After a few days, Fitz and Biana didn't need to come over, not to mention the Vackers were busy. So, she was alone once again. But things would be different this time, and she knew it.
Sophie ended up going with the flow by reading and doodling and cooking. She took her medicine and cleaned the house. She watered her parents' blooming garden in the yard and went on a walk downtown, where she did a bit of window shopping.
The doctors had cleared her since she'd surprisingly healed faster than they'd expected. Sophie was glad that she only had to take medicine for a bit longer.
The downside was, she was pretty bored, and anyone could tell if she'd resorted to shopping.
Finally, an idea sparked. It was summer. And in summer, she loved going to the beach.
Sophie packed a bag with a one-piece swimsuit, some hair ties, a blow-up floaty, a fold-up chair, sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, her extra pair of sandals, and a towel.
She threw on a simple yellow t-shirt along with some shorts, and she headed out the door.
Once Sophie got there, she found shade under a tree and put her chair up.
She carefully slid her sunglasses onto her face and tied her hair back into a loose ponytail. Sophie also blew up her floaty and gently placed it beside her.
She quickly applied sunscreen and rushed to the change rooms to change into her swimsuit. Sophie then plopped down in her seat, breathed in the salty air, and watched the bright waves go up and down.
She smiled but paused when she realized her dinosaur floaty was gone. Sophie stood up in a hurry and scrambled, knowing the breeze blew it away.
As silly as it seemed for her to run after it, the thing was, the floaty wasn't hers. It was Dex's, and she'd forgotten to return it . . .
Sophie scoured the sands and ocean until she finally spotted the bright, green dinosaur across the beach.
The good news was that she'd be getting some exercise, which wasn't exciting given that she'd come to unwind.
She ran in the right direction, but the sand made her noticeably slower. Sophie ended up tripping over some sand toys and faceplanting into the sand a few times. She hurried and hurried, managing to get there. Sophie leaped and landed right beside her dinosaur floaty, feeling like she could lay there all day.
She was never a very athletic person.
And it kind of showed.
"Sophie? Is that you?"
She blinked and rolled onto her back, staring into a pair of teal eyes. The sun blocked out the rest of their figure as she craned her neck to see. "Yeah, I'm Sophie. That's me! Who are you again?"
"Um, Fitz," He chuckled and helped her up. It was as if nothing had changed.
"What are you doing here?" Both of them asked in unison.
"I'm here for surfing lessons," He shrugged.
"I'm relaxing," Sophie nodded. "The doctors cleared me yesterday, so I'm good to have fun again."
"Want to come surf? I bet me and my coach could help teach you," He smiled, showing off his impossibly white teeth.
"I can give it a shot," Sophie smiled and gave him a thumbs-up as she picked up her floaty. "I'll just need to move my stuff . . ."
Fitz had helped her move her stuff to his end of the beach, and she felt ready to surfboard! Well, as ready as she'd ever been.
"Okay, come with me," Fitz motioned, and she followed him. He wore blue swim trunks and had speckles of sand in his hair. Not only that, but he ignored a swarm of giggling fangirls.
"Who's teaching?" She asked as he rented out a red surfboard for her.
"Me," He rolled his eyes as if it were obvious.
"Who are you teaching?" Sophie questioned curiously.
"Dex. Dex Dizznee."
They then made it to the water and swam out deeper, to where the decent waves were.
Dex was already practicing with his strawberry blonde hair matted out from the water. "Hey Sophie, Fitz."
"Hey, Dex," Sophie greeted with an unsure smile. "Hopefully, you don't mind me tagging along, although I already know this is going to go horribly," Sophie moaned as Fitz and Dex stood on their surfboards with ease.
"I know," Fitz smiled and chuckled as she glared at him. "I can fix that."
"I'm calling a professional," She declared.
"I am a professional," Fitz pointed out.
"A higher professional then," Sophie argued back. She could barely sit on the board, let alone stand. "You know, I might as well just give up now."
"Give it a shot," Dex encouraged.
Sophie tried getting up but fell right back into the water. She came up and tried again. And again, until finally, she was standing on the surfboard. "Look! I'm doing it!"
"Now plant your feet and arms out like this," Fitz instructed, with Dex and Sophie mimicking his actions.
Suddenly, a ripple in the water sent Sophie's arms flailing in the air, sending her crashing right into Dex, who ended up bashing into Fitz.
They went down into the water, each person taking a splash.
The three of them floated up to the top, gasping for air and laughing at how silly they could be.
Maybe Sophie had gone to the beach to relax, but surfing was much more fun.