by Kaia Knight
They both launched themselves into the water, kicking above the surface until they reached the first buoy, following the same rhythm as before. Check the compass. Kick. Scan the surroundings. Repeat. He passed by familiar shapes – a large, jagged rock on the right that looked like an elephant, and a line of dense vegetation, slowly swaying as they passed over it. Anticipation crept through his veins, his heart hammering against his ribs as he envisioned how he would execute the rescue once they found the victim. He began to kick faster in excitement, unaware that Kevin began to slip slightly behind him.
The water was so dim that a figure suddenly materialized inches before Gabriel’s extended arm. A pale face hovered, lifeless. His limbs floated limply in the current, and his head drooped off to the side. The sight sent a jolt of shock through Gabriel, momentarily paralyzing him as he was thrown headfirst into his living nightmare.
As the current tugged him away, he heard a gurgling, choking noise, and a hand, white with the cold, unforgiving pallor of the ocean, fading into the depths below. No matter how hard he kicked, it was always beyond his grasp.
Panic clawed through him, white-hot. He screamed, bubbles rising furiously from his mask as he began to hyperventilate. Kevin appeared beside him, eyes wide in alarm, and quickly grasped his upper arms and pulled Gabriel to the surface. He ripped out both of their respirators in one fluid motion.
“Gabriel, look at me!” Kevin hollered, still gripping him tightly as he treaded water. “You’re okay—you need to calm down!”
Gabriel gasped in pain as he struggled to slow his frantic panting. “I- I’m sorry…I don’t know…”
Suddenly, their instructor, Doug, surfaced beside them, looking at them in confusion. “What are you guys doing? Is there an equipment malfunction?”
“No,” said Gabriel, barely audible over the slap of the waves against their faces.
Gabriel’s partner threw the instructor a pained look. “Did you have to make it so…realistic?”
Doug laughed in astonishment. “What are you talking about? This is a test, of course I meant for it to look realistic. Maybe if you’re afraid of drowning victims, you shouldn’t be a rescue diver. You failed the test. Sorry.”
Kevin shook his head frantically, giving a meaningful look towards Gabriel.
Realization dawned on Doug’s face, and he looked at Gabriel closely. “Oh. Oooooh. Shit. Are you okay, Gabe?”
Gabriel had steadied his breath and said gruffly, “Sorry. I’m good now. I just wasn’t expecting that.” He attempted to laugh, but his voice broke, sounding strangled. “You going for an Oscar, Doug?
“My bad, man.” The words spilled out of Doug’s mouth earnestly. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Sarge told me to —”
“No worries. Let’s just do it. I’ve already taken too long.”
Grasping their respirators, they returned below to execute the rescue. Gabriel mechanically went through the motions that he had performed hundreds of times, surfacing and swimming back to shore with Doug safely above the waves in his tow. He and Kevin carefully pulled him onto the ledge, performing rescue breaths until Sarge gave them the thumbs up.
Sarge crossed his arms as he looked at the pair. “What happened out there? What took so long?”
Doug looked away in silence, as if trying to cover for Gabriel.
“Sir, it was me. I choked. I’ll have to do it again.”
Sarge looked at his wrist. “I’m sorry, Gabe. We won’t have time to do it again today. We have four more teams to run through and I have to be back to Eugene by three.” He frowned, grasping Gabriel’s shoulder and squeezing it as he leaned closer. “You’re doing great. Why don’t you head out and work on some acclimation drills in the shallows?” He nodded towards the soft sand and gentler surf in the distance.
Gabriel walked away, his shoulders drooping. Returning his tank to the team truck with a dull, metallic clank, he let the shame wash over him, welcoming its punishing sting.
Kevin clapped him on his back. “Good job out there, buddy. Don’t sweat it, okay?”
He nodded numbly in response and shed all his gear except his wetsuit. He headed towards the beach without a backward glance as the next group of divers launched from the shore. Every heavy step was a metronome for his disappointment. You are a failure. You can’t do anything. You’ll never get past this. The poison of his thoughts seeped into the crevices of his mind, shriveling the hope that he had nurtured for so long into a wilted heap.
