by Annie Bryant
“Ooh, can I come?” Isabel asked. “I know my drawings of those fighting snow and volcano spirits will be so much better if I’m breathing Hawaiian air for inspiration!”
“Artists!” Maeve shook her head. “I am one hundred percent wiped out from biking, so I’ll see you guys later!”
Maeve let herself into their room only to discover a forlorn Katani sitting on the sofa bed and looking out the porthole. Franco was resting on top of Charlotte’s suitcase. He blinked twice at Maeve’s entrance and went right back to sleep.
“Looking for your love lost at sea?” Maeve joked.
Katani shook her head. “Although I wouldn’t mind being lost at sea right about now.”
Maeve sat down next to her friend on the sofa. Katani wasn’t one to mope. “What’s up?”
“The Kgirls signed up for the karaoke competition.” Katani sighed.
Maeve wanted to ask why Katani wasn’t going to perform with the BSG, but she knew that Katani needed a friend and not a lecture. “And you didn’t want to?” she guessed.
Katani looked at Maeve and laughed. “Um, my voice, remember?”
“Well, maybe they can’t sing either!” Maeve offered brightly.
Katani ran her hands through her hair. “Nope, they can, and I can’t, and Kgirl karaoke is gonna be a complete disaster.”
Maeve jumped up. “You just need to be a little creative. What song are you singing?”
“Three Hours Till You,” Katani told her.
Maeve raised an eyebrow. “The new Nik and Sam? Really? I love that song!” Maeve sang the first verse.
“Even though I know it’s true
The way you feel about me,
the way I feel ’bout you,
Only three hours—
Three hours till you.”
Katani applauded as Maeve took a bow. “Now, if you can teach me to sing like that in the next two days, I think we’re set.”
Maeve shook her head. “No, no, no, like I said, we’re going to make you sing like you. But you’re just going to do a little doo-wop.”
Katani looked at her blankly.
“You know, just the uh-huhs, the oh yeahs, oooh ooohs. That sorta thing. When I point, you doo-wop!”
“The way you feel about me—” Maeve belted out. “Now say, ‘Oh yeah.’”
“Oh, yeah!” Katani sang, getting into it.
Franco’s eyes sprung open. “Oh, yeah!” he squawked.
Maeve laughed and clapped along. “The way I feel ‘bout you—”
“You-ooh-ooh!” Katani and Franco sang together. The parrot bounced up and down on his suitcase perch to the rhythm of the girls’ clapping.
“Only three hours—” Maeve sang. “Three hours till youuuuuuuu—”
“Oooh-oooh!” sang Katani.
“Oooh-oooh!” echoed Franco.
“Oooh-oooh!” Katani sang, thinking, Maybe with Maeve and Franco’s help, I won’t crash and burn in front of the whole ship.
CHAPTER
13
The Calm Before the Storm
I saw an eel,” Kazie bragged.
Everyone was gathered on the beach after a peaceful snorkeling expedition, gobbling down a picnic lunch. Soon it would be time to board the bus and head over to Ke’ei Beach for surfing.
“You did not see an eel,” Avery scoffed. “I was right next to you the entire time.”
“It was one of the times I was way ahead of you.” Kazie smiled.
Avery fumed. Kazie’s voice sounded polite, but Avery knew better. She took a deep breath to hold in a comeback. “The first sign of a fight, both of you are back on the ship. No ifs, ands, or buts!” Andie had pronounced that morning at breakfast while Avery’s dad nodded along. No way was Avery going to miss her chance to surf.
Avery and her dad had learned to surf together in Hawaii just a few years ago, but Kazie had never tried it before. There’s no way Kazie can fake her way through surfing. It really wasn’t anything like snowboarding—not at all, Avery thought as she tossed back the rest of her juice.
Her dad walked over and sat down in the sand next to her. “Shreddy, champ?”
“Never been “shreddier,” Avery said. She shot a look at Kazie, who was waving her arms around wildly while talking to Kara-Lee and Katani.
“You need to keep your weight back,” she heard Kazie explain. “That’s the secret to staying up on a board.”
On a snowboard, yes…Avery thought, but not on a surfboard!
“Let’s get going, kiddo. I want to be the first off that bus, and first on a board.”
Now we’re talking! Avery grinned up at her dad.
