A Drop in the Ocean

"Our memories of the ocean will linger on even as our footprints are washed from the sand." -Anonymous

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I still wasn't used to the cold weather even as the first day of school approached. The days seemed longer, the air more dry. I still wasn't used to wearing a wetsuit in the ocean. We were trying to settle into our new home- a small, comfy thing with two bedrooms and one bath. It was just a block away from the beach, so I tried to bike there everyday. Don't get me wrong, the morning fog was calming in a way I'd never imagined. I would sit on the steps in front of our door in a big sweatshirt and sip tea from a large mug, watching cars pass by. It wasn't unpleasant. But I still missed Hawaii.

As you can imagine, I was very nervous for the first day of school. I'm not great at making friends, so I wouldn't be surprised if I spent the first month alone during lunch. I tried not to dwell on the fact that I wouldn't have the support of my friends in the years to come. Don't worry, I told myself. You'll make friends eventually.

On the Monday before school begun, I decided to go surfing. The waves were pumping that day, and a bunch of locals were lined up in the tides. I let out a small groan, knowing I'd never catch a wave with a crowd like this. But I paddled out anyway, excited to be part of the action.

As I made my way through the crowd consisted of mostly sunburned men in their early 20's to late 50's, they eyed me suspiciously. I could just imagine what was going through their minds. Just what we need, another kook... Why's this girl here? To snake our waves?... Let's just hope she keeps out of everyone's way.

I totally got it. The way they gave me the stink eye. Back in Hawaii, my friends and I would dangerously defend our shore breaks with evil stares. Trust me, it's more fun to surf when you don't have to wait two hours to get your next wave.

When I finally got to the back of the lineup, the murmurs and calls of disgust caught up with me.

"Who's the blonde chick?"
"What a kook,"
"Great. Just another person to get in the way."

I looked down, embarrassed, and waited for the taunting to stop. It eventually died down, and I turned my attention to the waves. Some people were really good, preforming aerials and tricks that were suitable for competitions. Others looked like they had just learned to surf last week. You could tell who was a local by the many who whooped and cheered for them, calling them strange nicknames.

I was getting bored when I saw a girl paddle into a wave. She was the only woman I had seen out (besides me, of course) today. She was actually pretty good, pulling a bunch of tricks on her longboard. She crossed one foot over another, stepping meticulously to the tip of the board where she hung both feet over, leaning back. People cheered. She then hopped into the air and did a cannonball into the foamy water. I thought that people would shake their heads at this, but they simply whooped and waited for the next wave.

I didn't see the girl surface or get back on her board, but in less than a minute she was paddling towards me. I sat up, surprised as she stopped right in front of me and gave me a blinding grin.

"Hey. You're new here! It's not often that you see a female surfer in a crowd like this," She swished her hands in the water.

"Yeah, I noticed. Just moved here from Hawaii. Are we really the only girls out here?" I was amazed. In Hawaii, half of the surfers were girls. What was the big difference here?

"As far as I can tell. It's pretty sad that none of the girls in here in California have balls, right?" She gave me another grin. "Anyway, I'm Ravyn." She held out her hand to shake. I took it with a smile.

"Summer. You were really good out there, by the way." We struck up a long conversation. I learned that she lived just a few houses away from mine and we'd be going to the same school- Northridge. Ravyn had a younger brother, a dog, four cats, and and a frog that lived in their bathroom. Not kidding.

By the time we were finished talking, it was getting dark and I still hadn't caught a wave. My face was chapped and I was exhausted. I wouldn't mind staying out after dark, I actually loved to surf at night. But Mom would get worried and I needed to go shopping for school supplies still. So I decided that I would catch the next wave to shore.

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Ravyn and I walked home from the beach together. Her little brother, Micah, met us halfway down the road. He was ten years old and adorable, with tan skin and dark brown hair that hung in his huge, innocent doe eyes. They were the color of melted chocolate. "Aww," I cooed, and he crossed his arms with a frustrated look on his face.

"He doesn't like to be called 'cute'," Ravyn laughed.

"I'm not a baby," Micah pushed Rayvn's hand away as she ruffled his hair.

"Of course not, dudelette." She picked him up, throwing him easily over her shoulder as he shrieked with defiance and laughter. I couldn't help but smile. Maybe California wouldn't be so bad after all.