Once Again it has taken forever to update a story so I'm sorry for the wait but I should at least be able to update next chapter to soon after that I can't make any promise but I will definitely try. So for those who have read this I'm sorry for the wait and for those who are new I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3 Meeting Nohea Platten

It has been two weeks since Kala started working at the store and slowly but surely Eden was getting used to working with him. She learned how to get him to focus when he plays around, or got used to him when he is serious and learned how to get him to smile because it was awkward when they were in silence. There were times where Eden would catch herself watching Kala as he makes his way around the surf shop talking to the customers. She wasn't sure exactly how to handle it. Was she getting feelings for him? No it couldn't be right? Kala wasn't someone who Eden could fall for, this was the guy that made her want to punch his lights out. Him and his boys were constantly hassling her and her girls but yet when it was just her and him in the back room doing inventory listening to the playlist he made on his ipod, she finds herself smiling more and more and that fact unsettle Eden. Gosh, even when he wasn't trying, he was still driving Eden crazy.

She was relaxing at home, sprawled out on the couch. Penny was in her room, probably crashed out and Lena was out with a guy who she's been seeing a bit. Eden kept going over her mind about Kala when she heard a knock at the door. She gets up to be met by two footlong subway sandwiches hanging in front of her face. She laughs as she grabs the bag and was met with a smirking Nohea.

"There were two damages tonight and I know how you guys are always to lazy to make any food, I also supplied you each with a chocolate chip cookie so enjoy." Nohea tells her as she leans on the door frame.

"What about you guys?" Eden asks out with a smile towards her neighbor and friend.

"Well apparently Noe and Benji are on date night and my guess is they probably won't be home until well after 2 maybe at the skate park, Noah said he is going to spend the night at the ranch, and I already ate so those my dear is all for you."

"Thanks girl, do you wanna come in for a drink?" Eden offers gesturing into the house.

Nohea pushes herself off the door frame and shakes her head with a frown. "Nah got a quiz tomorrow so I better study before going to bed."

Eden shakes her head with a chuckle happy to know she doesn't have to tell with that anymore. "Alright babe I'll see you later."

"Yeah I'll take a rain check on that drink though." Nohea says as she walks away to the smaller house next door.

"You got it." Eden yells out while closing the door.

Noe and Nohea Platten were godsend to the girls. They met the girls and their boyfriends when they moved into this house and loved them that very instant. They reminded Eden of her, Annemarie and Lena so much. Young local girls who are carefree and trying to make it on their own, surfing, working, trying to enjoy life as much as they could along side their boys.

The thing that Eden respects the most about them is their hard work. Noe, who works part time at the surf shop alongside Eden and Lena, also dances at her grandmother's halau, and dancing professionally in concerts and events at hotel, theaters, and movies. Nohea is more of the business type, she is going full time to a local community college for a certificate for Veterinary Assistant and also an associate degree in Veterinary Technology. Right now she is working part time at subway as of right now to make money and volunteering at a local Animal Hospital. Then there are the two boys who would do anything for these girls. It makes Eden so envious. Noah is 24 years old, he works as a lifeguard on the north side of Oahu, he helps out at his grandfather's ranch with the animals on site and him and Nohea have been dating for almost 3 years. Benji actually just turned 20, which makes him two years younger then Noe. He is the sickest skateboarder Eden has ever seen, skating all his life then he started taking on Surfing before he knew it, he was 16 and invited to participate in the XGames in surfing and a couple years later in skating as well and living life to the fullest and Noe is just as crazy as him. These four as so different but they love each other and are so friendly and giving, it's hard not to love any of them.

"Who was that?" Penny asks, breaking Eden from her thoughts. Eden turns around to see Penny coming out form her room, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looks so much like Annemarie just then and Eden felt sadness wash through her. She couldn't deny it; she missed her best friend. Annemarie would be the one who she would go to, to help her figure out what the hell is going on with her.

Eden looks back at Penny and she can see the sadness lingering there and feels for the younger girl. She knew Penny was missing her sister. When they were together they barely got along, always butting heads with each other but Annemarie was the only real family she had left and now she doesn't really have anymore. When Annemarie realized that she was going to be traveling a lot she made Eden promised to take care of Penny and Eden knew she would die trying.

"Nohea brought some grub." Eden tells penny as she walks over to the younger girl and leads her towards the kitchen counter. Penny smiles and sits on the kitchen stool while Eden opens the refrigerator, grabs two cokes and joins her.

"I miss her. She doesn't come around as much." Penny says after taking a bite from the sandwich, referring to Nohea.

"Well when you go to school Full time, and work part time you don't have that much time left." Eden answers. "but we should be proud of her, she was going for what she wants to do and she is working hard to do it. I think she knows that once all this is done it will be worth it."

Penny sighs and shakes her head. "Man once I'm done with high school, another school is the last place I want to be."

"Well you gotta do what you gotta do."

Penny looks up at the girl who was practically a sister to her. "Why didn't you go to school after graduation?"

"Many different reasons." Eden answers, scratching the back of her neck. When she saw Penny continuing to stare at her she sighs out. "Well for starters tuition is a bitch to pay. I probably could have afforded community college with finical aid and student loans but truth is I didn't want to. I was tired of school and I had no idea what I wanted to do besides surfing all the time. Sure I dreamed of going pro like Annemarie but in the end we both knew I didn't have what it takes, not like she does. I could have gone to school, I SHOULD have gone to school but when you don't have the drive to do it, it would have ended up a lot of money that I didn't have and my parent sure as hell could have used instead of me wasting it on school."

