Ready! Set! Hawaii!

by Annie Bryant

  “Are you shreddy?”

  Avery whipped around—Oh, no!

  Kazie straddled her board in the water next to Avery. “I’m ready to hang ten. What about you, Short Stack?”

  Avery gulped back an angry comeback about the Short Stack thing, and managed to swallow a mouthful of salt water. “Kazie, you shouldn’t be out here!” Avery coughed.

  Kazie shrugged. “Why not? You’re out here. And as far as I can tell, you’re just hanging.”

  If she knew what she was doing, Avery thought, she would know I’m waiting for the right wave! She looked her in the eyes. “Kazie, I’ve been surfing a ton of times. This is like hitting a double black diamond when you’ve never been on a snowboard before.” Avery looked around for help, but everyone was surfing the safer part of the beach.

  “And I’ve hit more double black diamonds than you even knew existed. Cowabunga, dude,” Kazie shouted, paddling into the next wave.

  As it began to peak, Avery realized the wave was going to be a monster. Why did Kazie go and do something so stupid and dangerous? she wondered. The cold grip of fear washed over Avery when she realized that Kazie was doing exactly what the two of them had been doing since they met. They were competing to see who would be the best.

  Except that this time, Kazie was in way over her head.

  The Big One

  “Sweet move, Surf Bunny!” Mr. Madden called out as Maeve sailed in for another perfect landing.

  Maeve curled her hand into a fist with her thumb and pinky extended—the surfer salute. “Banzai, dude!”

  Mr. Madden laughed. “Everyone looks like they’re having a righteous time.”

  Andie searched the water, concerned. “Except Kazie and Avery. Jake, I can’t find them.”

  Mr. Madden scanned the horizon. “There they are.” They watched as both girls approached a giant wave. “Andie, I thought you said that Kazie hadn’t surfed before?” Jake asked nervously.

  “She hasn’t.” Andie replied. Andie watched in horror as the wave grew larger. “Jake?”

  “I’m on it!” He paddled furiously toward the girls. Andie followed close behind.

  Behind them, Annika blew her big red whistle, and the lifeguards leaped into action.

  Panic!

  “Lean back!” Avery cried out. “Steady, don’t tip forward!” Her instructions were falling on deaf ears as the look on Kazie’s face suddenly turned to sheer panic.

  “I can’t stay up!” Kazie yelled over the water. She wasn’t even trying to stand anymore, just clinging to her board in sheer terror.

  “Just hang on!” Avery yelled back. What had she been thinking? Of course Kazie was going to follow her to the more dangerous part of the beach in an effort to one-up her! She wanted to blame Kazie, but Avery knew she would have done the exact same thing. She’s out here because of me, Avery realized. If something happens to her, it’s all my fault.

  A tube formed in the giant wave, and the sound was deafening. Avery struggled to stay upright.

  “AVERY! HELP!” Kazie screamed. Her board went out from under her and the wave swallowed her whole.

  “KAZIE!” Avery watched helplessly as Kazie’s board shot out of the wave—without Kazie! This is all because of our stupid competition thing. I just wanted my dad to myself. Avery bit back tears as she cut back through the wave, diving beneath the water again and again, searching for Kazie’s pink wetsuit.

  Andie and Mr. Madden saw the wave come crashing down and the board pop out. Kazie was no longer in view! Andie tossed her surfboard aside and dove into the water, swimming toward her daughter.

  “Andie, wait!” Mr. Madden cried out. “The lifeguards are on it! The wave’s too big!” He tried to paddle after her, but his surfboard leash got tangled up with another surfer’s. Soon Andie was yards ahead of him, heading right into the path of an enormous wave on her own.

  CHAPTER

  14

  Monster Waves

  Avery could hear the hum of a Jet Ski arriving, so she took another deep breath and dove again, scanning the murky depths for any sign of Kazie. She spotted a flash of blond braids near the surface and jumped away from her board, grabbing the back of Kazie’s wetsuit. Avery hauled Kazie to the surface and propped her up on her board. Kazie coughed and sputtered, trying to catch her breath.

  “Are you insane?” Avery yelled at her as they bobbed up and down in the swells together. “You don’t belong in these waves!”

