The Strongest Bond

1

SURFER GIRL



Kathleen Philips stared out at sea. She gripped her surfboard tightly, and surveyed the ocean. Waves breaking against the coral reef and the clouds of a distant storm were on the horizon. She sighed, and started walking back towards her home. She had been hoping to go surfing, but it looked like it would be too dangerous with a storm coming. "Mother!" she called once she reached her family's cozy house. It was white with a garage, a shed, and the beach in the background. "The waves are too large and there's a storm coming."

"That's too bad, Kathy," said Jacinda Philips. "I was hoping that you and Laura could go surfing while I make dinner tonight. Maybe you can tag along with your brothers while they go skateboarding for once."

"No, Mother," said Kathleen. "I've said this once, and I'll say it again: Kiernan, Kymani, and Kiyan will never get me on a skateboard."

"Just like you'll never get us on a surfboard," said a voice. Kathleen whirled around to see her oldest brother, Kiernan, standing in the doorway.

"I'll get you on a surfboard," said Kathleen. "Anyway, I have to go get ready for school."

"Too bad you have to do math while we go scuba diving!" he called after her. Kathleen walked down the hall rolling her eyes. Her older brothers had finished school, while she was still in the tenth grade. She ran into her room and slammed the door. She walked to her closet, grabbed a pair of capris, as well as a bright green shirt.

Kathleen pulled off her shirt and swimsuit, and then got dressed. She grabbed her surfboard, and propped it against the wall. She brushed her teeth and hair, and then got her schoolbooks together. Kathleen threw a pillow at Kymani, and then ate her bowl of cornflakes. She made a sandwich, kissed her mother goodbye, and grabbed her bike.

The kids at Maui High School were chatting with their friends. Kathleen searched the crowd for her best friend, Laura Iona. The two surfers had been friends ever since kindergarten. She finally spotted Laura near the playground. She ran over to her. "Laura!" she cried. Laura turned, and smiled. Kathleen smiled. Laura looked beautiful as usual. Her long auburn-colored hair fell to her waist in a beautiful braid. She was tall and thin, and looked whippet-quick. Her blue eyes sparkled, and her skin had a strong tan. Laura was wearing a short flowery skirt and an orange tank-top. Laura was everything a surfer should be, thought Kathleen. Kathleen didn't even compare to Laura.

While Laura had luxurious hair, Kathleen's was platinum blond that fell just past her shoulders. Kathleen was tall, but she was so skinny that she thought that she looked like a scarecrow. But at least we're friends, she thought with a grin. As she passed a group of girls, she heard whispering. They were probably talking about her again. Kathleen winced, and hurried to Laura.

"Those girls think that they own the school," said Laura once she reached her. "Don't let them get to you, Kathy. They're just bullies."

"I know," said Kathleen. "But it's hard." The bell rang. The teenagers turned and ran into the school.

"Now," said Kathleen's teacher, Mr. Kekoa Kahananui. "Who can tell me how World War 2 began?" Kathleen raised her hand. "Yes, Kathleen?"

"World War 2 began in 1939 when Hitler of Germany invaded Poland," she replied.

"Very good, Kathleen. Now class, this is all the time we have for today, but please, let me know if you cannot make it too the spelling bee tomorrow at noon." Instantly, all of the students left the room. Kathleen walked over to Mr. Kahananui.

"Mr. Kahananui?" she asked. He looked up.

"Yes, Kathleen?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I won't be able to make it to the spelling bee tomorrow."

"Why not?"

"I have a surfing competition tomorrow, and I can't miss it." Mr. Kahananui nodded. He knew how much his student loved surfing.

"I will quiz you though. Here's a list of words that you need to practice." He held out a list of words.

"Thank you, sir." Kathleen took it, and then walked away.

Laura and Kathleen stood on the edge of the ocean. The two surfers were having a little competition within their families. Mr. and Mrs. Iona and Mr. and Mrs. Philips were the judges. Laura looked at her. "Ready?" she asked.

