scores, because
it was up to Megan to make the most of the conditions.'
'Yeah, right!' Megan spat, a bit too loud.
Maybe two psycho moments were brewing.
'Perhaps Jaime should've . . .' Kia paused. She was
now bending her pinky so far back it was almost
touching the back of her hand. Watching her was
making me queasy. 'Should've picked her team's takeoff
zone herself. We all know she had some help.'
I crossed my legs the other way. It wasn't against the
rules for a team member to offer advice about the best
take-off point.
'I just think that's a bit like cheating – from the
person who helped, I mean.'
Yes, Kia was angry with me. I'd probably cop the
silent treatment back at the bungalow. I was fairly sure
she wouldn't do her full-on, in-your-face screaming
specialty, as she'd be too worried about what Ace might
think.
'So?' Carla addressed Kia. 'You're saying that Jaime
didn't pick the take-off zone . . . independently?'
'Big deal,' Ace whispered loudly.
Kia nodded.
'Well, everyone's going to have a turn at being tag
captain and making that decision.' Natasha's hand was
waving. 'Yes, Natasha.'
'Something good came out of it for me,' she began. 'I
was stressing badly about that second scoring surf.
Especially as there wasn't much time to rest in
between. But I realised that I'm actually fitter than I
thought, which is so cool 'cause I've really been
working on my aerobic fitness lately.' She must've
caught all the pissed-off faces staring at her. 'So . . .
yeah. That's all.'
Jake stepped forward. He was holding the new Teahupoo Diary 07 DVD. 'We're all about encouragement
here. We have to remember that, especially when
it comes to one another. So I want any bad feelings to
be left in this room. Okay?'
We nodded and agreed. We, with the exception of
Kia. She just stared at her hands.
'One girl surfed exceptionally well today.' Jake
turned in my direction. 'Her technique, her choice of
waves, her tactical approach, her focus and attitude' –
suddenly, he took a step towards me – 'reflected what a
truly talented surfer she is and what a big future she
has.' His lips were moving but it was his eyes that were
smiling – sparkling – at me. 'So tonight this DVD is
awarded to Georgie, who got the highest score of eight-point-five,
for her second wave.'
I was beginning to feel giddy.
'Well done, Georgie,' Jake said.
'Thanks.' This was what I wanted – wasn't it?
KIA
Tiny beads of sweat gathered on my top lip. I breathed
gently, trying to calm my heart, which was starting to
hurt it'd been beating so hard and fast.
Ace and Georgie were asleep. It was easy to tell with
Georgie as she snored. Ace's leg was hanging out of the
bed in such a weird way that she had to be deep in sleep.
Micki had gone into the bathroom about fifteen
minutes ago and still hadn't come out. I'd seen a book
under her arm as she'd crept past. It would've been a
diary for sure. That's the sort of thing twelve-year-olds
did.
No doubt she was writing about what a fantastic
score her team got in the relays blah blah blah and how
hopeless my team was and how I totally stuffed up.
I could feel my fingernails digging into my palms
my fists were clenched so tight. But I liked the pain.
I needed it. I deserved it. The pain was the only way to
make the bad thoughts disappear.
The first time was the hardest. I'd been looking at
the scissors a while before the thought came into my
head. Before that I'd been trying to block out the sound
of Georgie banging on the toilet door every three
seconds, asking me if I was okay.
'Kia?' she kept calling. 'Kia, are you okay? What's
wrong? Talk to me! Kia?'
It took all my energy to make my voice work. 'I'm
okay,' I heard myself speak. 'I just want to be alone for
a while.'
The man's voice on the loudspeaker filled my toilet
cubicle with words I didn't want to hear.
'Georgie Elwood Ross, please make your way to the
check-in immediately. Georgie Elwood Ross.'
'I've got to go.' Georgie was panicking, I
it was up to Megan to make the most of the conditions.'
'Yeah, right!' Megan spat, a bit too loud.
Maybe two psycho moments were brewing.
'Perhaps Jaime should've . . .' Kia paused. She was
now bending her pinky so far back it was almost
touching the back of her hand. Watching her was
making me queasy. 'Should've picked her team's takeoff
zone herself. We all know she had some help.'
I crossed my legs the other way. It wasn't against the
rules for a team member to offer advice about the best
take-off point.
'I just think that's a bit like cheating – from the
person who helped, I mean.'
Yes, Kia was angry with me. I'd probably cop the
silent treatment back at the bungalow. I was fairly sure
she wouldn't do her full-on, in-your-face screaming
specialty, as she'd be too worried about what Ace might
think.
'So?' Carla addressed Kia. 'You're saying that Jaime
didn't pick the take-off zone . . . independently?'
'Big deal,' Ace whispered loudly.
Kia nodded.
'Well, everyone's going to have a turn at being tag
captain and making that decision.' Natasha's hand was
waving. 'Yes, Natasha.'
'Something good came out of it for me,' she began. 'I
was stressing badly about that second scoring surf.
Especially as there wasn't much time to rest in
between. But I realised that I'm actually fitter than I
thought, which is so cool 'cause I've really been
working on my aerobic fitness lately.' She must've
caught all the pissed-off faces staring at her. 'So . . .
yeah. That's all.'
Jake stepped forward. He was holding the new Teahupoo Diary 07 DVD. 'We're all about encouragement
here. We have to remember that, especially when
it comes to one another. So I want any bad feelings to
be left in this room. Okay?'
We nodded and agreed. We, with the exception of
Kia. She just stared at her hands.
'One girl surfed exceptionally well today.' Jake
turned in my direction. 'Her technique, her choice of
waves, her tactical approach, her focus and attitude' –
suddenly, he took a step towards me – 'reflected what a
truly talented surfer she is and what a big future she
has.' His lips were moving but it was his eyes that were
smiling – sparkling – at me. 'So tonight this DVD is
awarded to Georgie, who got the highest score of eight-point-five,
for her second wave.'
I was beginning to feel giddy.
'Well done, Georgie,' Jake said.
'Thanks.' This was what I wanted – wasn't it?
KIA
Tiny beads of sweat gathered on my top lip. I breathed
gently, trying to calm my heart, which was starting to
hurt it'd been beating so hard and fast.
Ace and Georgie were asleep. It was easy to tell with
Georgie as she snored. Ace's leg was hanging out of the
bed in such a weird way that she had to be deep in sleep.
Micki had gone into the bathroom about fifteen
minutes ago and still hadn't come out. I'd seen a book
under her arm as she'd crept past. It would've been a
diary for sure. That's the sort of thing twelve-year-olds
did.
No doubt she was writing about what a fantastic
score her team got in the relays blah blah blah and how
hopeless my team was and how I totally stuffed up.
I could feel my fingernails digging into my palms
my fists were clenched so tight. But I liked the pain.
I needed it. I deserved it. The pain was the only way to
make the bad thoughts disappear.
The first time was the hardest. I'd been looking at
the scissors a while before the thought came into my
head. Before that I'd been trying to block out the sound
of Georgie banging on the toilet door every three
seconds, asking me if I was okay.
'Kia?' she kept calling. 'Kia, are you okay? What's
wrong? Talk to me! Kia?'
It took all my energy to make my voice work. 'I'm
okay,' I heard myself speak. 'I just want to be alone for
a while.'
The man's voice on the loudspeaker filled my toilet
cubicle with words I didn't want to hear.
'Georgie Elwood Ross, please make your way to the
check-in immediately. Georgie Elwood Ross.'
'I've got to go.' Georgie was panicking, I
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