don’t know if he’s scared of her or of what she’s capable of, but I don’t like that she has this hold on him.

How bad is she, to have Griffin this on edge?

“You must be Meghan,” I say, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Pleasure is the last word I would use.” She looks me up and down before yawning exaggeratedly.

“Miss Martinez, how can I help you today?” Gabriel asks, stepping in between us and her.

“Coach Matthews, it’s nice to see you again.” She perks up, her eyes travelling hungrily over Gabriel.

“I’m sure it is,” he replies dryly, “interesting article you posted about the boys.”

She bristles. “Glad you liked it.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

---