Art provided by @Inkendz
TW in the description
(The Song that inspired Storm and Sea is - "Storm" by Ruelle)
Alberto POV
The rain trickled on the tin roof of the train station where Alberto and Massimo sat waiting. The train was running late. Massimo read a newspaper pretending to be unconcerned, but Alberto caught him sneaking peeks at the train tunnel every few seconds. Alberto sat fiddling with the Shark-tooth necklace around his neck, bouncing his leg up and down in nervous anticipation.
Alberto couldn't believe it had been three years. So much had changed.
He had changed.
The letter that started it all still sat on his desk. The news that Luca wouldn't be returning to Portorosso.
Years ago, when Luca had left with Giulia to the city of Genova, Alberto knew it wouldn't be forever. His two best friends would return to him every summer as promised. And they did. Each time a little taller and voices a little deeper, but they always returned every time the air grew warm with summer heat.
That was until he got the news. Luca had excelled in his studies, making up for the years he missed in elementary school. But the Genova Trinity Academy had told Luca that he would have to work through the summers if he wished to graduate alongside Giulia.
So for the past three years, Luca and Giulia had not returned to Portorosso. The news was devastating to Alberto. He felt cut off. Abandoned. It was the first time he wished he had gone to school with them. But after brooding for a month, he decided the best way to distract himself was through work. So he began working full time for the Pisceria, helping Massimo catch netfuls of fish and selling them to the locals. He became so well known as a successful fisherman that other sailors hired him for week-long excursions to catch big game like tuna or shark.
Alberto liked his time at sea. The townspeople of Portorosso had become very fond of the Sea Monsters. Well - they weren't called Sea Monsters anymore. The people of Portorosso had banished the use of that word and instead called them Sireni, which was the local word for Merpeople. They used Sireno for the men and Sirena for the women.
After a particularly grueling fishing trip, one of the sailors had gifted Alberto the shark-tooth necklace woven from the teeth of the shark they had caught. Alberto never took it off. For him, it was a symbol of his coexistence with the people of Portorosso. He loved them, and they accepted him like he was one of their own.
Massimo had taken the news of Luca's and Giulia's extended stay a little better. He understood the importance of education more than Alberto did and supported them wholeheartedly. Though Alberto heard him writing letters to Giulia late into the night on many occasions. She wrote him back just as often.
Luca's letters became more and more sparse. Alberto took to sitting by the mailbox in the early hours of the morning, waiting for the mailman to make his delivery. But most of the time, the only letters that came were from Giulia.
"Spiacente, Alberto, not today." The mailman would say, giving Alberto a sorry sort of look.
"It's ok. It's not very important." Alberto would say, waving his hand in mock indifference. But it was important. VERY important. His heart sank every time he didn't get a letter. And this past year, he didn't bother waking up early for the mail anymore.
But after three long years - it was finally time. They were coming back. Back to Portorosso. Back to where it all began.
A train whistled in the distance. Massimo and Alberto shot up as the rain fell on the station roof harder than ever. Alberto squinted to watch the tunnel. And finally, it came. The train began to slow as it made its way to the station. Its breaks screeched in protest as it came to a grinding halt.
Suddenly Alberto began to feel sick.
"It's been three years! What am I supposed to say? Do they even want to see me? Maybe I should wait at home.", he thought to himself in a panic.
What did you say to someone that used to be so close to you? To someone that became a cornerstone in your life, then disappeared? Would everything snap back to normal? Like nothing ever happened? Would they be strangers to each other?
Alberto's heart sank at the thought. And what about Giulia? Have her and Luca become so close they didn't need him anymore? It took all his mental strength not to run away from the steel train before him. His hands shook at his sides despite how hard he tried to hide it. Then a giant hand rested on his shoulder. Alberto looked up to see Massimo smiling down at him. Well, not down per se. Alberto had grown these past three years considerably and was nearly taller than Massimo.
"Calmati Alberto. They will be your friends just the same. You'll see."
Alberto nodded. Over the years, Massimo had become a father to Alberto in a way nobody else had. Not even his own father. He swore that sometimes the old fisherman could read his mind.
The train car rolled open, and all Alberto could see was a flash of bright red hair before it swept past him and jumped onto Massimo, nearly knocking him over.
