I stand on my board, letting the water push me and the board across the surface. I do a bottom turn at the base of the wave, traveling up the wave before doing a backside snap, going back down the wave. I then perform a round house cutback before the wave dies. I ride my board back out to the shallow water.
My dog, Flynn, runs up to me as I pick up my board. I bend down and scratch behind his ear.
"Hey!" I hear a voice call out from down the beach.
I look up to see two boys walking down the sand with their own boards. One blonde and one brunette. Both fairly muscular and tan. The sight felt familiar to what I would see in Aussie.
"Hey, what's up?" I greet, standing up.
"Where did you learn to surf like that?" The blonde asks. "You're incredible."
"Oh, I'm a competitive surfer back in Australia."
"Oh, yeah, you are Australian." The brunette lets out a light laugh.
"Yeah, the accent gives it away, huh?" I ask smiling.
"I'm John B." The boy holds out his hand.
"Franklin." I shake his hand and then the other boys.
"JJ."
"It's nice to meet you."
"You too."
"You knew here?" John B asks.
"Uhh, kinda. I was born here on the island. My dad lives here. My mum lives in Australia with my brother."
"Wait, what's your dad's name?" JJ asks.
"Thomas Taylor."
"You're Thomas Taylor's kid?" John B asks incredulously.
"Uh, yes." I answer confused.
"You're like the biggest Kook on the island."
"What?" I ask slightly offended.
"You don't know what a Kook is?" JJ asks confused.
"No, don't call me that. I haven't been on the Island in like a decade." I explain.
"Oh, damn." John B expresses.
"A Kook is the rich people on the island. They're the ones with the money and the fancy houses and the nice cars." JJ explains to me
"I'm not some snotty rich kid, if that's what you're trying to imply."
"The rest of us are the Pogues. The working class. We live over on the cut. The unfavored side of the Island, the side nobody pays attention to." John B continues, ignoring my comment.
I stay quiet, unsure what to say to either of them. Flynn nudges me backward, away from the boys. I could sense his nerves as the conversation dies down.
"Look, we're not trying to antagonize you." JJ speaks up.
"Listen, I'm no "Kook" or whatever. I live in a normal house in Perth on the beach. I spend my days surfing and doing my online school work. Over there, I'm no rich kid. Sure, I have money, but I'm not your stereotypical rich white chick, alright?"
"Okay, we're sorry." JJ says sincerely. "I'm sorry."
"Um, I think I'm gonna head out." John B voices from behind JJ, looking at the time. "I gotta head to work." JJ nods, allowing the boy to leave.
JJ turns back to me. "We don't have it easy, over here. We didn't mean to make you feel bad."
"I know, it's okay." I give him a small smile.
"You know anybody here?"
"My family." I tell him. "Except I barely know them too. I have a stepmom I knew nothing about, my dads an anesthesiologist apparently. I really know nobody here."
"Come with me, I'll show you around." JJ holds out his hand.
"Really?" I ask unsure.
"Hey, everybody needs some friends. Now you have me."
I take his hand with a smile, allowing him to pull me up the beach. We stop by my car, loading in our surfboards and putting my dog in the backseat.
"I'm gonna drop Flynn off at home before we go anywhere." I inform JJ as I pull into the street.
"Okay, no problem."
I drop off Flynn and my board at my house quickly while JJ waits in my car. Why was I trusting a stranger? I'm not sure. I was lonely, let's be honest.
JJ gives me directions as I drive. We end up in front of a restaurant. "This is the best restaurant on the Island, I promise."
I let out a light laugh at his enthusiasm. He was cute.
I follow him into the restaurant and to the seats along the bar. A girl comes over to us, a smile on her face. "What can I do for you JJ?"
"Kie, this is Franklin. She's new to the Island. Kinda."
"Kiara." She holds her hand out for me to shake it.
"It's nice to meet you."
"You move here?" Kiara asks.
"Kind of." I explain. "My dad lives here. It's kind of a complicated story."
"Oh, who?"
I hesitate to tell her. Considering the reaction of the last time I told someone I figured it wasn't information I should be throwing out randomly.
"Thomas Taylor." My voice chokes in my throat.
"JJ, you're hanging out with a Kook?" Kiara asks the blonde incredulously.
"Hey, don't do that." JJ says. "She's cool."
"Can we talk a moment?" Kiara demands.
JJ looks over to me, an apologetic look on his face.
"It's okay." I tell him. I was used to being left, what was one more person?
JJ looks at Kiara and then back to me. "No, Kie. I'm gonna hang out with Frank here."
Kiara scoffs. A look of shock spreads across her face. She rolls her eyes at the boy before walking away.