Disclaimer: Don't own anything, per usual.

'Bigger, faster, stronger. Bigger, faster, stronger.'

Adena repeated Gunnersons' mantra in her head as she practiced. She could feel the sweat seeping from her pores, running down her face.

'Have to win, have to be better, have to make this right. You can change this, do it for them. They should be here, do it for them.'

She swung at the ball with all of her might, hitting it back and forth, back and forth; her heart racing as she fought to keep up. Finally, she'd had enough, and she let the ball drop. Still catching her breath, she went and put her racquet in her bag.

"Hey guys," Adena started and then realized that she was talking to herself. She glanced around and found Cody and Squib sitting at the top of the bleachers, Cody explaining something on her camera to him. One of these days they'll figure it out, she told herself. Her eyes continued their search, finding Tanis standing outside the fence of the court. Adena was about to call out to her when Cameron appeared and they left together. She watched their retreating backs, hands grasped and laughing.

"Right, never mind," she sighed. Adena could not recall when she had ever felt lonelier. She knew they didn't mean to do it to her, but she always felt like a third wheel. It didn't used to feel like this, back when…when theother twohad been here. But they weren't here and she had apparently missed the memo that declared it was 'couple hour'. She grabbed her bag and headed back across the lawn towards the dorms. She was slightly hurt that they had just forgotten about her, figuring she would find something to do. She was mulling over this as she climbed the steps and nearly collided with someone who was on their way down.

"Adena, hey."

"Oh, Jace, hi. Hey, you remembered," she pointed out.

"How could I forget," he grinned. Adena gave the best smile she could muster, which he clearly noticed.

"Everything okay?"

"Oh yeah. Just a, uh, rough practice and my friends are all, um, busy with…stuff," she finished lamely. She didn't want to seem like a whiner by explaining the whole situation to him.

"Yeah, I get that," he nodded.

"So…where's Carrie?" Adena asked, it was natural for Carrie to be trailing close behind Jace most of the time. The few times that she had seen him since they arrived, he was always with the perky brunette. She was their female Rick.

"She's making sure all of the court timewasproperly been assigned. I'm just heading down to the beach to catch some waves," he explained, motioning to his surfboard.

"Oh, right," Adena felt like an idiot. Here she was, trying to make small talk with another person who was clearly busy.

"Well, have a good time," and she continued her journey up the steps. But his voice stopped her.

"Hey Adena," she turned back to him. He cocked his head to the side and gave her a lopsided grin.

"You wanna come?"

"I give up!" Adena shouted, slapping the water in defeat.

"No way," Jace laughed, wadding through the water to where she stood.

"Come on, you can do it."

"That's the tenth time I've fallen," she reminded him as sheadjusted her red bikini top. She followed her board to the shore and collapsed on the sand. He sat down next to her with his surfboard and they stared out at the water. They had been down at the beach for several hours and the sun was getting low in the sky, set to disappear below the horizon in another half an hour.

"You're doing amazing for your first time," he said.

"Then why can't I stay up?" Adena asked.

"Okay, get up," Jace said, getting to his feet. He lay out their surfboards side by side in the sand and stood on his.

"You need to have the right stance, to stay balanced on the board." Adena mirrored his position.

"Good, okay, now, arms out," he said, grabbing her outstretched hand and jumping behind her onto her board. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"Lower your body a bit more, and just concentrate…"

'Do it for them, don't be afraid,' said the voice in her head.

"Feel the wave," Jace insisted, moving her arms ever so slightly in different directions. Adena tried to focus her mind and imagine the wave.

'Have to make this right, have to win, do it for them,'

"Take control," his voice was steady and strong.

'Bigger, faster, stronger.'

"You feel it?" he asked.

'Do it for them, do it for you.'

Adena opened her eyes and turned to face him.

"Yeah, I really do," she couldn't help the smile that was spreading across her face. Jace grinned.

"Good. Looks like we have time for one more run," he picked up his surfboard and handed it to her.

"It's all you, you can do it."

Adena tightened her grasp on it and took a running start, diving in and surfacing. She quickly brushed her wet hair off of her face and began to paddle out.

"Paddle hard!" Jace called from the water's edge. Her arms were growing tired from fighting against that water. And there it was, her wave.

"Get ready!" he shouted.

'Bigger, faster, stronger'

Adena turned and braced herself for the wave. As she rode it out, she struggled to get up.

"Come on Adena!" Jace yelled from the shore.

"Feel the wave!"

She tried desperately to steady herself in standing position. Crouching lower, she tried to find what Jace had said.

'Take control, feel the wave.'

Adena got to the point where she usually fell off and tried hard to concentrate.

'Take control, make it right, take control of your life Adena! Do it for them! Do it for you!' Her mind screamed.

"That's it Adena! You're doing it!" Jace shouted. A look of victory crossed his face, his blue eyes glowing.

"Jace! Jace look! I'm still on!" Adena couldn't stop the giddy grin on her face. The board teetered slightly as it slid onto the sand in front of him and she jumped off it straight into his arms. She screamed victoriously as he spun her around.

"I did it! I can't believe I stayed on! I rode my first wave!" Adena hugged him tightly. He let her down but she kept spinning on her own, arms in the air and head thrown back to the sky.

"You have no idea how good this feels."

They picked up their surfboards and started back up the beach towards the school.

"Well kid, you did good," Jace grinned, pulling Adena into a one armed hug as they hiked through the sand.

"You rode the wave. You were the wave."

Author's Note:

Yes? No? Ok, we already had the whole Cameron/Tanis and some Cody/Squib (with more to come), and I felt that Adena wasn't getting enough love and attention here. Hence, this chapter; I couldn't very well let poor Adena be ignored. And Jace made another appearance, as promised. I hope you guys like it! If you don't, that's okay, constructive criticism is good too. Questions, comments, concerns? Review and let me know!