Katani sat with Kazie and Kara-Lee, anxious about surfing for a whole different reason than Maeve, who was practicing her surf stance on her towel! Katani wasn’t trying to impress anyone—she just hoped she wouldn’t look totally uncoordinated next to Kara-Lee the cheerleader and Kazie the pro snowboarder.
Suddenly Katani noticed that Kazie had stopped chattering on and on about how to stay up on a snowboard and was tapping her foot anxiously. She remembered what Andie told her about Kazie getting nervous sometimes. “What’s wrong?”
Kazie stopped tapping her foot and started fidgeting with one of her braids. “Oh, nothing. Surfing better be like snowboarding, “cause I’ve, uhhh, never surfed before.”
Kara-Lee waved her off. “And you think we have?”
“I don’t like being clueless,” Kazie confessed.
“You’ll be in good company,” Katani reminded her.
“And you’ll catch on quickly,” Kara-Lee assured her.
“There’s one thing you should know about Ave; she’s a great sport,” Katani told Kazie. “It’s like, the first thing that her dad taught her. If you ask, I’m sure she’ll help you out.”
“No way! She might be a good sport to you, but not to me.” Kazie tossed her braids back.
“Have you given her a chance?” Katani mumbled.
“It doesn’t matter how well you surf, Kaz, we’re just out here to have fun,” Kara-Lee added brightly.
Katani hoped Kara-Lee and Kazie would remember that when it came time for karaoke!
From Hawaii to Broadway!
Maeve was packing up the remnants of her lunch when she felt a tap at her shoulder. She turned to discover none other than Chizzam himself!
“Chizzam!” Maeve held out her hand in the surfer salute she’d seen Mr. Madden use. “Ready to surf?”
“Dude!” Chad returned the signal and broke out into that crooked grin that made Maeve melt. Or was that the ninety-degree heat? “You sound like a total landshark. Say it like this: ‘Let’s get ripping!’”
“Since I really am a newbie, um, landshark,” she reminded him, “you’re going to have to stay close and give me some pointers.”
Chad sat down next to Maeve on the picnic blanket. “If you’re not a surfer, what are you?” he teased.
“I’m an actress!” Maeve declared. “Or at least, I want to be one.”
Chad’s jaw hung open. “No way! My grandmother used to be an actress. Well, she’s still an actress, I guess. She has this whole ‘if you’re born an actress, you die an actress’ thing. It’s pretty funny.”
Maeve couldn’t believe it! First a cute boy who lived in Los Angeles, and then his grandmother’s an actress? This was destiny!
“What has she acted in?” Maeve asked.
“She did a lot of Broadway musicals,” he said. “You know—” He started to sing in a rather squeaky high voice:
“What do you go for,
Go see a show for?
Tell the truth
You go to see those beautiful dames!”
Maeve ignored the fact that his voice obviously hadn’t broken yet and gasped. “Fame! I love that musical!”
“My grandmother always sang that to me and my, like, one hundred girl cousins. Anyway,’cause of her, everyone in my family is a huge Broadway fan. My cousins star in every musical at school. But I mostly
just watch them.”
“You should totally try out next time!” Maeve exclaimed.
Chad shrugged. “Guys think it’s weird, so let’s keep it a secret that I like musicals, okay?”
Maeve was about to burst with happiness. He trusted her with a secret! “Of course, to my grave,” she promised solemnly.
Surf’s Up!
Avery stepped out of the bus and onto Ke’ei Beach. The sand was soft and warm under her bare feet. The sun’s reflection off the ocean was blinding, but the waves were perfect! She slipped her sunglasses out of her backpack and put them on.
“Have you surfed before?” Annika, one of the surf pros assigned to their group, asked Charlotte, Isabel, and a very happy Avery.
Avery whooped her “yes” as the other two shook their heads nervously.
“Generally beginners want a longboard,” Annika replied gently, steering the girls toward a row of long, round-nosed boards.
“That’s funny, I would have thought shorter was easier,” Charlotte confessed.
“The longer it is, the easier it is to maneuver,” Avery pointed out, inspecting every board in the row. “A lot of people pick shortboards. Or the ones with the prettiest designs,” Avery added, giggling at Isabel, who was checking out a bright green board that had a scarlet macaw etched on its surface.
