Catching Waves

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2006 by Matt Christopher Royalties, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Little, Brown and Company

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

  www.twitter.com/littlebrown

  First eBook Edition: December 2009

  Matt Christopher® is a registered trademark of

  Matt Christopher Royalties, Inc.

  ISBN: 978-0-316-09377-4

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  THE #1 SPORTS SERIES FOR KIDS: MATT CHRISTOPHER®

  Matt Christopher®

  1

  Kai Ford stuck his surfboard into the sand, ran full speed into the ocean, and dove into a wave. The sound of rushing water filled his ears. He broke the surface, tasting salt, and whipped his blond hair out of his eyes with a toss of his head. Then he scanned the ocean horizon. What he saw made him grin. Good-sized waves were rolling in one after another, like lines of soldiers marching toward shore.

  Time to rock and roll! He splashed out of the water and crossed the hot sand to his surfboard.

  The board was a beauty. At seven feet long, it was known as a shortboard—the best length for doing tight maneuvers on a wave. It was made of fiberglass, foam, and balsa wood. Except for the black rubber traction pad near the tail, the deck was covered with bold graphics in neon colors. The underside was glossy white and sported three curved, triangular fins at the tail. The board’s leash—a long urethane rope with an ankle strap at one end—was attached to the tail.

  When Kai reached his board, he secured the strap around his ankle. Then he picked up his board and headed back into the ocean. He floated the shortboard in front of him, pushing it along until the water reached his waist. With one smooth motion, he slid facedown onto the center of the deck. He pulled his arms through the water in even strokes, paddling away from shore.

  Kai was as comfortable in the sea as he was in his own bed. He’d grown up playing in the sand and surf of this stretch of Southern California beach. Kai’s father had once been a professional surfer, and he made sure that his son respected the awesome and unpredictable power of the sea. When Kai showed an interest in surfing, his dad had taught him the rules of safety before they even began with the basics of the sport.

  That was four years earlier, when Kai was ten. Since then, he had become as confident on his shortboard as other fourteen-year-old boys were on skateboards and snowboards. He couldn’t imagine a life without surfing—and hoped he’d never have to.

  Kai continued to pull himself along through the water. He wasn’t alone. Eleven other people were out surfing. Some sat on their boards, watching for a good wave. Others, like Kai, were paddling out to join the lineup—the place where surfers waited their turn to surf. Only two people were actually standing on their boards and slicing their way back toward shore.

  Kai reached the lineup and sat up. As he bobbed on the waves, a cool breeze blew across his face, arms, and chest. He adjusted the neck of his long-sleeved rash guard shirt. He was glad he’d decided to wear the shirt instead of going bare chested. Not only did the stretchy fabric keep his chest from being scraped by the board, it kept him warm!

  Kai looked out to sea and spotted a decent swell. He glanced around. No one else was making a move to take it so he decided to go for it.

  He lay down on his board and stroked hard to stay ahead of the wave. Then he felt it—the moment the wave surged beneath him and started pushing him forward. Now! instinct told him.

  In one explosive move, he shot from a prone to a standing position. His stance was practiced and sure: feet shoulder width apart, left foot forward, right foot planted on the traction pad, and knees bent. He stretched his arms out and leaned forward for balance.

  He’d caught the peak of the wave perfectly. It was a “left,” a wave that broke from his left side toward his right. He rode the swell frontside, with the white water boiling at his back and the crest rounding in front of him. The water beneath the board was like a living thing, rippling and strong. He pumped the board, pushing it up and down with his feet, hoping to get enough speed to reverse direction and catch some air. When he didn’t, he rode the wave straight into shore instead.

  Kai bailed when the water was a few feet deep. He pulled on the leash to bring the board back then returned to the lineup.

  When he got there, Kai saw Vaughn, a boy he knew from school. Vaughn was with another boy who looked older and wore tinted swim goggles. The other boy looked vaguely familiar, but with those goggles, Kai couldn’t place him.

