Falling For Fire

by Talia Jager

  Akoni and Kailani shared a glance, and then Akoni opened it for me.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, sliding in and letting him close the door.

  I could hear them talking. “Was she in some sort of accident?” Akoni asked.

  “I don’t know,” Kailani answered. “Not that she’s told me. Maybe she doesn’t want to share why she’s afraid of cars. Just let it go.”

  They got in the front, and Akoni started driving. Minutes later, I could feel all energy leave my body, and I slumped against the seat.

  “You okay, Rory?” Akoni asked, looking in the mirror.

  Kailani turned around to look at me.

  “Yeah,” I answered back.

  I felt very dazed during the car ride. I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but the next thing I knew, the car door was open, and they were looking at me and calling my name. I knew that if I just got out of the car, I’d feel better. Slowly, I swung my legs out and placed them on the ground. Kailani helped me up. “Are you feeling all right?” she asked.

  “I’ll be fine.” I took a couple steps away from the car and gradually felt the energy return to my body. After a few sips of water, I turned around good as new and said, “Which way?”

  Kailani and Akoni stared at me. “What just happened?”

  “I don’t like cars,” I said, then walked over to Akoni and took his hand. “Are you going to escort us to the waterfall or stay here with the car?”

  He looked down at our hands and smiled. “Showing you the way, ko’u aloha.”

  I dropped his hand to pick up my bag, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was still on a high from me holding his hand at all. As we walked through the forest, I felt more at home than I had in weeks. My feet screamed in protest. They wanted out of the shoes, but I had a feeling my companions would think I was weird if I went hiking barefoot. I stayed behind them every so often so I could reach out and touch a tree or a leaf. Nature was so beautiful and peaceful. I wished I could live right here surrounded by it.

  I could hear the roar of the water before I could see it. A smile sprang to my face, and I raced ahead.

  “Rory! Be careful!” Akoni shouted.

  I ran until I came to the bottom of the waterfalls and skidded to a stop. There I took off my shoes, sat on a rock, and closed my eyes for a minute. An image of a guy sprang to my mind, and my heart leapt, but the image only stayed for a nanosecond.

  I heard the others approaching, so I opened my eyes and looked back at them. “Come. Sit. This is just what I needed.”

  Kailani sat beside me. “I have to say, you’re a little weird.”

  I smiled. “That’s fine with me.”

  We grew quiet and stared at the falls. “It’s serene here. I feel very relaxed and happy,” Kailani said after a while.

  “Me too.”

  “Did you used to live near waterfalls?”

  “Yeah. I went all the time.”

  A black and orange butterfly landed on my toe and then another on my knee. A third circled before landing right on my arm. I stayed very still while they flapped their wings a few times and took off. Gazing after them, I wished I could fly off with them.

  “I have never seen anything like that before,” Kailani whispered to Akoni.

  “She’s definitely something else…”

  “You two do know I can hear you.” I shot them a look. “If you respect nature, it respects you.”

  “Okay, let’s have a snack before heading back,” Akoni suggested.

  I hated to leave the falls. I hated the thought of the car ride back even more. Deciding that they already thought I was weird, I left my shoes off.

  “You’re not worried about poison ivy or stepping on something sharp?” Akoni asked.

  “No. It just feels good.” When we got back to the road, I put my shoes on and stood there staring at the car like it was a death trap.

  “We need to get in the car to go home,” Kailani teased.

  “I know. I just don’t—”

  “Like cars,” she finished. “I know.”

  I smiled and crawled in the back seat. Within minutes I was sound asleep and didn’t wake up until the next morning—in my bed. I shot up and looked around. I was still dressed in the clothes I had worn yesterday, except my shoes were on the floor next to the bed. How did I get here?

  Hearing a noise in the other room, I stood up and peeked out the door. Kailani was making something in the kitchen. I relaxed and walked out of the room.

  “Hey!” She smiled. “How are you feeling?”

