Chapter Text
Seven years ago
Her lavender beats were pulled over her ears, blasting her pre-comp playlist. Eyes closed, she was visualizing her heat, her body slightly swaying as if she were already on the waves.
A tap on her shoulder brought her out of the trance. “Christen, your heat is about to start. Grab your board and head down to the beach. Good luck,” the starter said.
“Thank you!” Christen yelled as she picked up her fiberglass 5’ 6” surfboard. She quickly looked over the fins, ensuring she was happy with their positioning. She uses FCS fins that are interchangeable instead of fiberglass ones built into the board. It’s not unheard of to break a fin or a board during a heat, so Christen always has at least two extras in the same size and one a size up or below just depending on the surf conditions.
She gets down to the water and begins to paddle out. The other heat is just ending. It’s not her first time paddling out for a contest, but she may be more nervous now than she was for her first comp ever.
Since she was ten, this is what she dreamed of. The World Surf League Championship Tour. And she was going up against the reigning champion, Tobin Heath. In her first heat ever.
That’s just how the drawing worked out. But as nervous as Christen was on the inside, she didn’t let it show. She paddled out with confident strokes slicing through the water only stopping when she got to the lineup. Usually, on days like this, the lineup would be full of surfers. The conditions were prime with 5’- 8’ waves and a little breeze.
Today though, it would only be her and Tobin out there for the thirty-minute heat. They could catch as many waves as they wanted but only their best two would be scored. The best one wave could get is 10 points.
Christen trusted herself and her surfing. She’d been working for this. But-
Tobin was an enigma. Christen grew up hearing about the surfer prodigy, only a year older than her. However, even with how small the surf world is, their paths hadn’t ever crossed. Until now. Christen looked up to Tobin. She had this effortlessly laid-back style but also had this sense of power and finesse. It was mesmerizing.
Christen looked to her left and saw Tobin paddling a few feet behind her. Tobin was in the yellow jersey. The leader going into each event had it. This was the first event of the 2015 season and since Tobin had won last year she got to start in the yellow bib. Tobin had the same number as she did last season. Number 17. Christen being new, got to choose her number. She chose 23 and her bib was black for this heat. The colors of the bibs changed regularly unless it was the yellow jersey. It just depended on who else was in the heat. The colors helped the judges tell the surfers apart.
Tobin stops close to Christen, both of them floating on their boards waiting for the buzzer to sound signaling the beginning of the heat.
Tobin clears her throat, wanting to say something to the stunning new surfer on tour. Anything. Except what is she supposed to say before a contest when one person has to lose? Does she introduce herself? What if Christen’s in the zone and doesn’t want to be talked to?
She decides on ‘good luck’ but the buzzer sounds and the heat has started. And now there's a set coming through and Christen’s turning and paddling for the first wave. The first wave looks promising. Tobin’s on the inside, if she can catch up she’ll have the positioning.
She sees Christen pop up a split second too late for her to pull out and wait for the next wave. She has to try. Christen turns on her toe rail slicing right across the face of the wave and unfortunately for Tobin, right into her path.
Tobin knows she’s going to get called for interference before she resurfaces. She knows it was stupid to go for that wave when there were two more in the set. She knows that because of the interference only one of her waves will count and the chances of her winning the heat just plummeted.
Christen’s pissed. Her first wave and she’s taken out by the only other surfer out there. She was blindsided and lucky that she wasn’t hurt. Christen knows that she was on the wave first and should’ve had priority and Tobin knows that.
All Christen can think while she paddles back out are why would Tobin do that? It was the first wave and the ocean’s been firing today? Are the judges going to call interference?
The rest of the heat passes with Tobin and Christen staying at least twenty feet away from each other. Christen’s waves are smooth and clinical with lots of powerful cutbacks and turns. Her two scores end up being 8.3 and 6.7 for a total of 15.
Tobin had some great waves but with only one score counting she ends with a 9.1 and knows that had she not dropped in on Christen for that first wave she would have won the heat.
Christen’s the first one back on the beach, greeted by cheers from the fans and her family that came to watch. She’s only moved on to the round of 16 and still has a long contest day ahead of her if she makes it to the finals. She feels good.
She gets to her family and throws her arms around her sisters Channing and Tyler, and her dad.
“We’re so proud of you Mo!” Her dad smiles, “you looked so good out there.”
“Thanks, Dad! I had so much fun. The waves were pumping. It was just set after set and with really no lineup, I got so tired at the end,” Christen laughs.
“We couldn’t tell from here. You crushed it,” Channing adds. “I may have to go yell at Heath for dropping in on you like that though.”
Tobin was planning on saying something. Anything. She wanted to give Christen some time with who she assumes is her family but as she started stopping all she heard was,
“Ugg I forgot about that first wave. I don’t know what she was thinking. She could’ve seriously injured both of us. She should know better,” Christen scoffed feeling a little fed up.
Tobin just kept walking to the staging tent. She placed her board by the rest of her quiver, struggled out of her bib, and slinked to the showers to wash the sand off.
The rest of the day passed by slowly for Tobin. She watched the rest of the contest. Christen got knocked out in the next round by Ashlyn, who went on to win the event.
Tobin didn’t want to check her constantly buzzing phone, assuming all of social media was putting her on blast for the interference. A text from Kelley caught her eye though.
Kelley 9:58 am
You’re going against Chris! She’s good so watch out 😂
“Fuck” Tobin murmured. Of course, Christen is Kelley’s Chris. Tobin and Kelley met at Tobin’s first surf contest ever and instantly became friends. They talked almost every day even while Tobin was traveling on the tour and Kelley was trying to work her way up. Tobin’s heard stories of Kelley’s other friend “Chris” but somehow had never met her.
Kelley 10:06 am
TOBS YOU ALMOST KILLED CHRIS!
Kelley 10:07 am
Not cool. Don’t scare me like that again.
Kelley 10:35 am
You surfed well, keep your head up and apologize to Chris. You two could be friends!
Kelley 12:43 pm
Are you still at the event?
Kelley 2:02 pm
Talked to Chris, said she hasn’t seen you since the heat. Also that you guys didn’t talk?? At all. Don’t screw this up Tobs, I need you two to be friends so we can all hang out when I make the tour. Call me
Tobin glanced up at the time and sighed. The digital clock on the outside of the lifeguard tower blinked over to 4:24. She doubted Christen would still be around. Christen's probably at her hotel with her family. Celebrating beating me. I should have said something.
Unfortunately for Tobin, Kelley picked up after two rings.
“About time Tobs!” She said instead of a greeting.
“Sorry, you know I don’t really look at my phone during comps.”
“Yeah, yeah. Hard chill and all that.” Kelley rolled her eyes, “I can’t believe you and Chris surfed against each other and I couldn’t be there! Isn’t she the nicest?”
“Y-yeah she’s great. How was your day?” Tobin tried weakly to deflect.
“I think you’re forgetting that I’m your best friend and know when you’re lying. You didn’t talk to her Tobs? Ugg you’re insane. She’s so nice, she’ll probably forgive you on the spot. I know you didn’t mean to drop in on her like that but she doesn’t know that-”
“I’ll find her and talk to her Kelley,” Tobin cut Kelley off, “Hey I have to go. Someone wants me to do an interview. I’ll talk to you later.” Tobin lied.
“Talk to her!” Kelley yelled as the line went dead.