Status: Yep, this is back.
The Day I Met You
013
“Surfing every day like last time I got to hang out with you. We gotta do moto-surfing again too,” Pastrana was talking steadily in my ear, but my attention was on the heat coming from the person sitting next to me. I didn’t know if I was the one that felt awkward, or if I could feel the awkwardness radiating from Loza.
“Are we there yet,” I burst. Pastrana laughed it off, but there was an underlying emotion behind his eyes. Loza just looked at me as if he was thinking the same thing.
“One more mile and we’re there,” Danny informed us. I nodded before taking a deep breath. Jessie reached back and squeezed my knee gently to reassure me.
“You okay,” he asked turning to face me.
“Just a little anxiety,” I sighed. The ocean was surrounding me here, and I couldn’t help feeling a little nervous about being around so much water. That wasn’t the cause of my anxiety completely though. I stole a glance at Loza’s face.
The rest of the ride was silent. Danny’s house was exactly as I remembered it and the mega ramp loomed in the background. I smiled as the car pulled to a stop. “Welcome home, Reylyn.”
“Thanks, Uncle Danny.”
Unpacking was difficult because we hadn’t decided who would be rooming together, or who would get what rooms. The only thing I knew for sure was that Danny had an extra room under the ramp in case it rained while he was skating, and that’s where I wanted to stay. The room had two windows on either side. One window faced the ocean, and the other faced the main house. I watched the waves roll in and out as I slowly unpacked my things.
I finished unpacking making sure to leave some closet room and a few extra drawers open in case someone needed to bunk with me. There was something in the air that wanted me to go to the ocean; it was practically screaming at me. I didn’t bother changing into a bathing suit because I knew I couldn’t swim out, but I wanted to be near the water.
No one needed to know where I was going. I didn’t need to be talked off a ledge. I just wanted some fresh air, so I walked down to the water front. The ocean had a habit of making me feel like a small, miniscule particle on the face of the Earth, but it was so peaceful to feel that way. It was like I was one in a billion stars floating in the never ending beauty of the sky. I sat, tucking my feet under me, and watched; listening to the waves crashing. I took in a deep breath of the fresh air.
“What happened to that fear,” a familiar voice called from behind me. I turned to see Loza standing where the green grass met the soft golden sand.
“Sometimes fear gets canceled out, right,” I asked turning away from him. The sun was slowly setting on the horizon.
“Its mind over matter,” he answered as he made his way toward me.
“I want to surf so badly right now,” I sighed. “Look at that perfect wave.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Fear,” I groaned.
“Let me tell you a little secret, surfer girl,” Loza half asked. I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue. “I absolutely hate my dirt bike. Flying through the air like that, never really knowing if you’re going to land right or if today’s the day you’re gonna kill yourself, is not fun. I get on the starting line, I say a little prayer, and I believe God will walk me through. The fear doesn’t feel that bad when you’re not alone out there.”
I was stunned. In all the videos Deegan showed me of Loza he looked absolutely fearless. “What happens when you do die, though? What happens when God lets you die, and the doctors bring you back,” I asked.
“Those doctors didn’t bring you back. God gave you a second chance because you have the power to change lives; now, you just gotta take your chance seriously,” he explained with a small smile on his face.
I turned so that I could see his profile. The vibrant colors of the sunset illuminated his face, and he looked a little angelic. “Will you help me with something,” I asked without thinking about it first.
“With what,” he laughed.
“With my fear.” I was looking straight at his face, and I could feel the pleading in my eyes.
“One condition,” he stated. I raised an eyebrow. “You gotta ride the mega ramp with me because my passion has always been skateboarding.”
I laughed as I nodded my head. “I’ll even get Pastrana to show you some moves.”
“I don’t need his moves,” Loza laughed. I looked at him sarcastically.
“Don’t down on my nerdy goofball.”
