The night before

Cooper texted me 20 minutes ago saying the continuous will be pumping huge sets out today, it hasn't been huge for a couple of weeks so I am not missing out on this. Rummaging through my draws trying to find a clean pair of bathers, yes finally, I take my oversized T-shirt off and put the bathers on swiftly before chucking on a hoodie with a pair of football shorts. On the way out of my room I grab my wet suit and a bag and my surfboard…wait where my surfboard is.

"Dad, where is my surfboard!" I yell from the top of the stairs.

"In the garage, is it not?" he yelled back from the dining table.

"The other one"

"The pink one? That's outside near the shower"

"Thank you! Love you." I reply bounding down the stairs shoving my wet suit in my bag racing to the back door.

Beauty there you are, I grab an old towel off the clothes line and shove it into my bag and chuck it over my shoulder. Now the difficult part, I wheel my bike over to my board and hold it with one hand, picking the surfboard up with the other hand I saddle the bike and begin to peddle.

Racing downhill towards the main road I can already see a few people at the continuous, the sun is out and there are no clouds in the sky, I feel the suns warm touch on me making me sweat and smile.

Arriving at the continuous I can see Raven, Cooper, Curtis and Jackson already in the water. While putting my wet suit on I watch in awe as Raven catches the wave, the way she moves with the wave and the rhythm she has when she carves. She must have seen me and tries to show off with a 360 aerial but doesn't land it and falls off into the water.

"Great finish." I whistle out.

Grabbing the remaining wax from my bag I give my board a quick wax before hurrying along the river until I'm out behind the waves, I throw my board out in front of me and jump on paddling until I'm sitting next to Raven.

"You're here early." splashing raven who's usually last here.

"Yeah, Jackson made me drive him out here because Curtis and Cooper were already out" smiling and splashing me back.

The four of us spent the rest of the day surfing until sunset. I decided to catch one last wave while everyone started paddling back to the bank. I paddle hard until I feel the wave carrying me and pop up, staying low I hold out until the wave starts to fold and barrel. The wave collapses over me and I feel the cool water caressing my body before resurfacing. I paddle in to see Raven is waiting by her car.

"The boys went in Cooper's car, I can take you if you'd like?" smiling at me she offers.

Smiling back I drop my board next to her car and walk over to grab my bike, she helps me put it in the back of her car with the surfboards she already loaded in.

As we pull up to my house raven looks at me and asks "Do you want to come around to mine?"

"Only if your dog is going to be there" winking and opening the car door to get out.

"Wow of course you care more about Frankie than me" giggling and following me into the house and to my room.

Raven dives into my bed and watches me while I begin to pack for the school trip we have tomorrow. I throw a couple of shirts and hoodies on the floor along with shorts and of course a pair of sweats. Raven starts folding them and placing the clothing in piles ready to be put in the bag, I run down stairs to the laundry to grab more pairs of bathers and return to my room to see Raven changing in the corner with her back towards me. Her tanned olive skin makes her toned back muscle stand out as she reaches to pull her hoodie over her back.

Raven suggests "shoes?"

Shoes? Oh crap, yes shoes would be helpful on a trip.

"Raven can you throw me my converse high tops and slides" as I gather the last few things for my bag. Raven throws the shoes towards my bag along with one slide hitting my head.

"Hahah you did that on purpose!" laughing and rubbing my head.

"No your big head was just in the way" she smirks.

Walking down the stairs carrying my bag I realised I haven't asked Dad if I can go. Please say yes, please say yes.

"Hey Dad I'm going to stay at Ravens is that cool?" as politely as possible.

"You didn't tell me Raven was here, Hello Raven how are you?"

"I'm very good thanks, is it okay if Thomasyn stays the night?"

"Of course, I can finally have a night to myself" he giggled.

The drive from my house to Raven's is roughly half an hour. No way did this song just come on, I look at Raven and turn it up she looks at me and starts singing the first line of 'Untouched' by The Veronicas. I adore her off pitched yelling for a few seconds before joining in at the chorus.

"I feel so untouched and I want you so much that I can't resist you." We sing at the top of our lungs.

I feel a euphoric wave wash over me in the moment. I look over at Raven, her smile is beaming in the night. I wanted to stay in that car all night singing my heart out like that but we pulled into Ravens and are greeted by Frankie, I give Frankie cuddles before following Raven into the house.

After dinner we're both chilling in her room on her bed, she looks at me with a questioning expression on her face. What is she thinking? Is it about me?

"Thomasyn what actually happened to your mum?" she asked

"Why what stories have you heard?" I say puzzled

"Some say she drowned because of mermaids" she described.

I knew she needed to know the truth so I took a deep breath and grabbed a pillow before starting.

"Mum was driving me home at night from football training when I was 10, we drove along Cliffs Edge Road in the pouring rain. I remember looking at the ocean, it was rough and a dark blue almost purple, the waves were splashing up onto the road." I sniffled

"You don't have to tell me Thomasyn if you can't" she whispered and held my hand.

"No I want to. It started to storm and lighting filled the sky, I remember hearing music I've never heard before it sound like echoes of a woman singing in the distance when suddenly something hit our car and we drove off the edge into the rocks and water." I say with tears filling my eyes

"You sure you want to keep going Thomasyn, your really don't have to." she asks softly squeezing my hand.

"The front of the car started filling up with water quickly, mum started looking out into the deep water frantically before somehow managing to open the door. She dragged me out and pushed me out onto the rocks. She looked at me with love in her eyes before going back under, someone had seen the car go off the cliff and called the helicopter which is how I got rescued. I never saw her again after she went back under. I was in Hospital for a week with bruising and broken wrist and collar bone.

"Thomasyn I'm so sorry that happened to you I'll always be here for you, you know that right" she empathised

She moved closer to me on the bed and hugged me tightly like she really meant it. Her touch was something I had been logging for but didn't realise, in her arms I felt self for some reason and somehow she made it feel like home. I began to cry into her shoulder subconsciously, we hugged for what felt like hours until I stopped crying.

"Thank you" I blubbered wiping the old the tears of my cheeks.

"Anytime" she reassured.

She rubbed my arm and over my scar not knowing it was there, she looked down at my arm and kissed it.

"It's the only scar I have from the accident, a perfect circle" I confessed

Raven looked like she had fallen asleep a couple of minutes later, so I turn off the lights and carefully crawl back into bed trying not to wake her. How can I Know such a beautiful person inside and out, who actually cares about me like she does. I lay awake until I can't fight the urge to sleep anymore.