RIDING AWAY

CHAPTER 13 - It was too good to be true...

"I didn't write yesterday's entry..." I mumbled when Merlin came to sit next to me at the same spot we'd sat at the last time we'd come to Papara Beach.

"I know..." He opened his bag and got his small laptop out before turning it on.

Unwilling to let him see just how distressed my earlier conversation with Noah had left me, I immediately started typing, and for the first time since I got there, what I wrote was a true account of the surreal experience we'd had the day before.

Ia orana, guys!

I'm so excited right now to share the out-of-this-world morning I was lucky enough to experience with Noah (Yeah, we're on first name basis, now! ;-) Jealous?!) and several teammates of his, today, on day 4.

I won't ask you to guess because I know that you'll never come up with the right answer, you wouldn't even come close, that's how mind blowing it was.

Ok, ok, I'll stop this unbearable suspense, already.

We went waterfall-freaking-rappelling in the Tahitian mountains!!!

Not only did I finally get the chance to set foot in the luxurious jungle all the mountains (former volcanoes) are covered with here, but I also saw beautiful waterfalls, jumped in holes and free-rappelled (almost) Spiderman-like...

It was as scary as it was exciting, a bit like a never ending roller-coaster.

Needless to say I was exhausted after such an adrenaline-fueled morning, but I still spent three hours practicing my carves after an invigorating lunch, and I was as proud as a peacock when my "teacher" complimented me on my progress. :-)

Did I tell you just how much I loved surfing?!

Please, tell me I can stay here forever!? Pretty please, with sugar on top?!

XOXO Blake XOXO

As soon as I was done, I handed the laptop back to Merlin and focused all my attention on the craziness in front of us.

If I had thought it looked scary the other day, today, the ocean actually looked lethal with at least fifteen foot high waves that kept breaking haphazardly like giant enraged jaws ready to swallow anything on their way.

The roaring was deafening, so much so that I almost didn't hear Merlin when he addressed me.

"So... I couldn't help noticing how gloomy Noah and you looked when you came up on the mini bus earlier..."

I didn't acknowledge him hoping he'd drop the topic altogether.

It didn't work.

"I know you heard me, Blake..." He nudged me in the arm gently.

"What do you want me to tell you?" It came out much colder than I'd meant to.

"What happened for a start..." He answered softly.

"Why don't you ask your brother?" I interjected, unsure of how to explain what had happened.

"I did..." He argued. "He told me to mind my own business..."

"I'm not sure I actually know what happened..." I mumbled a moment later. "One second we're all chummy and the next he announces that Jeremiah and your Mom are arriving tomorrow, that he wants me to have dinner with you guys..." I paused, my jaw set in a tight line. "And when I tell him that I don't want to intrude, I notice that he's back to his polar bear mode and he answers that it's actually not an option since this whole dinner could be a deal-breaker for us..."