Alyssa pointed out the dressing rooms, and I ran in to change.

Extra large was not large enough.

Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Who did they make these things for? Fifth graders?

I cleared my throat a few times and tried to give the boys some room. Hopefully, I’d still be able to reproduce after this little adventure.

I felt myself flush when I emerged from the dressing room.

Alyssa had put her hair back and looked like a goddess. Trying not to kiss her today was probably going to be the hardest thing I’d ever done. Even harder than giving up drugs. Hell, she was like a drug. I just wanted to be around her all the time.

“Ready?” She bit her lip and crossed her arms. Her eyes scanned me with amusement. “A little tight?”

“I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“Let’s go.” I put my arm around her and led her out of the store.

**** The water was just as cold as I remembered, but it was at least eighty-five out, so at least the air was warm.

“You ever use a skimboard before?” Alyssa called out to me.

“No, but I surf. I think I’ll be okay.”

She shrugged.

I was not okay.

I fell on my ass at least twenty times while she skimmed by me like a pro.

“It’s the wet suit!” I shouted as I fell for the hundredth time.

“Sure it is!” She called to me as she yet again completed another perfect skim across the waves.

I gave up and lay down against the sand, letting the cold water run over me. Maybe if I pretended to need CPR she would have pity.

“What are you doing?” Her body cast a shadow over me, stealing my warmth.

“I’m cold. Hungry. I suck. Take me home,” I whined, though I would rather lie here all day with her than go home.

“You’re cold because you’re sitting there like a beached whale. You’re tired because you keep falling, and you’re hungry because we skipped lunch.”

“I like your deduction skills.”

She put her hands on her hips. “I like that you know how to use a word like deduction.”

I propped myself up on my elbows. “I did graduate from high school, you know.”

She patted my hand. Awesome.

“So you want to quit? I mean, you were the one that was banging down my door early this morning begging me to be your friend…”

“I didn’t beg. Rock stars never beg.”

“You must be really lonely if you want me for company.”

Alyssa blushed and looked away licking her dry lips.

“I’ve been watching you.”

Shit. That came out wrong.

Her horrified glance told me I needed to make it better and fast. “I’ve seen you a few times around town and, honestly, ever since you yelled at me, I kinda realized something about myself.”

“Oh yeah?”

I nodded. “I like being yelled at. I like being held accountable. I thought, you know, since you have magic taffy powers, you could probably handle all my shit just as good as anyone.”

She sighed heavily. “I’m not so sure about that.” Without hesitation she jumped to her feet and attempted to dust the wet sand from her body. “Look, maybe this was a bad idea. I mean, can’t you just pay people to be your friends?”

“Do normal people do that?” I asked, incredulous.

She grinned, nearly blinding me with the way her face lit up.

“No, not normal, but you aren’t really normal.”

“I prefer abnormally awesome.”

“Okay, abnormally awesome person I can’t get rid of…

What’s the verdict? We going to quit and walk away friendless, or are you going to get your ass in the water and make me proud?”

I hung my head and cursed. “I’m not a quitter, but you need to at least show me how to do this. I feel like a four-year-old watching an Olympian.”

“Deal.” She held out her hand to help me up.

The next hour went way better than the first. I was actually starting to get the hang of it when a huge wave rolled in. I missed it and jumped off the board. Alyssa was facing me, a huge grin on her face. The tide had started to come in, so the water was up past her waist. Either she didn’t see the giant wave heading for her, or she was going to go for it. At my alarmed look she must have known something was up; she turned around just in time for the wave to crash onto her.

I tried running toward her, but the wave crashed on top of me. I spit out the sea water and swam to where I thought I saw her fall. My eyes burned as I dove into the water. I saw a flicker of something dark. I reached out and touched it. The wetsuit.

With a curse, I pulled her to the surface. She wasn’t moving.

I knew we were close to rocks, but not that close.

My muscles burned as I swam for a few feet then carried her to the shore and put her onto the sand.

“Alyssa?” Frantic, I put my head against her chest listening for any sort of breathing. No sound.

I unzipped her wetsuit and began CPR, breathing into her mouth. I was so freaked out I wasn’t even counting the compressions, just singing the stupid song they taught everyone to sing when learning First Aid.

“Come on, baby, come on.” I breathed in to her mouth again.

A large red gash was bleeding from the top of her head. I needed to get help.

Just as I was getting ready to jump up and attack an old man who just happened by. She coughed up water.