Another Wave of You ✓

37 • Souls Catch Fire

    "Oh, God!" Jeff had appeared and threw his hands in front of his face. "Jesus fuck, get a room!"

     Wanda slapped her towel on Jeff's head.

    "Well, well, well," Zach sauntered in, slumping himself on a stool that became designated for him. "Someone's getting a little action this morning."

     Theo pulled away and gave a side-eye to his best friend. "Don't you have a championship to win?"

    "Surfers' break." El silently passed him a glass of cold lemonade, and Zach winked at her, the two already on a routine. Then, upon observing the shack, frowned. "Where's Daisy?"

     "Uh." That came from Jeff, who had a stupefied look as he stared at something past him, on the beach. "There she is."

     The blonde was strolling her way to Anchor's, capturing every guys' and girls' attention, but the gang was used to her looking like that. No, they were mostly shocked because... she wasn't alone.

    "Hey, squad," Daisy chirped when she arrived. "This is Julian, if you guys remember."

     El squinted at the tall, tan-skinned guy. She did remember him; wasn't he the same guy who was with them during the Firelight Festival?

    "I do," Theo said, deadpanned, giving Julian a look. Huh. He must've said something to him the first time they met. 

     Julian shrank underneath Theo's gaze. "N-nice to meet you all again." Then he spotted Zach, who to him must've been a friendly face. "Oh, hey, man!" he slapped Zach's back, and the latter almost choked on his lemonade. "Great waves back there."

    "You, too," Zach grunted.

     Daisy's new buddy was probably the most oblivious guy in the world. 

    "Hey," he started at Jeff, eyebrows furrowed. "I don't remember you. Who are you again?"

     The boy gulped. "Jeff."

    "Huh. I don't think I've ever actually met anyone named Jeff before."

    "It's short for Jeffrey."

     Julian's mouth twitched. "Like Jeffrey fucking Dahmer?"

     The tan surfer proceeded to laugh at his own joke like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Daisy let out an airy laugh as well, but it was obvious to them — or at least to El — that there was nothing remotely genuine about it.

    "Oh, Julian," Daisy wiped a tear. "You're so funny, babe."

    "The best and brightest," Theo muttered. El elbowed him, and he only rolled his eyes out of good nature.

     Later on, when the surfers' break was over and the supervisors were calling them through the speakers, El sneaked closer to her friend. 

    "So are you two official then?" she whispered.

    "Officially fucking?" Daisy asked nonchalantly, looking over Zach and Julian reuniting with their fellow competitors. El couldn't quite figure out who she was admiring — knowing Daisy, it was probably both. "Yeah. It's the Australian accent. And the sculpted ass."

    "You know I can still hear you," Theo stated matter-of-factly.

    "You were meant to." Daisy turned back at the two. "Come on, let's watch them!"