7. Take This as a Hint #2
She has already started munching on her sandwich, completely unaware of the effect she has on me. I’m very conscious of how close she’s sitting, and am having trouble concentrating on the conversations happening around us.
There’s something special about this girl, and I’m determined to get to know everything there is to know about her and see if she truly is as amazing as I suspect.
A few weeks later, our new group of friends invites Kylie and I up to the Sunshine Coast for a day at the beach.
A few of the year twelve students they are friends with have offered to drive us.
After growing up across the road from the beach, the whole process of having to organise people to drive us the hour or so to get there is a bit weird for Kylie and me.
But I’m honestly just glad one of them has roof racks, which means Kylie and I can bring our surfboards.
As soon as we arrive and find spaces in the already busy car park, I’m the first one out of the car, pulling my wetsuit on before the others had even opened the back of Dylan’s mum’s SUV.
The others appear to be amused by how keen Kylie and I are to get out on the water and are still getting themselves sorted by the time we’re suited up and ready to go.
“You guys go. We’ll get ourselves set up over there,” Morgan says, pointing towards an empty patch of sand a little further down the beach, near the lifesavers’ flags.
“Hell yes, see ya later!” Kylie begins to jog off, and I follow after her, exchanging a look with Annelisa when she looks my way from behind Sarah’s car.
I’ve caught her looking at me more and more as the weeks have gone by, but I still don’t know if it’s because she thinks I’m a complete idiot or if, maybe, she’s interested in me, too. Really hope it’s the last one, but I’m too scared to ask.
Once I hit the waves, the cool water is like an instant balm for my soul.
I’ve missed surfing so much, feeling like a part of me has been cut off.
In Sydney, the four of us kids were in the water with Dad every day.
He’d taken up surfing when he moved to Australia from Canada twenty years ago, and he’s passed his love of the water on to all of us.
My earliest memories are of Kylie and I running around with the Little Nippers kids at Cronulla Beach, and Kylie had been in training to become a surf lifesaver before we had to move.
Several hours of surfing later, my growling stomach finally forces me to head back in, and I wait for Kylie on the beach so we can walk back up to the others together.
While I was bobbing around on my board, I’d seen them ducking in and out of the water, diving beneath the waves between the flags before returning to their beach towels, or throwing around a football together.
Laying my board down by the eskies, I unconsciously seek Annelisa out once more, spying her sitting under a big beach umbrella.
“Not a fan of the sun, huh?” Kylie asks, watching while Annelisa applies what appears to be her millionth layer of sunscreen.
Though how any sun could reach her under the umbrella and her oversized hat is a mystery to me.
“Yeah, I don’t tan… I go from white to red in about five seconds flat. And then, after weeks of peeling, I’m pale once more. The joys of the redheaded gene.” Annelisa shrugs, and I’m once again in awe of her self-assuredness.
I’m not used to girls my age being so self-aware and accepting of themselves.
Excluding Kylie, of course, but she’s always been super confident.
I knew a few redheads in Sydney, and they were all so frustrated by their inability to tan.
I’ve seen more than my fair share of angry sunburns because of this, but Annelisa seems to just accept it, and her creamy, flawless skin just adds to her beauty.
Annelisa smiles at me when she catches me checking her out, and I feel myself blush while I look away quickly.
Going by the grin on Kylie’s face, she’s definitely worked out that I’ve got a huge crush on this girl, and I just pray she doesn’t say anything to embarrass me.
She’s not exactly known for her subtlety.
“I was admiring your skills out there. How long have you been surfing?” Annelisa directs the question towards Kylie, although she flicks a glance my way as well .
“Pretty much since I could walk, I guess. We grew up in Cronulla, and our family is big on surfing.” Kylie shrugs, and I notice a couple of the older guys watching her with interest.
I’ll have to keep an eye on that, given the age difference. Because Dad will be less than impressed if Kylie hooks up with someone in grade twelve.
“I’ve honestly never even tried. I’m more of a play in the waves sort, rather than trying to ride the waves. You guys make it look easy, though.” Annelisa takes her dress off and starts applying more sunscreen to her midriff.
I have to look away to keep myself from staring. I’ve spent plenty of time around women in bikinis, and it usually has no effect on me, but there is just something about this girl that has my stomach all tied in knots.
“I’m sure that Will would be more than happy to teach you sometime. I’ve never been any good at teaching anyone, but he’s taught so many people how to surf.”
I shoot my sister a look, knowing full well that she is also more than capable of teaching a beginner how to surf. She smiles back at me sweetly, and Annelisa laughs.
“I’ll settle for a swim for now. Do you want to come with me?” she asks, and I take a moment to realise she’s talking to me.
“Sure, I’ll be there in a sec. Just wanna get out of my suit and grab a drink.” I peel my suit down to my hips, and hide a smile when her eyes drift down my chest, before snapping back to my face.
Swallowing while she blushes, she nods and heads for the water while I grab my backpack and head up to the toilet block. I change into my boardies and join the others once more, grabbing a much-needed drink of water from the esky next to Morgan.
“You coming in?” I ask Kylie, nodding towards the water.
She shakes her head. “No, you go. I’ll hang out here with the others.
” She’s pulled her suit off to reveal her own bikini, and bends now to flick her towel out, sitting down between Bri and Tara under the second umbrella.
She smiles up at me and nods towards where Annelisa is diving under a wave.
“You don’t want to keep her waiting, brother. ”
I glare at her while the others chuckle, before turning and heading for the water. Annelisa is standing in chest deep water by the time I swim out to join her, and she turns to smile at me.
“Hey, was wondering how long it would take you.” I’m not sure if there is more meaning to that statement than just waiting for me to join her in the water, so I just smile.
“Well, I’m here now.”
We spend an hour or so swimming and chatting, and I’ve noticed that she has gotten closer to me with each wave we’ve caught together. Eventually, she’s so close that she has her arms around my neck while we stand in the waist-deep water.
“So, I’m wondering how long it’s going to take you to ask me out?”
I’m momentarily lost for words while she plays with the hair at the back of my head.
“Well… I didn’t know how you felt about me, to be honest, so I kind of wasn’t sure if you wanted me to.” I wrap my arm around her waist and hold her a little closer when a wave bumps into us.
She holds my gaze with so much intensity that it makes my heart stop.
“Well, take this as a hint, Mr Anderson.” She presses herself against my chest and kisses me softly.
I lean into it eagerly, holding her close while the rest of the world melts away around us.
From then on, we are inseparable, and I no longer resent my parents for the move that led me to meet the girl who understands me inside and out.