"Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise." – Proverbs 19:20
Ever since Cole had humbled himself to ask for his brother's advice at Venice Beach, Blaine's words kept echoing over and over in his mind, like a playlist on repeat. The bottom line: Cole had to change.
"If you want to get Alana's attention," Blaine had said, "then you have to start with yourself."
"What do you mean?"
Blaine had looked long and hard at his brother. "Think about it," he'd finally said. "You said yourself that you weren't looking for another fling. You said Alana was different. So in order for your relationship with girls to change, you need to start by changing your attitude."
Cole caught his brother's gaze in the rearview mirror. Blaine was sitting calmly in the backseat next to Alana, who was scrolling through a playlist with her headphones on. Meanwhile, Koa was busy watching the scenery from where he sat in the passenger seat.
Blaine gave his brother a quick nod in the mirror before looking away. Cole refocused his attention on the road, popping his van into third gear and easing off the clutch. The vehicle immediately slowed as he rounded the corner, turning into a parking lot off to the side of PCH.
For the third time that morning, it dawned on Cole that he had an awesome brother. How had he not realized it before? Not only had Blaine agreed to help him, but he had also agreed to keep Cole's feelings for Alana a secret. This would have been perfect material for Blaine to use as blackmail against his twin.
Cole shook his head. No—Blaine wasn't like that. Blaine was respectful, loyal, forgiving. Everything Cole needed to be.
I need to change. That was easier said than done, Cole realized. Outward change always began with inward change. Cole needed to start thinking differently in order to start acting differently.
He pulled into a parking spot and popped his Volkswagen into first gear. After turning the key in the ignition, he hopped out. "Let's take a look at the waves," he announced.
Cole strolled across the asphalt with the rest of the gang on his heels. In front of them, a wide stretch of sand—almost as far as Muscle Beach—stood between them and the glittering ocean. As soon as they reached a section of fire pits, they climbed on top of one to get a look at the waves.
Though Cole's eyes were scanning the lines of whitewater breaking a football field's-length away, his thoughts were somewhere else. He glanced over at Alana out of the corner of his eye. She was studying the waves in silent fascination, her lips slightly parted and her white-blonde hair blowing around her shoulders.
"—do you think, Cole?"
"Huh?" Cole jerked his gaze away from Alana, only to realize that Jake was staring at him.
"What do you think?" Jake repeated.
"About...?"
"Come on, man, where's your head?" Jake laughed. "What do you think we're talking about?"
"We're trying to decide if we should paddle out or not," Alana said, coming to Cole's rescue.
"Oh. Right. What's the verdict?"
Jake rolled his eyes. "That's what I was trying to ask you."
Cole ignored him and studied the waves for a few more seconds. They were about chest-high and came in multiple sets. He knew there was a long paddle out to the lineup—but where was the lineup? No one was even sitting in the water. Though he saw a few shoulders here and there, they were rarities, with the majority of the waves closing out or offering a racy section.
"Nah," he said. "Too inconsistent. We should try somewhere else."
"Where's the next spot?" Koa asked.
Cole shrugged. "South."
"How about the Cliffs?" Maya suggested.
Cole pursed his lips. The gang had already driven through Palos Verdes, past Long Beach, and right by Seal Beach. They were currently standing in Sunset Beach, but the waves weren't offering much. "How far away are the Cliffs?" Cole asked.
Maya looked up the answer mere seconds after whipping out her phone. "About five miles away."
"Let's go," Cole said automatically. Anything would be better than this mush.
They flew past Bolsa Chica, which was choppy and walled out. Maya parked her camper directly next to Cole's van as soon as they entered Huntington Beach. The gang strolled out into the bright sunlight and peered over the edge of the Cliffs.
Cyclists, runners, walkers, skaters—people of all shapes and sizes darted past them as they checked out the waves from behind a metal railing. The Huntington Cliffs dropped down in a rugged stretch of rocks, where they faded into a smooth curtain of sand before tapering off into the ocean.
Though the waves looked similar to those at Sunset, they had a bit more consistency to them. They even came in sets, with some nice lulls in between, allowing a horde of surfers to make the long paddle out to the lineup. The waves were definitely rideable and rippable.
"What do you guys say?" Cole asked, turning to face the gang. The looks on their faces spoke volumes: Let's do this.
They were suited up and ready to go in record time. With the hot summer sun beating down on their backs, they jogged down a steep walkway, across the sand, and into the surf. Even though they were in top condition from surfing every day for over a week, the paddle to the lineup was still long and difficult. Cole duck dived under at least a dozen waves before he finally made it through the impact zone, arms aching.
Fortunately, the waves rewarded them for their tiring paddle. They were surprised to see some nice head-high swells with fairly workable corners on the first set that rolled through.
Jake took off on the first wave, leaving the rest of the gang to fend for themselves. While Maya and Alana went into a paddle battle for the second wave, Cole dug his hands deep into the water and set his sights on something else. Another wave was looming to his left, overshadowing the rest of the set. He kicked and paddled as hard as he could, not wanting to get caught inside when it broke. He spun his board around just as the lip curled over. Then he popped up to his feet and took the drop.
He could feel spray kick up on his face as he raced to the bottom. The wave was surprisingly slow and crumbly for its large size, so he made a quick cutback to stay in the pocket. He rode the wave for a few yards until it began to hollow out on the inside. Then he began to pull some snaps and carving turns. He kicked out only when he realized how far he was riding the wave in. He didn't want to have to face another long paddle to the lineup.
After plopping down on his stomach, Cole lifted his eyes and saw Blaine scratching into the last wave of the set. Cole quickly duck dived under a small wave and resurfaced, his gaze automatically connecting with his brother's ride. He saw Blaine pull a nice combination of maneuvers, smiling the entire way.
