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Like deer going still, Kai could almost feel the sense of alertness flow through Lucas's crew. Even Buzzy grew quiet.

“What's he doing?” Runt asked. No one
answered. It was obvious what Booger was doing.

“Man, I knew it,” Sam grumbled. “I just fricken knew it.”

Lucas's whole crew was now watching Booger kick toward them. At the same time, they were shooting looks at Kai from the corners of their eyes as if waiting to see what he'd do. Kai had to fight the desire to smile.
Good for you, Booger,
he thought. He hadn't thought the kid had it in him.

“This isn't happening,” Sam grumbled. “No fricken spongehead is movin' in on this break. Everett, you know what to do.”

It seemed to Kai that Sam said this loud enough for Lucas to hear, as if he was really asking Lucas what he thought. Lucas didn't say a word, as if his answer was, it was up to Sam.

Kai also knew what Sam was planning because they'd once done it to him. They'd wait until Booger caught a wave. Everett would drop in on him to try to ruin his ride, but also to distract him. Meanwhile Sam would be on the next wave. While Booger was busy dealing with Everett, Sam would run him down.

Everett turned and gave Kai a questioning
look. Kai shook his head slowly. This meant war and they all knew Kai was willing to fight.

Booger got out past the break and clung to his bodyboard, his eyes darting this way and that, looking at everything and everyone except the waves. Kai could see he was freaking. He winked at the kid to try to let him know things were okay and he was proud of him for making such a gutsy move, but Lucas's crew was vibing Booger bad. If vibes had been sounds, the air would have been a black roar.

A set was coming in. Booger looked around, trying to assess whether any of Lucas's crew was going to take the first wave. Usually the better surfers let the first wave in a set pass, knowing bigger waves often followed. Kai had a feeling Booger knew this and would try to take the first wave because he thought no one else would. That's exactly what the kid did, spinning his bodyboard around at the last second and kicking with all his might to get into the pocket.

Kai gave Everett a steady look. The guy didn't budge. As if this was one firefight he wasn't going to take sides in. Sam saw that too. Strangely, the kid named Derek didn't move either, but just watched the whole thing silently.

“Crap.” Sam started to paddle into position to catch the next wave. It was obvious that with or without Everett, he was going to run Booger down. Sam was so busy paddling for the wave that he didn't see Kai paddling around behind him. The wave started to crest and Sam dug and kicked hard for it. Kai slipped into the water and grabbed Sam's leash.

T
he leash went tight in Kai's hand. For a split second it felt like it was going to pull right through his fingers. Then it went slack, and Kai knew Sam wasn't running over anyone on that ride.

When the leash went tight, Sam was yanked off his board. At the same time, his momentum pulled Kai forward. They were both in the impact zone now, being flung around under the surface, although given the size of the waves that day, it wasn't like either of them had to worry about being seriously trashed. Kai was more worried about his new board banging into Sam's. He got to the surface just in time to see Sam grab the new thruster and turn it upside down.

In a flash Kai knew what Sam planned to do. It was one of the oldest moves in the book. The easiest way to stop a surfer from surfing was to snap a fin off the bottom of his board. As Sam reached for the center fin of the thruster, Kai reached down to his own leash and tugged it with all his might.

Kai's intent was to yank the board out of Sam's hands before Sam could snap a fin off. What he didn't expect was the scream that followed. “Ahhhh!” Sam cried, then grabbed his hand. Something red started to seep out between his fingers. Then Kai realized what he'd done.

Lucas and Buzzy helped Sam go in. Everett followed with Sam's board. Kai followed Everett. On the beach Sam cradled his hurt hand with his good one. Blood continued to drip out from between his fingers.

The lifeguards didn't go on duty until 9
A.M.
, but Buzzy trotted over to the closest lifeguard stand, searched around under it, and trotted back with a bright orange first aid kit. Sam was sitting on the sand by now, and Buzzy kneeled in front of him and opened the kit. He got Sam to let go of the injured hand. Kai and the others saw the bright red gash between the
middle and ring finger on Sam's right hand.

Buzzy wrapped the wound with gauze. Then he and Lucas helped Sam to his feet and led him up the beach toward the parking lot. Everett and Runt followed, carrying their surfboards. The first aid kit was left open for Kai to pack up.

