The future was opened to anything, that's one thing I knew for sure. Yes, sure, Alberto had to work off his debt for letting all the innocent fish free, but I mean THAT was nothing to what could've been.

As the days went by and we hung around the town, I suddenly realized that Alberto and Giulia were keeping something from me.

Like they had a secret they were bursting to tell me but were holding back a little. Finally it came out as Giulia pulled me along one day away from the town and my eyes opened in awe.

There it was, the first carnival I had ever seen.

There were kids and teenagers queuing up for turns on the metal contraptions, and some rides going so high up in the sky, I swear they were trying to reach for the moon.

Honestly, I would've never expected ever to be at a carnival like this ever. And that just made it all better.

"This is officially," Giulia began as she grabbed my hand tight and directed me to the scariest ride in existence, "Our second date."

"Really?!" I squeaked in glee and she nodded her head eagerly, pushing me along to the long queue for tickets. I could see Alberto hold back just the littlest and I wondered why. I, of course, didn't realize that he saw himself as a burden... a 'third' wheel, you could put it and I immediately felt bad for him.

"One day!" I whispered back at him and he just gaped at me, annoyance sprinkled on his face as if I was making him stand out like a sore thumb. He soon disappeared amongst the crowds and me and Giulia sat down on the ride's seats. We were buckled in tightly and I looked on ahead as I suddenly soared high into the sky like an enormous swing was being swung to no ends with us in it.

I screamed my head off, and Giulia was only roaring in laughter at my pain – Look, not my actual pain... just my fear...? That doesn't sound right either, but years later I'd have happy memories of this day so don't hold onto this moment of teasing from the most perfect girl in the world.

When the ride eventually came to a stop, I was trembling and found it hard to move from my seat, my body petrified even if my mind knew I was safe again.

Giulia helped me out and she looked at me concerned.

"Okay... maybe no more rides."

"W-what?" I stumbled out and looked at her, still trembling, "I'm sure I can handle one more."

She crooked her eyebrow up warily and then pointed to the safest ride possible, "Okay, the Ferris Wheel."

"Yes." I said and looked up at it, but gulped when I saw just how high it went, "Nope," I continued turning around from it and Giulia quickly grabbed my arm, stopping me from leaving.

"I understand," She said, and I knew when I looked in her eyes that she truly did, "How about we just get some candyfloss and walk around the cliffs."

"You read my mind."

She smiled coyly and pulled me over to the stall that had a machine that whipped the sugar into fluffy physical pink clouds.

"Perfect." She said and got us two sticks of it. The second my tongue touched the floss, my mouth exploded with flavour. I stuffed the sticky fluff into my mouth and it melted seconds from contact with my saliva. I soon realized that something was askew... missing. I then realized it was someone.

"Where's Alberto?" I asked and Giulia looked at me confused.

"I don't know," She said with a shrug.

"Well, we're leaving in a few days, it'll be nice spending time with him."

"But, Luca." Giulia said, and her voice sounded sad, "This is OUR date, not his."

I bit my lip, recognizing that agrument.

"Okay, okay..." I finally admitted and the two of us went on enjoying our time together. Soon the sun set in the distance and it let off such a wonderful pink and orange sky from around it, the clouds all having silver linings and eruptions of vibrant colours in them.

When it got dark, we waited for Giulia's father to come pick us up, and when he arrived I saw that Alberto was in the front passenger seat beside him.

"Need a lift?" He said with a playful smile, but I knew deep down he was upset inside. Giulia and I had totally cut him off from the day.

I nodded weakly and got in the back seat with her. We pulled our doors closed and sat there getting comfy as we drove back into town.

"So, how was your date?" Mr. Malgavaldo asked, and we both went red in the cheeks with shyness and bashfulness.

"Good," I peeped and Giulia nodded her head quickly, adding on.

"It was AMAZING."

I laughed at her strong enthusiasm and so did Alberto. Her dad only chuckled.

"Good, good."

"I saw you had gone green in the face after the first ride," Alberto suddenly pointed out about me, and I smiled umcomfortably at his past observation.

"You saw that?"

"Yeah... BUT I wasn't spying on you!"