  “Good. How did I get here?”

  “You fell asleep, and we couldn’t wake you. You mumbled something about being tired, so we just brought you home.”

  “How did you know where I lived?”

  “Not to sound stalker-like, but sometimes when you leave the shop late, one of us follows to make sure you get home okay.”

  “Sweet, but creepy.”

  “I have no plans of stopping, unless you’ll let me give you a ride home.”

  “No thanks. Didn’t you have to work?”

  “I did. You were out cold when I left. I came back when I was done but didn’t want to leave you alone.” She handed me a mug.

  “Oh.” I sniffed the mug. “What’s this?”

  “Tea. I think you’ll like it.”

  I took a sip. “Mmmm. It is good.” I sat down and drank some more. “Thanks for watching out for me last night. Sorry I conked out.”

  “No problem. You okay to work today?”

  “Absolutely! I’m not sick. Cars just make me…”

  “Sleep?”

  “Yes.” It was better than explaining how draining they were, how I lost all my energy, how it almost felt like I could fall into a deep coma.

  “Well, get ready, and I’ll follow you to work.”

  Laughing, I went to change into one of my new outfits, and then Kailani followed me to work.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Aurora

  “First, we’ll have to get you a surfboard. Nobody wants a beach leech,” Kailani said as we walked to the store.

  I laughed. “A what?”

  “Someone who borrows everybody else’s boards.”

  “Oh. I don’t want to do that. I have the money for one now.” Surfing still scared me to death, but I was looking forward to getting in the water.

  The store was full of surfing supplies, beach stuff, and souvenirs. Looking around at all of the boards, I asked, “What kind of board do I need?”

  “Usually beginners start off with a longboard.” Kailani pulled one out. “This one. It matches your favorite colors.” It was a light blue board with a purple border.

  “Cool.”

  “You’ll also need wax, a leash, and a suit if you want one.”

  When she was done spending my money, we walked to the beach, and she explained the dos and don’ts of surfing etiquette.

  “Okay. Rules. Don’t drop in on others. Look around and find a wave of your own. Don’t get on with someone else.”

  “How do I know when someone is closer?”

  “The one who has paddled closest to the peak has the right of way for that wave. Now some people won’t mind doing like a party wave. Like when I have you out there, I’ll be near you, so we’ll share the wave,” she explained. “But otherwise, get your own wave.”

  “Okay.”

  “When you’re done, go off to the side to keep clear of others who are coming.”

  “Got it…I think.”

  We picked a spot on the beach to drop our towels and bags. I gazed out at the ocean. I loved the water. I couldn’t wait to get in. It felt as if it was calling to me.

  I had already changed into my wetsuit, so I just waited for Kailani to get ready. Underneath her shorts and shirt, she had on her swimsuit. Her body was covered in tattoos. There was a dream catcher on her ribs, mermaid scales on her right hip, a rose tattoo on her left shoulder, and leopard print on her right shoulder.

  “Grab
your board,” she said and turned toward the ocean with her board. As she walked away, I realized she had even more on her backside. A Hawaiian tattoo stretched from the base of her neck down her spine, and two bows graced the backs of both her thighs. “Are you coming or are you going to stare at my tats all day?”

  I hurried to catch up. “Sorry. You just have so many.”

  “I couldn’t decide, so I just got them all.” She glanced over at me. “Think I’m a freak now?”

  “No. It’s awesome. I was just surprised.”

  “I’d still like to give you another one.”

  “We’ll see…”

  Kailani stood on her board. “I want you to stand like this.”

  Using my board, I copied her.

  “Good.”

  “Always wear a leash.” She attached it to one of my ankles.

  We walked into the water. It was funny how my body seemed to be right at home. The water felt so good on my skin. Must be the salt in it. My eyes wandered to some of the people riding the waves in. “We’re not going to do that yet…right?”

