AUTHORS NOTE:

Hi everyone,

Please don't forget to review and let me know what you like, dislike or any questions with the story. I'd love to hear your feedback :)

Does anyone know how to put in separation lines between parts of the texts? I can't get it right.

Thanks and enjoy :)

Chapter 9: To fear the surf

(Brax 7years, Heath 2years)

It was school holidays and Brax was out of his mind. His parents wouldn't let him hang out with Hayden and there was just so much time he could spend with baby Heath. Cheryl came out of the shower to hear her eldest son begging with her husband to take him to the beach. He had never been before and Hayden always told him about this thing called surfing at school.

"Darryl the more you nag, the more angry I get and you know what happens when I get angry." "Yes Dad. I'm sorry. I'm just bored here."

"Oh take him will ya. It'll shut the boy up and get the two of them out of my hair." Danny grunted. "Come on then."

Brax got up and smiled and waited at the car for his father. "You better behave yourself out there otherwise we're coming straight home." Brax nodded and ran towards the sand. It felt so amazing. It was all exactly like Hayden had described it. Danny sat on the beach with baby Heath in the carrier next to him. Brax watched some people out in the waves on boards.

Running back up to his father he asked. "What are they doing Dad?" "They're surfing Darryl." That's what surfing was.

"Can I surf Dad?" "You are far too young Darryl and I ain't takin' ya out there to teach ya."

"You don't have to. I'm a quick learner. Please Dad." "No Darryl."

"I promise I won't ask for anything else, I just really wanna try it, Dad please." "Darryl for the last time I said no!"

Heath had now started to cry and become restless in his carrier. "If you don't want to be here any longer Darryl, we can easily go home." Brax didn't want to go home yet, he loved the beach.

"No I wanna stay." "Well stop ya askin'" Brax slumped.

Heath was screaming and Danny couldn't settle him. He looked to his other son watching the surfers sadly. Danny picked up Heath in his carrier and with his left arm picked up Brax around his waist, surprising him. Brax felt himself being carried towards the water.

"Dad what are you doing?" Brax asked worried. "You wanna get out there so much. Fine." Danny put down Heath and continued to carry Brax deep into the water. "Dad?"

Danny then dropped Brax into the water. Not knowing how to swim Brax struggled to breath and flailed about it the water. "Dad!" After several moments of watching Brax struggle Danny grabbed his son before he went under water and pulled him up. Brax coughed out water and immediately started to cry.

"Oh man up Darryl. You wanted to go out there and the first skill in surfing is to know how to swim." Brax looked up at his father, he was scared and in shock.

Danny picked up Heath and headed back to the car. Brax was soaking and cried and shivered the entire way home. Danny took his boys inside. Cheryl saw her dripping wet son.

"What happened to you?" Brax choked out a sob. "He wanted to go in the water, so I gave him a taste of what it was like." Cheryl shook her head.

"Well before you go making a mess on my carpet get yourself cleaned up." Brax ran to his room and got some clean clothes while Danny ran some water for his bath. When Brax walked into the bathroom Danny left shutting the door behind him. As soon as Brax climbed into the bath he held his face in his hands and cried. How could his father have done that to him? How could he face his friend now that he was afraid of the water?

When school returned back Brax was greeted by his best friend. "Hey Brax, how was your holidays?" Brax shrugged. "Did you get your parents to take you to the beach?" Brax didn't know how to tell his best friend what happened.

"Yeah." "So? Did you surf? Did you like it?" Brax just nodded.

"Why don't you ask your parents if you can come to the beach with me and my parents this weekend? We can go surfing together." "I'd like that." Brax smiled.

Cheryl and Danny eventually decided it be good for Brax to be away from their hair for the Saturday and let him go to the beach with Hayden.

Hayden held his board under his arm. "You ready to surf?" "I haven't got a board." "That's okay you can borrow mine." Hayden smiled.

Brax was cautious as he watched his friend go into the water, having flashbacks of his incident. How was he to get out of this? Hayden ran out of the water and handed Brax his board. "Your turn."

"I shouldn't use your board." "I don't mind. Go on." Brax took the board in his arms. "The water's great out there."

Brax stood stationary, visions flashing through his eyes. He couldn't hear Hayden calling to him. "Brax! What's up man?" Brax shook himself out of his gaze and threw down the board.

"I can't do it okay and I don't need you!" "What? Brax!" Brax ran off down the beach, Hayden chasing behind him. "Leave me alone! You won't want to be my friend anymore."

"Brax?" Hayden sat down next to Brax. "I'll always be your friend. We're the two TC's remember."

"Tough cookies. I know." Brax smiled. "What's up then?"

"In my holidays when my Dad took me to the beach, I kept asking to go in the water and he… he picked me up and dropped me in… I struggled to breathe…It was the scariest thing I've dealt with. Please don't tell anyone I said this. Dad would kill me."

"My lips are sealed friend." "I didn't want to tell you I was afraid to go in the water, in case you didn't want to be my friend."

"It's okay to be fearful of the water after that. How about I teach you to surf on the sand first and when you're ready we can go in the water together." Brax nodded.

"Here I want you to have this. It's the other half of my ring. Call it a symbolism of our loyal friendship. Your secrets are safe with me." Brax took the ring and placed it on his own finger.

"Let's go hey." Hayden tapped his arm and ran off down the sand and Brax got up and followed close behind.