"No, never." Guilia teased, and tousled Alberto's curly locks as a playful mocking. He smiled back, but I could tell he wasn't in the mood to banter with us. The old car eventually reached the town and we three got out of it as Giulia's dad went to park it on the street in front of their house.

I slowly entered into the small house and went over to the window, looking at the stars – always with awe inside me.

Giulia and Alberto joined me, and the most awesome girl ever placed her hand on mine as I had placed it on the window sill.

It was such a warm assuring touch, like she could read my very soul's depths and knew how I saw the wonder of the universe. I was after all voted president of the astronomy club, if you remember.

"If you could go anywhere, where would it be?" Giulia asked with a small smile and twinkle in her eyes.

"Venus." I said simply.

"Across the Atlantic."

Me and Giulia both blinked our eyes surprised at what Alberto's response had been.

"Why...?" Giulia asked puzzled and Alberto became very quiet, climbing out the window and to the tree house, disappearing from sight.

Giulia turned her confused eyes at me and asked lost, "What did I say?"

"I don't know..." I replied, also baffled and went out to follow Alberto, saying to her, "Just wait here."

Giulia nodded her head weakly and I caught up to Alberto as he headed to the bay.

"Alberto?" I called to him and came to his side to stop him from diving in. I placed my hand on his shoulder and he closed his eyes tightly, muttering.

"I didn't mean to upset Giulia..."

"You didn't." I told him instantly and I added on quickly, "She's just worried."

"Hmm..." He hummed out and glanced to his side to look at me, but his expression was empty.

"Why did you leave?" I asked quickly and he sighed, pointing his finger out towards the distant horizon.

"That's where my 'dad' is..."

"I know."

"And that's... where my mum might be."

My jaw literally just dropped at his statement, "You're mum... she's, she's still alive?"

"I don't know." Alberto sadly admitted, and took a heavy breath out, "But I sometimes think, she might be."

"Will you ever go and look?"

I couldn't keep my questions within and Alberto seem to stiffen at my solid query.

"One day... I just might..."

"Come back to the house." I told him, squeezing his shoulder and directing him back home, "Why search when your family is already here."

But as I said that, the words that Marco had said to me floated through my mind.

Blood thicker than water...

I had only barely met his dad... I never even considered that Alberto had a living mother. He nodded back and stopped me before I left back to the house.

He pointed up at the sky and whispered to me with a grin, "Maybe one day I'll be waving at you on Venus."

"Alberto," I said to him blankly, "That's the moon."

He huffed out a goofy laugh at his stupid mistake and shook me playfully, uttering, "That's why you're the space guy and me the water guy."

"Hmm," I smirked and we arrived back home after a few minutes of a casual walk.

~x~

It came too soon. No, REALLY. It felt like summer had only been a few weeks instead of a few months. Time had literally flown right by and I could not believe I was back at the station, getting ready to leave.

Each time I had left it had been hard... and this time, knowing that the future was so unseen, what with secondary school and romance... I was completely leaving childhood and it, it was hard.

We hugged our loved ones goodbye, both me and Giulia and tears swelled in my eyes, my heart hurting as I let go once more to my ocean life for the world of humans.

Alberto hugged me close and pat me twice on the back, saying with a soft smile.

"Don't forget us. EVER."

"Ditto." I told him and wiped the tears away from my eyes. I climbed onto the train and entered the cart, seating beside Giulia and taking a deep breath in and then out.

"Breathe, Luca." She said, as I began to flood in tears looking out the window and watching my family and friends wave goodbye, "You'll see them again in no time..."

"I know," I blubbered out and she handed me a tissue as I blew my nose, "It's just going to be so long..."

"Well, at least you have me," She said shyly but even in her lesser moments she still had that hidden confidence.

"Always," I said, and she glanced her eyes down, smiling gently and blush skimmed her cheeks once more. She kissed me on the cheek and whispered back.

"Always,"

The train ride home felt like a forgotten dream as I looked out the glass window and only gazed as countryside and villages passed my eyes by.

When we finally reached Genova, the sun was setting once more and it was twilight by the time we reached the station.

