Page 75 of Below the Barrel

“You’re asking for tips?” he finally says, raising an eyebrow. “Koa, you’ve surfed Pipeline before. So, what’s really going on?”

I glance at Maliah, her arms wrapped around her knees as she stares out at the ocean. I hesitate for a moment before answering, “She’s spooked, Gabriel. The wave…it’s in her head.”

Gabriel doesn’t react right away, but I can tell he’s thinking, his expression softening as he leans closer to the camera. “Put her on.”

I nudge Maliah gently, holding the phone out toward her. “Gabriel wants to talk to you.”

She hesitates, like she doesn’t want to face him, but eventually she takes the phone from me, holding it up in front of her. “Hey, Coach,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Maliah.” His tone is firm but not unkind. “What’s going on? You’ve surfed bigger waves than Pipeline. Why is this one getting to you?”

She swallows hard, looking down for a second before meeting his gaze on the screen. “I don’t know,” she admits. “It’s just…everything I’ve heard about it, the wipeouts, the reef, the injuries. I can’t stop thinking about all the ways it could go wrong.”

Gabriel nods slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. “That fear you’re feeling? It’s natural. Hell, every surfer has felt it at some point. But you can’t let it control you. Fear’s only useful if you know how to channel it.”

Maliah’s eyes are locked on the screen, hanging on his every word.

“Listen,” Gabriel continues, “you’ve been training for this your whole life. You’ve faced insane conditions, more than most people could handle. This isn’t about being fearless, it’s about being smart. Learn the waves patterns, and you surf it like you know how. You’ve got everything you need right here,” he says, tapping his temple. “Trust yourself.”

Maliah nods slowly, and I can see the tension in her shoulders easing just a bit.

“Thanks, Coach,” she whispers.

She hands the phone back to me, looking a little more grounded now. I end the call and look back at her, still sitting quietly beside me. I wrap an arm around her and pull her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, and she leans into me, her body relaxing a little more.

“What is scaring you the most about the wave?” I ask softly. “The real reason.”

She takes a deep breath. “Getting sucked below the barrel.”

“What about it, the risk of hitting the reef?”

She shakes her head. “Just being below it, watching the world fade away above me.”

I frown as I look at her. “If you were sucked below the water’s surface, watching the barrel crashing above you, I’d be by your side in seconds, bringing you back to the top. You wouldn’t just fade away under there. I promise.”

Her eyes search mine and she swallows hard, brows furrowing. “It’s just…it’s so unpredictable.”

“Life is unpredictable. This is just another challenge. We can learn the rhythm of Pipeline together.”

She bites her lip, contemplating my words. “What if I freeze up? The way I did in Teahupo’o?”

“Then you remind yourself of who you are. You’re a fighter, Mal. You don’t back down from challenges. Remember when you caught a wave at Saquarema? How alive you felt?”

She nods slowly, her breath hitching. “That was different. I was just?—”

“No,” I interrupt, holding her gaze. “You were brave. And youarebrave. This is just another opportunity to show the world what I already know.”

Her shoulders drop slightly, the tension easing, and I can see her considering my words. “Okay,” she finally says, a glimmer of determination sparking in her eyes. “Let’s go check it out.”

“That’s my girl,” I reply, feeling a surge of pride. I stand up and extend my hand to her, but she just stares at me, face completely flushed.

“Don’t say that again, not right before we go surfing,” she says, her voice breathy.

I blink before I give her a half smirk. “Why?” I ask in a low voice. “Did me calling youmygirl turn you on?”

She grabs a fistful of sand and throws it at me. I burst out into laughter as I watch her face turn crimson. “Shut up,” she hisses before rising to her feet.

I grin at her before my eyes travel to Kelani in the background, further down the beach with his friend. “Let’s go talk to Kelani and see if he has any experience with being swallowed up by barrels out here.”

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