Two Fish

nineteen || alaska

When they got home from the beach, Alaska went straight up to her room. Elver followed, taking the steps two at a time. He wasn't really looking where he was going until Alaska stopped in front of Gordon's tank and he jumped back.

"What's that?" he asked. Alaska shook a few flakes into the water and Gordon dived for them hungrily. Elver was white, leaning against the wall.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot you hate fish," she said. She dunked her hand in the water to move a plant that had toppled over. Elver winced and she laughed. "You're serious? You really hate fish?"

"They're so creepy," he said. He couldn't take his eyes off Gordon, bobbing along in his tank. "I don't trust them."

Alaska wiped her hands on a grubby tea towel by the tank and threw it in the general direction of her laundry basket. Her mother walked past and poked her head in.

"Everything alright in here?" she asked. In her daughter's mirror, she spied a hair loose from her perfect 'do and tucked it away.

"Fine."

"Keep the door open."

"I will, Mum. We're not doing anything." She rolled her eyes at her mother's back after she had left, taking the laundry with her. Elver's eyes were still fixed on Gordon.

"Why do you have a fish?" he asked.

"I like fish."

"Why?"

Alaska sat down on her bed and patted the space next to her. Elver cautiously lowered himself onto the blue duvet. "What do you mean, why?"

"Why do you like fish?"

"Look." She directed Elver's attention back to the fish tank. "He's so calm. He just swims around all day and eats food. He doesn't care." She gazed at the orange floating blob, his tail swishing occasionally to stop him from sinking. "Why do you hate them so much?"

Elver shrugged.

"What has a fish ever done to you?"

"Nothing. I just don't like them." He shuddered and rubbed his hands together over his knees. "They're slimy. They hide in the sea. You don't know when one'll shoot out of nowhere."

"But ... they're fish," Alaska said.

"Well, you're scared of something. What is it? And why?" He locked eyes with her. He hadn't noticed before that what he had assumed to be blue was actually a whole host of colours. Alaska's irises were outlined by a dark blue circle but around her pupils, they were green, the two colours melding somewhere in the middle.

"Nothing," she said.

"Alaska?"

"Yeah?"

"What is it?" He knocked his knee against hers and she flinched, pulling her legs up.

"Nothing, seriously." She stood up and wandered over to Gordon's tank. Bent over, she rested her forehead against the cool glass. Elver stayed put. "We should go," she said.

"Where?"

"Your house."

"Why?"

"Do you want to save your car?" She pushed her hair over her shoulders and tied it into an explosive ponytail before she turned around to face Elver.

"Uh, yeah."

"Well, then, I need to come over."

After telling her mother she was going out with Elver and enduring her brother's taunts, Alaska was outside. She stood in front of Elver's car with her bag slung over her shoulder. Elver stood next to her.