Koda was gathering her things, putting her water bottle back in her bag when she heard someone walking up behind her. Tilting her head to the side to see over her shoulder she noticed it was Baxter.

She turned to face him as she slung the bag over her shoulder, eyes turning up to met his. "Yes?" She inquired curiously, head cocking to the side slightly. The boy offering her a charming grin. "So, Little Bear, what are you up to later?"

He was intrigued by the quiet girl who held no fear or hard feelings for a shark that bite her,  who was ready to fight for her friends.

"Little bear?" She questioned with a slight huff of a laugh. Baxter chuckling as well. "Koda means little bear, does it not?" She paused for a moment, realizing that he was correct. "Fair enough. I'm going with Summer, hanging out. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno, thinking that we could possibly hang out. I got a good feeling about you and I." Baxter said with a smirk decorating his face as she arched a brow. "Is that right?"

"Yeah, but I suppose I'll see you around little bear, when we meet again." His voice held a playful tone as he walked out the door to where Wren and Elo were waiting for him in the car.

Koda looking after him. That's when Summer walked up beside her, placing her arm on her shoulder, her eyes following Koda's gaze. "You got a little crush Koda bear?" She asked, turning her head to look at her now.

A dark blush filled the girl's face.  "No I don't. Don't embarrass me Sum." She said with a soft smile falling across her face. "Mm-hm whatever you say." Summer enjoyed teasing the girl, she knew finding little things could cause the girl's face to turn red. "Let's go lover girl." Summer tugged her arm to get her to follow, earning a disapproving looking for Koda.

Summer was following after Margot, carrying a propane tank. Koda not that far behind, she had a tendency when at someone's house to follow them around, not wanting to linger awkwardly where she was left.

"Ma, come on, we can't let this house go to waste." She said in a nearing desperate manner. The older woman opening the back door for her. "I said no parties."

"Okay, not a party. A team bonding. Come om, it's exactly what we spoke about with Dr. Cross-"developing healthy relationships with like minded peers." Ooh!" Summer exclaimed at the end, dropping the propane. "Careful." Margot told her as Summer picked the tank back up.

Koda gave her a look. "Summy, you know if that had a crack a drop could result in boom, right?"  Summer just gave her a charming smile, one causing the other girl to roll her dark eyes, before turning back to her mom.

"So, permission granted?" Summer asked with a smile once they reached the grill. Margot signed softly. "Well, Abbie did invite me for drinks. But I feel like they're trying to set me up with one of their tattooed tradie mates,"

"Ay! Get it, Ma!" Summer said happily. Margot casting her daughter a slight look and Koda laughing softly with a shake of her head. "I mean, you're more than welcome to stay if you want. You could be the Salad Queen to my Grill Master." She said as she clicked the tongs together.

"Nightmare." Was Margot simply reply before laughing slightly. "Do you even know how to barbecue?" She looked at Summer, who was flipping the tongs in the air and catching them. "Yeah. I mean, how hard can it be?" She laughed slightly. "Very hard if you don't know what you are doing." Koda replied.

Margot finished hooking up the propane. "Alright. Keep everything outside. No glasses by the pool. And no shenanigans." She laid down the rules for the get together. "Ma, I'm a legit athlete now. My body is my temple. Love you, ma!" Summer said. "That means Koda, you are my Salad Queen." Summer sent the girl a joking wink before  walking away to get other things ready and to inform the others.

Koda looked over at Margot with a slight laugh. "Thanks for that." She joked softly, the older woman chuckling, standing up and putting her hand on the girl's shoulder which tensed up. "Better you then me." Margot said with a smile. "Remember you and Summer are the only ones allowed in the house, try to help enforce that," Koda covered her mouth with a slight yawn. "Will do,"

Music played across the speakers, more people then just the team where they. Some in the pool, some just lounging and talking and others were dancing to the music. People inside the house as well.

Koda looked tired and distressed at all the people milling about where they shouldn't be. "Please stay outside," the girl practically pushed a guy out into the backyard.

