15 June 2012
The water felt unbelievably cool and refreshing against my face. I hadn't realised how worked up I'd got talking to Tiffany.
I was sat bolt upright on my board somewhere in the ocean, far enough out that I could be alone but close enough that I could see the beach.
The salt water had left a salty sediment on my cheeks and in my hair, leaving my skin feeling tight and ever so slightly sore. I'd never come out this soon after shaving, and I was beginning to regret it, as the salt had found its way into a small cut, sending a piercing pain through my jaw.
I sat there nonetheless, enjoying the feel of the water surging up to my knee then sinking down to half way down my shin. I breathed in the sea air, enjoying its purity and it's cleanliness that you didn't get in New York.
I looked out to the deeper sea in front of me, and then back toward the shore, and I spotted a white figure waving frantically.
"Nate!" it shouted, before I realised exactly who it was.
"Hey mate! I'll be back in in a few seconds!" I replied, laying down on my board and starting to paddle. I'd picked up quite a pace before I felt the sea rise below me. I'd reached that point in the ocean where waves start to form, and I decided to let the board be carried by the wave's power, and I braced my arms ready to jump up and surf a wave. I could feel a big one forming behind me, as I was pulled backwards with it, and then I stood up, locking my knees and bracing for the wave.
It curled up over me, and I balanced my body using my arms, spreading my feet out and taking a deep breath as I felt tiny splashes of water on the back of my neck. I knew the wave was upon me, but I kept calm and balanced. I then closed my eyes and let it engulf me, as they always did, feeling the water try to rip me from my board. I clung on, knowing that letting go now would be a huge mistake, and as I felt it swirling around above me, I pushed my head up, and broke the surface of the water, a few metres away from where Charlie was stood on the shore.
I stood up, shook my head to remove any excess water droplets and wiped the water away from my eyes.
As I emerged from the water, it was cascading off my tanned body. I looked up to see Charlie, in white shorts and a blue and white stripy top.
"Don't you look nautical today?" I said, smiling up at him and wiping the salt water from my eyes again, that was starting to sting again.
"Don't you look awfully rugged? What are you doing down here at 9am?" he said, leading me towards my towel.
"T and I had an argument, so I came to release some energy" I said, rubbing my face then my body with the towel. "And why are you stalking me this morning?" I said, smiling playfully at him, before continuing towelling myself down.
"It's my boat party today? I didn't want to think of you here all on your own. I knew you'd be here" he said, smiling warmly across at me. If there was one benefit of having Charlie as my best friend, it was the fact that he knew me.
"Okay, are we going now?"
"Yeah, I brought you some clothes, I knew you may not be correctly attired".
So we walked off towards the bay where the yacht was waiting; Charlie in his boating gear, me in my swimming shorts. Little did we realise that Victoria was following us, and our phones were frantically beeping, updating us that our faces (and my bare chest) were plastered all over the Internet.
Love You Too: PART NINE • Opuss № I