"Ready." Laura and Kathleen ran into the ocean. Kathleen got on her board and started paddling furiously. She went under a wave, and soon she was past the reef, where the big waves were. She looked ahead, and saw that Laura had caught a wave. She went under that wave, and turned her board around. She paddled until the wave she was trying to catch lifted her up. She pushed her body up, and went with the ocean. She went to the top of the wave and made a sharp turn. Kathleen crouched down on her surfboard as the wave turned into a tube. It was small, her back breaking through the top of the wave, but it was exhilarating. Kathleen stood as soon as the wave ended and got down. She joined Laura, who was sitting on her surfboard searching for a wave. The ocean was calm.

Not a ripple broke the surface. Kathleen saw a small swell that would soon form into an enormous wave. She and Laura started paddling towards it. They ducked under a small wave, and raced. Laura pulled ahead of Kathleen and rose up on her board. Laura's hair whipped around her and her face was showered with spray. Kathleen thought that she had never seen her friend look lovelier. Laura disappeared in a tube. Kathleen smiled, and turned her board around. Laura had won by far. But she didn't mind. She was glad for her friend.

Mr. and Mrs. Philips gave Laura a beautiful pearl necklace, one that Laura had wanted for months. Laura laughed with delight, and then fastened the necklace around her neck. Kathleen hugged her. "Nice job, but next time you are going down," she said. Laura smiled, and then they all headed home.

"Welcome, everyone to the Maui Surfing Nationals," said the announcer. "We hope that there will be lots of really great rides today......" The announcer droned on, but Kathleen wasn't listening. She stared out at the waves, and then resumed waxing her board. She was at the Maui Surfing Competition. Laura was right beside her, waxing her green and red surfboard. Kathleen stood, and walked to the ocean. She stood there, still as a statue. Only her hair moved with the gentle breeze blowing across the ocean. Kathleen stayed there for five minutes, allowing her nerves to settle. She always did this before a competition. She always stood by the edge of the ocean, blocking out all thought. It helped to calm her nerves, and Kathleen had learned from experience that she couldn't surf if she was nervous. She walked back to Laura and waited. Half an hour later, Kathleen and her competitors were standing by the edge of the ocean. The horn blew. Kathleen started running into the water. She threw herself down on her surfboard, and started paddling.

Laura duck-dived under a wave, and then stood up on another one. Kathleen heard the judges faintly. "Looks like Iona has a solid wave there, folks," said one of the judges. "The judges have given her a 5.06." Kathleen took a deep breath, and ducked under one of her competitors. But the competitor, Elikapeka Palakiko, didn't let her. Elikapeka pulled ahead, and grabbed the wave that Kathleen had been aiming for.

One hour later, Kathleen and all of her competitors were searching for a wave, with five minutes remaining on the clock. Kathleen was currently in fifth place, Laura in second, and Elikapeka Palakiko in first. Kathleen saw a ripple in the waves, and then a small hump in the ocean. She started paddling furiously. Before anyone could steal her wave, she stood. She went to the crest of the wave, and made a sharp turn. The wave turned into a tube. Kathleen crouched down, and let her fingers break through the water on the inside. She allowed the current to carry her along. Thirty seconds left on the clock, and she was approaching the end. The tube ended, and Kathleen surfed to the bottom. She could faintly hear the shouts and exclamations of the crowd, but she didn't care. That been the most exhilarating wave she had ever ridden. Kathleen's board flipped through the air, and she fell in the water. Laura paddled over, and congratulated her. "Nice job, Kathy," she said. "That was one solid wave."

"Thanks, Laura," said Kathleen. "You were pretty good, too." She turned her board around, and paddled back to the beach. She pulled her board up, and hugged her parents. Her older brothers, Kiernan and Kymani, lifted her up on their shoulders. Once she had claimed her trophy, she and her family walked to the car. Kathleen was completely happy. She had won her first competition in over three years. That night, the family feasted on pizza and ice cream. "How does it feel, Kat, to be a surfing champion?" asked Kymani.

"I don't know," replied Kathleen. "I guess this has been my dream for so long, that I just feel like my life couldn't get better or worse." Kymani laughed, and then reached for his third piece of pizza. As soon as the dishes were finished, Kathleen headed to her room, and slipped into her pajamas. She then sat down at her laptop, and wrote some emails, and then got ready for bed. She lay awake for quite some time, thinking. She dreaded going back to school, for she had learned from experience that she was teased whenever she won a contest. Kathleen sighed, switched on her CD player, and fell asleep.