Wren, Ari and Baxter all showed up, walking through the house into the back yard. "Okay." Baxter said approvingly at the party. "How does she know this may people?" Wren asked as she surveyed the crowd. Baxter's eyes finding Koda in the crowd, seeing how she looked and he couldn't help but chuckle at how she seemed to be the adult of the party.

"Yo! Who's ready for some burgers?!" Summer called out, over by the grill. "We got vegan ones too." She assured some of the crowd. The brown haired girl waving Koda over who went to her side. "Yeah?" Koda asked, looking at her. "Can you go get some more burgers from inside?"
"Yeah of course." Koda turned, heading inside the house, passing Wren, Ari and Baxter as she did.

"You guys hungry?" Ari asked the two, gesturing towards the grill, when Koda walked by he gently but annoyingly poked her ribs, the girl moving from his reach. "Don't be annoying blondie." Koda hissed jokingly as she pointed at him. "I'll kick you out."

"Yeah sure you will menace." He laughed before looking back at the Radic siblings, though he noticed Baxter's attention lingered on Koda before he finally looked back at Ari when Koda disappeared through the glass doors.  "Yeah. Five." Baxter answered since Wren didn't, Ari touching his girlfriend's arm gently before walking to get food.

Once Ari had walked away Wren pulled out her phone to record the party. "Wren, what are you doing?" Baxter asked. "Elo thinks she's so good for the team. Wait till she sees this." The girl replied. "Why does everyone think you're the smart one? Yoink." Baxter took the phone out of the girl's hands.

"Give it back, Bax" She said in a demanding tone, her brother turning around to look at her. "Yeah, cause being a total narc is gonna make you super popular, mate. Wren gave him a look of disbelief. "I have friends."

Koda was walking out of the house with the burgers in hand when she overheard the siblings talking. Wren's previous comment making Baxter laugh. "No, you had "surfing associates" who ditched you the second we left town." He corrected. Wren took a step towards him. "Yeah? And whose fault is that? Hmm?"

Koda's face shifted to one of dislike, who would treat there brother like that, constantly holding something over his head?

Baxter's smile faded. "Look, I realise you don't go to too many parties, but hot tip...try and stay in the now." He said, the bright smile relighting his face, at the smile and his voice Koda smiled softky. He held the phone out to her, once she told it he lightly patted her on the top of her head before walking away.

He didn't get to far when he heard Koda speak up to Wren. "You shouldn't be so hard on him, it's no one's fault that you didn't pick good friends there." She stated.,Wren looked over at her. "Excuse me?" She asked with confusion in her voice, she has seen how Koda seemed to be the shy, soft spoken surfer so she didn't like the fact she was talking back.

Baxter moved a bit further to where he could look over without being obvious that he was listening. Koda turned fully to look at Wren. "You heard me. It's not fair with how you treat him, you honestly treat him like shit sometimes and he doesn't deserve that. But if you'd prefer to hide in a illusion that they won't talk to you for some reason other then they didn't truly care then be my guest but please leave Baxter out of it, okay? I'll so glad to have this chat." With that Koda walked towrads Summer. 

Wren staring after her shocked by what she said but maybe a bit of what she said was true. But on the other hand Baxter was looking after her with admiration in his eyes and a smile on his face, he was shocked but so glad that the girl would defend him.

Hip-hop music was playing, the people dancing happily. Summer smiled as she watched, basking in the fact that the party was going well. "Bo, no more texting your girlfriend tonight." Poppy told the taller girl who had been on her phone almost the whole time. Koda's eyes widened as she spun around. "I'm sorry? Please repeat that."

Summer's face flashed with confusion. "Um, excuse me? Girlfriend?" She asked now facing her friends. "She's not my girlfriend. We're just messaging." Bodhi said with a soft of dismissive tone.

"Her name Tuscany." Poppy added in as Bodhi pulled up a picture of her, showing it to Summer. "She's this amazing surfer from Queensland. She DM-ed me."

"They've never even met in real life." Poppy said, leaning towards Summer. "The suspense is killing me." Summer laughed softly at Poppy's words before turning back to Bodhi. "Yeah, she's hot. I just have one question. What was wrong with me?"

