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“So let me just show you.” Alberto jumped into the water.
Luca gasped in shock. “No!”
“Come on.” Giulia sighed, exasperated as she walked into the water.
“Giulia, wait.” Luca called.
“We don’t have time to goof around.” She grabbed onto Alberto’s arm and - "Ah!” She yelled as she jumped away, scrambling out of the water.
Alberto swung his tail, rising out of the water slowly.
“Help! Don’t hurt us!” She shouted, holding onto Luca.
Luca stepped in front of her. "Giulia, please don’t-”
“See? I knew-” Alberto began.
“You knew about this?” Giulia snapped.
“Well, I-”
“-This would happen!”
Giulia pushed past Luca and grabbed a stick. “Stay back!” She yelled pointing it at Alberto.
“Giulia, please!” Luca pleaded, pulling on her free arm. “Please, stop yelling, someone will hear you!”
“I hope they do! We need h-”
Luca stepped into the water, placing a hand over her mouth. “Giulia, please! Listen to me!”
“Seamonster! There it is!” Ercole shouted as he rose above the rocks.
“Go!” Luca shouted at Alberto.
Alberto only replied with a nod as he quickly swam away, the harpoons landing nowhere near him.
“Idiotia! You let it get away! To the boat, we are going to kill a sea monster!” Ercole shouted to his goons.
“What was that?” Giulia snapped at Luca, storming out of the water. “Why were you protecting that thing?”
Luca stepped out of the water, grateful that no one noticed his fish feet. “Giulia, Alberto is our friend and-”
“How long have you known, huh? He could have killed you!”
“He wouldn’t!”
“He’s a monster!”
“He is not a monster! Giulia, listen to yourself! If he was going to hurt us, he would have already.”
Giulia opened her mouth to reply, but huffed in frustration instead.
“He is our friend.”
“Your friend.” She corrected.”I don’t think he likes me much.”
“But he-”
“Is a monster!”
Luca sighed, closing his eyes. He took in a deep, calming breath, and opened his eyes again. “Are we friends, Giulia?”
“What? Yeah, obviously. I just don’t get why you would hide this. Why would you be friends with that… Thing!”
Luca took one slow, careful step backwards.
Then another.
Then another.
“What are you doing?”
“Giulia, I am your friend.”
Giulia stepped forward. “Are you going after him?” She panicked. “He’ll kill you!”
“We’re friends, Giulia.” He said as his heel hit the water. "I need you to remember that.”
And he fell backwards into the water.
“Luca!” She shouted, stepping forward.
Luca stood slowly.
Giulia gasped in shock… But also in fear.
Luca, fully transformed, stood still. “Giulia, you know I wouldn’t-” He took a small step forward.
Immediately, Giulia stepped back.
Luca’s heart broke, he stopped moving. “Giulia, please. We wouldn't hurt you.”
“But I- but why- but-” Giulia panicked.
“My parents, they were going to send me away. That’s why we came here. Please, we really aren’t dangerous.”
Giulia looked at him, her eyes going down to his feet and back to his face.
She took one very shaky step forward.
Luca froze, not only to not scare her, but also in fear.
She took another step forward.
Maybe his mother was right after all.
She stepped again.
Maybe the land monsters were going to kill him.
Another step.
Maybe this was it.
She was face to face with him.
She reached out a hand, Luca closed his eyes and flinched violently.
He felt a soft hand over his scales. He opened his eyes, blinking in shock.
“Why Portorosso?”
“My home is nearby.” Luca replied simply.
Giulia sighed. “It’s not worth being here. You saw what just happened.”
“I can’t go back!”
“You can’t stay here!”
Luca looked away.
Giulia sighed. “Do you know where Alberto went?”
Luca nodded.
“We should go to him. Make sure he is okay.”
“Okay.”
“Well, maybe just you. What with it being underwater and all.”
Luca brightened up. “Actually, I think you can come.”
…
Giulia returned wearing her bathing suit and goggles. She waved at Luca, who was out of the water, as she approached.
"Hang onto me." Luca said.
Giulia wrapped her arms around Luca's shoulders, hanging onto his back. He stepped into the water, transforming into his typical self. "Hold your breath, and tap me when you need air."
"Okay." Giulia said, then took a deep breath as Luca dove into the water.
Giulia squeezed her eyes shut, nervous. Suddenly she jerked forward as Luca swam through the water.
After a moment, she blinked oper her eyes. The ocean was dark below, the dim light of the sun set filtered slightly through the surface.
As they swam, bubbles rushed past her. She was in awe. And she thought she was a fast swimmer!
After a few more moments of admiring the sight, Luca slowed down and surfaced.
"Are you doing okay?" He asked. Giulia let go of him, wading in the water. Luca turned to face her.
"Okay? This is amazing!"
"Really? Well, maybe we can come back when the sun is out! It's so beautiful when you can see everything."
"Yeah!" She said, excited.
He knew Giulia would accept him. Well, he had the feeling at least.
Giulia held onto him once more and he continued swimming.
Before she knew it, they were at the island out in the water.
When they surfaced, Giulia immediately asked, "This is where Alberto lives?"
Luca nodded as he pulled himself up on the rocks. He reached out a hand and helped Giulia up.
"Well, that explains all the sea monster sightings around here."
"Yeah, it kinda does." Luca chuckled.
Giulia watched in amazement as he transformed back into a human.
Luca, puzzled by her shocked face, looked around.
"Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I'm just not used to watching you…. Change."
"Oh," Luca chuckled awkwardly. "Right, uh, sorry."
"No, it's fine, I'll get used to it."
Luca smiled. He tired towards the abandoned lighthouse. "Alberto?" He called.
He heard nothing but his own echo.
"Alberto?" He called again, this time walking towards the lighthouse. The ladder was torn down.
He turned back to Giulia. "I'm going up to get him."
"Well, I'm coming with you."
Luca smiled at her.
Luca and Giulia pulled themselves into the main part of the lighthouse. They looked around, the Vespa poster had been torn down and underneath were…. Marks?
"Alberto?" Luca called.
"You should go back."
Luca looked at the top of the stairs, seeing Alberto's body but not his face.
"Only if you come with me."
"What? You saw how she reacted. I'm a monster."
He looked down, and spotted Giulia.
A look of fear and panic overtook him, then he steeled himself, putting on his scariest face.
"Get out of here!" He shouted, walking towards her. "I'm a monster!"
Giulia stepped back, clearly afraid, but didn't run.
"Alberto, I'm sorry-"
He looked at Luca. "Why did you bring her here? She's going to kill me!"
"No! Alberto, it's fine, she…." He swallowed. "She knows about me now too."
"What?" Alberto's scary look faded away.
"And I'm sorry for how I reacted." Giulia added.
Immediately, Alberto returned to his scary face. "You shouldn't be here!"
"I'm not going to hurt you." Giulia offered.
Alberto huffed. "You shouldn't have told her about you."
"We're in this together." Luca smiled.
"There is no 'this'. It's over. Everyone will know. It's over."
"Not yet." Luca countered.
Giulia took the opportunity to look around the lighthouse. She noticed the marks again. "Alberto, what are these marks for?"
"Nothing." He snapped.
"Tell us what they mean." Luca prompted.
Alberto teared up. "My dad… he said I was old enough to be on my own."
"You've lived here alone for that many days?"
"I just stopped counting after a while."
"Alberto I… I had no idea."
"Yeah, well," he sniffled. "Now you know."
"You said you wanted the Vespa to travel the world?" Giulia asked, staring at the marks. "Well," she turned to face them. "Let's go win you a Vespa."
Alberto and Luca smiled at her.