Caught Inside

Chapter One

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." – Ephesians 5:15-16

With her shortboard balanced on top of her thighs, Alana Walker sat just behind the water's edge, wiggling her toes into the sand. She gently traced the white rails of her board as she studied the waves. With onshore wind, mushy sets, and an extreme high tide, the conditions were poor for surfing. Alana frowned and checked her watch. "Any minute now," she murmured.

"Alana!"

Alana grinned and looked over her shoulder. "Maya!"

The petite brunette sprinted down the stairs and onto the beach. She stuck the nose of her shortboard into the sand before reaching over to high-five her friend. "Man, it feels good to hit the water."

"Tell me about it," Alana said. "I was glued to the surf cam for almost an hour waiting for the tide to go down."

"Obsessive much?"

Alana shrugged. "What can I say? Surfing is my life."

"Mine too." Maya grinned and sat down next to her friend. "I hope everyone else gets here on time."

"Jake texted me this morning saying he's coming."

"Hey, how come my boyfriend is texting you and not me?"

Alana laughed.

"Well, they better not be late," Maya said. "Even though the waves suck, I need to surf. It's the last day of summer!"

She groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Well, I'm kind of looking forward to it. After all, we're gonna be seniors."

Alana made a face. "Yeah, but it's still school."

Maya just smiled and patted her arm. "Hey, look who it is."

They both glanced over to see a dark-skinned surfer jogging towards them. He carried a thick longboard under one arm. When he glanced up, the girls could see his Hawaiian features clearly.

"Koa!" Alan called, waving. "Glad you could make it."

"Are you kidding?" he exclaimed, setting his board down next to them. "I wouldn't miss this tradition for the world. We always have a surf sesh on the last day of summer, no matter the conditions."

"I hope the others feel the same way," Maya put in.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about them," he said. "They'll be here."

Sure enough, less than five minutes later the remaining three members of the gang arrived: Jake Sanders, the other longboarder in the group; and the Anderson twins, Blaine and Cole. Hello's and high fives were exchanged all around before Jake said the words they were all waiting to hear: "Let's hit the water!"

In a spray of sand and water, they dashed into the surf and hopped on their boards. The cool water immediately caused goosebumps to pop up on Alana's skin as she paddled to the lineup. Her white-blonde hair, still dry, blew around her shoulders. She knew it was only a matter of time before it would be completely wet. With the first whitewater wave that tumbled her way, she pushed her surfboard underwater and duck-dived. She traveled completely underneath the wave before resurfacing on the other side.