  Kazie spat out a mouthful of salt water and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Why do you think I’m called Crazie Kazie?”

  Avery stared at Kazie for a moment, then gave her a half hug—it was the best she could manage while treading water—as relief spread all through her. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she gulped back a sob.

  “Me too,” Kazie replied.

  Avery had Kazie grab the back of her surfboard so she could tow Kazie toward shore. The rescue Jet Ski roared up behind them, but Kazie and Avery both waved him off. “We’re fine!”

  As they paddled in, Avery’s head felt like it was swimming faster than the rest of her.

  “I guess I was really stupid out there,” Kazie muttered. “Thanks.”

  “No biggie. We make an okay team,” Avery declared.

  “You mean we make a great team when you’re coming to my rescue,” said a sheepish Kazie.

  “Well, yeah,” Avery agreed with a smirk. “But let’s not do that again!”

  “Deal,” said Kazie. “Hey…we can agree about some stuff.”

  They walked together out of the surf and into a crowd of worried friends.

  “What happened?” Kara-Lee asked. “Why would you do that, Kazie?”

  “Are you okay?” Isabel wanted to know.

  Questions bombarded them, but Kazie wasn’t listening. She looked frantically around the beach. “Where’s my mom?”

  “I thought she was with my dad?” Avery wondered, then saw her dad struggling with his surfboard, while this other guy shouted at him.

  “She’s been with him, like, the entire trip!” Kazie complained.

  Weird, thought Avery. Does Kazie feel the same way I do about my dad and Andie? But she didn’t have time to worry about that now.

  “Dad!” Avery shouted from the shore.

  “We’re okay!” Kazie waved.

  “Where’s Andie?” he called to them frantically.

  Then they all saw her—swimming toward the seawall! Suddenly, she was sucked into the current of a monster wave like a bit of crumpled paper spiraling into a storm drain. The wave rose up, hovering with the weight and anger of a blue avalanche, before crashing down angrily upon the place she’d just been.

  “Mom!!!” Kazie screamed.

  Surf’s Down!

  Mr. Madden dove beneath the surface of the water and swam as quickly as he could toward the place where Andie had disappeared. Kazie rushed toward the water, but Avery managed to hold her back.

  “But my mom—”

  “Stay here!” Avery shouted. “My dad’s out there, and look—the Jet Skis!” Two lifeguards were already roaring into the giant waves.

  Charlotte saw that Kazie was completely still and speechless. “Don’t worry,” she urged in what she hoped was a soothing voice. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Kazie’s lip trembled as they watched Mr. Madden splash in the waves just ahead of the jet skis, swimming against the current.

  “Look!” yelled Isabel. Everyone watched as Mr. Madden grabbed Andie and they struggled against the water. He hooked his arm around her and started to paddle toward the closest Jet Ski. A crowd had formed on shore, watching the daring rescue.

  “What’s going on?” Katani demanded to know. Isabel put an arm around Charlotte, and Maeve chewed on her fingernails. Avery motioned for everyone to be quiet and pointed toward the water.

  Maeve’s favorite young lifeguard had pulled Andie onto a special body board. Mr. Madden hopped up on the seat behind him and leaned down to hold Andie’s hand as
they zoomed back into shore.

  “Make way!” The lifeguard shouted, and the crowd scattered.

  Someone must have notified the cruise lines, because Captain Bob came running over with a signature green and gold Aloha Cruise Lines towel. Mr. Madden laid Andie down on it. Sea water dribbled out of her mouth.

  “MOM!” Kazie yelled, running toward her mother and kneeling on one side as Mr. Madden gently tilted her head back and held his ear close to her nose and mouth.

  A lifeguard tried to elbow Mr. Madden out of the way, but he held his ground. Without hesitating for even a second, he placed his mouth over Andie’s and blew in air.

  At that moment, Andie started coughing up sea water onto Mr. Madden and the fancy towel. The lifeguard squeezed Kazie’s shoulder. “Your mom’ll be fine. Thanks to your dad’s quick action.”

  “He’s not my dad,” Kazie snapped defiantly as she broke free of his grasp and wrapped her arms around her mom.