Kathleen groaned. Her alarm clock beeped wildly. She switched off, and climbed out of bed. She grabbed a white dress, and put her hair into a braid. She then walked into the kitchen, where her father, Ioane Philips, was sorting through the mail. "Morning, Father," said Kathleen.

"Morning, Kat," said Ioane. "Here's a letter for you." He gave her an envelope. Kathleen took it, and sat down. It was a letter from her cousin Michelle in Switzerland. Kathleen smiled, and then made herself some scrambled eggs and toast. After she was finished, Jacinda drove her daughter to school. "Bye, Mother!" called Kathleen. She ran, and found Laura. "Hey, Laura!" she called. "Laura!"

"Oh, hi, Kathleen," said Laura. "How are you doing?"

"Fine."

"Any dreams?"

"I had one last night. I dreamed that one of the competitors in a surfing competition was a pineapple. The pineapple won." Laura smiled weakly.

"I dreamed that you were attacked by a shark. Your right arm was gone, as well as half of your right leg."

"Laura, the chances are one out of a hundred that that will happen. So don't worry."

"I can't help it, Kathleen. There are a lot of sharks in Hawaii."

"Forget about the dream, Laura. Your brain is playing tricks on you." But little did Kathleen know how wrong she was.

2

FIVE MINUTES

Kathleen sat on her board, looking for a wave. It was the competition that Kathleen had been waiting for, the one she had anticipated for over three weeks. So far she was in third place. She saw a swell in the ocean. She got down on her board, and started paddling ferociously. Once the wave was three meters behind her, she stood. The wave turned into a tube. She crouched down, and didn't see the shark until it was too late.

The judges scanned the water, waiting for Kathleen to finish the wave. Five minutes passed. One of the judges raised his binoculars, and caught sight of something red in the water. "Oh, my....." he breathed. "Take a look at this," he said, passing the binoculars to another judge. The judge took one look, and immediately spoke into the microphone.

"Lifeguard, we got an eye on Philips out there. Please just go check up on her." A lifeguard leaped on a boat, and started speeding towards Kathleen. There was a murmur of confusion in the crowd. "Everybody, stay calm," said the judges. "We are checking up on Philips."

Kathleen was caught off guard. She was gliding through the wave, when all of a sudden she saw a flash of grey. Then something grabbed her arm, and dragged her under. The most severe pain she had ever felt streaked through her body. She screamed faintly, and grabbed her board with one arm. She saw another flash of grey, and then she felt pressure on her right leg. She grabbed the board quickly, and concentrated on not blacking out. Her vision was going blurry, and everything was in slow motion. She struggled to fight the blackness, but she lost.

Laura had smiled when Kathleen stood up on the wave, but then the smile had been replaced with an expression of sheer terror when she saw the blood in the water. Laura paddled over quickly. She saw Kathleen was hanging onto her board with one arm, the other a stump, and she saw that she was missing part of her leg. Laura cried out, and then went over to Kathleen. "Kathleen, are you with me?" she asked. "Kat?" Kathleen weakly opened her eyes.

"Laura," she said weakly. Laura lifted Kathleen onto her board, and then started pushing her. She saw a lifeboat coming towards her. "Over here!" she yelled. She waved her arm in the air, and the lifeboat changed course. A diver jumped into the water, and helped Laura get Kathleen onto the boat. "Kathleen," called Laura. She ripped off her surfing shirt, and pressed it against Kathleen's arm, which was bleeding uncontrollably. Then she noticed that Kathleen's right leg, from her knee down, was gone. Laura put a hand over her mouth, ran to the side of the boat, and vomited. The diver made a tourniquet and radioed for an ambulance.

The lifeboat started speeding towards shore. As soon as they were on the beach, Laura picked up Kathleen's damp head, while the diver took her knees. Laura put her surfboard on the ground, and then she placed Kathleen there. Kathleen was conscious, and moaning softly. Jacinda Philips came running up, her face pale. She bent over her daughter, sobbing.