Penny nods her head but stays quiet after. Eden watches her and could tell she was thinking about something, but what it was? Eden didn't know.

"I don't know what I want to do with my life Eden." Penny whispers and Eden took notice of the fear in her voice.

"You'll figure it out baby girl. You just gotta figure out something you love to do and then go for it."

"I'm not like Annemarie. Surfing isn't my life. I definitely don't want to be like my mom attaching myself to some guy and well you know the rest." She says not finishing the rest of the sentence but Eden nods and rubs her hand down Penny's hair. Their mother was a even touchier subject for Penny than it was for Annemarie. She couldn't never fully understand what a mother could think for her to believe it would be okay to leave her children.

"What am I meant to do in life?"

"Well that is life sweetie. Finding something that you love, that makes you happy, that will help you love your life or helps you find true happiness. Sometimes it could take an entire lifetime, some a fortunate enough to be able to do it all their life. Just keep your eyes open and live your life one day at a time and before you know it I'm sure it is going to fall right into your lap." Eden says hoping it was enough to bring Penny peace.

"Do you regret it…not going to school?" Penny whispers after.

"Would you believe me if I told you I do regret it a little." Eden confesses with a smirk. What could she say, she was never the type to go to school, she barely went to high school as it is considering how many times she ditched. She was lucky she graduated.

Penny gives her a little smile and shakes her head.

"I'm happy with my life, I love you and Lena and Annemarie and I'm very thankful for all the greatness that has come Annemarie's way cause I admit it does help. I like making board, I like that I can still wake up in the morning and surf whenever I want too and I am definitely thankful for losing that damn job at Lanikai cause our boss was a bitch. Who knows maybe later, if my surfboards really do take off I can take a couple of business classes at the community colleges and own my own shop. But you my dear, have nothing to worry about, you are only 15. Don't be in a rush to grow up alright."

Penny looks at her before nodding her head and standing up, enveloping the other girl in her arms. "Thanks Eden. I love you." She says so softly Eden barely knew she said it, if her mouth wasn't right next to her ear.

Eden kisses the side of her head before letting her go and moving to clean the kitchen. Penny starts moving towards the TV when she hears Eden call out.

"Make sure you finish you homework girl before turning on the TV. If you start failing school again Annemarie is going to have my ass." Penny's laughter rang through the house.

The next day at the shop, only Eden, Kala, and Noe were working since it was Lena's day off. Eden and Kala were working the front desk, folding shirts while Noe was walking around the floor, helping anyone who looked like they were in need. Eden was preoccupied though, her talk with Penny still on her mind.

"Hey Kala can I ask you something?" She asks suddenly breaking the silence.

"I already told you I would marry you, you don't need to ask." He teased only to be met with a punch in the arm. "I'm kidding girl." He laughs out, running his hand over his wounded arm.

"What's up?"

"Did you go to college after high school?"

Kala looks at her with eyebrows raised, taken back by the question. "I think I went to LCC for about a week and then dropped my classes before I had a chance to flunk'em."

"Did you know what you wanted to do, you know growing up?"

"Besides surfing for the rest of my life, no not really. I went into UFC fighting while I was in school, played football but by the time I graduated I had no fucking clue what I wanted to do and I'm sure I had no experience either."

"So what did you do?" She asks, leaning her elbow on the glass counter, giving him her undivided attention.

"I surfed my ass off and worked full time as a bouncer. They have the best hours. By the time I got off of work it was dawn and I go straight to the beach and by afternoon I can eat and catch up on some sleep."

"Sounds like the life." Eden commented with a raised eyebrow. She didn't know that that was what he did after high school. It was pretty much the same as she did with the girls. Didn't even give school a chance, just threw themselves straight into work.

"You think so honey. Well it's a life that can only last so long. I can't stay a young jackass forever." He answers back. Eden chuckles and bumps his shoulders with hers.

"So what are you going to do?" She whispers quietly. She understand where Kala is coming from, she is going to have to grow up sometime knowing her life can't resolve around surfing. Surfing has to become her hobby but she didn't know where to start.

"I'll let you know when I figure it out but I can show you what I'm going to do until then." He starts with a smile, a smile that Eden knew to well.

She slowly starts backing up when Kala grabs one of the shirts he had to fold and started twirling it into a tight twirl.

"No Kala, don't even think about it." She says before she saw Kala snapping the shirt towards her but she was able to back up far enough to be out of reach but before she could complain she found herself under Kala's muscular arm and her head pressed against his chest.

"Gosh Kala you are such a pain in the ass." She said trying to hit him in the head.

"You love it girl." He laughs out. She feels him lean down and gives her head a kiss and suddenly she felt her body heat up. Where the hell is all of this coming from? What scared her the most was her finding that she does love it.

So I'm sure there is nothing special about this chapter but for some reason this chapter did kind of feel like home to me. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Definitions
Halau- School

LCC- Leeward community college

So yes please reviews they actually do help me continue to write as motivation and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter I will try to update as soon as I can.

Endlessdream91