Hey worldwide web,
Here's my Secret Santa for GreenPokeGuy on the Total Drama Writer's Forum! Merry Christmas Green!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
The waves washed gently onto the golden sand of the beach. Bridgette stood a few feet away from where the land met the sea, leaning against her surfboard. She took a deep breath, smelling the salt from the ocean. She sighed happily, looking over at her boyfriend who was waxing his own surfboard.
"It's beautiful here," she said, beaming.
"Not as beautiful as you," Geoff replied smoothly, standing up to give her a kiss. Bridgette blushed and started laughing.
"That's so corny," she teased.
"You love it though," Geoff pointed out, giving her another kiss. Bridgette sighed in playful defeat. "Well, we've got the whole day here. What should we do first?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Bridgette said, holding up her board. "Let's get surfing!" The couple ran toward the water and got on their surfboards. They paddled out a distance as a small wave rolled in. "Here we go!" Bridgette began to stand on her board and balance as she rode out the wave. Even though the wave was small, she was happy to start off easy. "This is so much fun!" She cheered. "Right Geoff?" No response? "Geoff?" She turned around and saw her boyfriend's cowboy hat and surfboard floating around in the water…but no Geoff. "Geoff!" Bridgette cried, getting off of the wave and riding out to the items.
Geoff surfaced a few seconds later, coughing and spluttering. "Woah dude; that was a bummer wipeout."
"Are you okay?" Bridgette asked, her voice filled with concern.
Geoff waved her off. "Yeah babe, I'm fine." He climbed back off of his surfboard. "I'm just out of practice. It's been a while since I've been able to get down to the beach and surf. I'll get better again, don't worry."
Bridgette smiled. "Just don't hurt yourself, okay?" Geoff nodded. "Good, now let's try again!"
And try again they did, all day. Bridgette noticed that Geoff continued to slip off of his surfboard and make mistakes. At first she was thinking he might be doing it on purpose, but that didn't make sense. Not to brag, but Bridgette was a way better surfer even before Geoff started to…er…suck.
The next day when they were having dinner at Geoff's apartment, Bridgette decided to bring it up. "So about yesterday…" she said, picking her words carefully. "What happened out there on the water?"
"What do you mean?" Geoff asked as he shoveled noodles into his mouth. Bridgette reached out and patted a spot of sauce off of his jawline.
"You kept falling off your board," Bridgette reminded him. "And those waves weren't exactly big."
Geoff shrugged. "It was a bad day is all. I'll do better next time." He was silent for a little bit. "Why, is something wrong?"
Now it was Bridgette's turn to be silent. "It's just…that was really dangerous. If it had just been you and you hit your head, I don't even want to think about it!"
"Bridge, I was fine," Geoff promised. Bridgette didn't say anything. "Look, I think it's like, super awesome, you're all concerned and stuff. But you don't have to treat me like I'm some dumb kid!"
Bridgette just stared at him. "I'm not treating you like a kid, I'm being a concerned girlfriend!"
"Well maybe you should go back to being a hot girlfriend," Goeff said bitterly. Bridgette gasped. "No wait, Bridge, I didn't mean it!" Bridgette was already slamming the door to the apartment shut behind her. "Bridge!"
They didn't speak to one another for a week. Geoff spammed Bridgette with texts, emails, instant messages, he even called her on the phone and left actual voicemails like an old person. Bridgette had gone radio silent. It was only Geoff's own pride that kept him from visiting her at her college dorm or the surf shack she worked at. Instead he spent time with his number one bro, Brody, at the various bars around town.
"I don't know man," Geoff slurred one night while they were drinking. "I'm like..sherioushly thinking Brishette's gone for…good."
Brody belched loudly. "What makesh you shay that man?" He hiccupped and giggled, his face bright red.
"Well she's been treatin' me all…funny," Geoff explained. "Like she doeshn't trusht me to go shurfing on my own."
"That bitch," Brody gasped.
"Hey!" Geoff said. "Hey," her repeated. "That's…that's my…girlfriend you're talking about."
"Really?" Brody asked as if this was news to him. Clearly he had way too much alcohol in his system.
"Yep, and I'm her…boyfriend? Issh she my boyfriend?"
"You're her girlfriend?" Brody asked. "I wissh I had a girlfriend."
