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“This field trip is dangerous, like I said,” Kendall snorted.
“Let’s fetch your parents,” Mr. Aquino said. “I’m sure they’ll want to take you home.”
Shelly’s mind flashed to how swamped her mom and dad were at work, not to mention stressed over the finances. The last thing she wanted was to be another thing her parents had to worry about, especially when it was just a little water.
“No, I’m fine,” Shelly protested. “I’d rather go back to school. I’m used to being in the water.”
“All right then. Let’s at least get you dry.”
After thanking Enrique, Mr. Aquino helped her back up the beach toward the aquarium. It was lit up against the dark sky like a sea palace. Shelly glanced back at the ocean. That was when she saw them: the two glowing yellow eyes—staring at her.
Then the eyes diverged, swimming in different directions until they were suddenly swallowed up by the dark waves. Shelly took the nautilus out of her pocket and clutched it in her hand, feeling chills.
The bus was already loaded with her classmates and ready to whisk her back to school, where her mother would pick her up after swim practice later. Shelly glanced through the window at Enrique. She could barely make out his silhouette in the dim light, but he lifted one hand to wave goodbye. He saved me, she thought. She didn’t want to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t.
For some reason, Kendall got out of her seat beside Shelly and moved to an empty row toward the front of the bus, and the twins followed her silently. Shelly didn’t know why they were acting so weird, but she hoped it didn’t have to do with her almost dying or Enrique.
Maybe littering wasn’t worth it after all, she thought sourly.
But still she was determined to smooth things out with the girls the first chance she got. For now she needed a breather and was somewhat relieved to be alone at the back of the bus.
* * *
“Shell-fish, did you get it?” Dawson hounded Shelly the second she walked into the kitchen. Her mom went directly to her bedroom and shut the door.
“Go away,” Shelly said, feeling exhaustion in every inch of her body. She glanced around the kitchen. Dirty dishes were stacked in the sink. Overflowing trash needed to be taken out. Dawson’s algae-covered fish tank sat on the counter, needing to be cleaned for a new occupant.
“So, what kind of fish did you get?” Dawson asked.
She had to think of something—and fast. “Well, I didn’t get you a goldfish, exactly,” she said, knowing she had to play this just right to avoid a major Dawson meltdown that would result in her losing her phone privileges or getting grounded and having to skip the swim meet the next day.
“Another kind of fish?” Dawson asked. “I miss Mr. Bubbles so much. He was the best.”
Now Shelly felt even worse. She loved animals of all kinds, but the truth was that Mr. Bubbles had been pretty dull. He never did much of anything. His most dramatic act was doing a lifeless bob and taking a ride down their plumbing. “Not a fish,” she started. But his face fell, so she plowed forward. “Even better. It doesn’t even need food. And you won’t have to clean its tank.”
He scrunched up his face. “What kind of pet doesn’t need food? Or a clean tank?”
“And it won’t die,” she added.
He frowned. “Like a vampire fish?”
She shook her head. “No, not a vampire fish.”
“Fine, I give up,” said Dawson. “What kind of pet did you get me?”
“This kind.” She pulled the nautilus from her pocket. It shone under the kitchen lights.
His eyes lit up. “Cool! A shell! I love it!” He grabbed it and clutched it to his chest.
Shelly breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe. Now she needed to eat dinner, and then she had to figure out which outfit to wear the next day, but her mind was on the swim meet. Shelly made herself a turkey sandwich, hurried up to her room to eat it, and got ready for bed. She laid out her outfit on a trunk at the foot of her bed and flicked off the lights.
The second Shelly’s head hit the pillow, she fell fast asleep. Her bedroom dissolved, and darkness stole her away. Everything that had happened that day—the aquarium field trip, the wave snatching her from the catwalk, her almost drowning, Enrique saving her—had worn her out.
But even her dream was tense. She was swimming in the school pool but was swimming in place as her competitors raced past her in a wave of water. Judy passed her, then Kendall.
She woke spluttering. “No, I need to win!” The words escaped her throat. She took a few deep, ragged breaths, then checked her digital clock, which showed it was ten. “Only a dream,” she whispered. She began to close her eyes, lowering her head back onto her pillow.
Then she noticed the strange light. Pulsing. Yellow. Eerie.