Gabriel dug his toes into the coarse sand, reveling in the sensation of discomfort as he walked, knowing that its bite would callous his soles, making them tougher with each step he took.
He found Eli about half a mile down the beach, kicked back in a fold-up chair with a tattered book as if it were a sunny day. With a huff, Gabriel sat down next to Eli in the sand.
“How’d it go? Done for the day?”
Gabriel cracked his knuckles absentmindedly. “I panicked…it just took me right back to that day.” He sighed. “I completed the rescue but failed, obviously. I just feel bad Kevin has to redo it with me.”
Eli snorted. “That dude wouldn’t have been able to make it that far if you hadn’t spent the last week teaching him how to swim properly. I wouldn’t worry about him.”
“At least he didn’t go into full-blown hysterics.”
Eli smacked him on the knee with his book. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s your first day back in the ocean. Honestly, what did you think was going to happen? You can’t always swoop in unprepared and expect to come out victorious. Oh wait, that’s always what happens to you.”
Gabe looked at Eli sidelong and smiled. “Are you talking about my first Ironman?”
Eli laughed and rolled his eyes. “Yes! You went into it with zero training and were disappointed that you got second place overall.” He scoffed and shook his head. “So just give yourself time and practice. It’ll come back. C’mon. Let’s head down to Beverly Beach and chill. He held up the small blue cooler beside him. “Lucky for you, I have no ambitions to get in the water, so I brought other entertainment.”
“Good. I could use a beer right about now.” Gabriel dug in the cooler, cracking open a drink and raising it towards Eli, who clinked his own bottleneck against it. Eli rose with a groan, folding up his chair as Gabriel grabbed the cooler. They ambled down the beach as they sipped. The rough pebbles gave way to softer sand as the distant roar of waves churning in Devil’s Punchbowl faded away.
Chapter 17
Kailani
Kailani tugged the gritty surfboard from the back of Melody’s truck, smiling at the familiar crunch of sand against the metal bed. The wind whipped her hair violently across her face as she tucked the surfboard under her arm, grabbing her overstuffed bag with her other hand. Her arms full, she tossed her head, turning into the wind to get the hair out of her face. Melody laughed, leaning in to pull aside the strands that Kailani was trying to blow away from her sticky lips.
“Damn lipstick! Why’d you put this on me, anyways? It’ll just wash off in the water!”
Melody licked her finger then gently poked Kailani’s shoulder, making a sizzling tsss sound. “Because you look hot, girl! And don’t be dramatic, it’s just tinted chapstick. I thought my makeup routine was low-maintenance.”
“Not sure why we’re playing dress up. I’m here to surf.”
Melody groaned, dragging her hand over her face. “For the last time, we are two single girls who get to spend the day with some of the most gorgeous guys on campus, whose abs are a hand-carved gift from the gods. So please. Humor me. I’ve had enough of the guys on my team whose legs are skinnier than my forearm and wear tape on their bloody nipples from chafing.”
Kailani made a face, shuddering. “Nipple chafing? What a nightmare.”
Melody threw her hands up and cried, “Welcome to my world! Now let’s go meet Bachelor Number One…”
Kailani laughed and bent down to grasp the handle of the large cooler with h
er spare hand as Melody grabbed the other side. In an awkward, penguin-like shuffle, they hobbled their way across the parking lot and stepped past the sign labeled ‘Beverly Beach State Park’. Kailani sighed in pleasure as her bare toes touched the cool, damp sand. Pausing for a moment, she closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the ocean, so much sharper and briny here than back home.
In Hawaii, everything was bathed in warmth and light, its landscape a vivid splash of impossibly bright colors. But here, everything was a muted shade of blue grey that shrouded the landscape in a dark, mysterious mist, beckoning to be explored. The saturated clouds undulated as they hung low in the sky, threatening to spill over at the slightest touch. Excitement stirred in her chest.
“Man, I’ve missed the ocean so much. It’s beautiful here.”
Melody glared at the dark clouds as they continued to stagger across the deep sand. “I can’t imagine this feels a whole lot like Hawaii. What was it like, growing up in paradise? I don’t know how you left,” she sighed wistfully.
