Page 31 of Under the Waves

waiting for me.

I took one hand off the railing.

Tucked my curls behind my ears.

Took in a breath.

Itched closer to the edge.

And I stared and I thought and I wondered and I dreamed about everything.

About all the things I wanted to do.

All the ways I wished my life was different.

ThatIwas different.

All I had to do was let go.

But, instead, I climbed back over the railing, picked up my rucksack and started my walk back home. Because, in the end, I never had the courage.

But, someday, I would.

One day.

13

Poppy Wells

The sound of children screaming and giggling startled me from my thoughts. When I swirled around, I saw at least ten of them charging down the sand towards me, wetsuits on and boards in hand. Panic arose in my chest but soon faded as I realized they were only little.It was a reflex.

Dragging myself out of the water, the blue rash guards with the surf school logos on them came into my view.

“Poppy!” One of the kids yelled out to me. She looked around eight, maybe? That would be my guess, anyway. She looked vaguely familiar, same ocean blue eyes, brown hair that tumbled past her shoulders and a face structure the same as…Lia.

“Little Davis?” I asked as she came running towards me and threw her arms around my legs. I returned herhug, rubbing her back gently as I fell to my knees, so I was on her level. For some reason, I didn’t feel nervous. Maybe that was because she was eight…but whatever. I’d officially talked to someone knew.

Beat that anxiety, little fucker.

Her tiny brows crossed as her lips pulled into a frown. “I have a name, you know. People never remember it. And I hate being called Lia’s sister.”

Her quick remark made me smile. “Hey, little Davis is a great nickname,” I praised, partly because I had no ideawhather name was and felt so fucking guilty to ask her for it after she just said that. “I think it makes you sound super cool.”

“You think so?” Her lips tugged up almost immediately into a smile, though her words tumbled out hesitantly.

I nodded. “Sure do. Is your sister here with you?”

Her smile immediately left at the mention of Lia and it hurt my heart to see that small frown return. I barely knew her but she’d given me less hatred and glares in the last two minutes than residents of this town had given me in an entire lifetime, so that made her officially number one in my Christmas card list. Not that I did cards anyway. We didn’t have the money to spend on them, and I never had many friends anyway so it didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

“No, she’s grounded. In the dark.”

“What do you mean by in the dark?” I questioned carefully.

The girl shrugged like it was a usual sentence for her.

“You can’t see her or he’ll get mad. He doesn’t like it when things don’t go his way. I know that. Lia told me what to do and what not to. I’m his good girl, that’s what he tells me. He doesn’t tell that to her though. He calls her names. Bad names. She tells me not to worry about it. That it’s just him being sad. I don’t believe her though. Not really. Do you believe her, Poppy?”

I couldn’t breathe.What the fuck should I do?