The Day I Met You

I quickly stepped away from Jessie. He turned his attention to the door as I turned away from it. What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to react?

“I, um, just…” Danny trailed off. I turned to face my uncle, and he was standing there staring at Jessie who was blushing slighting.

“I better get back to my job,” Jessie laughed as he walked away without turning back.

“What was that about,” Danny questioned with an eyebrow raised.

“I’m done being afraid, Danny. We’re going to Kauai, and I’m going to start surfing again.” I took a deep breath as the weight of my words hit me. I was going to do what I was best at, and I wasn’t going to be afraid anymore.

Danny nodded before engulfing me in a warm hug. I felt tears slip out of my eyes, and for a moment I let myself cry. Danny stroked my back between my shoulder blades as he whispered, “it’s okay,” over and over. I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes as I pulled out of the hug.

“Thanks, Danny.”



The party in the bar got drunk and loud very fast. Buster didn’t mind the business and he was willing to let the FMX guys sleep in the bar again. Telling Jamie and Sally that Kauai was officially on went surprisingly well, and explaining how I was going to start surfing again ended in a tear-filled hug.

“Have you told everyone,” Danny asked for the umpteenth time.

“I made a public announcement in the bar last night and again this morning. I already cleared it with Buster,” I answered as I threw another bathing suit top in my suitcase.

“What about that DJ from last night,” he questioned.

I rolled my eyes. Why did I need to tell Jessie? It wasn’t like we were more than friends, but he had been with me since I got the bartending job. “I’ll call him when I finish packing.”

Danny nodded before leaving my room. I packed a few more shirts and shorts before I began trying to zip my bag. Suddenly, my living room started cheering, and I knew what was coming.

“We’re going to hang out with Danny Way!” Deegan ran in screaming.

“He invited everyone?”

“Yep. Even some guy that just walked in,” Deegan laughed. Jessie peered over his shoulder.

“Why didn’t you tell me,” he questioned in an accusing tone.

“I was going to,” I answered as I lowered my head.

“Is this a lover’s spat,” Deegan laughed as he jumped on my bed.

“No. Just a disagreement,” I hissed. “I was going to tell you when I finished packing. It’s not like I need to tell you everything.”

“No, you don’t need to tell me anything ever again.”

Jessie stormed out of my apartment, and my blood boiled with anger. Where I went was nobody’s business, why did he care so much anyway. So what he was a good friend. I knew that almost kiss was going to affect our friendship in a bad way.

“What’s wrong,” Deegan questioned.

“Nothing a wave can’t fix,” I smiled as I sat on my suitcase. Deegan zipped it quickly.

“Spoken like my surfer girl,” Jamie laughed as she tackled me off of my bag.

“You ready?” Sally smiled.

I grinned as I shoved Jamie off me. “Oh yes!”

Three hours after that we were all on a plane. How Danny managed to get all of us on a plane is beyond me, but he always knew how to get what he wanted. The flight was long, and dull. I lay on Jamie’s shoulder and Sally laid on mine as we slept most of the flight. The parts we weren’t sleeping involved lots of laughter and pillow fights. When we landed I was in a state of shock, but I was so ready to get on a skateboard.

I was climbing off the plane laughing at Deegan when I looked up to see my favorite goofy grin. I smiled, but was taken aback to see Loza standing beside my goofball. I was even more surprised to see Jessie standing on the other side. I gulped.

“Lynn!” Pastrana screamed as he jumped me when I had both feet on the ground.

“No one calls me that anymore,” I laughed.

“Sorry, you’re too pretty to have a guy’s name. I refuse to call you Rey.” He grinned as he kept an arm strewn lazily over my shoulders.

“We’re gonna surf off that pier again, you know that right.”

“I already planned it.”

I kissed my goofball on the cheek before putting my bags in Danny’s car. Pastrana jumped in the back of the car with me. Danny drove, Jessie called shotgun, and somehow Loza ended up on the other side of me. I still couldn’t figure out why he was here, but I wasn’t going to let it bother me now. I was going home.