Kailani smiled, tilting her head to the side. “It was…magical. We lived in a smaller town near Kona, on the Big Island. It was a tiny place right on the water, with a little pier. I miss waking up to the sound of the waves washing up right below my window, and when it stormed, I would watch the whole ocean light up in front of me.”
“That sounds amazing! Why did you leave?”
Kailani hesitated, shifting her grip on the cooler. How could she answer that? “Honestly, I just needed space to start over again. I started feeling so…claustrophobic. Like everything I did was under a magnifying glass.” Keep it light. She forced a laugh. “Island fever is a real thing, let me tell you.”
Melody nodded seriously. “I know how you feel. I was born and raised here in Oregon and I still live with my parents. They’re just always there, hovering, wanting to solve all my problems. I love them, but man, give a girl room to breathe! So don’t worry, I get it.”
Kailani’s throat tightened. No, I don’t think you get it. But she smiled instead.
Suddenly, Melody pointed up the beach, where a group of guys jostled one another in the distance as they rummaged in a large cooler. They began to shotgun beers, their hoots of laughter dampened by the steady breeze.
“Nice,” Kailani grimaced, shaking her head. “I am so glad you’re here.”
“As if I could pass up a chance to see Cristiano,” she said, fanning her face. “I still don’t know why you wanted us to drive separately, there would’ve been enough room if you sat on his lap.”
Kailani chewed her cheek, her eyebrows coming together. “Yeah…I don’t know why, but there’s something about him that puts me on edge. He hasn’t done anything, but it’s the way he looks at me.”
“You mean like he thinks you’re gorgeous? Oh, that must be dreadful for you!”
Rolling her eyes, she nudged Melody with an elbow. “You know what I mean! It just feels like sometimes he doesn’t even hear what I’m saying, he’s so busy making that little half smile.” She imitated it, and Melody laughed. “Also, he’s super weird about Gabriel and me.”
Melody looked sharply at her. “Gabriel and you? Like, swim coach Gabriel?”
Shoot. I’d better watch what I say. Kailani quickly backpedaled, “Uh—yeah. It’s just that he’s run into us a few times...on campus, and Cristiano gets annoyed and says he’s being overprotective. It’s nothing, really.”
Melody’s eyes gleamed. “He sounds jealous. Hmm, Gabriel is protective of you? That’s really sweet.”
Kailani’s stomach dropped. “What? No, not like that. He just doesn’t want me getting injured, ruining my season, you know how coaches are.” She tossed her hand dismissively.
Melody’s voice inflected higher in a sing-song voice, “Whatever you say.” But then she said, mock seriously, “So, if you had to, who would you choose?”
“Melody!” Kailani hissed, glancing around.
She laughed and lowered her voice as they approached the guys. “I’m just messing! Honestly, Gabriel is an amazing guy. Half the triathlon team swoons over him. What’s not to love? Tall, dark, and handsome. He used to join our team for group bike rides last year, and the girls are still talking about how his ass looked in those spandex shorts.” She laughed and eyed the guys who were now flicking each other with their t-shirts.
Kailani breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, our team is pretty crazy about him too.”
“Oh yeah? And what about you?”
Clearly I’m not getting out of this. Just appease her. She huffed, “Fine, I’ll admit it. He’s gorgeous. I mean, he has longer eyelashes than me, how is that even fair?”
Melody laughed, and finally the cluster of guys noticed their approach. Cristiano waved a hand, jogging towards them with a broad smile.
“Hello, ladies!” He grabbed the cooler from their grip in one fluid movement, hoisting it on his shoulder with a bulging bicep as he sauntered back toward his teammates.
Melody gave a quiet wolf-whistle and grinned at Kailani before following him, trying to step in the footprints he left in the sand.
There were five guys total, and as soon as they introduced themselves, Kailani immediately forgot their names. The only one who stood out was Jake, a strawberry blond with flecks of freckles across his nose. He was the only one without a beer in his hand and he stood just behind Cristiano, not muscling to the front to gain their attention.
Jake cleared his throat, grabbing his surfboard. “Who’s ready to surf?” His eyes kept flicking towards the water, as if he itched to get away.
