Sink or Swim - Luca x Alberto

Green Eyes (PART ONE)

Friday — four days later

Luca's POV

The past week has been really interesting. Ever since what happened Monday night, I've tried to avoid writing in my journal as much. Alberto and I didn't bring the "crush" subject up again, especially since I'd rather forget about how he feels about it. I think Giulia wants to know more about it, but she hasn't bugged me again... so far.

We played outside every day, but Thursday we went to the dock, since Alberto works that day too. This time, Riccardo joined us in swimming during Alberto's break, and we all played a super fun game called "Marco, Polo". Alberto and I couldn't be "Marco" because since we're sea monsters, we have a cool sense of knowing where things are in the water.

Tonight, my family is coming to have dinner with the Marcovaldos. Until then, Alberto and I are passing the time by visiting the little island. We haven't gone there together since last summer. Surprisingly, Alberto was the one who suggested we visit it. According to him, he's already been back there a few times, but it was at night and he was all alone and the visit only made him sad.

"Are you sure you want to go back there?" I asked him, hugging my arms.

"Yeah...." Alberto paused. "I mean, it's hard being at the island, but with you around, I think I'll have a much better time."

When we stepped onto the island together for the first time in a year, Alberto got really quiet. He stared down at our feet and balled his hands into fists. I think he was preparing for another negative feeling... but when I reached over and rubbed his shoulder, he seemed to relax, and he let out a breath that he'd been holding.

Alberto doesn't like this island too much because this is where his stupid-faced dad abandoned him. He spent so many days alone on this island, with no family, or friends, or pets... and he was really lonely. Of course, he's not very open about that stuff, but I know Alberto a lot better than he thinks I do.

Now we're at the place where we first met, trying to find rocks that match each other's eye colors. It's really fun.

"So, your eyes are kinda brownish-reddish-shiny-ish," Alberto informs as we kneel over the rocks and inspect them. He's on one side of the shore and I'm on the other. "And lucky for me, a lot of rocks are brownish-reddish-shiny-ish. My eyes are green, and, uh, it looks like green rocks aren't a thing."

"We could go underwater to look for green rocks. There's a lot down there," I suggest. Then something catches my eye. "Oh, wait, here's a green rock!" I pick it up. "... Wait. No. It just has moss on it." I throw it aside.

I hear Alberto gasp. "Luca, I just found a matching rock, I think. Come over here."

I get up and walk over to Alberto, the rocks under my feet making me wince.

He stands up and takes a step towards me, holding up the rock between his thumb and index finger. It's a small, round rock that's a solid shade of reddish-brown. I reach one finger up and run it across the smooth surface. "It's really pretty," I say.

Alberto smiles at me. It looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't.

He holds the rock up beside my face, narrowing his eyes as he studies the comparison between the rock color and my eye color. I try not to blink, wanting to make it easier for him. After a few seconds, he smiles again, and lowers the rock. "Perfect."