We slowly and tiredly got out of our seats and onto the platform. Maria, Giulia's mum hurried to us in happiness, hugging the two of us together and when she let go she noticed we were holding hands slightly.

"FINALLY!" She called out and pulled me close, saying, "Welcome to the family!"

"Mama..." Giulia whined embarrassed and her mum winked at her, letting me go and taking my luggage off me, carrying it to the car.

"C'mon!" She called to us and we followed behind shyly.

~x~

It wasn't even a whole week before Giulia and I started orientation day in Secondary School. We noticed we weren't in every class together like in primary, and I panicked a little being by myself in many classes... but I think every first year student was the same.

I did however find Math much more interesting than what it had been in primary. There was actually more to know than just the basic minus, plus, divide and multiply. I ended up having a new desire to learn, as there was so much more I was now open to.

But that didn't stop the biggest problem.

I was at the same school as him.

Antonio.

He was at the same school as me, and I normally would've been afraid of him. But NO. I was not going to live my next five years at school in fear.

I waited for him to pin me out, and I grabbed a cold glass bottle of water in my hand, not afraid. I would NOT be afraid.

It was at second break that he made his attack. He waited till I was alone and approached me like a Velociraptor. Aiming for his prey.

"So you're still alive, hmm?" He asked coldly about to pin me to a locker but I dodged him and stood out in the open in the first year's quarters, "I thought they would've chopped you up and made sushi." He smirked at his own taunt and added, "You would've tasted awful."

"At least I'm not as black as coal inside." I replied bravely and he stepped hard towards me. I nearly flinched back, but when I saw Giulia in the crowds of teenagers watching us, I was no longer afraid.

"What are you even still doing here in this town?" Antonio asked harshly, suddenly shoving me and I stood up straight again, glaring at him, "No one wants you here... especially ALIVE."

"I do."

Antonio swished his head around, glaring at Giulia bur she held her stand.

"Except your 'owner.'"

"I'm not afraid of you." I said, and Antonio just laughed, replying.

"Let them see you, see you as your real self."

The crowds of first years watched on puzzled. I slowly faltered and glanced down afraid to the ground. When I looked up again, it was because Giulia said, "Show them, Luca..." I gulped and she said again, "Show them."

I nodded my head weakly and uncorked the bottle of water. I held it up over my head and the teenagers all watched as I turned it upside down, water gushing out and hitting my hair and skin... soon turning them into scales and fins.

A few of the kids gasped, some even took a few steps back.

Antonio began to chuckle, before his chuckling turned into a cold maniacal laugh.

Then we heard it. Clapping.

I looked at the crowd, and saw a boy had started clapping. The other kids only looked over at me, regaining ground and they too started to applaud me.

"Why are you freaks applauding him?!" Antonio asked in a hiss, "WHY?!"

The teenagers ignored him and began to approach us, walking by the bully and around me.

"That's really cool," I could hear them say.

"Are you magical?" Some asked.

"No," I said back, happy tears in my eyes, "I'm a sea... a sea monster."

"Like a merman?" Someone asked, and I nodded my head, looking at Giulia as she stood away, smiling warmly at me with a soft nod of her head.

"Si," I said and the young teenagers all giggled and laughed, "Si..."

"Goodbye, Antonio," Giulia said to the one person who stood away, alone and abandoned, "Goodbye!"

He growled, and when I looked over at him, he had confused tears swelling around his own eyes.

"It doesn't have to be this way," I told him, reaching out my blue scaly hand to him and he only glanced down at it, before back up at me and hissed.

"Yes, it does."

He left after that, and from that day on... he left me alone. I still think that at that moment when he saw the acceptance I had gotten that he realized who the real monster was. And that kept with him probably for the rest of his life.

But this story isn't about Antonio. It's about me, my friends and family and how being there for each other is sometimes just enough.

And sometimes... is all we need.

As years will always go by, memories being the hidden proof of life well lived... and then some.

I was thirteen now... childhood just behind me and the future... hidden in the present.

The present being also called a gift.

And the true gift was life, no matter how it was wrapped.

And I was gonna live mine.

I was gonna live mine...