"Maybe I could be your girlfriend," Geoff said, laughing. Brody kissed him on the cheek, clearly drunk. "Woah man, what the," he hiccupped, "actual…fuck? What was that for?"
"I don't know man…I don't know." The two sat in silence for a few minutes until Brody decided to talk again. "Hey man, check this out." He pulled a rolled up flyer out of his pants and set it on the table.
"Was that just in your pants?" Geoff asked.
"Just look at it," Brody said. The flyer said 'Big Island Surfing Contest' and had a picture of a stereotypical surfer dude riding a huge wave with a volcano in the background. "It's in Hawaii man. How cool is that?"
"Wicked cool," Geoff replied. "But what if Bridgette's right and I'm bad at surfing. Why would I enter a contest for one?"
"You enter the contest to win her back bro, duh!" Brody said, smacking Geoff on the forehead. "Hey if you don't wanna, I'll jusht do it and date Brishette instead." Geoff was too wasted to do anything except take the flyer and leave the bar. He woke up the next morning hungover and no recollection of the previous conversation, which was fortunate for Brody.
Another stroke of good fortunate was that Geoff had kept the flyer in his pocket and when he pulled it out of his shorts and un-crumpled it, he had a brilliant idea. "I'll enter this contest in Hawaii to win Bridge back! That's genius!" He then grabbed his head and groaned. "After I grab an aspirin that is."
After grabbing an aspirin, Geoff checked out the contest website on his phone. "Shit, its fifty dollars to enter the contest. Where am I going to get that kind of money?" Geoff was unemployed and had spent all of his party money given to him by his parents last week. Geoff decided to visit his pal Brody to see if he could lend him fifty bucks.
Brody was a tenant at some shady looking house at the end of the street in an old neighborhood. Suspicious pink azaleas lined the path that led to the front door. Attached to the door was a hand-sewn sign that said 'Home is Where the Heart Is'. Poor Brody, having to live in this crack den. I wonder what sort of sicko lives here. He cautiously rang the doorbell, feeling a twinge of his migraine as the cheering tune echoed through his ears.
The door was announced by a tiny old lady where a frilly pink apron. She smelled like fresh cookie dough and smiled warmly. "Hello there. How can I help you?"
"Hey Mrs. Brody's Mom," Geoff greeted. "Is Brody home?"
"Yes he is dear, he's up in his room," Brody's mother opened the door further and Geoff cautiously entered the house. It smelled like baked goods.
"I just came to see him is all," Geoff said awkwardly, keeping an eye out for anything shady that Brody's mom might be doing. He entered the kitchen and his mouth dropped over at the pile of some white, powdery substance sitting on the counter. "Uh…Mrs. Brody's Mom?"
"Oh that's just from my baking dear,' Brody's mother said with a chuckle. "You kids these days are your 'illegal drugs'. Oh, would you mind taking this plate of cookies up to Brody. I know how you boys love your sweets."
"Sure Mrs. Brody's Mom," Geoff said, relieved. He took the plate and sniffed one of the cookies. "What's in them?"
"Oh just some chocolate chips, and sugar, and my special powder," she replied with a wink. "Ground up cinnamon." Geoff nodded in understanding before hurrying up to Brody's room. He found his best bro passed out in bed. Geoff wrinkled his nose. Brody needed a shower.
"Yo Brody," he said, tapping Brody on the elbow. "Brody come on man, get up!" He sighed and smacked his best bud's face, causing Brody to sit up in confusions.
"Wassup?" He mumbled. "Woah man, how long have you been here?"
"No time to explain," Geoff said quickly. "I need fifty bucks and I know you have some."
"You just came here to ask me for money?" Brody asked, kind of hurt. "That's not cool man, but I think I've got you covered." He reached under his pillow and pulled out a fifty dollar bill. "Not sure what this is doing here, but you can just have it I guess." Geoff took the bill and put it in his pocket. "So what do you need the fifty for?"
"This," Geoff said, holding out the flying for the surfing contest. Brody's eyes widened.
"Dude I was going to tell you about that contest last night!" Brody said in amazement. "Maybe I did and we just forgot. Anyway, that's awesome dude. I think I'm going to enter it too." He reached under his pillow again. "I could have sworn I had a fifty stashed under here for when I enter the contest. Do you know where it is?"