Cole watched until he realized another wave was heading straight towards him. He paddled quickly over the breaking lip and coasted down onto the other side. Then, relaxing his muscles, he calmly stroked over towards the gang. It was time to catch another ride.
And it was time to set Blaine's plan into action. If Cole needed to change, then he was sure as heck going to change. The only problem was, he didn't know where to start.
Cole had never been so hungry in his life. When he trudged out of the water at Huntington Cliffs, he realized he hadn't eaten anything save for a small breakfast of fruit and yogurt that morning. He was beginning to feel lightheaded and sick to his stomach.
"Dude, are you okay?" Blaine asked worriedly. He jogged over to his brother.
"I need something to eat," Cole croaked. "Badly."
"Okay." Blaine stayed by Cole's side as they headed back up the walkway to the top of the Cliffs. As soon as they reached Maya's camper, Blaine jerked open the door and tossed Cole a bagel. "Eat this," he said. "I'll find a nearby grocery store and get us some more food. We're running low."
Cole scarfed down the bagel. His lightheadedness vanished immediately, though his stomach still growled for more. "What time is it?" he asked.
Blaine checked his wristwatch. "4:12."
"Oh man." Cole's eyes widened in surprise. "No wonder I'm starving."
Blaine nodded. "You should take Alana out tonight."
"Yeah. Wait, what?"
"You should take Alana out tonight," he repeated.
"I heard you the first time."
"Then what's the problem? You're hungry, aren't you? Just find a nice restaurant and bring Alana. It's not like it's a date or anything—it would just give you some time to work on The Plan. To strengthen your friendship and connect with her. You guys need to have a conversation, you know?"
"Oh." Cole furrowed his brow in concentration. "But what if she doesn't want to go with me? Alone?"
"Don't worry, I'll handle that part."
"What are you thinking?" Cole asked suspiciously.
"I can take Jake, Koa, and Maya in the camper to pick up some food at the supermarket while you and Alana grab a bite to eat. Then we could all meet up in Huntington Beach later."
"Alright," Cole agreed. "If you think it'll work, let's do it."
Moments later, the rest of the gang came into view. Blaine sauntered over to Jake and Koa and casually worked his way into their conversation. "We're running low on food," he said. "I think we should head to the grocery store and pick up a few things."
"Sure, I'll go," Koa agreed.
"Count me in," Jake added.
Maya perked up her ears upon hearing Jake's assent, and immediately walked over to the trio. "Where are you going?" she asked.
Blaine filled her in, and Maya's consent was instantaneous. "Alana!" she called. "Hey, do you want to—"
But Koa cut her off. "What about Cole?" he asked.
"He doesn't feel too good," Blaine admitted. "He needs to rest a bit and get some food in him."
Everyone turned to look at Cole, who averted his gaze and stared down at his bare feet.
Alana was the first to speak. "I'll stay with him," she volunteered.
"You will?" Cole asked, dumfounded.
She shrugged. "Why not?"
"Look, why don't you two meet up with us in Huntington Beach?" Blaine suggested. "After Cole rests a bit, you guys can get some food and then catch up with us later."
Alana agreed, and the gang began taking off their wetsuits and piling them in the back of Cole's Volkswagen. After stuffing their surfboards into their bags and strapping them to the top of the surf van, Alana and Cole waved goodbye to the gang as they pulled out of the parking lot.
"Do you need to rest?" Alana asked. Cole noticed her slight manner of tucking a stray of hair behind her ear. It was cute.
"Yeah, just for a few more minutes. I'm gonna close my eyes and get out of the sun."
Alana nodded and slipped inside the Volkswagen. Meanwhile, Cole kicked back in a lounge chair with a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. Though he tried to relax and pretend like he was resting, his thoughts were flying all over the place. Where was he going to take Alana? How could he make the rest of the evening go smoothly? And would Alana see right through his intentions?
Ten minutes of worrying later, Cole whipped off his sunglasses and muttered, "I'm starving." He leaned forward and called, "Alana, wanna find someplace to eat now?"
"Sure," came her muffled reply. She stuck her head out the window a few seconds later. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. I need to get something in my stomach, though."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
Cole didn't need any further encouragement. After folding up his lawn chair, he stashed it in the backseat and whipped out his keys. He slid into the driver's seat and let the van run for a few seconds, mulling over his options. He guessed his safest route would be to ask Alana what she wanted.
"Anywhere that's good," she replied.
Cole pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. As he scrolled down the list of nearby restaurants, he had a lightbulb moment. "Hey! Let's go to Ruby's."
"Ruby's?"
"Take a look." He tilted the screen in her direction.
Alana smiled at the picture of the old-school American diner. "Cool," she said. "Let's go. Hamburgers sound great."
Cole smiled. "Did you see where the restaurant is?"
"Um...Huntington Beach?"
"At the end of the pier."
Alana's mouth dropped open. "No way!"
"Yeah. Awesome, right?" He quickly backed out of the parking spot and sped onto PCH. Alana was rattling off what she wanted to get—either the Classic Rubyburger or the Bacon Cheeseburger, according to the online menu—and Cole was having a hard time trying to keep the smile off his face.
"Hey, I think I'll call Maya," Alana said suddenly.
"Why?"
"To see if she and the others want to meet us there."
Oh, no... Cole racked his brain for a plausible excuse. "Actually, Blaine told me they were going to find some fast food place for dinner. You know, after getting some groceries. It's probably fine if we meet up with them afterwards."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," he confirmed. To emphasize his point, he pressed on the gas a tad more, sending them shooting even faster towards Ruby's Diner.
"Alright. If you say so."