The set is sifting. It’s a cold day on the beach, but the waves are looking good. It’s December and I’m on winter break, well actually I skipped all my midterm exams at school just to surf. I really needed a break from everything.  Looks like some waves will be rolling in soon, Eddie and I are sitting on our boards out in the water, oh look there’s one, “Eddie let’s take this one in!” Eddie and I paddled out further to the wave. It got bigger, “Okay, let’s get it!” We turned our boards around and waited for the wave to get closer to us, “C’mon! Paddle, paddle, paddle.” Let’s go! I got up and we went two in a pipe! Some people around here call it “The Rusty Pipe” Even though that term sounds like a drug reference, but two in a pipe is when two surfers take a wave and surf side by side in one pipe. People say that there is no way someone can do that. I guess I’m just gifted with it. Eddie was carving a bit, his turns were very swift and fast. I decided to do it too. “I don’t know about this Eddie, this is kinda—oh no!” The wave crashed on us because we were too busy messing around and not focusing on getting out of the pipe,but hey that’s what happens. I swam up to the surface to meet Eddie.

“Eddie? Ed!” I saw him, he was carried by the wave and he got close to the shore. I got on my board and decided to take a small wave in, I boogied it in by just getting on my knees. The salt water soaked my hair and covered my face, I had to push it out the way so I could see.

Eddie waited for me on the shore. I walked over towards him, but a little kid ran up to me, “Hey, I like your board!”

“Thanks little dude!” I said to the kid. I had a 5’10 Rusty Surfboard. I had to get the board because, Rusty is my name.

“Stole one out of my playbook there with that kneeboarding!” Eddie said as he tied a red bandana on his head. His hair is so long, people mistake him for a blond girl. He can rock a bandana though, well—I guess anyone with long hair can.

“Sorry dude.” I laughed.

“Well, you want to go get some food?”

“Let’s head to Lani’s.” I said.

Lani’s is such a cool place, and so many people come here. This place really gives off a surfing vibe, if you catch my drift. There is a bar here  and you can get in at 18, you just need a wristband confirming that you are underage. The front door to the place was a simple glass door. There was a little hallway that led to the main dining area. The tables were steel and so were the chairs. The air was a little chilly.bEddie and I got a table and sat down.

“Hey boys! How’s the water out there?” The waitress said.

“Pretty wavy.” Eddie said.

“Are you boys ready to order?” She asked. I looked at the waitress and she looked like she was young enough to be a freshman or sophomore in college.

“Yes, I’ll take a Big Kahuna Burger.”  I said.

“I’ll take a Louie-Louie salad.” Eddie said.We waited for our food and chilled out for a little while. Eddie and I just talked about the latest stuff going on in our lives. You see, Eddie lives here in Pensacola, so I don’t get to see him during school a lot. Unless one Friday afternoon, I skip class with Tommy and we’ll head over to the beach. It’s only a three hour drive from The Northshore.

“Hey! I said no tomatoes on this damn thing!” Some random guy shouted across the room. What the hell is going on?

“Eddie, what’s happening?” I asked. Eddie looked back and it looked like he knew who it was.

“Aye, Rusty! Holy shit,” Eddie leaned into the table, “That’s Snake Jackson!”

“What?” That name sounded stupid, but it sounded familiar, “Snake Jackson? No way it’s him?”

“Well, that’s what people call him, haven’t you seen him?” Eddie was talking about this guy like he was some sort of celebrity, he looked back at him.

“No? What’s so special about him?” I asked. I looked over and I got a glimpse of the guy. He had long blond hair and his face was strong and hard. He looked real tough too.

“Four time winner of the amateur Lou-Loi surf competition!” Eddie said.  Wait— is he talking about the Lou-Loi surf competition? And is he talking about—oh my—

“That’s the Snake Jackson?” No way! I have to meet him! I’ve heard about this guy! I got to catch him before he leaves.

“Whoa Rusty! Where are you going?” Eddie started to get up from his seat.

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“Don’t worry I’ll be back!” I have to get to him! I opened the door and walked outside, “Snake!” Snake looked back at me and stared me dead in the eye. His green eyes pierced my heart into two. I stopped and I saw him. He was tall and big in muscle, not fat.

“What do you want, Kook?” He yelled. Wow, no one’s ever called me that before. A Kook is a dumbass, people use the word as an insult around here.

“What the fuck? What’s your deal?” I yelled back at him. No one calls me a fucking kook!

“I don’t have time for some scrawny little kid like you! Beat it!” I’m not scrawny! I’ll kick it to him. Snake walked away next to his surfing team, he was laughing and giving high fives to his teammates.  I felt like a loser, so I walked back to my table, as I went to open the door, sure enough, there it was, a flyer and a chance to show Snake Jackson who I really was! The Lou-Loi surf competition was in two weeks! No way! I’ll kick him some white wash!  I grabbed a flyer, ran back to my table, “Eddie!” I slammed the flyer on our table in front of his food as he was trying to take a bite, but I interrupted him “Look here! We can do this! Let’s do this!”

