The sun was shining and the wind was blowing softly against Noel's skin as she lay on the beach listening to the waves crash onto the sand. Her sensitive hearing picked up the sound of children playing in the surf at the edge of the water.
She smiled contentedly, intoxicated by the salt in the air and all of the sounds she hadn't heard in so long. Now all she wanted was to get in the water and on a board. A cloud descended over her as she realized she couldn't surf without seeing but she shook it off and waited for Ryan to come back from the car. He had left saying he needed to get his sun block.
Noel didn't believe him, of course. She figured he'd seen a pretty girl on the beach and wanted to meet her. Not her problem though. She was there to enjoy herself and not to worry. Relaxation was the key and she was as relaxed as she could be.
" Ryan!" Noel screamed. So much for relaxation. she thought as she shook her now wet body. " What'd you do that for?!"
" Cold?" was all he said. Noel could hear the snicker in his voice.
" Jerk."
He smiled. " Is that how you're gonna treat your big bro when he has a surprise for you?" He sat down on their blanket next to her.
Noel rolled her eyes and turned onto her stomach. " Let me guess, a crab?" she said sarcastically. " No, it's a wasp."
Ryan sighed. " It was a joke Nani. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it." He wiped some of the water off her back with his towel. " But I thought you'd like to know that I brought your board."
Noel was on her feet in an instant. " In the water. Now."
Ryan laughed at her. " That's the Noelani Sands that I know. Let's go."
Ryan grabbed her hand and led her to the water, dragging her board with them. He sat it in the water and put Noel's hands on its smooth, waxed surface. " Honestly Nani, I don't know how you carried this thing all the time."
Noel laughed and ran her hands over the surface of her surfboard. " Help me Ryan."
" You want to try?" His voice was soft and serious.
She turned to him, her sightless eyes filled with hope. " Please. I just want to feel it one last time. I want to remember what it's like. Please, Ry."
He ran a hand over her cheek. " Of course I'll help you. Why do you think I brought the board? Let's go."
Just like when they were kids, Noel lay down on the board and Ryan paddled her out. They hit a smooth area where the beginnings of some decent waves were before Ryan let go of her. " When I yell, stop paddling and get up. No tricks, Mom and Dad would kill me if they knew we were doing this." He pushed her board towards shore. " There aren't any reefs, it's a straight shot in. Paddle."
So she did, her shoulders loose as she pulled herself and her board through the water. Memories came flooding back as she did, and she almost didn't hear when Ryan yelled. Almost. She stood on the board, her body easily balancing and counterbalancing the rolling effects of the wave she was riding.
No tricks. Ryan's voice echoed through her head. Does it matter? she asked herself as she crouched low against the wind. I have to see to do tricks. Her heart ached with the longing but she didn't. Instead she closed her eyes and let the board slip from under her.
As she fell back into the water she heard Ryan yelling her name, and a few other people too, but she didn't care. Maybe if she stayed in the chilly water long enough she wouldn't have to worry about not being able to see…
Or not. Noel let her body float for a few seconds so she'd know which way to kick and when she felt herself moving down she realized her head was towards the bottom and flipped around, kicking her legs hard. She broke the surface calling Ryan's name.
A pair of strong arms circled about her waist and she felt herself being pulled through the water. " Ryan?"
There was a deep chuckle behind her head and she knew it wasn't him. " You're not Ryan."
" Nope." A familiar voice said over the sound of the waves. " I'm definitely not your bro. He's heading in to shore right now, no doubt scared out of his mind."
Noel sighed. " Thanks for grabbing me Kevin. I didn't know you were going to be here today. How's little Kevy?"
" He's fine. He thinks his new friend drowned but he's fine." He let go of her and stood up. " Put your feet down, we're in the shallows. Grab my arm and lift your legs high so you don't trip in the surf."
Noel raised an eyebrow but did as he said. Does he know too? She asked herself silently. I guess I'm not doing so good a job hiding it anymore. Her body tensed as she realized that Nick might know.
Kevin felt her tense up and immediately understood why. " They don't know. I only heard Tina and Brian talking about you and I asked. No one else knows, not even Karen." He pulled her gently to the shore, where she could hear people calling her name.
" Thank you Kevin." She said softly.
He smiled at her paternally, knowing she couldn't see it but not being able to help himself. " No problem Noel. And just so you know, Nick's here too. And everyone else you met at the party."
Noel groaned inwardly. Of course it was her luck for her crush to see her doing the most unflattering thing she'd ever done on a surfboard. Why couldn't he have ever seen her when she was a champion? Not that she still wasn't, just when she could surf for real.
Another set of strong arms wrapped around her and this time she knew who it was instead of having to guess. " Ryan!"
" I shouldn't have let you do it." He murmured into her ebony hair. " I should've kept you on the beach."
She hugged her brother. " I knew what I was doing Ryan. I let it out from under me." Her voice was soft and serious so that he would know she had done it on purpose. He accepted it.
Another voice came from near her. She thought it was Howie, but she wasn't entirely sure. It was rougher. " First time up on a board? You really ouhgt to be more careful."
Noel winced because she knew the truth but simply nodded. She figured that it was better for them to think she was a first timer rather than to tell them that she was a champion and have to explain she was blind. That would be far too hard for to do. Especially when she had more than luke warm feelings for one of them.
" A.J. be nice." Kevin scolded his friend. " She just got dunked in the water. You think she wants to listen to you about it?" He knew he was overreacting a little to A.J.'s words but he didn't care. Noel didn't deserve to be chewed out by anyone when she hadn't done anything wrong.
Noel laid a gentle hand on his arm, reminding him that she was there and she was okay. He smiled at her even though he knew she couldn't see and led her to her blanket.
" Where'd Ryan go Kevin?" Noel asked him.
Kevin stood and skimmed the ocean. He almost laughed when he saw a lone figure chasing a stray surfboard around the point of the beach. " He's chasing the surf board down. I think I should go help him."
Noel nodded and listened as he ran off and splashed his way into the surf. She lay back on her blanket barely moving as she heard various voices she knew saying that they were going to go play volleyball or swim. And she didn't bother moving as she felt water dripping on her bare feet.
" Ryan, you already got me wet once today. Let it rest, okay?" she said softly.
She heard movement and opened her eyes. " That'd work if I were Ryan." Nick's familiar voice said to her.
" Hi." She said softly.
His eyes flitted over her slim body, taking in the way her dark hair and skin stood out against the pale white of her bikini. He cleared his throat after a few moments, once he became aware that he was staring at her. He was nervous. " So how do you like it here in Ruskin? Not the same as Maui I bet."
She smiled at him tentatively. " It's nice here I guess." She wanted to say it was beautiful, maybe even more beautiful than her native island, but she couldn't. How was she to know if the waves at this beach were as clear and blue as her favorite spot back on Maui? How was she to know if the sand here was as white as the sands of her home. No, wait. This was her home now.
A wave of misery washed over her as she thought about the beautiful sights that she would never get to see again. A sob rose in her throat and she struggled to keep from crying in front of Nick. A single tear escaped her eyes and slowly rolled down her cheek.
Nick saw it but he wasn't sure if he saw it right. Was it a tear or some of the ocean water that still clung to her long dark lashes? He didn't know.
" We were going to have another party this weekend. I was wondering if you'd like to come. Want to?" he asked in a rush. Almost as nervous as if I were asking her out on a date. He mused.
Noel smiled in the direction of his voice. " I'd love to."
He smiled back. I wonder if she could like me… he asked himself, not knowing that she was asking herself same question.
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