Jennaa

When I first met Emma, I thought she was the most insufferable person on the planet.

Literally.

She showed up to surf training with an old, scratched-up board, headphones on, and that "don't talk to me" look on her face that made me want to push her into the water the moment I saw her.

My dad had opened a private club on the beach because, of course, being a millionaire apparently makes you believe you can buy half the California coast.
And since I was "the perfect daughter," I had to help out there every summer.

I hated every second of it.

Until she showed up.

Nobody knew much about Emma. She lived with her mom in a rented house near the harbor and was always alone. She never spoke to anyone in the group, but she still showed up every day to surf as if the ocean belonged to her.

And that bothered me.

Because while everyone else was trying to impress me, Emma acted as if I didn't even exist.

One afternoon, the waves were giant. The sea was really choppy, and the coach canceled practice for everyone.

Everyone except Emma.

I saw her grab her board and walk straight into the water as if she were completely insane.

"Is she seriously going in?" one of the guys asked.

I laughed.

"I bet she lasts five minutes."

She lasted an hour.

A full hour surfing waves that even the professionals didn't want to touch.

And I, like an idiot, just stood there watching her from the sand.

Then the storm started.

Lightning, wind, heavy rain. The beach emptied in seconds, but Emma was still out there.

That's when panic hit me.

I don't know why.

Maybe because, for the first time, someone seemed more interesting than I was.

I grabbed my board and dove into the water without thinking.

The sea was horrible. The waves were tossing me everywhere, and I could barely see her through the rain.

Until a massive wave slammed into us.

I ended up underwater, out of air, swallowing salt and thinking, "That's it, I'm dead."

But someone grabbed my arm.

Emma.

She pulled me to the surface and practically pushed me back to the shore.

When we reached the sand, I was coughing and shaking.