"Kat! Kathleen Rachel Philips, answer me!" Ioane Philips comforted his wife, while Kathleen's brothers all crowded around her, anxiety flooding their faces. Laura heard the distant wail of a siren, and then an ambulance pulled up on the beach. Two paramedics jumped out, and wheeled a bed over. They carefully picked Kathleen up, and set her on the bed. Laura got in the back of the ambulance, along with Jacinda. "Don't leave me, Kathleen," whispered Laura. "Don't leave me."

Kathleen only vaguely knew what was going on. She felt someone put something on her nose, and then the words, "Breathe deep." She took a deep breath, and then the next thing she knew, complete darkness took over.

Jacinda's face was pale as she jumped aboard the ambulance. Her only daughter, the pride of her life, was dying. She choked back a sob. The paramedic put an oxygen mask over Kathleen's face, and then Jacinda saw her daughter's face relax in sleep. Fifteen minutes later the ambulance jerked to a stop. The doors opened and the paramedic sprang out. He and his partner pulled down a ramp, and started rolling Kathleen into the operating room. Ioane ran over to Jacinda, and hugged her. Kathleen's brothers started running alongside Kathleen. Jacinda ran after them, just in time to see them push Kathleen into a room. Ioane and Jacinda stood by the door, watching as the surgeons saved their daughter's life.

Beep. Beep. Beep. The soft beeping of machines was all the sound that filled the room. Jacinda was sitting in a chair, staring into space. Ioane Philips was trying to get reporters and journalists that wanted to interview Kathleen and her family away. Kymani, Kiernan, and Kiyan were basically doing the same thing. Kymani was sending emails to his Christian friends, asking them to pray.

Kiernan was reading a book, but he hadn't turned the page in over half an hour. Kiyan was just waiting for Kathleen to wake up. Ioane came back in, and stooped beside his wife. "How is she?" he asked softly.

"She hasn't changed," said Jacinda. At that instant, Jacinda say Kathleen turn her head. She was by her daughter's side in a flash. "Mom," whispered Kathleen.

"Yes, Kathy. I'm right here."

"And so are we," said Kymani.

"Where's my arm?" whispered Kathleen. Jacinda couldn't take that question.

"I'm going to get the doctor." Jacinda turned, and almost ran out of the room, smack into a reporter.

"Mrs. Philips, would you please give me your side of the story?" asked the reporter.

"Yes," snapped Jacinda. "She's my daughter. Not some headline." She shoved the reporter aside, and then went to find the doctor.

Meanwhile, Kathleen was asking her question again. "Father, where's my arm?"

"Ioane sat down on her hospital bed. "Kat," he said slowly. "You really don't know?"

"No. Did the doctors and nurses have to amputate it?"

"Kathleen," said Kiernan. "The shark took it; along with half of your right leg."

"What?" At that instant, Doctor Provinsky came in.

"How's the survivor slash victim this morning?" he asked kindly.

Sleepy." Doctor Provinsky sat down on the bed.

"Well, that's normal. You've had a very traumatic experience. You have to remember, you lost over 70% percent of your blood. We're going to keep you here for a few weeks, and if you haven't gotten your blood back by then, we'll do a blood transfusion. Don't move around, or walk around, and you'll be out of here in two weeks, OK?"

"OK."

"But how is her wound going to heal?" asked Ioane.

"Oh, we're still thinking, but we're probably going to take some skin off of her other arm and stitch it in place on her amputation."

"Oh. When?"

"As soon as Kathleen is almost back to normal. She is going to be feeling a bit lazy for a few days, but that's normal. Kathleen," he said, turning to her. "You have some hard challenges ahead of you. But with your strength and courage, I think you'll pull through this. If you ever need to talk to somebody other than your mother, call my wife. She's going to be your nurse for a while."

"Thank you sir," said Kathleen.

"You're welcome." The doctor stood. "Now, I'm going to have to give you something so you sleep, OK?"

"OK. Why?"

"You are going to start feeling a lot of pain in your arm. Your arm is gone Kathleen. You might start feeling a lot of pain in your left arm."

"OK." Dr. Provinsky smiled reassuringly. He gave Kathleen a pill, which she swallowed immediately. Soon, Kathleen drifted off peacefully.

