CHAPTER 2
Surfing was a disaster. Eric picked it up right away. He was great at it. But Nick wasn’t so lucky.
He paddled out with the rest of the group, but had trouble turning his board around. When a good wave came, it was hard for him to get up on his feet. Every time he finally made it and was standing on his surfboard, he lost his balance and fell off.
More than a few times, the board smacked Nick on the head. He knew he’d have bruises.
“How’s it going?” Eric asked as he paddled toward him at the end of the lesson. Nick was busy wiping his hair from his eyes and spitting out water.
“Fantastic,” Nick said, rolling his eyes. “I’ve never had so much fun.”
It was the worst time he’d ever had. It was worse than the entire baseball season when he couldn’t get a hit. And it was worse than when he tried out for football but dropped the ball every time he had it.
“You’re going to quit, aren’t you?” Eric said, shaking his head. “You always quit.”
Nick scowled. It’s not my fault I’m not as good at stuff as Eric is, he thought.
“I’m going to keep trying,” Nick insisted.
“You better,” Eric said. “Dad will be mad if you just quit. He paid for you to surf all week.”
A week of this? Nick thought. This will be the worst vacation ever.
* * *
No one could say Nick didn’t try. Not even Eric.
He paddled back toward the waves and tried his best, but nothing went right. A giant wave knocked him down. The board hit him on the head again. His eyes felt raw and stung from the salt water.
Everyone else was having a great time. Eric rode giant waves back to the beach. He never fell more than a few times. Nick’s older brother was a natural.
Nick only got more upset.
Finally, he’d had enough. “I’m going back to the beach,” Nick said. He passed Eric, who was paddling back out to catch another wave. “I’ll see you later.”
“You’re quitting, aren’t you?” Eric asked. He shook his head.
“Mind your own business,” Nick snapped. “Surfing stinks.”
* * *
A little bell on the door of Don’s Surf Shop jingled as Nick pushed it open. It was hot outside, but the air conditioning inside made him shiver. He didn’t care. He just wanted to turn in the surfboard and get it over with.
The guy who had rented the boards to Nick and Eric the day before wasn’t there.
Instead, a girl wearing a red wetsuit stood behind the counter.
“Hi,” said the girl. “Can I help you?”
“Yeah,” Nick said. “I need to return this surfboard.”
The girl nodded. She typed something into the computer. It beeped, and she looked at the screen, puzzled. “You’re returning the board early?” she asked.
You didn’t see me out there, Nick thought. I looked like a complete fool!
“Yeah,” Nick replied. “I guess I just don’t like surfing.”
“Got it,” the girl said. “Unfortunately, we have a policy that there aren’t any refunds. I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine,” Nick said. He shrugged.
He knew Dad would be mad, but he didn’t feel like being even more embarrassed. “It doesn’t matter,” he added. “I just want to return the dumb thing.”
“Tell you what,” the girl said. “I’ve got a better idea. Come with me.”
Nick set the board against the counter and followed the girl into the back room of the surf shop.