Aggro - CoraLee June Page 0,20

about it. When I thought there was someone capable of murdering Violet, I completely broke down. It was all too fresh. I couldn’t handle it yet.

“Good,” he said, leaning down to give me a quick kiss on the top of my head before walking off in the opposite direction.

I didn’t believe that Kai killed Violet. I think it was easier for Chase to have someone to fixate all of his energy on than it was to sit back and do nothing. But if Kai murdered my best friend, he probably wouldn’t be too happy with me lying to him and playing amateur detective. And he definitely wouldn’t enjoy seeing Chase with me.

The plan made me uncomfortable, and I wished I hadn’t agreed to it. But this was important to Chase, and I wanted to help ease his pain. I also didn’t want Chase going with me. If I would find answers, it would be on my own terms. Chase didn’t have to know. I swallowed my anxiety and headed for the parking lot instead of geometry. I would not be able to concentrate on finding the area of a pyramid anyway, so may as well go talk to Kai now.

The rock garden was just a brief bike ride away. Nothing on the island was really that far from anything else. It was usually deserted because, even though the waves were choice, the rocks behind its namesake were sharp and unforgiving. Wiping out there could easily result in a trip to the emergency room.

I figured the rock garden was my best shot at finding Kai. After fifteen minutes of paddling off my nervous energy, I was rewarded with seeing his silhouette paddling out into the ocean. This time, I wasn’t going in after him. Falling here would be like getting dragged along concrete, and I would not take that chance.

I waited for Kai on the beach, watching his impressive skill. Most of us who were born here knew our way around the ocean, but he was undeniably a master of his craft. Kai was what the locals called an Aggro. He was an aggressive surfer, taking chances most of us wouldn’t, like surfing the rock garden. He had the competency to back up his questionable choices, and watching him surf was like watching an artist work.

Kai paddled back up onto the shore and lifted his board from the water. He started walking in my direction. The closer he got, the more his displeasure at seeing me was apparent.

“Go away, Breeze,” he growled.

He pushed past me without even slowing down. Snatching up the faded blue towel on the sand, he started drying himself off. Something inside me stirred, watching him work the towel over his well-defined muscles.

“I just want to talk.”

“Well, I don’t,” he snapped at me.

“I thought it might help to talk about her,” I said gingerly, not wanting to upset him any more than I already had just by being here.

“Do you think I don’t know what they’re saying about me? It’s all anybody can talk about. Didn’t you hear that I killed my girlfriend?” he yelled. The anger, hurt, and pain rolled off him like the waves in the ocean. I stared at the rocks and the foam as the harsh water collided with their sharp peaks. The temperamental swells seemed deadlier today. I wasn’t sure if it was Kai’s angry energy or my own new awareness of mortality that amplified it.

“Kai. I just want to talk,” I begged over the roar of the waves.

“Go home, Breeze. If you want to talk about your fucking feelings with someone, find Chase.”

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before grabbing his Funboard. Fuck this. I just wanted to feel something. I wanted to ride a wave and ignore the pain swirling in my gut. Kai called after me as I stripped out of my shirt and started running toward the crashing waves. I paddled hard, my muscles burning as I made my way to the perfect point for an epic ride.

I didn’t want to talk about my feelings. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to exist in a world where Violet wasn’t living, breathing, and driving us all crazy with her spontaneous attitude. I didn’t need this right now. Mom used to tell me that rotted planks couldn’t hold up a house, and I was in no position to save this boy. Not when I was barely coping myself.

I noticed a huge swell starting to crash toward