A young girl smiled as she threw the beach ball back over at her boyfriend. Their friends were playing, too. A lot of people were surfing, and loads were just lying around in the sun. Kids were building sand castles or burying their sleeping parents in the sand because it was funny. Everyone seemed to guy having a good time.

Meanwhile, Bra stood outside a cubical in the changing rooms.
"Tiko, you done yet?" she asked.
"My tail's in the way. They won't go on!" Tiko whined.
"Okay, put your black pants back on." Bra instructed.
"What're you gonna do - HEY!!" Tiko went bright red when Bra poked her head round the cubical's curtain. Luckily, Tiko had put his pants back on.
"Try putting the shorts on again." Bra said.
"Why?" Tiko looked at her.
"Just do it. I have an idea." Bra replied. Tiko obeyed. Bra looked at them, and nodded.
"Give them to me." she held out her hand. Tiko handed them to her.
"Bra, what are you going to d - you can't do that!!" he gasped when she ripped a hole in them.
"What's wrong? We're buying them anyway." Bra shrugged, and gave them back to him. "Now try them. I'll be outside." she left him in peace. Tiko sighed.

Bra looked around the shop as she waited. It wasn't just clothes. There were all sorts of beachy things. Cameras, buckets and spades, towels, bags. Even surfboards. Hmm... there was an idea. Could Tiko surf? Actually, in his state... probably not.
"Done." Tiko's voice announced.
"Come out, let me see." Bra urged.

Tiko stepped out of the cubical. He was wearing a pair of plain blue swim shorts.
"They're a perfect fit." Bra smiled. "Okay, those others are the same size. They'll fit you too."
"They don't have holes in them." Tiko told her.
"I'll put holes in them later." Bra replied. "Did you look in the mirror?"
"I don't really like to. It's kinda freaky staring at your reflection when it's part of a weird - looking race you don't recognize." Tiko admitted.
"Oh, come on! Just look!" Bra insisted. Tiko sighed, and turned around to look in the mirror. Wow. He had horns. Man, he was weird. He didn't look anything like a human. And why were parts of him scales and others skin?
"Hey, are you looking at your appearance or the shorts?" Bra demanded.
"Uh... the shorts ^_^" Tiko replied. He looked at himself. Actually, blue suited him. Cool! He had some bright green ones as well that Bra had insisted he have. Would they go too? Yeah, probably.
"What do you think?" Bra asked.
"They look pretty good." Tiko said.
"I told you!" Bra smiled. "Come on, let's buy these, and go home so you can take that armor off."
"Huh?" Tiko looked at her. "Why?"
"You'll look so lame if you wear armor on the beach. My dad wouldn't even do that!"
"Um.. okay, then." Tiko shrugged.

~~~

Tiko looked down at his armor. They were in his bedroom.
"Hey, how do you take this thing off?"
"I'm not sure." Bra admitted. She studied it. "Ummm... maybe it just slips off your head. Raise your arms."
"I feel so stupid..." Tiko mumbled, raising his arms. Bra pulled his armor off.
"There." she looked at him, and smirked. "Hey... you're pretty well - built."
"Huh?" Tiko looked in the mirror. The scales on his arms stopped at his shoulders. The ones on his legs went up to his stomach, and covered the muscles on it. That was weird. Why couldn't he just be all scales or skin? It looked freaky like this. He was pretty muscular, but not that wide. He was pretty slim, really. He looked at his head.
"Do you think this helmet comes off?" he asked.
"It looks like it's built into your skull." Bra commented. "How does it feel?"
"Like you just said." Tiko told her. He tried pulling off the helmet, but it wouldn't even budge.
"What about your legs and arms?" Bra asked.
"I think they come off." Tiko told her. He tried it, and managed to remove the armor on his legs and arms. His hands and feet were skin, too. But only up to his wrists and ankles.

"I've never seen armor like this..." Bra admitted, looking at the armor Tiko had dropped onto the floor. "But maybe dad'll recognize it. He knows way more about battle equippment than me."
"You don't seem like the fighting type." Tiko commented.
"I guess I'm not." Bra admitted. "I prefer shopping and stuff."
"Hey... do you think I'll fit in at the beach? I look so weird compared to everyone else." Tiko said.
"That doesn't matter." Bra assured him. "Besides, you're not THAT bad looking. Actually, you're kinda cute."
"Heh heh..." Tiko reddened. "Um... thanks ^_^"
"Hey, can you surf?" Bra asked.
"I don't know. What is it?" Tiko replied.
"I'll show you when we get there. You'll like it. It's fun."

~~~

"Wow..." Tiko watched one of the surfers in amazement. "I bet that's hard."
"It is, kinda. I'm not that good." Bra admitted. "But I could teach you."
"Do you think I could do it?" Tiko asked.
"Sure. If you practice enough." Bra replied.
"Uh... okay. I guess I could give it a shot." Tiko shrugged.