"Papa! I missed you so much!"
Giulia clung to her father's neck, squealing with happiness. Massimo hugged his daughter tightly.
"Look, look!" She said, jumping so much her hair looked like it was dancing.
She pulled out a folded book revealing her graduation diploma.
"I did it, Papa! I finished!" She yelled over the clamor of the rain.
"I am so proud of you, Cucciolina. My little Giulietta is all grown up." He said, stepping back, his eyes watery.
Finally, she turned around to face Alberto.
"I didn't forget about you, big guy." She said, walking over to him and wrapping both arms around him.
Alberto smiled timidly, hugging her back. She had changed. Her curly red hair lay long down her back. Her frame had lost its childlike shape and now showed the fullness of womanhood. But... she was a woman now, Alberto thought. She was eighteen and freshly graduated from school. Alberto himself was nineteen, only a year older.
His heart gave a painful twinge as he realized things would not be going back to normal. They had all changed. They had left their childhood selves behind. Alberto only hoped he wouldn't be left behind too.
"Don't look so happy to see me." Giulia teased, punching Alberto in the shoulder. He hardly felt it.
"I am happy to see you, just a little... I don't know." He said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, it is the first time we get to see each other as brother and sister." She said, smirking. "Here is my official welcome to the family punch." She threw her fist at his shoulder again, but he caught it this time.
"You'll find that I'm not so easy to beat anymore, lil' sis," Alberto said, smirking. She sneered back with a smile.
"Don't get a big head just because you're tall and a muscle head now." She said, teasing.
It was true. This was the first time he had seen Giulia as his official sister. Of course, they had basically been brother and sister for years. But on Alberto's sixteenth birthday, Massimo had surprised him with adoption papers. It was the first and only time Alberto had cried in front of anyone.
"I look forward to the sibling rivalry," Alberto said, letting go of Giulia's fist.
They sniggered at each other one more time. Then a small voice sounded behind them.
"Um.... could I please get help with my bags?" A soft voice spoke.
Alberto spun around. His heart nearly fell from his chest.
It took a few seconds for Alberto to realize the person standing there was his best friend. Luca had changed. Really changed. He was eighteen, the same as Giulia and just a year younger than Alberto. He had grown taller but not as filled out as Alberto had become. The childlike roundness of his face was nearly gone, replaced by defined cheekbones and a slight jawline. His skin was pale from spending hours studying indoors. Somehow his eyes were even brighter than Alberto remembered. Golden, honey brown. They shone in the spray of the rain.
Luca stood in the train door, holding a briefcase in front of him. He looked at everyone timidly. Then his eyes met Alberto's. They looked for only a moment before Luca looked down sheepishly. Alberto snapped back to normal.
"Yeah, sure. I can help." He said, taking ahold of one of the many heavy suitcases.
"Th-thanks," Luca said, still avoiding Alberto's gaze.
"We shall have a celebratory feast!" Massimo called over the clamor of the rain. "For the safe return of our dearest Luca and Giulietta!" He heaved two suitcases in his single arm while Giulia held an umbrella over them both.
"So uh... it's good to see you." Alberto said awkwardly as Massimo and Giulia walked further down the cobbled street.
"Yeah, totally. You too." Luca replied just as awkwardly. Alberto grabbed a few bags, and they walked out of the train station.
(Credit to Inkendz on Instagram)
There was no need for umbrellas. The rain was refreshing to both of them. They let the droplets fall on them, feeling the Change take hold of their bodies. Skin faded away to scales, and round pupils turned to slits. Teeth became sharper, and claws appeared at the end of each finger. Long scaly tails swished behind them.
Alberto turned to peek at Luca. It was all he could do not to stare. Did the Sireni body change that much when it got older? He remembered the lanky body of his old green friend. But it was gone. Each scale gleamed with the color of jade. It made other colors look dull by comparison. The richness of his azure fins put the ocean to shame.
"So um... How have things been at the new Pisceria?" Luca said, forcing Alberto to avert his gaze.
"Oh good - I mean great! Business got too busy for that old place. We needed more room." Alberto said, leading Luca down a new road, away from their childhood home.