That made Bodhi laugh. "Where do I start?" She teased. "She's stunning, I'm happy for you Bodes." Koda told her supportivly.  Love song by DJ buddy started playing making a huge smile crossing Summer's face. "Oh! Come on!" She said happily as she pulled Poppy and Koda  to dance. The four  girls joining the crowd, dancing together as Bodhi  followed them over, grinning.

Koda was trying to move away from the group, her heart racing with the bodies pushing against her as they danced. She could feel their skin against her own, a disgusted and panicked feeling consumed her. She felt as if the world was tilting side to side as he head rushed.

Someone knocked over a statue that was outside, Summer went and picked up, she was about to carty it to her mom's room when Koda walked towrads her. "I'll take it." She said in a rushed voice. When Summer was about to object she looked at her, seeing the wild look in her eyes, how she kept glancing around like she was waiting for someone to jump out and grab her. "Yeah..yeah thanks." She said slowly as she passed the statue over to her.

The sign on the door clearly saying stay out, yet when she approched the door she heard a girl giggle from inside. She sat the statue in the bed, tears already pricking her eyes as she tried to push away her panic.

Taking a deep breath to try and compose herself, she pushed open the door to the adjacent bathroom, to see Baxter and a girl making out. "Hey! Can you not read?" Koda asked, her hands going to her hips. "Well, sometimes I choose not to. You wanna, uh....come join us? We're very inclusive, right?" Baxter said turning to look at Koda with a hint of a smile, not yet taking notice of how distraught she looked.

The girl he was with lost her smile as she looked at the boy. "You're serious?" The girl said, sounding disheartened. "A little." Bax replied, voice soft and a bit unsure. That made Koda roll her eyes but for once it wasn't in amusement with the funny boy, she wanted to be alone and they were ruining it.

"Get out." Koda said in a low whisper, the girl Baxter was with taking her hands off his chest as she took a step back. "Huh?" She asked Koda, not catching her words. "Get out. Get out! GET OUT!" She rose in volume each time she said in, a few tears now sneaking out, her chest tight.

The girl hurried out of the room as Koda walked back into the bedroom part, sitting beside the bed with her back pressed against the frame. Baxter rounded the corner, looking for her when he noticed the top of her head beside the bed.

He walked around the side to see the girl sitting on the floor, knees pulled tightly to her chest and her body trembling. Slowly Baxter knelt down in front of her. "Are you alright?" He asked her, leaning down to where he could look her in the eyes shy was trying to hide.

"Yeah, I'm great." Her voice was broken as she lied, sniffling as she finally looked up to him. He sat down across from her, making sure to give her some room. "You don't look fine." He commented.

Koda turned her face to the side. "Then stop looking. You should follow your girlfriend." She failed to notice that he shifted closer to her, his hand reaching out to gently wipe her tears, the girl flinching under his touch. "Hey...you're okay. I'm not gonna hurt you Koda." His words were so gentle but she knew better then to trust sweet words.

"Like I've never heard that before." She scrambled to her feet as fast as she could walking away from him, towrads the bathroom. Baxter following after her. "I don't know who hurt you in the past little bear but I'm not him. Listen I just want to be your friend, why won't you let me?"

"Because I hardly know you, so please just go!" Koda was pleading at that point. Her arms hugged around her body to hold herself together. She turned back to look at him. " I want to know you. I'm sorry something has made you so distrusting but you can't push everyone away. I've heard things about you, you are spunky and funny. You are a model and a amazing surfer. But anyone could tell me that I want to know you, through what you say."

Koda shook her head at that, her body starting to relax as her mind was pulled away from what has previously caused her distress. "You are insane." She whispered softly as she looked down. A small chuckle left Baxter's lips. "You don't even know the half of it." He joked.

Her eyes turned back to him, the boy grabbing Summer's mom's robe, pulling it on. She forced the smile from her face. "Oh I don't? So you didn't burn  down that Boardriders after Nationals last year?" She cocked her head to the side,  puffy eyes on the boy

"Damn. News travels." Bax said with amusement in his tone. Koda looked at both surprised at that, a slow smile spreading across her face. "So it's true." Her voice held slight awe in it.