  Kailani laughed. “No. We’re going to go very slow.” She walked out farther and stopped. “All right. Lie belly down on the board. The best way to make sure you’re in perfect position is to paddle. The nose should stay slightly above the water.”

  She got on her board and paddled, showing me how the board should look. I copied, moving my body to make my board match hers.

  “Using both arms, paddle with long, deep strokes.”

  I paddled around until my arms were on fire. “Please tell me we’re done.”

  Kailani laughed. “Wimp.”

  “I will absolutely let you call me a wimp if we can get out of here and relax.”

  “Fine, but we’re back out here tomorrow.”

  I groaned. “Okay.”

  Plopping down on my towel, I stared out at the ocean, listening to the waves, enjoying every minute of it.

  As the sun set, it left behind beautiful reds and oranges. I thought of wings. Must be the butterflies’ from last weekend.

  Before we left to get ice cream, Kailani said, “I know this is going to sound stupid, but practice at home.”

  “I don’t live at the beach.”

  “No. Use the floor. Pretend you’re catching a wave. It helps your body learn what to do faster.”

  The next few days in the early morning hours, Kailani and I went to the beach and practiced balancing and paddling. It wasn’t until later that week that she taught me the next step of getting up on the board.

  “The takeoff is vital, but it takes a lot of practice. Place your hands below your chest, and in one quick motion push your body up and tuck your feet under you. Then stand with your feet shoulders’ width apart.” She demonstrated, and I copied, falling off into the water. “Try again.”

  It was hours before I could stand up myself and not fall off immediately.

  “Now what?”

  “Now you keep practicing getting up.”

  A few days later, we paddled into the ocean and turned toward the shore. “I’m going to show you a few times, and then you’ll try.”

  I watched as Kailani caught a few waves and rode them in. She was awesome! There was no way I’d be able to do that.

  When she joined me again, she said, “Get ready.”

  I swallowed hard. “I am.”

  “When you see a wave coming, paddle for it, catch it before it breaks, get up, and ride the white water.”

  I tried for an hour to catch a wave. Sometimes I did only to fall off. Sometimes I didn’t get the timing right. It was hard and frustrating. “You made it look so easy,” I told her.

  “Let’s break. It’s time for work. We’ll do more tomorrow.”

  After a day full of haircuts and colors, I went to Frozen Sweets.

  “Aloha, Rory.” Anela placed a bowl of chocolate ice cream down on the bar.

  “Aloha, Anela. How are you today?” I picked up the plastic spoon and dug in.

  “Just fine. You look tired. Are you getting enough sleep?”

  I laughed. “No. Kailani has me up at the crack of dawn practicing surfing. Then I’ve got work. It’s exhausting.”

  “Are you getting better?”

  “Yes. I think Kailani is getting annoyed with me though.”

  “Nah.” She waved her hand. “Kailani loves to teach. How’s the ice cream?”

  “Cold and perfect as always.”

  Exhausted, I stopped in and told Kailani I was going to crash early and would see her the next day.

  That night, I woke up in a sweat. This time it wasn’t an image I dreamt of. It was a feeling. Tears fell down my cheeks from this feeling of love. It seemed weird that love was making me cry. Maybe it was the lack of that love that made me sad. I was empty.

  I didn’t want to be alone, so I went into town. It was early yet, and nobody was at work. I paced the streets and for once regretted I didn’t have a phone to call my friends on. I didn’t want to just show up and bother them in their homes. I would just have to wait for them to show up, so I plopped down on the steps of Frozen Sweets.

  “Rory. What’s wrong?” Anela asked, walking up the sidewalk a while later.

  I stood and ran into Anela’s arms.

  “Did something happen? Are you hurt?” She stroked my hair.

  “No,” I mumbled into her shoulder.

  She rubbed my back and said, “Hush now. Come inside and let’s talk.”

  Once inside, I sat at the counter, and she started scooping out ice cream. “Isn’t it too early for that?” I asked.