  “Hey, Vaughn, how’re you doing?” he called, raising a hand in greeting.

  Vaughn returned the wave. Kai paddled closer to them.

  “What’s up, Kai?” Vaughn said.

  “Hopefully me on my board—and soon!” Kai replied with a grin.

  Vaughn laughed. “Yeah, I’m hoping to get in a few good runs, too.” He introduced the other boy. “Kai, this is my cousin, Roger. He’s visiting for the weekend.”

  Roger nodded then turned back toward where the waves were forming. Kai studied the boy’s profile, more certain than ever that he’d seen Roger somewhere before. He decided to satisfy his curiosity.

  “You look kind of familiar,” he said to Roger. “You ever surf here before?”

  “No,” Roger muttered.

  “Roger usually rides farther up the coast,” Vaughn added hurriedly.

  “Oh yeah?” Kai said with interest. “I’ve surfed some places up there, too. I bet that’s where I saw you.”

  “Doubt it,” Roger said. “I surf at a private beach.”

  Kai looked excited. “But I still could have seen you there! My dad took me to a private beach up the coast last year. The waves were killer!” He smiled ruefully. “Unfortunately, the rocks under the waves were killer, too. I rolled over one that cut my leg something fierce. See?” He pointed to a three-inch-long, jagged, white scar on his left thigh. “I almost passed out when I saw the blood.”

  Vaughn made a face. “Gross. Don’t tell me you kept surfing!”

  “I wanted to, but my dad made me go to the first aid station. By the time I got it fixed up, we had to leave,” Kai said.

  “How come?” Vaughn asked curiously.

  “The beach was being closed down so some movie company could shoot a surfing scene that afternoon.” Kai rolled his eyes. “Someone told me the star of the movie was afraid he’d be mobbed by fans. Talk about ego, huh?”

  Kai expected Vaughn to agree with him about how silly movie stars could be. Instead, Vaughn glanced at his cousin then dropped his gaze to the water.

  Roger lifted his goggles and fixed Kai with a cold stare. “What do you know about it?” the older boy said. “Maybe the guy just wanted a little privacy. I mean, I bet if you’re an actor you get recognized all the time. I bet people won’t leave you alone—even if that’s all you want.” He fit the goggles back in place, spun his board, and paddled furiously away to catch the next wave.

  Kai stared after him open-mouthed. He’d finally realized where he’d seen Roger before.

  2

  That’s—that’s—he’s—” Kai sputtered.

  “Shhh!” Vaughn hissed.

  “He’s the s
tar of that movie!” Kai couldn’t believe it. His eyes were glued to the figure surfing. Roger’s board glided over the waves like a knife spreading peanut butter—smooth and effortless.

  Kai’s voice rose with excitement. “Look at him go! Wow! He looks just like he did in Surfer Dude!”

  “Will you pipe down?” Vaughn begged.

  Kai moved his board closer to Vaughn. “Your cousin is R. William Masters, the actor?! You know I love his movies! Why didn’t you ever tell me? And why didn’t you call me and let me know he’d be surfing here today?”

  Vaughn raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t tell you because Roger didn’t want anyone to know he’d be here. He’s sick of dealing with fans. He came here because people keep bugging him where he usually surfs. He just wants some peace and quiet.”

  Suddenly Kai remembered something. “I know why he’s here!” he practically shouted. “He’s looking for extras to be in his next movie, isn’t he? I read in some magazine about how he does that! That’s what he’s doing, isn’t it? Oh, man, do you think he’d pick me?”

  Vaughn rolled his eyes. “After you made fun of him by saying he had a big ego? Good luck!”

  Kai grinned broadly. “Aha! So I was right! He is here to recruit surfers for a movie!” He turned his board. “Well, I’m going to show him my stuff! Then I’m going to ask for a part in the movie.”

  Vaughn caught hold of Kai’s leash. “Kai, wait! You’ve got it all wrong! Roger isn’t here to look for extras. He just wants to get in some surfing—without being recognized!”