The Pisceria had become so successful since Alberto began fishing, and Portorosso had grown so much that the old home couldn't handle all the business. So Massimo had bought a much larger building for them to live and work. The bottom floor held the Pisceria, where Alberto occasionally helped butcher the fish. And the upstairs was their home. It was literally ten times the size of the single bedroom home where they grew up. It had a kitchen, living room, three bathrooms, and five bedrooms. Enough that they could all have their own individual rooms with one extra.
"It's nice to hear that it's doing well," Luca replied.
"Yeah, for sure."
They walked in silence for the rest of the journey. Alberto didn't know what to think. Was Luca mad at him? Or had they simply grown apart? He didn't like either option.
Massimo had cooked Alberto's favorite, Trenette al pesto. Alberto suspected that this was to help him feel better. But dinner only made him feel worse. He hardly spoke a word as he listened to Luca and Giulia share their wild stories in Geneva. What subjects they studied in school. The study trips they got to go on. Projects that they created.
Luca seemed much more at ease when talking with Giulia. They spoke like two people that knew each other very well. Alberto kept noticing how Giulia's hands would rest on Luca's shoulder during a funny story. Or how she would reach over and grab him during a tale of adventure. Really any excuse she could find to reach over and touch him. Alberto didn't know why he noticed this or why it bothered him so much.
Alberto and Luca's eyes met only a few times. And every time, Luca would quickly look away and talk to Massimo or Giulia. Alberto hardly touched his food. He didn't have much of an appetite.
After they finished cleaning the kitchen and wished Massimo good night, Alberto showed the two to their new rooms. Giulia's was decorated with some of her old possessions, but Massimo had spoiled her with new furniture and decor. She jumped with delight at the sight of it, then gave them both a goodnight hug and disappeared behind the door.
Alberto stood next to Luca in the narrow hallway, the silence stretching.
"I'll show you your room, I guess," Alberto said a bit too roughly. He opened the door to Luca's room. Massimo had given Alberto some money and told him to decorate Luca's room however he liked.
Alberto opened the door.
"It's all for you. So you can do whatever you like with it. If you don't like it, just throw it away." He said coldly.
It was like walking into a planetarium. Foam planets hung from the ceiling surrounding a light in the center of the room made to look like the sun. Alberto had dedicatedly glued over a hundred glowing stars on the ceiling and even put some constellations together. The bed had a large galaxy printed on the pillows and blankets. The rug on the floor was shaped like Saturn, Luca's favorite planet. Alberto had built a desk and bookshelf for Luca, knowing he would bring back school materials with him.
All of it had taken Alberto weeks to put together. He had put a lot of effort into making the room perfect. He had been excited to show Luca. To laugh about how he probably got the planet's sizes wrong. To make up silly constellation names with the glow-in-the-dark stars.
But now... he didn't even want to look at it.
Luca walked in, doing a circle in the middle of the room.
"It's amazing." He said softly. "Did you do this?"
"Yeah. But it's whatever." Alberto said, shrugging.
Luca giggled a little.
"What are you laughing at?" Alberto said, confused.
Luca giggled again.
"You made Mars almost as big as Jupiter." He said, pointing at the foam planets on the ceiling.
"Is it not supposed to be that big?" Alberto asked, looking up.
"No!" Luca said, now bursting out with laughter. Alberto couldn't help it and let out a laugh too. They laughed themselves silly until Luca was rolling on the floor, and Alberto had to hold himself on the door frame to keep from falling. After they had wiped their laughing tears from their eyes, silence fell between them again.
"Hey," Alberto said, his tone serious. He didn't want the heaviness to continue. He wanted to keep laughing like this with Luca.
"Yeah?" Luca said, looking at him with warm brown eyes.
"Why did you stop writing me?" Alberto didn't mean to, but he let the hurt he felt come out in his voice. The deep wound of feeling abandoned by his best friend.
Luca sat on the edge of his bed and looked down at his hands.
Finally, he said, "Because it was too painful."
Words: 2,547
Italian Translations
Sireni - Merpeople (Plural)
Sirena - Merperson (Female)
Sireno - Merperson (Male)
Calmati - Calm down
Cucciolina - Little Cub
Spiacente - Sorry
Authors Note:
This is the first of many chapters! I hope you enjoy it! As always if you have any questions, comments or suggestions please comment! I'll always love to hear your feedback.
- TaraZamir
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