Page 37 of Under the Waves

“Great then!” Daniel clapped his hands together and smiled. “As you both know about my injury,” he gestured down to his mechanical leg and knocked on it. The sound of metal echoed around us, and I swear I saw Isa flinch from up on the decking.

He laughed awkwardly. “It’s not great but I can’t run this place all on my own. I need to know I can count on you both here.”

Jasper sighed. “That’s a stupid question. You know you can count on me.”

I nodded. “You can count on me, too.”

Jasper shot me a look that I couldn’t decipher. How, in one glance, could he make me feel soworthless? He and my dad would’ve been friends. They both know how to make me feel small and insignificant.

Daniel patted Jasper on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear.God,why did people keep whispering around me?Was I really that bad?

With a nod, Jasper walked through the gate and down to the beach. He didn’t spare me a second glance.I wasn’t worth one.

Daniel walked up towards the decking where his wife was standing and gestured for me to follow him. For the next half an hour, he gave me a tour around the surf school. I learned that they lived above the school, and they loved each kid they taught like they were their own. I fuckingwishedmy dad would’ve let me train here when I was little.

I knew why he didn’t—he’d be afraid that if I went here, I would’ve learnt that his abuse waswrong.He wouldn’t have been able to get away with everything he didfor years.

After the tour, he handed me a pile of paperwork and told me to digitize the forms, file them, and then restock the medical room. I sat myself down on the chair at the front desk. It had wheels and you bet I spent at least twenty minutes wheeling myself around and spinning around on it. I smiled and I laughed,and I felt like a kid again.

I finished all my jobs for the day by around seven and called up to Daniel and Isa to tell them I was clocking out and going home. I had even bribed them, offering to do more work just so I could delay going home but they both said they’d feel guilty overloading me on my first day.

Now I just had to decide between walking slowly and risk being assaulted on my way home or just go home and deal with what was waiting for me there. I groaned. There was nothing positive about this situation. No light at the end of the tunnel. No stickers and gold stars. No appreciation and acknowledgment.

Nothing.

It was just a never-ending void of pain. I was caught in a rip tide of darkness, and I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to be saved anymore.

I decide to walk back along the cliffs and down to the beach to avoid the main streets. I didn’t have to worry about Jasper seeing me either because his third class of the day ended an hour and a half ago.

And why do you know that, Poppy?

I shook my thoughts clear of the voice inside my head. It wasn’t stalker like at all. I just knew his schedule because it was next to mine on the wall by the front desk.

But why did you look at it?

Because—wait,why was I defending myself…tomyself?

I was officially crazy.

You’re just like your mother, Poppy.

Just as fucked up in the head as she was.

Just you wait and see, little Orca.

Just you wait and see.

The pavement beneath my feet softened to sand and I let out a quiet moan. I would never get tired of that feeling—it felt like I was cominghome.I shook my shoes off my feet and picked them up in one hand. The sand crept between my toes as I walked. I didn’t want to get sand in my shoes and besides, I loved the feeling of sand.

I was completely content in my own thoughts as I walked back, thinking about which book I could sneak out of the public library tomorrow when a figure out on the waves caught my eye.

Jasper.

He was sitting down on his board, the waves brushing up against his bare thighs. They gleamed under the setting sun, muscles carved with strokes of precision. I bit my bottom lip. Wait—what?

No. I just checked him out—I just checked Jasper fucking Ridge out.God, I was going to hell. I hated him. I did…right?

There was a smaller figure out there on the waves with him. I squinted and realized it was little Davis. My thoughts wondered back to our conversation earlier. Maybe he knew about what she said to me. After all, Lia and him were best friends. But if he did, then surely he would’ve told someone by now?