“One more!” Cristiano cheered, crumpling his beer can and chucking it towards the trash bag that was already piled high with the signs of their pre-gaming. It missed the bag, the wind sending it skidding across the sand. Kailani’s eyes narrowed, but Cristiano made no move to chase after it, reaching into the ice chest for yet another beer.
“Are you going to get that?” Kailani asked coolly.
He shrugged, and the sharp crack of the opening can was like a slap in the face. She bit down on a retort and loped to retrieve it before it made its way into the water. When she returned, Kailani shoved it forcefully into the garbage bag, tying it down.
The group looked towards her with bated breath, sensing her annoyance. Why does it seem like I’m the bad guy here? She plastered on a smile, scrambling to diffuse the tension. “I’m with him,” she said, gesturing to Jake. “Let’s get out there!” She slid her bag off her shoulders, digging for the wetsuit that Melody had loaned her.
Kailani blushed as she pulled off her well-worn sweatshirt, aware of the crowd around her that stood staring as she revealed her racerback bikini. Melody stepped slightly in front of her, chatting easily with the guys as she got ready, and Kailani felt a surge of gratitude for her friend.
She felt Cristiano’s burning gaze as she unbuttoned her skinny jeans, shimmying them down to her ankle and quickly stepping out of them. In her haste, her foot got stuck and she began to fall sideways, tangled in her pants. Cristiano caught her—a large, warm hand on her waist, his other hand hooked under her arm, pressing his body against hers. Heat spread across her face as she looked down.
“Thanks,” she muttered.
“Seems like you’ve been drinking.” She felt his chuckle rumble against her back, his hands lingering on her body as he gently set her down.
She shimmied into her wetsuit with frantic motions, gasping as she squeezed into it. Melody, already zipped up, looked at Kailani with lips pressed together like she was suppressing a giggle.
“I’m just glad we don’t live in an era where corsets are a thing,” Kailani panted, rubbing her ribs, “I would not survive.”
Cristiano’s eyes danced. “I don’t know, I’d love to see that.” His eyes grazed down her chest towards her narrow waist, and she flushed, tugging the zipper up to the back of her neck.
She abruptly seized her surfboard, using it as a shield as she stalked towards the water. Her stomach clenched as
she fought to shed the prickly sensation that made her skin crawl. She took a deep breath, wading into the trickling tide next to Melody. She gasped as the cold water numbed her feet, stubbing them blindly against the large, smooth stones that tiled the ocean floor. Tendrils of slimy kelp reached out and wrapped around her ankles, begging her to stay awhile.
“Agh! You swim in here? Willingly?” she asked Melody, her teeth chattering as she shook a foot free from the tangle of green.
The guys had caught up to them, and Jake chuckled. “You think this is cold? This is the warmest it’s been all year!”
She laughed, “Okay, so maybe Hawaii did make me a little soft. I’ll get used to it though.”
Cristiano elbowed in the line and pointed to the surfboard tucked under her arm. “Isn’t that a little short for you?”
Kailani shrugged. “I like this height, I specifically asked for it at the rental shop.”
“Huh. Well, if you go for a longer board, you’ll have a smoother ride, it’s basic physics.”
She rolled her eyes towards Melody beside her, who exchanged a knowing look. Men. Kailani hopped on her board in the water, now more than waist high, gripping the sides lightly with the rhythm of years of practice. She began to paddle as Melody swam beside her, keeping her chin up over the oncoming waves. She let the guys race each other towards the deeper water, staying back with Melody as she swam.
Cristiano looked over his shoulder and hollered, “You might want to scoot up a little bit more on your board, you’ll have more pull leverage there.” He showed her his cupped hand, miming a sculling motion in the air. “And if you scoop more like this, you’ll have more thrust, so you’ll be able to go faster.”
“Another physics lesson?” Kailani called out dryly.
Melody shook her head in indignation as they closed the gap between them. “You realize you’re telling one of the best swimmers in the country how to paddle, right?”
Cristiano’s teammates laughed and Kailani mouthed ‘thank you’ to Melody through a smile. Cristiano mumbled something about ‘just trying to help’.