Page 10 of Under the Waves

Untiltheymade me mean.

I never knew how to defend myself until they gave me a reason to.

It wasn’t him at the surf school. It couldn’t have beenhim. Him who helped me,heldme…It couldn’t have been.Could it have been?I knew he surfed. He was the captain of Willow Cove High’s team, the town on the other side of the bay. The rivalry between them and Hawthorne Hills Elite Academy’s surf team went back years. It had been going on for so long now it was like it was a tradition for the two teams to hate and pull pranks on each other.

My head began to throb again, and I resisted the urge to fallasleep right there. I was so exhausted I could barely keep up with his words.

“Don’t you remember?” He continued. “I can call the medics back if you need me too…”

“No—” I rushed to say.Play dumb. Play dumb. Play dumb.“no, it’s okay, I remember you…?”

He didn’t remember what he did tome.

The thought made me sick.

He didn’t remember anything he put me through.

Nothing.

If he did, he wouldn’t be acting like that. So kind, socaring.

There was no way.

He didn’t remember anything, yet I would forever be forced to remember the looks in their eyes as they towered over me and poured freezing cold milkshakes all over my body. The laughter that left their lips as they tore at my clothes, ripping off patches off fabric and cutting off chunks of my hair. I’d remember that for the rest of my life.

But he never would.

And just like that, it erased every single second of torture they put me through all those years like it wasnothing.

But it wasn’t you, the voice inside my head was screaming at me, but it was dark, and I was concussed. For all I knew, it could’ve been him, and I was just being paranoidagain. Exhausting myself over hypothetical scenariosagain.

“Nate,” he answered with a smirk.

“Right—”

“Well, if you’re feeling better, I was heading to Jakson’s party. You could come with me, you know?”

I snorted before I could stop myself.

My palm plastered against my lips as I realized what I’d done.

Such an idiot, Poppy.

“You just knocked me out and now you’re asking me out on adate?” I questioned him. That was weird,right? Shouldn’t he be telling me to go home and rest, not go with him to afrat party? My mind was spinning. The whole fucking world was always spinning inside my head. All I wanted, for once in my life, was a moment ofquiet.

“Well, I didn’t want to ask you out when your blood was dripping all over my shoes…”

I groaned, covering my eyes with my hands. “I amsosorry about that—”

“Don’t be,” he lowered my hands and winked, “I’m not bothered about my shoes princess, I’m bothered aboutyou.”

Okay, Iknowthat was meant to be romantic, but I feltnothing.

I shuddered as a slice of cold breeze hit my back. Without hesitating, Nate threw off his jersey and tugged it over my head. I shimmied the clothing on, letting it fall down to just above my knees. I was wearing shorts, but this completely swallowed them. Nate smirked, standing back to take a look at me whole.

“Thanks,” I muttered, wrapping my arms around my chest.

“Does that mean you’ll come with me?” he asked hopefully.