By now Shauna, Booger, and Bean had joined the crowd. They asked Kai what had happened and he told them.

“Serves him right for trying to run me down,” Booger said.

“I'm not sure Lucas and his friends are gonna see it that way,” Kai said, and headed toward the lifeguard stand with the first aid kit. He was on his way back when Runt came down the beach, followed by Everett.

“You fricken cut his finger off” Runt yelled.

Kai looked at Everett, who shook his head. “Looked like it might need a couple of stitches,” the dreadlocked kid said.

“But you were trying to cut his finger off,” Runt insisted.

“Runt, get a life,” Bean said.

“This means war,” Runt snarled, then went to get his board. That left only Everett from Lucas's crew. The guy named Derek was still out
surfing Screamers as if nothing had happened.

“Do me a favor?” Kai said to Everett. “You know the T-shirt shop where I work? If you're around town later, maybe you'll stop by and let me know how he is?”

“No sweat,” Everett said.

Except for Derek, Lucas's entire crew had gone. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the waves were feathering blue shoulder-high walls. Kai and his friends stood on the beach for a moment, as if not sure what to do.

“Hey, guys.” Spazzy came down the beach with a brand-new wet suit in one hand and a brand-new green-and-blue-striped beach towel in the other. Both items still had white sales tags dangling from them.

“Hey, man,” Bean said.

Spazzy twitched, then licked the back of his hand and sniffed it. “How come you're not surfing?”

“Sam just had an accident,” Bean said.

“Is he okay?” Spazzy asked.

“We think he's gonna be okay,” Bean said.

“What happened?”

“I tried to surf Screamers so Sam decided to get me,” Booger said. “Only Kai got Sam first.”

“I didn't mean to hurt him, just stop him,” Kai added.

“He who lives by the sword dies by the sword,” Spazzy said.

Once again they stood around as if not sure what to do.

“I know this feels weird,” Shauna said. “Like part of me is saying we shouldn't go back out and surf, because someone just got hurt. But another part of me is saying we might as well surf, because there's nothing else we can do.”

“I like that part better,” said Booger.

“I guess we could go visit Sam in the emergency room,” Spazzy said.

“I'm sure he'd love that.” Bean chuckled.

Booger picked up his bodyboard. “Well, I don't know about you guys, but Screamers is wide open and those waves look too good. I'm going back out.”

“Hard to argue with that,” Bean said. He picked up his board and followed, leaving Shauna and Kai with Spazzy.

“I got a wet suit,” Spazzy said. “So I can show you, okay? You'll come out with me, right?”

Kai wasn't certain how to answer. He was always in favor of people surfing, but this
seemed like a lot of responsibility, and he was already responsible for one person getting hurt today. “What if something happens?”

“Nothing's going to happen,” Spazzy said. “I told you, I've been surfing in California for three years. Nothing ever happened there and it's not gonna happen here. It's just that I made Mrs. Lantz a promise.”

Kai looked at the wet suit and the towel and the labels hanging from them. Spazzy had bought them just to show Kai he could surf.

“What are you gonna do for a board?” Kai asked.

Twitching and blinking, Spazzy turned to Shauna. “Think I could use yours for a minute?”

Shauna frowned. “It's not my board. It's Kai's.”

Spazzy turned to Kai. “Then we can do it?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“You sure you can surf?” Shauna asked.

“Been surfing for years,” Spazzy said. “I swear.”

Shauna gave Kai a “so-what's-the-problem?” look.

Kai sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win this debate. “All right, let's go.”

S
pazzy tugged his shirt off, then wrapped the beach towel around his waist and started to pull at his shorts. Only, in true Spazzy fashion, the towel didn't stay tucked in and started to slip down his waist. Shauna covered her eyes with her hand and turned away. With his shorts down around his ankles, Spazzy tried to grab the towel and hold it up before it fell to the sand and left him bare-butt naked on the beach. In the process he lost his balance and fell. Now he couldn't get up without letting go of the towel.

“Hold on to that towel, dude.” Kai reached down, slipped his hands under Spazzy's arms from behind and helped him up while Spazzy clung to the towel.