  Kai looked at him in disbelief. “Without being recognized?” he echoed. “Oh, come on, Vaughn! The guy’s in the movies. I bet he loves all the attention!” He gave a hard tug on his leash and pulled it free of Vaughn’s grasp. “Listen, don’t worry. I’ll be discreet!”

  He spun his board toward shore and signaled that he was going to take the approaching wave. He paddled hard, but he was so busy thinking about Roger that he mistimed his takeoff. Instead of catching the wave’s sweet spot, he was bowled over by the curl. His board shot out behind him, and he turned a somersault under the water. He surfaced as quickly as possible and pulled his surfboard beneath him.

  Well, that was impressive, he thought as he rode the next swell in to shore on his stomach. He looked around quickly to see if Roger had seen him get axed. The movie star was halfway out to sea again. Relieved, Kai lay down and began paddling back to the lineup for another ride.

  On his way out he saw Vaughn taking a wave. He paused to watch him. Vaughn was riding goofy foot, with his right foot forward rather than his left. When the ride was over, he floundered to find his footing in the gentle undertow. Vaughn was an okay surfer, Kai decided, but nowhere near as good as his cousin. Or me, he thought.

  Kai had drifted sideways while watching Vaughn. Now he paddled his board around until the nose was facing back out to sea. He met a big wave head on, duck-diving his board right through it.

  When he reached the lineup, he searched for Roger. But Roger had already taken another wave in to shore.

  Kai decided to wait for him to return. As he bobbed in the water, he thought about what he’d say to the actor. I’ll be totally cool, of course, he told himself. A fan, but not crazy like some over-the-top groupie.

  “Hey, kid, you gonna surf or you just gonna sit there like a duck on a pond?” An impatient surfer interrupted Kai’s thoughts.

  “I’m going to hang here for a bit longer,” Kai shouted back.

  “You could have said so sooner,” the other surfer grumbled. He spun his board and took the next wave.

  Meanwhile, Roger and Vaughn were rejoining the lineup. Kai called out to his idol.

  “R. William, over here!” he yelled. His voice echoed over the waves. A few other surfers glanced their way. Vaughn shot him a warning look. Kai ignored it. “I am so stoked to meet you. I want you to know that I totally love your movies. Surfer Dude is my favorite.”

  “Kai, keep it down,” Vaughn pleaded.

  Kai continued as if Vaughn hadn’t spoken. “So listen, sorry about that crack about you having a big ego. I didn’t know you were R. William Masters, star of the silver screen, when I said it, you know? Honest mistake. So about your next movie—”

  By now, more surfers were staring at the three boys. Suddenly, one of them pointed at Roger and gave a small cry of recognition. Then she began talking excitedly to the other surfers, gesturing at Roger the whole time.

  Roger glared at Kai as if he were a disgusting bug he’d just found floating in his cereal bowl. “Thanks for nothing! I am so out of here!” He grabbed the next wave and blasted his way to shore.

  Kai sat hunched on his board, openmouthed with dismay. Meanwhile, the other surfers gave a shout and hurried to follow the movie star. Kai cringed when two of them nearly collided in their haste to catch up.

  Kai turned to find Vaughn glaring at him with even more anger than his cousin had.

  “Oops,” Kai said.

  “Oops!?” Vaughn exploded. “You completely ruined Roger’s day, and that’s all you can say? ‘Oops’?”

  Kai looked at the beach—and gulped.

  Roger had made it to shore. But as he bent down to remove his leash, three surfers converged on him. Roger stumbled. He abandoned his board and started sprinting up the soft sand. Two of the surfers pursued him. Even at this distance, Kai could hear them shouting. They sounded like hound dogs baying after their quarry. The third surfer grabbed the abandoned board as if to steal it. But a hugely muscled man—Roger’s bodyguard, Kai figured—stopped him.

  Kai hung his head. “Oh, man, I am so sorry, Vaughn. I guess I messed up, huh?”