We laughed until neither of us could breathe. I play hit his shoulder before he leaned over hitting his shoulder gently against mine. Under different circumstances I might have fallen for Loza in our moment. However, I reminded myself he was married with children and I didn’t want to be that kind of home wrecker.
“Are we there yet,” I burst. Pastrana laughed it off, but there was an underlying emotion behind his eyes. Loza just looked at me as if he was thinking the same thing.
“One more mile and we’re there,” Danny informed us. I nodded before taking a deep breath. Jessie reached back and squeezed my knee gently to reassure me.
“You okay,” he asked turning to face me.
“Just a little anxiety,” I sighed. The ocean was surrounding me here, and I couldn’t help feeling a little nervous about being around so much water. That wasn’t the cause of my anxiety completely though. I stole a glance at Loza’s face.
The rest of the ride was silent. Danny’s house was exactly as I remembered it and the mega ramp loomed in the background. I smiled as the car pulled to a stop. “Welcome home, Reylyn.”
“Thanks, Uncle Danny.”
Unpacking was difficult because we hadn’t decided who would be rooming together, or who would get what rooms. The only thing I knew for sure was that Danny had an extra room under the ramp in case it rained while he was skating, and that’s where I wanted to stay. The room had two windows on either side. One window faced the ocean, and the other faced the main house. I watched the waves roll in and out as I slowly unpacked my things.
I finished unpacking making sure to leave some closet room and a few extra drawers open in case someone needed to bunk with me. There was something in the air that wanted me to go to the ocean; it was practically screaming at me. I didn’t bother changing into a bathing suit because I knew I couldn’t swim out, but I wanted to be near the water.
No one needed to know where I was going. I didn’t need to be talked off a ledge. I just wanted some fresh air, so I walked down to the water front. The ocean had a habit of making me feel like a small, miniscule particle on the face of the Earth, but it was so peaceful to feel that way. It was like I was one in a billion stars floating in the never ending beauty of the sky. I sat, tucking my feet under me, and watched; listening to the waves crashing. I took in a deep breath of the fresh air.
“What happened to that fear,” a familiar voice called from behind me. I turned to see Loza standing where the green grass met the soft golden sand.
“Sometimes fear gets canceled out, right,” I asked turning away from him. The sun was slowly setting on the horizon.
“Its mind over matter,” he answered as he made his way toward me.
“I want to surf so badly right now,” I sighed. “Look at that perfect wave.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Fear,” I groaned.
“Let me tell you a little secret, surfer girl,” Loza half asked. I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue. “I absolutely hate my dirt bike. Flying through the air like that, never really knowing if you’re going to land right or if today’s the day you’re gonna kill yourself, is not fun. I get on the starting line, I say a little prayer, and I believe God will walk me through. The fear doesn’t feel that bad when you’re not alone out there.”
I was stunned. In all the videos Deegan showed me of Loza he looked absolutely fearless. “What happens when you do die, though? What happens when God lets you die, and the doctors bring you back,” I asked.
“Those doctors didn’t bring you back. God gave you a second chance because you have the power to change lives; now, you just gotta take your chance seriously,” he explained with a small smile on his face.
I turned so that I could see his profile. The vibrant colors of the sunset illuminated his face, and he looked a little angelic. “Will you help me with something,” I asked without thinking about it first.
“With what,” he laughed.
“With my fear.” I was looking straight at his face, and I could feel the pleading in my eyes.
“One condition,” he stated. I raised an eyebrow. “You gotta ride the mega ramp with me because my passion has always been skateboarding.”
I laughed as I nodded my head. “I’ll even get Pastrana to show you some moves.”
“I don’t need his moves,” Loza laughed. I looked at him sarcastically.
“Don’t down on my nerdy goofball.”
We laughed until neither of us could breathe. I play hit his shoulder before he leaned over hitting his shoulder gently against mine. Under different circumstances I might have fallen for Loza in our moment. However, I reminded myself he was married with children and I didn’t want to be that kind of home wrecker.