“Tell you what,” Kai said. “I'll hold the towel from behind and you pull on the wet suit.”

It took a while, but they managed to help Spazzy get the wet suit on. “Good thing this is a shorty,” Spazzy said. “Out in California I have to wear a full suit. Sometimes it takes half an hour just to get it on.”

One thing that amazed Kai about Spazzy was how open and honest he was about his “condition.” Kai watched nervously as Spazzy bent down and picked up old #43. He started to feel a little better when the guy pulled the leash up and balanced the board in the middle with the bottom facing inward and the deck facing out. So, at least, it
seemed
like Spazzy knew what he was doing.

About ten feet from the waters edge, Spazzy broke into a run, splashed into the shallows and launched himself and the board into the waves. Kai felt himself relax even more. It looked like Spazzy really had been doing this for years. Kai got on his board and paddled out behind him. Spazzy headed toward Sewers with his back arched, knees bent, and both feet raised, no doubt a habit he'd developed surfing in the cold California
winter waters. The guy's paddling strokes were strong and smooth and from the movements of his arms, Kai knew he was using the S stroke that good swimmers, and surfers, use to get extra thrust.

Usually the first time you paddled out in the morning, especially at a break you'd never surfed before, you tended to take your time. You sat up on the board, caught your breath, had a look around, felt the smaller swells rise and fall beneath you, took a look at how the waves were cresting and breaking, checked the water for unwanted guests such as sharks and jellyfish. So it took Kai by surprise when, before they'd even gotten all the way outside, Spazzy suddenly swung the tip of the long board around, took a couple of easy strokes and was on a wave. It happened so fast that Kai didn't even have time to catch the next wave and follow him. In a flash Spazzy was up and in the pocket. His stance was wide and stiff. Not nearly as relaxed and gracefull as Bean's, but with his legs spread like that he could shift his weight forward or back, slowing down or speeding up the board at will.

By the time Kai caught a wave, Spazzy was paddling back. Kai kicked out and paddled with him.

“Nice ride,” Kai said.

“Thanks, dude. You can't believe how good it feels.”

Actually Kai was pretty sure he could believe it.

They caught some more waves. After a while Shauna stood up on the beach and waved at them.

“Uh, I hate to say this,” Kai said to Spazzy, “but it looks like Shauna wants the board back.”

You could see the disappointment creep across Spazzy's face. Then he glanced at his wristwatch. “I better get going anyway before the Wicked Witch notices I'm gone and sends out the hounds. This was really great, dude. Thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

Spazzy started to look for a wave to catch in. “Hey, one other thing?” he said. “Think I could leave my wet suit and towel with you? If I take 'em home, I'm gonna catch hell.”

“No sweat,” Kai said. “Leave 'em on the beach. I'll take care of them.”

“Be back tomorrow, okay?” Spazzy said.

“Definitely,” said Kai.

Spazzy caught the next wave in. On the
beach he handed the board back to Shauna. Meanwhile, Kai paddled out to Screamers, where Bean and Booger were having a blast in the shoulder-high surf.

“Amazing about Spazzy, huh?” Bean said when Kai got there.

“Yeah, the kid can actually surf,” Kai said.

“That's not what I meant,” Bean said.

Kai frowned.

“Didn't you notice?” Bean asked.

“Notice what?”

“The second he started surfing, it all stopped. The twitching and shaking. All that nutty stuff just went away.”

“You think it was all an act?” Kai asked.

“No way, man,” Bean said. “That Tourette's stuff is for real.”

“Then I don't get it,” Kai said.

Bean shrugged. “I don't get it either, dude. Guess it's just the magic of surfing.”

L
ater Kai said good-bye to his friends and carried his board and Spazzy's wet suit and towel down the beach and through the dunes to the Driftwood Motel. It was time to change, shower, and grab some breakfast before reporting to work. But as Kai entered the backyard, he came upon a bizarre sight. Two men in blue jeans and black T-shirts with
SUN HAVEN FD
printed on them were using fire axes to chop Curtis's old surfboards in half, then throwing the broken pieces into the back of a small dump truck. Meanwhile Curtis sat in a beach chair watching, with a bottle of JD in his lap.