Laura sat in the waiting room in the hospital, waiting and thinking. Kathleen had had surgery, and the doctors said that there was no hope that she would ever walk normally again. Her arm was gone; there was nothing the doctors could do about that. A nurse appeared, and motioned for Laura to go in. "She's conscious," whispered the nurse. "But take it easy. She'll be very frightened, and the fact that she remembers everything has made it a traumatic experience for her." Laura nodded, and pushed open the door. Kathleen lay on the bed, fingering a small figurine of a surfboard. She turned her head when she heard the door open.

"Laura," she said.

"Hi, Kathleen." Laura sat down on the bed. Kathleen propped herself up, and looked at her.

"What's been going on?"

"Nothing much." Laura was silent, and Kathleen sensed that something was wrong. She put her hand on Laura.

"Laura, what's wrong?" Laura looked at Kathleen, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I thought that we were too late," she said. "You were only half-conscious, and your arm and leg were gone. When the lifeguard started doing CPR, I thought that you were gone forever." Laura now had tears streaming from her eyes. Kathleen's face grew sad.

"Laura, I know what happened. I know that I'm never going to be able to surf again. I know these things. But you? Don't feel sorry for me. I don't want sympathy. It's OK for people to feel sorry for me, but I don't care what happened. I don't care about anything right now. I know that I only have one arm now. I know these things, Laura. You don't have to be sorrowful, because they didn't happen to you. Look, Laura, I'm fine! That's all that matters, isn't it?" Laura nodded, and wiped away her tears.

"I guess you're right, Kathleen. I shouldn't be crying about this, but it scared me. I know that could easily have been me, or the shark could have bitten a third time." The door opened, and Jacinda Philips, Ioane Philips, and the doctor came in. Jacinda's face was strained, but she put on a smile when she saw Kathleen sitting up. Kathleen sensed immediately that something was wrong. Laura silently stood, and went away. Dr. Provinsky sat down on Kathleen's bed. "How are you feeling, Kathleen?" he asked.

"Fine." The doctor nodded.

"I don't want to put you through any suspense, so I'm going to cut to the chase. Your right arm is completely gone, and half of your leg as well." Kathleen gasped. The doctor went on. "You'll never be normal, and I don't know what that future holds for you. The hospital does have prosthetic legs and arms, so you might be able to look normal. The hospital will allow you to receive five visitors a day, but that's it. Things are going to be very different for you from now on, Kathleen. The list you won't be able to do is large. But the things you still can do is twice as large. People with disabilities can still work and live a healthy life. I hope this satisfies you." The doctor stood, patted Kathleen's shoulder, and went away. As soon she was she was back in her room, Kathleen lay in bed stunned. She had known that her arm was gone, and part of her leg, but this was the most severe blow that had ever been dealt to Kathleen. She had known that she had lost her arm, but she had felt both of her legs. That must have been the "phantom pain" that the doctor had shown her. But this was too much. One day ago, the future had held gold medals, trophies, and surfing. Now it was blank. It had been five minutes. Five minutes. And now Kathleen's life was upside-down.

Kathleen stared at the TV, not really listening. The news had been full of her shark attack and she hated it. Any reminder was terrible. People acted like it was exciting, interesting. Nobody even gave a thought as to how it really was. For Kathleen, it had been hell. She hadn't really known what was going on, but it had been a nightmare for those closest to her. She switched it off, and instead read her book for school. It was extremely dull, and Kathleen soon found herself falling asleep. The book fell from her hands, and then she closed her eyes, and went away, where there was no pain, and no sadness.

When Laura had went to say hello to Kathleen, she had found her asleep. Her friend was slumped on her hospital bed, her platinum-blond hair strewn around. Laura stared at her, thinking about the events. Kathleen was innocent. She hadn't done anything. Even the death of the twins in her mother's stomach was nothing compared to this. She had been devastated by the death of her cousin, but that had been quick. She hadn't seen her suffer. But Kathleen was suffering. Laura took one last look at her, and closed the door.

It was a nightmare. Kathleen tried to wake up, but she couldn't. She saw the shark fin closing in on her, getting closer and closer. She tried to swim away but she couldn't. The shark attacked, dragging Kathleen down into the ocean...........

