Just the start...

Nate scratched loosely at an old scab that itched and burned under his salty sun block glaze. He was sitting on one of the old retaining walls just outside the surf shop watching the congested Lorne tourist traffic go by soaking up summer. That’s when he saw the girl standing out across the road like nothing he’d seen before. He almost burst out laughing right there and then at the sight of her hot pink, roughly cropped hair but saved himself the humiliation, watching as she pulled her surf board out of the Kombi van, bending over to reveal a butterfly tattoo just above her bikini bottom.

‘Typical surfer chick’ Nate tried to tell himself but she turned back towards the shops and again stung him with her strange beauty, obviously untainted by seawater.

“Ain’t she something?” Came a familiar voice followed by a hard slap on his sun burnt shoulder. Nate cringed and turned to face his age-old mate.

“Bruno” his voice catching slightly “and what do I owe the pleasure?”

Nate almost completely forgot about the girl so when he remembered, searching the heavy flow of people, he knew he’d already missed her.

“Who is she?” Nate questioned quickly without letting Bruno finish his spiel on the Pro Circuit training scheme he had planned for next year.

“Nobody got a clue” He laughed “Ain’t a local, but ain’t here on holiday either…” he said slowly, he brow creasing slightly as he searched for her in the distance.

With that Nate stood up, uninterested in sticking around with Bruno for much longer. “I’m going surfing, joining me?” He said laughing, knowing Bruno wouldn’t follow until late afternoon.

“That’s cruel Nate, stomach over friends, you know me.” He said grinning. And with that Bruno disappeared much as the girl with hot pink hair has done just moments before.