Surviving the Surfer// Bax Radic x OC

Chapter 4

My shower for today happens to be entirely uninterrupted, which I didn't realize I was happy about until now. I sneak down the hall and into my room where Summer lays sprawled on my bed, a sight I was very used to after all these years. Throwing open my closet doors, I rifle through until I find a gorgeous blue sundress, my absolute favorite thing to wear in the warmer seasons. It fit me nearly perfectly, the skirt coming down to about mid-thigh while the back crisscrossed its way up my back to end in tank-top open sleeves.

"Ooh that's cute, are we dressing for someone in particular today?" Summer sits up on her elbows and grins at me.

"Not really." I fake roll my eyes and move over to the desk where her curling wand was plugged in and ready. I put loose, beachy curls into my hair, brushing out each one until I'm satisfied with my look.

"Well I'm sure you'll find somebody to talk to," she continues, entirely unfazed by the glare I send her way. "Ari got permission from Thommo and Abbie to invite some of their other friends, so now it's a real party."

I turn raised eyebrows on her.

"What? Parties are fun! You deserve to have some fun on your vacation here."

My eye roll this time is a little less fake as I unplug the curling wand and set it aside to cool down. Summer bounces off the bed and tugs on one of my curls, prompting me to spin around to face her.

"Try to have fun for me, okay?"

I nod and make up a smile for her. She takes it at face value, like she always does, and bounces out of the room, the edges of her black skirt floating with her. I finish cleaning up our room, knowing that it would please Abbie and Margot if everything was as spotless as it could be. Once I'm done I slip on a pair of white sandals and head out of the room, stopping short before I crash into Bax for what feels like the hundredth time.

"We've got to stop meeting like this Outback." A genuine smile for me, this time.

"Oh I don't know, it's kind of fun. Isn't it, Pyro?"

Shock crosses his features, eyes blowing wide in surprise. I pat his cheek and sidestep him, flipping my hair over one shoulder as I pass.

"You're not the only one who can throw nicknames, Radic."

I hear him striding after me, but I manage to escape and head out onto the patio where Bodhi and Poppy are lounging out on the couch. Many people I don't know mill around us, chatting and mingling with the friends I had already met. Honee runs through the patio briefly, tossing me a happy wave before disappearing into the back shed. I find myself looking around to see if Bax had come outside as well, but I don't see him anywhere. Summer and Ari walk up to us hand in hand, Ari's goldren retriever personality fully on display in the natural light of his girlfriend.

"How's everyone going?" Ari's smile is soft but bright.

"Great, but it would be better if there actually was the pizza you promised this morning." Mars remarks as he slides into a spot next to Poppy.

"Oh shut it," Pops sends him a light smack on the head as she snuggles into their side.

"Adorable." I say without thinking, earning more than a few stares. I gesture between them and shake my head, suppressing a smile. A weird feeling burns in my stomach but I ignore it, rushing out with an explanation.

"You two are adorable. I can't believe it took you guys so long to get together. And before you ask, yes Summer told me all about you guys in the now three summers she's been here."

Before the conversation can go any further, Abbie and Margot step out of the house, pitchers of drinks with one and boxes of steaming pizza with the other.

"Food is here," Aunty Margot's soft voice fills the air. The boys descend on the two women, pizzas disappearing and reappearing onto the picnic table. The drinks are passed around towards our little circle, and I pour myself a glass, taking a refreshing sip of Sprite. I tap Bodhi's leg, which is thrown across mine, and she retracts it so that I can get up.

"I'm gonna go find Bax before all of the food is gone, you know how that boy can eat."

I cross into the kitchen, waving a greeting at Abbie and my aunt before continuing on into the rest of the house. I peek into the living room where Griff stands on the phone; his parents by the sound of it. Bax's low baritone rings from down the hall and I follow it, not expecting to see the scene that is unfolding when I step around the corner. Bax is leaning against the wall, the blond girl pinned under his arms giggling and running a possessive manicured hand down his abs, which were on full display underneath his unbuttoned shirt. I stand there stupidly, unable to look away.

After what seems like an eternity, Bax drags his attention away from his pretty target and looks at me, ocean eyes cloudy and dark.

"What is it Outback? If you can't tell, I'm a little busy here."

"Food is ready, I just thought you wanted to know." I mumble, the burning feeling from before spreading to my heart, squeezing tight and painful. The girl laughs quietly at whatever expression was on my face and grabs Bax by a single belt loop to beg at his attention. I turn on my heels and leave, abandoning the thought of food and heading straight to my bedroom. Closing the door, I sink to the ground with my back against it, arms coming forward to wrap around my knees.

"Hey Outback, you alright? You looked pretty peaked just a minute ago."

"I'm fine, just go away Baxter." My tone is stronger than the hurt I feel. I don't entirely understand why I should have expected anything else though. The doorknob turns but since my weight is against it the door doesn't budge. I hear him sigh and then the receding footsteps of his departure.

A solid ten minutes go by before I gain the courage to stand. I venture down the hall and back outside, grabbing a slice of one of the remaining pizzas and going back to join my cousin and her friends. Summer cocks her head at me in question when I step around the crackling fire, but a quick head shake sends her back to the conversation.

I spend the rest of the party in silence, nursing a cup of some mystery drink that Summer and Poppy had nicked from the kitchen. I catch sight of Bax's pink hair every so often in the crowd, noticing in spite of myself that his natural blond was starting to show as the color faded.

Eventually everyone started to leave, and my winning from the race this morning that seemed so long ago earned me freedom from cleaning up. With nothing else to do, I get ready to head to bed, slipping beneath my covers. Summer is nowhere to be found for the second night in a row, so I have no problem turning both lamps off and plunging the room into as much darkness as I can get with permanently open windows. The trees outside rustle with an approaching presence, but I don't even open my eyes this time. I feel him stand there for a good long while, but by the time he leaves I'm fast asleep.