*later*

"You're doing great, Tiko!" Bra called over. The waves weren't that huge, but at least they weren't tiny. It was harder surfing on little waves. Tiko smiled. He was pretty good at this. He went faster, growing in confidence with every second. He closed his eyes.
"Woo hoo!!" man, this was so cool! And he was a natural.
"Hey, I could be a pro surfer." he thought.
"Tiko, look out!"
"Huh?" he opened his eyes, and went straight into a huge rock sticking out of the water. Pain shot through him, but he tried to ignore it.
"Damn, I blew it..." he mumbled. Tiko looked up at what he'd surfed into. It looked like a cliff. The cliff he'd fallen off must've gone around, into the water. The waves threw themselves against it, and him. He sputtered, and spat out the water that had gone into his mouth. He climbed up the rock, taking his surfboard with him. Tiko coughed a few times, as the water he'd accidentally swallowed was trying to choke him. He groaned. Man, that was embarrassing, and his nose hurt. He touched it. It didn't feel broken or anything. Probably just bruised.

"Hey, Tiko." Bra's voice came from below him. Tiko looked down. Dammit.
"Great, now she thinks I'm a loser." he thought. Bra climbed up the rock, and sat next to him.
"You should watch where you're going, y'know." she said.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just got too confident." Tiko mumbled. He looked at her. "I look really stupid, huh?"
"Well.... no - one saw it except me ^_^" was all Bra could think to say.
"Yeah, and I bet you think I'm a total klutz. First I almost fall on you, and then I surf into a rock." Tiko replied grumpily.
"Are you hurt? You hit it pretty hard?" Bra asked. Tiko shook his head.
"Not really. I'll be okay." he replied
"Really? You're not hurt at all?" Bra sounded surprised.
"No. It hurt a little at first, but I'm okay now." Tiko told her. He looked at Bra. "Why, should it still hurt?"
"Yeah, it'd really kill if that happened to me." Bra said. "No bruises?"
"I'll probably have a bruise on my nose. Is it swelling up?" Tiko asked. Bra looked at his nose.
"It's swollen a little." she looked at the rest of him. "But it's just that. Not even a scratch on you."
she gave him a funny look. "Are you sure you're not Superman?"
"Heh...^_^;" Tiko reddened.

He looked at her.
"So, do you think I come from a strong race?" he asked.
"Either that, or you've been through some serious training." Bra replied. "But... you were wearing armor, right? Maybe you're part of some alien army." she gave him a weird smile. "Maybe you're a spy. Maybe you were sent to Earth to assassinate someone."
"Who?" Tiko asked.
"Probably Goku. Or my dad. People usually go to them looking for trouble." Bra replied.
"Who's Goku?" Tiko looked at her.
"Oh, just a friend of the family. My parents have know him for years - my mom even knew him when he was a little kid." Bra told him.
"Oh..."
"Hey, you coming back onto the waves?" Bra asked.
"Uh... I don't know if I should..." Tiko admitted.
"Oh, come on! So you screwed up once, that doesn't mean you should give up." she looked at him. "Besides, quitters don't belong in an army."
"I'm not a quitter!" Tiko protested.
"Then why won't you go back on the waves?" Bra challenged.
"Okay, fine. I'll try again." Tiko replied.
"That's better." Bra smiled.

~~~

"So, Cassadi, how are things with you and Dan?" a young woman asked her friend.
"Nothing like you are Peter, Felicity." her friend replied. "Actually, I'm gonna dump him."
"Really? Why? I thought you two were so good together!" Felicity exclaimed.
"Yeah, at first, but he's such a jerk. He never calls and he always seems to be too busy." Cassadi replied. "I need someone new."
"Well, I guess you know best." Felicity shrugged. Cassadi looked at the sea.
"Hey, Felicity, check out those two."
"What is it?" Felicity asked.
"Isn't that the girl that almost got landed on by that guy?" Cassadi said. Felicity followed her friend's eyesight.
"Yeah, and isn't that the guy who almost landed on her?" she replied.
"Mm hm." Cassadi nodded. "Why are they surfing together? If some guy almost landed on me I wouldn't go near him."
"And if I was that girl, there is no way I'd show my face for at least a day. That'd just be too embarrassing to stick around." Felicity said.
"I know." Cassadi agreed. "Especially a weirdo like him. What is he, some kind of mutant?" she watched them surf.
"But, that girl isn't a bad surfer." Felicity commented.
"Yeah, I guess she's okay. And as much as I don't want to, I have to admit that he's pretty good, too." Cassadi replied.
"Yeah." Felicity nodded.

"YAA!!"
"Huh? Tiko! Are you alright?"
"Y -yeah. I'm fine."
"Umm.... maybe not." Cassadi said.
"What a klutz." Felicity mumbled.

