Chasing Sin

15

"I swear I was shacking out of my mind and it was spitting barrels like you wouldn't believe!"

I take a sip of my water, nodding along despite having no idea what Andy is saying.

"Then I went to jam it off the top, you know, to go for a carve, and I was throwing buckets! For real, Haven, it was gnarly. You wouldn't believe."

I pause before responding, waiting to make sure he's done.

"That sounds... great, Andy, really," I say. "Isn't it kind of cold to surf? I mean, it is November."

"An outsider might think so," Andy responds, "but in SoCal, the best conditions are actually in fall. Winter has some weather problems occasionally, but usually there are just enough storms to keep the waves coming."

He prattles on and on about how waves in California go through periods of flatness because of the storm patterns.

I sigh, wondering how much longer he can go on about surfing.

At first, the cliché California surfer dude was a large part of Andy's appeal. He's clearly found his passion in life, because it's all he can seem to talk about.

"I can take you to Huntington Beach sometime," he tells me, smiling as his words slow down now.

Andy and I went to get dinner at a cute local restaurant, and I had pretty high hopes for the date when we got here. It's an adorable, colorful bistro with some really great food.

I've honestly had a lot of fun with him when he wasn't talking about surfing. I made the mistake of asking about his day, which consisted of ditching school to go surf because the waves were good.

He's been very chivalrous and kind the entire evening, insisting on opening the door for me and pulling out my chair. I just need to find a way to switch the subject.

"Yeah, maybe we can do that sometime," I cut him off in the middle of a sentence, not feeling bad. "I meant to ask you before, what about your parents?"

He doesn't look annoyed or offended that I cut him off, just surprised at my question. "My family?"

"Yeah, you've hardly mentioned your family. Are you close with your parents? Do you have any siblings?" I try and lead him into a different topic.

"Um, well..." He thinks about it. "My mom and I are really close. It's sick. She's the best. I have never met a better woman in my entire life."

I nod, trying to listen now that Andy isn't droning on about surfing. We've been at dinner for an hour and a half, with at least half of that being surf-talk.

"I can't imagine living away from her," he adds. "She does everything for me. My laundry, the cooking, cutting my hair, even helps me with my homework."

My eyebrows raise in surprise. "Wow, she's a dedicated mom. My mom barely has time to do her own laundry." I laugh, thinking about my family. I've done my own laundry since I was eleven, and I usually get stuck doing Ethan's.

"That's why I'm thinking about going to Anaheim University next year," Andy tells me. "So I can stay close to my family."

"Aw, you must be really close with your family," I tell him, marveling at his announcement. I love my family, a lot, but I couldn't live with them after high school.