  Vaughn snorted. “You think?” He gave Kai one last reproachful look then grabbed the next wave, riding it in to shore on his stomach.

  Kai stared after him, his face hot with shame. “I guess this means I’m not getting into his next movie,” he mumbled in a lame attempt to make himself laugh.

  It didn’t work.

  3

  Kai caught a few more waves, but his heart wasn’t into surfing anymore. Finally, he gave up. That’s when he noticed how low the sun was in the sky.

  Oh man, he groaned inwardly. If I don’t hurry, I’ll have to lug my board home by myself!

  Kai and his father had an arrangement. Mr. Ford worked a block away from the beach. On the days that Kai planned to surf, Mr. Ford brought Kai’s board to work with him in his truck. Kai picked up the board on his way to the beach. When he was done surfing, he carried his board back to the truck and rode home with his dad. If Kai was more than ten minutes late, however, Mr. Ford assumed he’d gotten a ride with someone else. That wasn’t always the case, unfortunately. Sometimes Kai just lost track of time.

  Kai had once asked his father why he couldn’t just drive the truck down to the beach and pick him up. His father had replied that he wasn’t interested in chasing him down every afternoon. “You want a ride, you get yourself and your board here on time,” he’d said.

  With that in mind, Kai surfed directly into shore on the next wave. He hurried out of the water and up the beach, pausing a second to take off the leash and grab his towel and sandals. He stopped again in the hose-off area, where he splashed water all over his board and then turned the hose on himself. When he’d removed most of the salt from his body and his board, he draped his towel around his neck, tucked his board under his arm, and speedwalked the block to his father’s truck.

  He was too late. The parking spot where the truck had been earlier was empty.

  “Drat!” Kai muttered. He leaned his board against a fence rail and glanced around, hoping to see someone he knew who might offer him a ride. But the few people he saw were unfamiliar. With a sigh, he hoisted the board under his arm again and began to trudge home.

  This day just gets better and better, he thought sarcastically.

  His usual route took him on a wooden boulevard with gift shops and fast food restaurants. His favorite place was a sea
food joint called the Shark Attack. As he walked by it, the smell of fried fish made his mouth water. He wished he had his wallet with him, but it was in his backpack, which he had left in his father’s truck when he’d picked up his board earlier.

  He was wondering what his father was making for dinner, when his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of rock music. He stopped and looked around. Then his eyes widened in surprise.

  Two doors down from the Shark Attack was a shop that had been closed for months, its plate-glass windows soaped up so passersby couldn’t see inside. Now, however, the windows were clear. Kai grinned for the first time in an hour when he saw what was inside.

  Gleaming surfboards of various lengths and widths lined one window. In another, rash shirts, leashes, and wet suits dangled on hangers. Next to the door was a railing with a sign that read “Park Your Board Here.” Above the open doorway was a banner announcing the grand opening of the Seaside Surf Shop. The rock music Kai had heard was coming from the shop.

  Like a moth drawn to a flame, Kai followed the music. He parked his board then stepped inside the shop. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light. When he could see better, his grin grew even wider.

  “This,” he said out loud, “is paradise.”

  “Glad you think so,” came a voice from behind him. “I kind of like it here myself.”

  Kai spun around to see a woman emerge from the back of the store. She was carrying an armload of surf booties and smiling pleasantly. “Let me know if you need help with anything.” She started stacking the booties onto a shelf.

  “Uh, okay,” Kai mumbled, embarrassed to have been caught talking to himself. He picked up a pair of neoprene gloves and started to tug one on.

  The woman frowned. “Just remember, you break it, you buy it.”

  Startled, Kai pulled the glove off. He edged toward the door. “Sorry”

  The woman broke into a hearty laugh. “I’m kidding. Except for those tacky snow globes over there,” she said, nodding her head at a display near the cash register, “I don’t think there’s anything here that can break. Really. Look around all you want. Touch stuff all you want, too.”