Kathleen woke up screaming. Her heart pounded, and her sheets were soaked with sweat. Jacinda, who was spending the night with Kathleen, quickly woke up. She flew to the bedside. "Kathleen," she said softly. "It was just a dream." She sat down, and hugged her sobbing daughter.

"It wasn't a dream," sobbed Kathleen. "It's real." After Kathleen had calmed down, she fell fast asleep once more. Jacinda, however, did not. She lay awake, thinking. Why did Kathleen have to be attacked? It just didn't make sense. There had to be answers. And Jacinda was going to find them.

Kathleen tried not to pass out. Dr. Provinsky was going to take off her bandages. She hadn't seen how her missing limbs looked. Her whole family was there, even her brothers. Laura had wanted to, but Jacinda didn't want her to be there. She said that it was for Kathleen's family only.

The doctor took off the bandage on Kathleen's leg. Kathleen had to fight the wave of nausea that washed over her. It was grotesque, with purple stitches, and part of a bone covered with skin sticking out. As soon as Kathleen had regained her composure, he moved on to her arm.

This was more terrible. It had stiches curving along her arm, and Kathleen thought that it was the ugliest thing she had ever seen. Kathleen took a deep breath, and turned her eyes away from the mirror as the doctor bandaged them up again. As soon as Dr. Provinsky was gone, Kathleen was put into a wheelchair, and wheeled back to her hospital room.

For a long time, she sat on her bed, not doing anything. The reality of her situation sunk in. It came with such force that Kathleen hadn't been prepared. She had thought that her only her shins down was gone. She hadn't been prepared. She was only sixteen. She shouldn't be faced with not one, but two disabilities. Kathleen lay down, and cried herself to sleep.

The nurse gently fastened the prosthetic leg to Kathleen, and then Ioane Philips picked her up, and set her down in a wheelchair. Kathleen was finally leaving the hospital after three whole weeks. But Kathleen wasn't looking forward to it. She knew that she had to go to school tomorrow, and that meant bullies. Plenty of them. Kathleen dreaded going with all her heart. Jacinda made sure that Kathleen was comfortable, and then she went to get their car. Ioane started pushing Kathleen gently down the hall. As soon as they arrived at the front entrance, Kymani gently tucked a blanket around her leg so nobody would gape at her. Kiernan and Kymani gently grabbed her arms, and helped her to her feet. Kathleen allowed them to prop her up, and then she forced her legs to move. The prosthetic leg felt clumsy, and she felt even clumsier when people were watching her.

Kiyan helped her get into the Philips' family car, where she claimed her place by the window. She stared out, looking longingly at the beach. She saw the sight where the shark had attacked, and shuddered. Once they got home, Kathleen grabbed her suitcase, and limped to her room. The ocean wallpaper in her room seemed to remind her of her loss.

The surfboards and trophies........ Well, they weren't any help, either. Everything reminded Kathleen of surfing and her life a month ago. She threw her suitcase on the bed, took off her clothes, and got in the shower. The warm water trickled down her back, and gave her a chance to let the tears that she had been keeping in for over a week out.

She cried softly, and quickly dried her face once she was out of the shower. She dried her hair, fastened it into a loose braid, and pulled on jeans and a short sleeved shirt that would hide the stump of her arm. She took a deep breath and walked out into the Philips' living room. The family were all sitting around the coffee table, staring into space.

Kiyan looked up when she came in and quickly offered her his seat. Kathleen nodded her thanks, and then sat down. Jacinda moved closer, and put her arm around her. "Honey, let it go. I won't do you any good to keep it penned up inside of you." That was all Kathleen needed. A tear found its way out and slowly trickled down her cheek. Ioane and her brothers silently stood and walked out. That was when Kathleen lost control. She started sobbing. That was the only sound in the room. Jacinda held her daughter close until Kathleen had calmed down. "Kathleen, you can't reverse time," she said softly. "What's done is done."

"I know," whispered Kathleen. "But I don't know why it had to happen to me." Jacinda tilted her daughter's chin up. She looked Kathleen in the eyes.

"Kathleen, I love you. Even more than I did before the attack. You're still part of this family, and you always will be. Even if you lose every single one of your limbs, you're still beautiful and we love you. That will never change. Never." Kathleen managed a small smile.

