I lie there, thinking about what just happened. I look at Ronnie and shes just staring at the ceiling then she turns to look at me. She props her head up on her shoulder and pulls the blanket against her chest. She smiles. " So what did you think?" I had to think about that question. It was like nothing I had ever felt. " I think… It was magnificent." I made a gesture with my fins. I continued to stare at the ceiling and then back at her. She chuckled. Suddenly I felt the urge to kiss her again. I began to kiss her again. " Lenny, wait. Stop." I immediately stopped and looked at her hurt and shocked. She smirked. " Lenny, we've been gone for almost two hours and no one has seen us. Don't you think they'll get suspicious?" I panicked. I hadn't realized we had been gone that long. " Wow. Time really flies when you're having fun." I smile. " Come on. Let's get cleaned up and then go back out." We each took turns taking a quick sink wash. When we left the room, I had seen Ronnie's real face without anything on it. She was gorgeous. " What?" She was asking why I kept staring at her like I had never seen her before. " I'm just… I've never seen you without makeup. You look beautiful." She blushed. " Come on. Let's go." She pulled on my fin and tugged me to the main room where everyone was still celebrating. It was around lunchtime, so I decided to bring Ronnie over to our table. My father came over soon after. " Hey. We have you kids been? Everyones been looking for you." I froze and looked at Ronnie. She did the same and blushed. " What?" My dad was really confused. " Are you two hiding something from me?" " No." I answered quickly. "We just got to talking in my room and she was asking about our family." Ronnie began to breathe again. She gave me the good-save look. "Oh. Okay. Well, I hope my son has been polite." My dad gave me a sturn look. I rolled my eyes. " Dad. Come on." " No I need to make sure you are doing things that are safe, you know." I knew what was coming. I really didn't want to have to talk about this, but I knew I would have to tell my friends at some point. I sighed. " Just get it out Dad." " Okay, then. I have some questions." "Dad, I'll explain everything, but I would like Oscar and Angie to be there too. Is that okay?" " Uh, sure." We all got up. The lunch on our table completely forgotten. " Hey Oscar and Angie. Would you come with us please." I was nervous. What if they didn't like me anymore? Oscar immediately came over. Glad just to hear my voice say his name again in a happy way. Angie was about to come when Rueben stopped her. " Ang, are you sure? I gotta tell you that I don't feel safe her at all." Angie smiled at him. " Reuben I'll be fine." " Oh I know you will, but what about me." He cowarded behind her. " You could always go home." " OKay good idea." He swam as quickly as possible out of there. Huh. We all swam into my father's office. I squeezed Ronnie's fin. " It's okay. Just tell them." I began telling my story. When I had finished, everyone just stared at me with their mouths wide open. My father was the first to break the silence. " I knew there was something wrong with that girl… And to think I would have watched you murder somebody…" He trailed off. I put my head down in my fins. I was ashamed of myself. " Hey. It's okay." Ronnie whispered. Everyone stared at her like she was crazy. Oscar seemed unsettled but sat still to my right. Then Oscar began to cry. " I am so sorry. This is all my fault." " No Oscar, it's not.." He didn't let me finish. " No. I don't want your pity. I don't want any more attention on me. I don't deserve to be comforted. I don't deserve to be forgiven by any of you." And then he left. I felt a couple tears trickle down my face. Angie didn't even look at me. She just left. I had a feeling she wasn't coming back. I got up and swam to my room. I slammed the door and locked it. I wanted to be alone. " Lenny. Please open the door." It was Ronnie. " