Chapter 3

The kids sat around the table fidgeting with pens and staring at the blank paper in front of them. "Get to work mates, you have to hurry for training," Matt ordered. "And that's suppose to make us hurry?" asked Taylor. "Well if you don't finish it up to standard you'll be doing extra sprints and sit-ups and you'll do it tomorrow while everybody else catches waves." The pens began to glide across the paper immediately and the work was beginning to get done. "That's better," Matt said with pleasure. Reef passed his piece of paper to Matt and opened the fridge. "Can I have one of these beers?" Reef asked. "No you can't. That's how surfers lose. I'll kill you if I catch you drinking before your time!" shouted Matt.

He skimmed through the paper easily picking out the mistakes. "Reef you're rushing yourself. You need to focus." He passed the paper back to Reef. "Well what does school, have to do with surfing? It isn't like I'm going to need it when I go pro and make my first million," said Reef. "You don't know that. And this homework reflects on your surfing. If you can't put in a tiny bit of effort for this, then what are you going to do when you need to put in a heap of effort on the waves? School is everything Reef and without it you aren't going anywhere," Matt said with anger and frustration. "If you aren't willing to do this work then you aren't getting the opportunity to work for Solar Blue," said Bec.

Matt checked over everybody's work until it was just Malcolm left. "You done yet mate?" he asked. "Just about…yeah I'm done," said Malcolm as he passed Matt the paper. Matt was impressed with the words of choice and the accuracy of the facts. He pointed to the door and watched as he ran out. "Bright kid," he said. "Who does that remind you of?" asked Heath. Matt smiled and went to change for training. They ran hard, and they ran fast.

Fly sat next to Perri as she watched her flip through the magazine. She couldn't keep the juicy gossip she heard from Edge in any longer. "You reckon Matt and I will ever get back together?" she asked. Fly was trying to bite her tongue, but it was impossible. "Well…I've kind of sort of heard a thing or two," she said. "Kind of sort of heard what?" asked Perri. "Edge says that Matt and Bec have a thing." Perri's face went blank with the betrayal she felt towards Bec. Bec of all people should know what it feels like to lose your man to your best friend. "Oh, well I thought I'd try. So what's up with you and Heath?" she asked. "Nothing, we're just friends. Besides I have my eye on Mattie's little brother. Cute isn't he?" said Fly.

Heath stood outside the door listening to the entire conversation after coming in for a quick bathroom break. So Matt was right, she is into Reef he thought. Plowing down to the beach, he stood beside Garry and Matt and watched them run. They stopped running and Reef was just ahead of the group. "Reef, do it again!" he shouted. Matt and Garry looked at each other in confusion and watched as Reef ran it. "Again!" he yelled. Everybody watched as he ran, causing the rest of the lot to walk outside. "What's the problem man?" Reef asked. "You're my problem. You think you so good now; wait till you get up against some of the best surfers you've ever seen. Again," he said.

Everyone walked inside except for the kids and Garry as he talked to them in private. Matt hit Heath in the head, to tell him he did something wrong. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Making him run extra laps because he ran faster than you ever could?" Matt demanded. "So because he's your brother, he shouldn't be pushed?" asked Heath. "No, because he didn't do anything wrong he shouldn't be pushed." The furry in their eyes was frightening until Edge stepped in between the two. "Settle it down boys. Sort it out some other way, but not like this," said Edge.

Matt stormed out the back as Bec followed, Heath upstairs where Fly followed. "What was that all about?" Fly asked. "Nothing that concerns you Fly." He knew he hurt her feelings; she was just too nice to admit anything. "I mean why you were pushing Reef like that?" she demanded. "Because, he needs to learn that not everything is going to be that easy! Besides it is my job to make him a better surfer. That's a lesson that I had to learn the hard way." He stormed out of the room to Fly's surprise.

"What was that all about?" asked Bec. "He's jealous of Reef because Fly likes him," he said. "But you know how it looks when you defend him like that because he's your brother," she admitted. "You mean the same way defended Joe by torturing Anna? Yeah you're really one to talk Bec." She looked hurt and he knew it right away. "I'm sorry Bec I didn't mean it like that, it's just that it wasn't fair. He shouldn't be punished just because Heath got issues. And I would have done that for any of those kids," he said. "I got the message thanks Matt," she said as she began to walk away. "Bec! Bec! I'm sorry I didn't mean it," he said catching up to her. "I know Matt I just have a heap of work to get done," she said and walked away.

Matt sat at the table, laying his head in his arms. "Trouble in paradise?" asked Perri. "What are you talking about?" asked Matt. "I mean did your girlfriend break up with you already?" she said snobby. "She isn't my girlfriend Perri." She got angry with Matt and began to blurt out things she normally wouldn't say had she been in the right mind. "Yeah well she must be. Because I'm pretty sure I'm not," she hissed. "Yeah well maybe you would be if you weren't so self-centered! All that matters to you is Perri! Get over yourself," he said and grabbed his board to hit the waves.

Bec stood in the window watching Matt sit in the water floating on his board. She was so hurt by what he had said, but she was angry at herself because it was her fault. "Are you alright?" asked Garry. She nodded and turned to face him. "Hey I was wondering if you wanted to go out tomorrow night? Like on a date," he asked. "Sure why not? Sounds like a good time," she answered. She turned back to the window and watched as Matt sat there. All of a sudden, he began to splash and paddled ashore in a panic. Shark was the first thing that came to her mind. She boomed down the stairs and everybody followed behind her.

"Are you alright?" she asked. He looked at the seaweed wrapped around his leg. "Fine," he said and rolled over to cough up the water trapped in his lungs. "Come on mate," said Heath as he and Edge carried him up to the house. "You want to tell us what that was about?" asked Fly. He sighed and explained his story of attack.