Page 17 of Under the Waves

I groaned. “I swear to God, I am not in the mood to deal with this cra—”

The surfboard went over the banister.

“Oh shit.”

7

Poppy Wells

You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. Youaren’t goodenough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy.You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. Youaren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfingchampion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that. You aren’t good enough, Poppy. You aren’t good enough. You’re a monster. Why don’t you just kill yourself already? Do everyone else the favor. Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy? You should lose some weight, Poppy. You can’t be a surfing champion looking like that.

You’re a monster.

You’re a monster.

All the voices chanted in unison.

It remained the only sound I could hear in this bustling town.

Despite the commotion outside my bedroom door.

Nothing will ever be as loud as the thoughts inside my own head.

Why don’t you just kill yourself already?

Are you sure you want to eat that, Poppy?

You can’t be a surfing champion looking likethat,Poppy.

You will

never

ever

begoodenough,

Poppy.

8

Poppy Wells

Through the darkness, there was a voice hidden among the hundreds.

Quiet and faint.

Barely anything but a whisper.

“We have to stop meeting like this, Wellsy.”

But somehow,

all the other anxious thoughts

swirling inside my head…

stopped.