"Uh…no clue," Geoff lied, slowly backing out of the room. He went down the stairs into the kitchen where Brody's mother was grinding up suspicious looking leaves.
"I'm making a salad for lunch," she said sweetly. "Would you like to stay and have some?"
"No thanks Mrs. Brody's Mom," Geoff said. "I've got to go win back my girl!"
"Oh you kids these days with your sexual escapades," Brody's mother chuckled. "Have fun dear!"
Geoff's next destination was Bridgette's house. His girlfriend was sitting on the couch watching a nature documentary about whales when he barged in the front door.
"Where have you been?!" Bridgette asked worriedly. "I was calling and texting you all night."
"I was figuring out a way to win you back," Geoff explained, holding up the flyer. "It's a surfing contest in Hawaii that only the best of the best compete in."
"And that's you?" Bridgette asked incredulously. "Geoff you don't have to 'win me back'! We just got into a little fight."
"So you're not going to break up with me?" Geoff asked worriedly.
"Uh…we've stayed together through much worse," Bridgette reminded him. "It's really sweet you were that concerned and wanted to enter a surfing contest for me, but if you really want to impress me, you'd get a job and stop being so reckless." She finished flatly.
Geoff sighed. "So no surfing contest?" Bridgette shook her head. "Fine, I'm sure glad I didn't enter before telling you."
"Me too," Bridgette said with a smile. "But uh, we're still in a fight so you should probably go and do those things you said you would."
"Oh, right," Geoff said, embarrassed. "I'll see you when I have a job." With that, he left her house.
Now Geoff was faced with a problem. How was he supposed to find a job that would impress Bridgette? Better question, how was he supposed to find a job in the first place? It's not like there was some magical place that just had a list of available jobs that fit Geoff's skills (not that he knew of anyway). The party boy walked down the streets of town looking for any 'Help Wanted' signs. It was the beginning of summer so many local businesses were hiring the college students who had just gotten finished with their finals. Geoff decided to hit up the first business he saw.
The Joystick sounded like a cool place, but it was really just a trashy looking arcade. Teenagers, small children, and shady looking adults all stood in a dim room playing old-style video games. Geoff maneuvered through the darkness to the manager's office. He knocked on the door and it was answered by a scrawny, red-headed guy. "Gosh I'm working, what do you want?"
"I'd like to apply for a job," Geoff said excitedly. The guy looked at him for a few seconds before inviting him into his office. The room was messy, with candy bar wrappers and bags to the burrito place next door littering the floor.
"I'm Harold by the way," the guy said, shoving some papers off of his desk. "This is my dad's arcade, but he's letting me run things which is just awesome." Geoff took a seat in the chair, feeling the back of his shorts sticking to something on the seat. He reached back and pulled out a chewed up piece of gum. "You gonna chew that?" Harold asked. Geoff shook his head and flicked it onto the floor. "So," Harold continued, "what makes you want to work at the Joystick?"
"I need a job and-" Geoff stopped talking as Harold began furiously writing something down. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm keeping track of what you say so I can use my clever point system to determine if you're a fit for the job," Harold explained. "You said you're in need of a job, so I gave you a point."
"Sweet," Geoff said. "So I need a job to impress my girlfriend-" Harold frowned and erased the point he had given Geoff. "What was that for?"
"You don't need a job to do anything honorable, you're just trying to impress someone," Harold said, folding his arms over his chest. "So you lose a point. Next question: Do you like video games?"
"Yes," Geoff replied, "my bro Brody and I just pre-ordered the new Call of Duty that's coming out in a month."
Harold froze in the middle of writing something. "Did you just mention the franchise Call of Duty?" He asked venomously.
"Uh…yeah," Geoff replied nervously.
"Get out," Harold said flatly.
"But what's wrong with-"
"GET! OUT!" The redhead bellowed, throwing a bunch of papers in Geoff's face. "The Video Game Gods frown upon you!"
"Whatever man," Geoff cried, "I'm getting out of here!" He dashed out of the office and didn't stop running until he was back into the light of the normal world. Well this was just perfect. He still didn't have a job. The next place with a 'Help Wanted' sign was a cute little juice bar called The Squeeze. It was ran by a tiny, pale girl named Dawn.