"Relax, I left my matches at home. I'm just here to meet new people." He said with a laugh. Koda scoffed slightly. "Yeah I think I realized that with the girl earlier." She said with arms crossed. "Well, she was just a detour. You are by far the best one I've met here." He smiled at her.

"Well, meet others in the pool, not my Margot's bathroom. And lose the robe." She pulled him closer by the robe before pushing him back. A smile on the pink haired surfer's face as he looked down at her. Something about her just seemed to draw him in more and more.

When Koda  walked out a slow song was playing so the first thing she got to see was Ari and Wren dancing, foreheads leaned together. Summer pulled out her phone and switched it to a upbeat song,  not liking seeing the two together and Koda understood that. Poppy walking up to her. "Thank you. I was literally about to fall asleep." She said as she went into the house. But Ari and Wren stayed close together.

The crowd around the pool was chanting Summer's name as they moved the trampoline by the pool. Summer noticed Wren walk over. "Hey, Cap! Just practising some airs!" She called over before getting enough height and flipping in, the crowd cheering.

Koda was watching with amusement, her head tilted to the side but she stood near the house. The feeling of someone behind her made her look quickly over her shoulder, Baxter walking up behind her. "Hey girlie." His voice was light and teasing. "Are you feeling better?" He leaned against the wall beside her, hand going out towards hers.

Koda stiffened when his hand got closer as she moved a step back but instead of going to take her hand he let his fingers brush against hers. "Yeah I'm better." She confirmed with a soft pink on her face. "That's good." He gave her a smile before continuing his walk. "Go cheer on your friend." He told her with a small shooing motion of his hand.

Wren knelt down by the edge of the pool when summer swam over. Koda walking over enough to hear what Wren told her friend. "You should try that again. Maybe this time you'll smash a kneecap." The blonde said with a forced smile on her face. The look that crossed Koda's face could only bring described as hostile. 

Summer smiled up at her. "What was that, Wren? Of course you can have a go!" She said loudly, making the crowd cheer and clap for Wren. The forced smile falling from Wren's face.

Summer looked at her, faking confusion. "Wait. Airs aren't really your thing, right?" The smile returned to Summer's face. "Do it Wren!' Someone in the crowd cheered. Koda knew that this probably wasn't the best idea but she wouldn't stand in the way of it happening.

Wren was jumping on the trampoline with summer behind her, double bouncing her. "Okay, you only need three nines to take it out." Summer told him as sosome if they crowd was rating the jumps. "You don't have to do this." Bodhi said from the side. "Relax Bodes, she wants to, she chose this." Koda said, knowing full and well Wren was backed into a corner with it. 

Ari ran over, standing by Bodhi. "Wren!" He called but his voice was drowned out in everyone else cheering her name. Wren jumped, flailing in the air. Ari knelt down by the edge looking in the water. "What's wrong?" Ari asked as even Summer looked concerned. Koda watched with mild intrest, a almost bored look on her sharp features.

"Is she okay?" Bodhi asked. Finally Wren resurfaced, swimming roughly. "You alright?" Someone from the crowd asked. "I hit the bottom." Wren said in a gasping voice as she worked her way to the edge. Now Koda rolled her eyes, the way she dived she wouldn't have touched the bottom.

"Hey, hey, hey. Come here." Ari said soothingly as he held his hand out for her. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God, it's my ankle." Wren spoke in a pained voice. Summer looked over at Koda who gave a mocking pout before she looked towrads Summer, the girl giving a roll of her eyes.

"I'm gonna go get some ice." Bodhi said as she got up, going towards the house. Wren whimpering softly in pain. "Elo's gonna be so mad at me. I'm really hurt my ankle." Now Wren has moved to crying, Koda had to admit she did a good job at faking it.

The sun has set now on the part, a decent amount of people still there. Summer and Koda looked over towards where Wren sat with ice on her ankle, Ari waiting on her hand and foot practically. "He's become such a lap dog." Koda said with a tsk. Summer looking at her. "Don't say that, he's your friend,"
"Potentially." She replied simply with her arms crossed.