  “Why were you in that deep? You don’t even swim that well!” she yelled as she hugged her mom, angry and relieved.

  Andie sat up slowly, breathing in long, ragged breaths. “Kazie?” she asked.

  “Oh, Mom. You’re okay, I’m right here.” Tears stung at her eyes. “It’s my fault,” Kazie moaned.

  Avery shook her head, shoving her way through the quickly forming crowd to get closer. “Hey. Hey! It’s going to be okay. Your mom is okay.”

  “It’s all my fault,” Kazie said hoarsely.

  Avery shook her head. “This is our fault.”

  Kazie gave her a weak smile and both girls stood in silence while Mr. Madden and the lifeguards helped Andie stand.

  Avery felt an arm around her shoulder. It was her dad, who leaned down and hugged her. “Dad, I’m so sorry, I am so, so sorry!”

  Her dad quieted her. “Everyone’s okay. That’s what’s important.” He squeezed Avery’s hand and then got down on one knee by Andie, who hugged Kazie again and then looked back at Jake with a surprised expression. What’s Dad doing? Avery wondered.

  “I have a question for you, Andie,” he stated solemnly.

  “I’m okay,” Andie assured him.

  Mr. Madden laughed nervously. “That wasn’t the question.” Mr. Madden gently took her hand in his.

  Mr. Madden swallowed the lump in his throat. “Will…will you marry me?”

  Romance Shock

  Avery shook her head wildly. This is NOT happening! Beside her, Kazie had her hands over her face, but she couldn’t cover up an expression of pure shock as Andie smiled and nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Of course I’ll marry you!”

  The beach erupted in applause as Mr. Madden helped Andie to her feet. He took her in his arms, dipped her, and kissed her!

  How romantic! An awestruck Maeve beamed from the sidelines.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” Jake Madden told Andie in a voice just loud enough for the ring of onlookers closest by to hear. “And well, it made me realize that I don’t want to waste another single minute waiting to spend the rest of our lives together!”

  As romantic as, as…a movie! Maeve thought, hoping against all hope that one day, a major movie star would propose to her in exactly the same way. Only he’ll have a fresh-cut rose and a diamond ring and a flock of doves will rise up in the air as we embrace!

  While everyone crowded around to congratulate the newly engaged couple, Maeve squeezed her way through to wrap Avery and Kazie in a three-way hug. “Was that not the most romantic thing you’ve ever seen?” she gushed.

  Avery and Kazie exchanged a look that could only mean one thing: Who is this girl?

  “You’re going to be sisters now!” Kara-Lee exclaimed.

  Charlotte leaned over to Isabel. “Well, for once it looks like Avery and Kazie are totally in sync.”

  “I think you mean in shock,” Isabel replied. “Romance shock!”

  The crowd quieted down as Mr. Madden got ready to make an announcement. “If there’s one thing we’ve learned today, it’s that life is short. That’s why we are going to get married right on the ship, this very week. That is, if Captain Bob will do us the honors, of course.”

  Captain Bob tipped his hat to the couple. “Aye! The best part about being a Captain is officiating at weddings on board! It’ll be my honor.”

  Mr. Madden and Andie turned to find their daughters to discuss the happy news. But Avery and Kazie were nowhere to be seen.

  Unofficially Sisters

  “I thought you’d be here,” Kazie murmured.

  Avery was skipping small stones along the water’s edge on the calm side of the beach.

  Kazie picked up a smooth black stone and expertly skipped it along the surface of the water.

  Avery watched, admiring Kazie’s technique. “You’re pretty good at that.”

  “Yeah, it’s surfing that’s the problem,” Kazie replied.

  Both girls smiled awkwardly and then were suddenly silent, as if remembering that they weren’t supposed to like each other. The waves crashed against the beach, hurling a few pro surfers into land, and muffling the sounds from the crowd of people who surrounded Andie and Mr. Madden in the distance.

  Kazie nodded toward the crowd. “Pretty weird, huh?”

  “Did you know it was coming?” Avery challenged.

  “No way!” Kazie exclaimed. “Did you?”