“What?” Isabel asked. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
Annika helped Isabel pick out a longboard with a fun starburst pattern. As the girls walked away with their boards, Avery looked over her shoulder to see Kazie and Andie moving from board to board, looking uncertain. Kazie stopped in front of a sleek, expert-level shortboard, and then caught Avery looking at her.
“Ready to shred!” Kazie shouted.
Mr. Madden put an arm around Andie’s and Kazie’s shoulders. “Surf Betties! I’ll be right next to you. You’ll be rippin’ those waves in no time.”
Avery was stunned. Surfing was the one thing she was supposed to do with her dad—the one time she figured Kazie and Andie wouldn’t get in the way. Her dad saw Avery’s stunned look, and shouted over, “What do you say, Ave? Shall we show these ladies how to rip it up out there?”
“I don’t know, Dad. I’m planning on hitting the break, and they’re total landsharks, no offense,” Avery replied carefully.
“That’s why we need to look out for each other!” her dad looked to her for support. “You were a landshark once, too.”
“I’m no landshark!” Kazie protested. “Did you forget who’s the snowboarding champ, here?”
“Nope.” Avery turned away and carried her board over to the BSG, who were struggling into their wetsuits in the changing rooms. So much for Dad-time, she thought. But I’m still going to find the sickest, gnarliest waves and totally rip up this beach.
“I’m melting!” Maeve complained as Isabel zipped up her wetsuit.
“It’ll get cooler once you’re in the water,” Avery told her.
“What Maeve actually wants to know is will she look cooler once she’s in the water,” Isabel joked.
“We can’t wait to see your moves, Ave,” Charlotte enthused as they ran over to the big group gathering on the sand, suited up and ready to rip.
“A lot of you are beginners, so you probably shouldn’t try to stand up on the board today,” Annika reminded them, fingering the big, red whistle that hung around her neck. “And that’s fine. Learning to paddle through the water, finding the right wave break and owning it takes time. So for now just paddle out—not too far—and have fun. We’re all around if you have any questions, and I believe we’ve got a few experienced surfers with us today—do you mind raising your hands?”
Avery proudly raised her hand, as did her dad, Chad, and Will. She glanced over at Kazie, who had been looking right at her but suddenly looked away.
“You pros are responsible for being my helpers today.” Annika winked. “Now get out there and have fun!” They all grabbed their boards and ran toward the water.
“Number-one rule, kids!” Mr. Madden shouted. “Don’t turn your back on the ocean. Number two—”
“If in doubt, just stay out!” Avery chimed in.
“Nice job, snurfette. That’s right—if you’re not sure about a wave, wait for the next one.”
Avery splashed into the water, impatient to get started. “Catch you out there, Dad?” she shouted, hoping he’d changed his mind about sticking with the landsharks. Can’t he hear those crashing waves calling? But Mr. Madden waved her off. “I’m gonna give Andie a few pointers, first. I’ll be out there in a few!”
“You and your friends can stick with me, if you want,” Andie told Kazie, who bit her lip and looked first at Mr. Madden standing right next to her mom, then at Kara-Lee and Katani, and finally over at Avery, swimming out into the deep water. The Kgirls waited for her cue. “C’mon, Kgirls, let’s do it,” Kazie decided, her blond braids bobbing wildly as she strode away from her mom and into the ocean.
Charlotte, Isabel and Maeve waded into the water carefully. Maeve waved to a young, muscled lifeguard floating on a Jet Ski labeled HAWAIIAN WATER PATROL in big red letters on the side.
“If I need to be rescued, I hope he rescues me!” Maeve sighed. Charlotte playfully shoved Maeve, who lost her balance and fell face first into the water!
“Ohhh, now you’re gonna get it, Char!” Isabel laughed as Maeve got up and lunged for Charlotte. The trio was soaking wet before they even made it out to the wave break.
Avery sat in the water straddling her board, waiting for the perfect wave. Back on the beach, she could see her dad and Andie heading into the surf together. She watched as her dad showed Andie how to paddle and balance on her board. She remembered how her dad had taught her to surf. She had tried to stand up on her board too soon, but her dad was right behind her to catch her when she flopped right over, promising that he’d be there every step of the way. And he had been, she thought, until Andie and Kazie showed up.
