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Priscila stretched out her gaze to the horizon, running her eyes over every inch of water.
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.
Alex showed Priscila how to locate and avoid the jellyfish, and pointed out the spots where they didn’t reach. They got into the water, enjoyed each other’s company. But no kissing, this time.
A week later, it was Priscila who waited for him outside his house.
“Good morning, Alejandro.”
“Good morning, Queen of—” he interrupted himself at the girl’s threatening look. “Priscila. Were you waiting for me?”
“Indeed I was.”
“What do you have there?”
“Skateboards.”
“Skateboards?”
“Yes, one for me and one for you. Can you skate?”
“Well, it can’t be that complicated.”
“Hmm... so that’s a no. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you, neighbor. Come.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah, now. Do you have something better to do?”
“To be honest, I don’t, I was going to hang out for a while.”
“All right then.”
Priscila headed for downtown, skateboard in hand.
“Are we going to skate down that?” Alex’s brow furrowed as he pointed down the slope in front of him.
“Don’t be scared, handsome.”
“I’m not, Queen of the Desert.”
They skated for hours—so long, they even forgot to eat. Priscila called her parents to let them know she wouldn’t be home until evening. Alex sent a message on his cellphone.
By the end of the day, Alex had mastered the technique to perfection. He even had the courage to hold Priscila’s hand as they strolled along the pier. And when they said their goodbyes at Priscila’s front door, they kissed. Kisses that tasted like sweat, outdoors, fresh air, and them. That, above all. The taste was purely them.
No secrets, though. Those would come later.
They spent the rest of the summer together—skateboard races, bikes, kisses, cuddles, swims and sunsets in Jellyfish Cove (its official name for both of them now). Those sunsets they spent sitting side by side, Alex’s arm around her shoulders, gave Priscila the color of that summer: yellow.
A yellow summer in which Priscila came home every day with a new jellyfish sting, but with happiness in every particle of her body.
A summer in which Alex was happy—completely happy, for the first time in his life. He learned to be free, to do what he wanted when he wanted, and not to hide so much.
Priscila made him laugh. She was spontaneous, kind of crazy. He understood now the fascination they all had for her, why people laughed so much when they were around her. She did crazy things without thinking about the consequences; he’d been raised to always think of the aftermath.
Priscila taught him to play basketball, skateboard, enjoy the little things in life. Up to that point, all Alex had done was swim. It was the only thing he found fulfilling.
Now, he had to divide his time between swimming and other things, but of course swimming always won. As much as he liked to skateboard or play ball, swimming always won. He had recognized that winning at the Olympics would be a huge rush, but that wasn’t the reason he swam. It was because the water was his alter ego, his other half.