~~~

Bra flopped down on the sofa.
"That's better." she smiled. She and Tiko had gone home, after spending all day at the beach. It was almost six o'clock now. Bra had changed into a denim crop top and a sandy - colored skirt. Tiko had just put his old pants back on.
Bra looked at Tiko, who was slouching on the armchair.
"You hungry?" she asked.
"Kinda." Tiko replied.
"Kinda? I'm starving!" Bra exclaimed. She stood up. "Come on, today's perfect for a barbecue."
"Yeah, okay." Tiko said. He got up, and they both went outside.

Tiko finished off his burger. They'd been a little burnt, but neither Tiko nor Bra were that bothered.
"Hey, do you know if there are any jobs going near here?" Tiko asked.
"Um..." Bra thought. "You could try that shop we went to today. I think it's looking for someone. You can ask tomorrow. I'll come with you if you like?" she offered.
"Nah, it's okay. I'll go by myself." Tiko replied, not wanting to seem weak by asking her to come with him. He felt fine on his own, anyway. It had seemed like a pretty nice place.
"I'll ask them tomorrow. What time do they open?"
"Early. About seven, I think." Bra told him.
"Okay." Tiko replied.

~~~

Tiko entered the building. There were already a few customers. Some of which seemed to be just talking. Tiko walked over to a man he saw wearing a blue uniform.
"Can I help you?" the man asked.
"Uh... yeah, can I speak with the manager?" Tiko asked.
"Sure, what's it about?"
"Um, somebody told me I could get a job here...?"
"Oh, right. Come this way."

Tiko followed him to a door near the back of the shop. He read the sign:
"Office."
The man opened the door.
"Who is it?" a voice asked.
"About the job. Can you speak to him now?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Okay," the man smiled at Tiko. "Good look."
"Thanks." Tiko replied.

He entered the room, and closed the door behind him. It was a pretty small office. There was a computer on the desk, and a filling cabinet in the corner of the room. There was also a window, a plant, and a shelf.
"Please, have a seat." the woman sitting behind the desk pointed to the chair in front of her. Tiko sat on it.
"My name is Mindi. I'm the manager here. Pleased to meet you." the woman held you her hand. Tiko shook it.
"My name's Tiko. I was hoping you could get me a job here."
"Okay, then..." Mindi began. "Do you have any experience? A reference or anything?"
"No, but... I'm a fast learner ^_^" Tiko replied. Okay, there goes the interview.
"How long will you be able to stay?" Mindi asked. "It's just that a lot of people who work here just come for a part - time job because they're only here for the summer."
"Well... I think I can stay. I'm living with someone who has a house near the beach right now." Tiko told her.
"Interested in beach games?" Mindi asked.
"Um... I tried surfing, but I fell off a few times..." Tiko reddened.
"Well, don't give up ~*~" Mindi smiled.
"Thanks..."

"What days can you work? Any particular time?"
"It doesn't really matter." Tiko told her. He looked at her.
"Um... what will the job actually involve?"
"You know that man who brought you here?" Mindi began. Tiko nodded.
"Yeah."
"You'll be like him. Just helping out, y'know. Putting stock on shelves... showing customers where to find things. That sort of stuff." Mindi explained.
"Oh, okay."
"Well... you don't have any references, but... you seem like someone I can trust." Mindi told him. Tiko's face lit up.
"Really?" he asked.
"I'm good at picking people I can trust." Mindi said. "How about you start work now, and I see how you do for a week?"
"Will I get paid now - it's just that, I told Bra I'd pay her for letting me stay at her place when I get a job." Tiko asked.
"I'll give you half as much, just to see how good you are. You'll be on $2.50 an hour." Mindi told him. "I'm okay for Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, and Saturday morning, but do you think you could work on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights?" she asked.
"Sure, what time?"

"Let's see..." Mind thought. "I'm pretty short - staffed right now. Monday and Wednesday I'll need you from twelve to two in the afternoon. Fridays... ten in the morning to twelve in the afternoon and on Saturday, I've just lost the guy that used to work in the evening, so I'll need you from about six to eight at night." she looked at him. "Unless that's too much...?"
"No," Tiko shook his head. "That's fine. Honest."
"Well then," Mindi held out her hand again. Welcome aboard, Tiko."
"Thanks a lot!" Tiko exclaimed, shaking her hand. He stood up.
"Just promise me one thing," Mindi began.
"Um, sure. What?" Tiko asked.
"Don't give up surfing." Mindi instructed.
"Heh... ^_^" Tiko smiled. "Okay, I'll keep at it."
"Good." Mindi said.