  “There’s never a bad time for ice cream. Now tell me what’s going on.”

  “I don’t really know. I had a dream last night and just feel out of place and alone.”

  Anela put her hand on mine. “Oh love, you’re ohana now. Do you know what that means?”

  I had heard it enough. “Family.”

  “That’s right. You’re family,” Kailani said from behind. She closed the space between us and gave me a hug. “Family is the most important thing. You are our family now, and we’ll do anything for you.”

  “We don’t want you feeling alone even for a moment,” Anela said. “We’re always here for you.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to get a phone? You could call or text if you’re feeling sad.”

  “I don’t like phones.”

  Kailani smiled. “Well then, we’ll just have to check in with you more.”

  “You’re not sick of me?”

  “No way!”

  “Why didn’t you come knock on my door?” Anela asked.

  “I didn’t want to bother you.”

  “You couldn’t bother me. Please, come next time.”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  “That goes for me too. I don’t care what time it is. Are you ready for your surfing lesson?” Her eyes lit up.

  “Absolutely!”

  Two days later, we paddled out to where the waves were breaking. I began trying to catch a wave, wiping out the first few times, but then it happened. I stood up, balanced, and stayed up.

  I rode it all the way in and hopped off.

  “Woohoo!!!” A crowd of people cheered.

  My head snapped over, and I saw Anela, Kika, Mele, Akoni, and two other of the stylists where I worked, Haukea and Maeve. As I walked over to my little cheering squad, Kailani rode a wave in.

  “What are you guys doing here?” I asked.

  “I just knew you’d get it today,” Kailani said.

  “You did awesome, Rory!” Kika said with a smile.

  “It was pretty awesome, wasn’t it?” I beamed.

  For the next hour, Kailani and I rode the waves. I still had some wipeouts, but I caught a few good waves.

  As we walked to work, Kailani asked, “How do you feel?”

  “Like a queen.” I chuckled. “I’m on top of the world. It’s invigorating.”

  “Good. I’m glad you like it.”

 
“Thanks for teaching me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Weeks turned into months. I loved my friends, but even with the family-like relationships I had with them, there was still an emptiness inside of me. I felt as if I was missing something epic. Akoni had given up trying to date me and treated me more like a sister. I was glad, but it left me without anyone to flirt with—until I walked into Northern Lights Ink, and my eyes landed on a guy getting a tattoo on his shoulder.

  He looked over at me with his dark eyes and smiled. I immediately felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

  “Hey, Rory.” Kailani peeked up.

  I licked my lips. “Hey. What are you working on?”

  “A tiger.”

  “Cool.” I plopped down in one of the chairs.

  “When are you going to let me give you one?” Kailani asked, looking over at me.

  I laughed. “When are you going to let me do something fun with your hair? Your hair is awesome, and you wear it so plainly.”

  “Um…”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

  The guy laughed. “You should totally let her do your hair.”

  Kailani raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

  “Look at hers. It’s awesome.”

  I bit my lip, hiding a smile. Kailani looked up, and our eyes met. She broke out in a grin.

  “So, Maleko, do you have a girlfriend?”

  My eyes widened, and I could feel my face heat up. If I had something I could throw at her and not have him see, I would so do it.

  “No. I’m single.”

  “And what do you do?”

  “Right now, I’m a tour guide. It’s putting me through business school. I want to open my own tourist business. I’m also getting my flying licenses for planes and helicopters.”

  “That’s exciting.” Kailani wiped the tattoo. “Almost done.”

  “What do you do, Rory?” Maleko asked.

  “Me? I work at the salon down the street.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “Rory is single too.”

  “Kailani!” I exclaimed.

  “Just saying.” She held up a mirror so Maleko could see the tattoo. “What do you think?”

  “Awesome!” He handed her money and then walked over to where I still sat. “Would you meet me for dinner sometime? No pressure.”