  “Nope,” Avery answered. “And I think it’s totally not cool that he just sprung it on me.”

  “I know!” Kazie concurred. “I mean, hello? A little heads-up?”

  “That bit about life is short—” Avery started to say.

  Kazie finished the thought for her. “That was totally about my little stunt today and you know it.”

  “Although I guess my dad is kinda big on surprises,” Avery said thoughtfully.

  “Like what?” asked Kazie.

  Avery whirled around. “Um, like you coming on this cruise?”

  Kazie crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, but that’s a totally awesome surprise.”

  “If you say so.” Avery cracked a smile.

  “I do.”

  Avery traced her initials in the sand with her big toe and then watched as the waves crept up on the shore and washed them away, along with her smile. “It’s just, I don’t know. Your mom is a nice person and all, but, this is just weird. I’m not sure if I like it.”

  “I know!” said Kazie. “The Snurfman totally rocks, but I’m used to things being, you know, just Mom and me.”

  Avery nodded. “I mean, what are my brothers gonna think? And my mom? They’re all, like, a million miles away.” She kicked the sand as hard as she could, sending a spray of tiny rocks into the surf.

  “I’ve never even met your brothers,” Kazie complained.

  “They’re cool,” Avery assured her. But what she was thinking was a lot more complicated. My brothers are totally awesome, but they’re mine. Not yours. Except, maybe I wouldn’t mind it if you came snowboarding with all of us. As long as Dad comes too, instead of skiing with Andie.

  Avery glanced over at Kazie and noticed she was rubbing her eyes really hard. Was she crying? “They have no idea!” Kazie spat. “Why’d the Snurfman have to ask? Why’d Mom say yes? It’s like she didn’t even see me standing there!”

  “I know what you mean,” Avery grumbled.

  For a while, the two girls just stood there chucking rocks out into the water as the sun dipped closer to the distant waves.

  Kazie finally broke the silence. “You know what’s really weird?”

  “What?” Avery asked.

  “Finally, there’s something we totally agree on,” Kazie uttered with a note of exasperation.

  Avery took one last look at the horizon. “C’mon, we better head back. We don’t need any more rescues today.”

  CHAPTER

  15

  I Don’t!

  There you are, snurfette!” Avery’s dad slid into the bus seat next to her. “I’ve been looking for you! Man, ask so
meone to marry you in public and you’re a sudden celebrity.” He grinned, but Avery didn’t grin back. She was staring across the crowded bus to where Andie had just sat down with Kazie.

  “Look, I know this seems all totally spur of the moment, Ave. But I really did mean to talk to you about it. Then that wave…almost losing Andie…I love her, Ave.”

  Avery nodded slightly. “Uh-huh.”

  Her dad put an arm around her shoulders. “Want to talk about it?”

  Avery met Kazie’s eyes and shook her head. Kazie’s steely look cut through both their parent’s apologies, and Avery knew Kazie felt the same way she did. No way am I ready to talk yet!

  Masking the Problem

  “I’ve always dreamed of attending a masquerade!” Maeve gushed, twirling around in the fourth dress she’d tried on since returning to the BSG’s cabin from the beach. “Where are we supposed to get our masks?”

  Katani reached into a drawer and took out little packages of tissue paper. “Isabel and I have a surprise for all of you!” she announced, and began to unwrap the opera masks that she and Isabel had made especially for the trip. Even though all the girls had read the itinerary carefully, only Katani had thought to check all the possible dinner themes and pack for each. The masks Isabel had helped make were covered with brightly colored satin and embellished with rhinestones, silk flowers, or feathers.

  Avery watched the whole scene from her seat on the sofa. She hadn’t said more than two words at once to any of her friends since her dad’s surprise engagement on the beach. Charlotte and Isabel were worried about her, but didn’t really know what to say.

  “Is there a pink one?” Maeve asked expectantly. She loved pink!

  “Hold on!” Katani cautioned, “I haven’t found that one yet!” She carefully unfolded the tissue paper off of the last mask—pink satin dotted with fuchsia rhinestones—and handed it to Maeve. “There you go, one pink-tabulous masquerade ball masterpiece!”