Salt is still stinging your eyes as you lift yourself up on your arms, each breath hurting your lungs - the air's been knocked out of you, but you sit back on the rock and breathe deeply, shaking from the adrenaline. And you guess that's why you feel completely fine, apart from breathing heavily.
You stand up on the rock and see the others paddling towards you after the set has passed.
"Holy shit!" you exclaim, the memory of the wave you just surfed pushing its way to the front of your mind. "That was insane! Let's do it again." you say impulsively, diving headfirst off the rock with speed, before you feel yourself get dragged upwards by a strong pair of hands. When you resurface, you come face to face with Marlon.
"What the hell are you doing?" he yells. "You're such an idiot!"
"Nah, did you not see that?" you say. "That was insane!"
"Yeah, and now we're stuck here on a rock for who knows how long!" your brother shouts back, his face contorted with anger and madness.
"Well, you didn't have to come after me," you say, climbing back up onto the rock face. "You're just mad because I just pulled off a huge wave at Stairway."
"Y/n..." Summer says cautiously, but you're way too lost in your own world, overcome with adrenaline and emotion.
"Summer, did you not see that?!" you exclaim, dripping water all over the place. "I did it."
"Y/n! Listen to me!" Summer yells, "turn around!"
You do as she says, slightly confused and hear gasps from the others.
"Y/n, you're bleeding."
"Oh, shit," you say. "I am." You suddenly realise the water that you felt dripping down your leg is actually not water at all, but blood. You twist your neck round to try and see the damage: there's a couple of grazes at the side of your leg from hitting the rock, and a few superficial scratches on one arm, but the real damage is from a cut down your side - now the adrenaline's worn off, you can feel it. And it hurts like a bitch.
"Oh my god." you say, touching the wound, then bringing your hand in front of you to see it, covered in blood.
"Sit down." Marlon demands.
Ari has said nothing this whole time.
"If it's just from hitting the rock, you'll be fine." Marlon says, examining the wound, but his voice wavers, and you can't say that makes you feel any better. "Take off your shirt."
You do as he says, and he takes it from you before wrapping it around your midsection and pulling tight, which makes you clench your fists in pain.
"I don't want to be a hypocrite here, but that was a real kook move, Y/n." Summer laughed forcedly.
"I know, but you should have seen it, Summer, it was insane!" you say again, unable to get all this adrenaline out of your system.
"Yeah, yeah, as you keep saying," Ari interrupts. "But what you just did was so dangerous."
"Chill, Ari. I only got hurt at this rock, not surfing." you say, slightly quieter.
"That's not the point. We should've never been out here in the first place," he says, and you feel his eyes bore into you as you sit helpless against your brother. "I'm going to be grounded for life after this."
"We can blame Summer for that one." Marlon says.
"No, you were coming out here anyway," you reply, each word sending a spike of pain through your side.
"And so were you." Ari shot back. Is he really this mad at you? He has a right to be, you suppose, but he was coming out here too. He would have been surfing if it wasn't for Summer.
"Sorry." you mutter, looking away from him.
He sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair as he looks around at where you're stranded. "No, I'm sorry, Y/n. I was just...worried about you." Ari says, taking a seat next to you.
"I know. And I know I was being stupid, but surfing that wave felt amazing! It was like I was flying."
"You must be a pretty good surfer to surf Stairway," Ari jokes. "At least you can say you did it now; welcome to the club."
"Thanks," you smile.
"Alright, alright," Marlon interrupts. "Now how the hell are we supposed to get out of here?"
Ari stands again, scanning the rocks. "There's got to be a way up this rock face."
"Not with Y/n; she won't be able to climb up there," Marlon examines the cliff face towering above you. "One of us could go and get help?" he suggests, and you all know who he's suggesting takes that risk.
Summer immediately shakes her head.
"No way, no way am I climbing up and breaking my neck for you guys." she exclaims.
"C'mon! It's not that high." Ari offers, but as he squints up at the top of the rocks his face turns sceptical.
"Nah, no way. If it's so easy one of you two can do it." she responds, folding her arms.
Neither boy responds.
"C'mon, Ari, you can let Marlon stand on your hands or something." Summer suggests, pushing Ari forward in an attempt to position him in front of the hard stone, but Marlon quickly disputes it.
"It's not going to happen," he says.
Hearing the others argue makes your head hurt. Their voices suddenly sound extortionately deafening, and looking out on the sea reflecting the sun is blinding. You close your eyes, which helps slightly, but not enough. There's a rockpool a few feet away from you - if you could just reach out, maybe walk a few steps, you could splash some cold water on your face, but as you try to push yourself up your arms fail you, and your attempts to stand are futile. The others are still arguing, the sound of the waves still crashing in the distance and the spiking pain in your side is growing more agonising by the second, the blood in the graze mixing with salt and debris from the sea water.
You hear Ari say your name cautiously, but his voice is drowned out, and your eyes begin to contort the image in front of you in swirling, dizzy spirals and you're unable to focus. Nothing feels real anymore, and everything seems loud and quiet at the same time. Everything feels numb.
You barely feel yourself falling.