"Hello there," she said sweetly. "I take it you're here for a job?"
"How'd you know?" Geoff asked.
"I sensed desperation in your aura," Dawn explained. "And I doubt you came to The Squeeze of all places to hit on girls." She gestured to two girls who were sitting at a table.
"Hey," one of the girls, a redhead with a fringe sweater and peace sign earrings. "I'm Myles."
"Hey," said the other girl. Her brown hair was in dreadlocks and she wore a brown vest. "I'm Laurie." Both girls spoke in a relaxed, lazy tone. "This is our favorite place to come in and hang out."
"You've been here since we opened," Dawn said suspiciously. "Did you two even order anything?"
"No, we don't want to disturb the peaceful vibes of this organic juice bar by feeding the economical machine," Laurie explained.
"Plus this juice bar isn't one-hundred percent eco-friendly because you still use plastic cups," Myles added.
Dawn's left eye twitched, but she turned back to Geoff. "If you'd like an interview, I'd be glad to talk to you in the back room." Geoff shrugged and followed her to the back room where all the fruit for the juice was stored.
"There wasn't enough room for an office when I bought the place," Dawn said, a little embarrassed. "So anyway, what makes you interested in working here?"
"I need a job," Geoff explained. "I want to impress my girlfriend Bridgette and this is the second place I've tried."
Dawn nodded. "Do you have any experience in sales?" Geoff shook his head. "Serving food?" Another head shake. "Organic fruit or juice related activities?"
"Ooh, I can usually pour myself some orange juice in the morning without spilling," Geoff said proudly.
Dawn just smiled. "Geoff, do you have any work experience at all?" Geoff shook his head. "Well unfortunately I'm not able to hire you. I'd be better off hiring one of those two girls out front." Geoff was going to respond, but he was cut off by the door to the back room being thrown open.
"Dawn!" Whined a guy's voice. "I need paper towels."
Dawn sighed. "Scott there should be plenty of those out front."
"Those two creepy girls used them all up," Scott said, turning around the corner and finding Dawn and Geoff. "Who's this guy?" Scott asked, glaring at Geoff.
"This is Geoff," Dawn replied, taking Scott's hands and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "He was just in an interview for the job opening."
"I thought I was going to fill the job opening!" Scott cried. "What, is this guy replacing me as your boyfriend too?!"
"Oh Scott don't be silly," Dawn scolded. "Geoff didn't get the job."
"I didn't?!" Geoff said in surprise.
"Of course not," Dawn giggled. "You'd be a terrible employee." She then added, "No offense. Now Scott if you really want the job, go ahead and convince those two annoying girls out front to buy something." Scott rushed off to go do what Dawn asked.
"So I really didn't get the job?" Geoff asked.
"Nope," Dawn said. "As a matter of fact, I need you to leave since this area is for employees." She made a gentle shooing motion and Geoff left the juice bar.
There was only one place left that had a "Help Wanted" sign on it. A vegetarian grocery store that Bridgette always seemed to hang out at. Geoff walked in and immediately asked to see a manager. He was taken to the back office where he saw the last person he'd ever expect to see in the manager's chair.
"Bridgette?!" Geoff cried. "You're cheating on me with the manager of this grocery store?!"
Bridgette raised an eyebrow. "Geoff I am the manager of this grocery store?!"
"Oh," Geoff said. "Well that makes sense."
Bridgette sighed. "What are you doing here? Didn't you say you were going to get a job?"
"I tried Bridge, I really did, but I've looked everywhere and nobody wants to hire me," Geoff said sadly. "This is the last place that's hiring. Will you please let me work here?"
Bridgette shrugged. "I wish I could, but the store has a policy about co-workers being involved romantically. Plus you're horribly underqualified."
Geoff's shoulders sagged. "So that's it then. I failed to impress you and I don't have a job. It's official, my life is over." He sniffled.
Bridgette grabbed his hands. "Well maybe I'll make an exception, I mean, you dealt with Harold and Dawn today, so I suppose that's pretty impressive. As long as you promise to keep looking for a job, things will be good between us, deal?"
"Deal!" Geoff said excitedly, picking Bridgette up in a hug. "I love you so much babe!"
"I love you too!" Bridgette laughed, giving Geoff a kiss. "Seriously though, get out before you get me fired."