“Rusty, look this is a—” Eddie was interrupted by our waitress.

“And here is that Big Kahuna Burger?” The waitress had the burger on a plate in her left hand, she set the plate down on the table.

“Oh thanks!.” I said, as she set my burger down. We both ignore each other and started to chow down.

6:32 A.M and waves are starting to form. “Ready to paddle out?”

“Rusty, about yesterday, are you sure about that competition ? The Lou-Loi is not a ‘walk in the park’ kind of competition. It brings in a lot of surfers all over the coast.”

“It’s a challenge, what’s wrong with a little challenge?” I grabbed my board and started to walk down to the shore.

“Yo!” Tommy “Shortbreak” Dover arose from the dunes. That was a nickname we gave him. He was a small guy, “are you guys bustin’ surfboards without me?”

“Shortbreak we wouldn’t leave you out!” Eddie laughed.

“Shortbreak?! Ugh, c’mon guys, cut it out! I’m not that small!” Tommy laid his board down.

“Well, you guys go ahead, I have to wax my board.” Tommy sat down to wax his board.

“C’mon Ed!” I ran straight to the water and paddled out. I spotted a wave and got close, turned to the side and caught the wave. I wasn’t straight , but I dropped in two feet and got into the pipe. As I got out and finished riding the wave,  I decided to dive in and jump off my board. The water was a bit cold and I was underwater for a little bit, but all of the sudden everything went black. I swam to the surface to see that the object that darkened the water was—Snake Jackson’s board. This guy again!

“Ah look who it is? Little kook!” Snake said.

“I’d appreciate if you didn’t call me that.” The water was deep and I couldn’t touch the bottom. I yanked my leash on my ankle to pull my board towards me. I got on.

“Sorry what was that?  I can’t hear you over the sound of the waves calling my name!” Snake raised his hand next to his ear. “Listen, kid…Can you hear that?”  What the hell is this guy’s deal? All I could hear were the waves crashing on shore “The waves are calling my name and telling you to get the fuck out!! This is local’s only,” Snake pointed to the shore, “There’s no room for a benny like you!” I  got out of the water and watched Eddie surf a few. I sat next to Tommy.

“Rusty what’s wrong?” Tommy asked.

“I got kicked out of the water.” I had my head down, I felt ashamed.

“What?” Tommy looked confused.

“Snake kicked me out!”  I kicked up the sand on the shore

“Wait! The Snake Jackson?” Tommy was surprised

“Yes!” I yelled again as I kicked up sand.

“Says who? Just one surfer?” Tommy grabbed his board, “Tell ya what, if we work out a strategy, we can push him into the white wash and he’ll get irritated. Grab your stick!” A stick is another name for a surfboard.

“You mean like snake his wave?” That’s kinda funny, because people call him Snake. That’s his name, isn’t it?

“Yes! C’mon let’s go get some!” Tommy helped me up. Let’s take him out!

So back into the water we go. “Swing wide Rusty!” Tommy said as he carved to the right of Snake, “there ya go, there ya go! Shake and stomp!” Tommy started to make some curves, I rode off of Tommy’s wave and launched and landed in front of Snake. He had no choice but to wipeout!

“Damn it!” Snake yelled as he went down, the wave carried him off.

“Wipeout!” Tommy laughed.

“Nice play there guys!” Eddie came near us.

“Thanks Ed! I said as I gave Tommy and Eddie a high five.

“Yo! These waters are open to everyone!” Tommy yelled out. I felt great that we took down Snake and re-opened the surf spot to everyone. That guy is such a prick.

“Yo! Way to go Rusty!” Tommy said.

“Hey, look at all the people on the beach!” We all paddled to the shore and a group of young surfers and a few older girls who were admiring us were all cheering and took pictures with me. Tommy and Eddie lifted me up, “Rusty Slater! Hero of The Cove!”  

Now I just gotta say it was a good day. The boys let me down and everyone was still cheering me on. I looked around me and saw that a bunch of people were behind me, calpping and yelling my name. Out of all the people I saw, there was this one girl that stood out from the crowd. Her skin was tan, and she was a dime. A ten. She was so fine looking. She walked up to me and said, “Nice moves out there.” Her smile was so white that I could go blind.

“Thanks girl. You look pretty nice.” I said as I made eye contact with her.

“Awe, Thanks! Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?” The girl asked me.

“Nothing special, why?”

“Do you see that house over there?” She pointed to this raised house right on the beach, past the dunes. The house was white and blue with a wooden boardwalk from the back of the house to the white sands on the beach.

“Yeah I see it.”

“I’m having a party tomorrow night and you’re invited. A ton of people are going to be there. You should totally go!” She exclaimed.

“Oh for sure, I’ll be there.”

“It starts at nine, don’t be late!” She smiled at me and waved goodbye. I’m definitely going to that party.