"Thanks, Mom," she said.

"You're welcome. Oh, I almost forgot." Jacinda pulled out a bag. She handed it to her. "This will help when you go to school." Kathleen pulled out a pair of loose jeans, sparkling tennis shoes, and a shirt that would hide her arm.

"Thank you, Mom," she whispered. She hugged her mother, and then stood. Kathleen walked into the kitchen, where her brothers were either flipping through skateboarding magazines or playing video games. She went to the cupboard, and pulled out a loaf of bread. She set it on the counter, and twisted the elastic until it came off. She grabbed two slices of bread, and took some cheese out of the refrigerator.

As soon as she had finished eating, she grabbed her jersey, and limped down the road to Laura's house. The Iona's had a beautiful house; white, trimmed, and elegant. Kathleen rang the doorbell. It was opened by Laura's brother, Moses. "Oh, hi, Kathleen," he said. "I guess you want to see Laura?" Kathleen nodded.

"OK. She's in her room."

"Thanks, Moses," said Kathleen. She walked down the hall until she came to Laura's room. "Laura," she whispered. Kathleen softly knocked on the door. Laura opened it, dressed in a loose white dress.

"Kathleen!" she exclaimed. She hugged her friend. "How are you doing?"

"Fine." Laura stepped aside to allow Kathleen to come in. Kathleen sat down on Laura's bed. She took a deep breath. Laura waited. Kathleen took another deep breath.

"Laura," she began, looking her friend in the eye. "I don't know what to make of all this. I can't seem to find a reason for why I was attacked. I mean... There are plenty of other people who wouldn't mind missing a limb. But me? My one and only passion was surfing. And now I can't do that. I'm lost, Laura. You have to help me." Kathleen was fighting back tears. Laura's eyes were misty as she took her friend's hand.

"Kathleen, maybe you should come to church with me on Sunday. It helped me a lot when I was lost and confused. It'll help." Kathleen looked back into her friend's eyes. She knew that Laura's family were Christian. She nodded. Laura smiled, and then the two friends hugged.

Kathleen hopped out of her mother's car and grabbed her backpack. She had discovered, unfortunately, that her prosthetic arm was un-wearable, so now Kathleen had to wear shirts that covered the stump of her arm. She kissed her mother, and then slowly walked into the school. Everyone fell silent as she walked past. Then she heard whispering and giggling. She winced, and then went to sit by herself in a corner. Elikapeka Palakiko came over. "Hey, Kathleen," she said softly. "How are you doing?"

"I've been OK."

"Kathleen Philips, I've known you long enough to know when you're lying."

"All right, all right, all right. I'm not doing very well. Everybody's going to start teasing me, pushing me, making fun of me." Elikapeka was silent.

"Kathleen, they don't care about anybody but themselves. You have to ignore them, or else life is going to go downhill for you."

"Thank you, Elikapeka," said Kathleen softly.

"Call me Eli." Elikapeka got up, and went to join her friends. Kathleen smiled faintly. Elikapeka wasn't like other girls. They weren't exactly friends, but they'd helped each other out during hard circumstances. Laura came over. "Kathleen!" she said. "I didn't expect to see you here for at least a week."

"I had to have something to take my mind off of surfing or else I'll go mad. School is the only op-" Then the school bell rang. Laura and Kathleen stood quickly, and walked in. Kathleen walked up to Mr. Kahananui, and handed in the truckload of homework he had given her in the hospital. "Kathleen," he said. "Glad you're back."

"Thanks. It's good to be back." Mr. Kahananui nodded, and then started checking her homework. Kathleen silently slid into her seat, and waited for the rest of the class. Laura entered, handed in her homework, and sat down across from Kathleen. Then the rest of the class came in. "Good morning, class," said Mr. Kahananui. "I trust you had a nice time over the weekend?" There were cheers. "Good. I'd like to welcome back Kathleen Philips. Kathleen, we're glad you made it." Not so enthusiastic cheers.

"Hey Kathy!" called out one of the girls. "I wonder what will happen if another shark bites you." At that, the entire class, except for Elikapeka and Laura, burst out laughing.

"That's enough!" barked Mr. Kahananui. But it was too late. The bullying had started.