Baxter walked up behind the two girls, patting Summer on her head. "Boop," He said softly, gently poking Koda like Ari did but he frowned when he did it to her, wondering how Ari did it and acted like nothing was wrong.

"You look hangry. Maybe I should make you a burger or something." He gestured towards the grill. "Shouldn't you be looking after your sister?" Summer asked him. Baxter looked towards Wren. "She's got Ari." He said, walking towards the grill, his hnads linking with Koda, pulling her after him. "Why are you pulling me?" She asked, yet she didn't try to take her hand away from his.

"Because, you have been selected by the most awesome guy to be of assistance." He said with a slight smirk crossing his face as he looked at her. "Has anyone ever told you that you are extremely sure of yourself?"
"I do, everyday." He gave her a wink. That brought a laugh from Koda's lips as she looked at him. Baxter's full attention on her as she laughed, a smile crossing his face.

Summer looked at Wren when Ari  walked away. Wren smiling at Summer and twisting her ankle in a circle, showing she was faking it. Summer went up to Ari who was getting more ice. "I'm seriously worried about that girl." Summer said in a hushed voice. "It's just acrid sprain. Is there any more ice?" Ari asked, oblivious to what Summer meant. ,

"I mean, she's faking it to make me look bad. Ari, she's gonna hurt you. You shouldn't be with someone like-" but she was cut off. "Stop, stop. Just stop. Okay? What are you even saying, Summer? Wren's not the problem. You are." A hurt look crossed the girls face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You disappeared on me. When you first went back to new York, we were talking every day. Then you just flew off the radar." Ari said. Summer looking at him. "I was busy, alright? I was surfing." Ari scoffed at that answer, a look if disbelief on his face. "And I didn't know if I was ever coming back! I didn't want either of us to get too attached. If you were so hurt, why didn't you say something? I'm not a mind reader."

"Because you should've known." Ari's voice took a sad note to it. "Should've known what?" She questioned, desperate to understand. "How much it sucked to be ghosted by the person that you thought was your girlfriend." That made Summer pause, unsure what to say.

"Wow." She said softly after a moment. Ari scoffing again. "Whatever. You were working on yourself. Good for you." He told her. Summer looked at him. "Maybe don't get so worked up about one goodbye kiss at gushed airport." She shot back, getting defensive.

"I think we should just keep our distance." Ari said after bit softer before walking away.

Summer walked over grudgenly to the grill, where Baxter was pressing the start button repeatedly with nothing happening. "You need to stop, it's obviously doing nothing." Koda said, grabbing his hand and pulling it away from the button. Baxter curled his fingers around her palm. "She's not working." He said, looking up at the Summer from where he sat.

"Let me try." Summer walked over, pushing the button he was with no success. "Oh, my God, nothing." He said sassily. Koda looking at him with amusement. Summer moving to kick the propane tank. "Hey, easy now. Easy with it." Baxter said as he stood up.

The boy messing with the dials to see if it would work, a loud boom echoed as fire erupted from the grill, catching the straw roof on fire. Baxter, Koda and Summer moved back quickly, the boy putting his arm in front of Summer. His other arm wrapping tightly around Koda and pulling her to his side. Her face pressed against his shirt as she gripped onto him.

"This isn't...this isn't my fault. This can't be my fault, right?" Baxter said, some panic and distress in his voice as they got away from the fire. "Nope. This is all me." Summer said.

Baxter had worry in his eyes, he helped her through her moment so she would help with his. Koda moved in front of him though she was shaken herself. She gently placed her hands on the sides of his face.

That got him to stop rambling and look into her eyes. "You're okay Bax, you didn't do anything wrong." She spoke gently and reassuringly. Her thumbs brushing along the skin under his eyes. He slowly nodded as his hands went up, covering hers.

Poppy was watching them with a happy smile on her face as she walked over. "Coco, we need to go so I can give you a ride home." She told her, hating to break up this moment.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." She said, finally taking her hands off if Baxter. "I'll see you later. Okay?" He nods his head. "Okay, yeah. I'll see ya." When she turned away to walk with Poppy his hand went up to touch his cheek where her hand had been.

Happy Valentines day lovelies!