“Chapter 14

“Well,” announced Coach Robsson with one of his trademark sighs. “The good news is, these boys like it hot, so there’ll be plenty of sunbathing opportunities.”
“And the bad news?” asked Surf City, giving his travelling board a final wax before packing it onto the cart.
“Well, the bad news is…they play in the desert. A long, long way from the ocean.”
The entire team stopped their preparations.
“Huh?”
“Sorry, but it’s in the contract. We play who we’re told to play, wherever we’re told to play.”
“But,” said Surfer Girl desperately. “There must be somewhere we can stop off on the way?”
“Sorry,” replied the coach. “It’s straight inland from here.”
“Do they have lakes?” asked Balboa Blue. “Ponds? Puddles?”
“Listen,” said the coach. “I’m even having to bring our own water barrel. These guys know what they’re talking about when they say dry.”
“You know we don’t play well away from the waves,” said Surf City.
“Like I said. We have to take what we’re given. Let’s just go there, get it over and done with and then get back here as quick as we can.”
“Can we lose quickly?” asked Wipeout.
Coach Robsson laughed.
“Why not. You usually do.”


* * * * *


True to their word, Hang Eleven managed to lose in double quick time. And slightly more spectacularly than usual as well. Pipeline was injured even before the whistle had blown, suffering a bad gash on the head from a rock thrown from the belligerent crowd. Surfer Girl followed soon after, then Ride the Wild Surf, then Wipeout.

Coach Robsson looked at his players as they lay recovering. Not one of them had chosen to actually lie inside the apothecary’s tent, all of them preferring to recover out where they could top up their tans. Still, when he saw the punishment being dealt out on the field, he could hardly blame them. And to be honest, it was only going to be another 2-1 loss, nothing too humiliating.

And to be honest, their tans were looking pretty fine.
”