A wave rose up behind her and Avery paddled along the lip. As it began to crest, the wave turned into a small tube. She stood up on her board and carved it up inside the cave, darting back and forth. As the water collapsed in on itself, Avery slid toward the beach, skidding to a beautiful stop.
“Shweeet, Avery!” Chad’s friend Will screamed as Chad gave her a double surfer salute.
“Call me Aloha Jedi!” Avery shouted, then looked over to see if her dad had caught her perfect landing, throwing out a “Cowabunga!” Or “Rockin’ ride, Snurfette!” But he was too busy splashing around with Andie as he tried to pull her out into deeper water.
Just Like Dancing
Maeve, Charlotte, and Isabel floated on their boards about twenty yards from the beach, watching each wave pass by and making excuses for why it wasn’t the right one.
“Too small,” Isabel joked.
“Too big.” Charlotte hesitated.
Maeve watched Chad and his friend Will trade waves with Avery, zipping effortlessly in and out of the water.
“Yo, Aloha Jedi! Pull a roundhouse!” Cowabunga Will shouted to Avery.
“Nice 360!” Avery slapped Chizzam a high five when he coasted in after twisting around full circle on the biggest wave yet.
As Chizzam paddled back out to the break, he called out after Maeve. “Hey! Maeve! Don’t be a Beach Bunny!”
“Being a bunny doesn’t sound all that bad,” Charlotte mused. She and Isabel giggled, but Maeve shook her head, her red curls flying back and forth. Charlotte recognized the look on Maeve’s face: It was the look she got when she was dead-set on doing something.
“Maeve?” Charlotte asked.
“It’s time to stop being Goldilocks!” Maeve declared. “This wave is just right!”
Isabel and Charlotte watched in awe as Maeve paddled furiously into the new wave. As it rose, Maeve had a flash of courage and hopped up to a standing position on her board, keeping her legs bent, her head low, and her arms out. She wobbled, but regained her balance! I can’t believe it! MKT is s
urfing!
Maeve surfed right into the shallow water, and just when she knew she was going to fall over, managed to leap off her board in triumph. She heard applause coming from the beach. Avery, Chad, and Will were clapping furiously and giving her the surfer salute!
“That was surftastic, dude!” Chad cheered louder than anyone else. Maeve shook out her hair happily, sending water droplets spraying everywhere.
“Hey!”
Maeve whirled around to see that she had soaked Kara-Lee, who was standing right behind her. “Whoops! Sorry!” Maeve apologized.
Kara-Lee smiled. “Well, I guess that’s why they call it a wetsuit. I had no idea you were so good at this!” Kara-Lee gushed.
“Neither did I,” Maeve admitted, “I never even tried surfing until today.”
“Well, you’re just a natural,” Kara-Lee told her.
“I think it’s all balance,” Maeve confided.
“Katani tells me that you take dance classes, I bet that’s what makes you so good,” Kara-Lee replied.
Maeve paddled back into the water, motioning for Kara-Lee to follow her. “Hmmm, I think you’re right!” It did feel just like dancing! She could see why Katani liked Kara-Lee. Maybe there was hope for peace between the BSG and the Kgirls after all.
Surfing with the Duke
Chad and Will splashed over to teach Maeve and Kara-Lee some moves, so Avery paddled out past the break toward the seawall, where the waves were sicker and only the serious surfers were carving it up. She watched as a teenager from their group bit it on a ten-footer, trying to commit to memory the way the waves broke and their timing. Straddling her board, she floated in the water, waiting her turn.
The lifeguard on the Jet Ski hummed up beside her. “Kid, this isn’t for random standers. This is big kahuna business. The waves are truckin’ today.”
Avery nodded, appreciating that he was warning her that only experienced surfers rode these waves since they were big and fast. “Chillax, I’m a total gidget.”
He gave her the thumbs up. “Righteous! But be careful.” He swerved out of the way and continued his patrol. Avery waited in the break, watching how each wave crested and curled toward the seawall. This part of Ke’ei Beach was famous—surfing legends like Duke Kahana-moku had ridden these same waves. Duke was famous not only for his Olympic gold medals and fame that got people into surfing all over the world, but also for his sixteen-foot-long wooden board that weighed more than a hundred pounds!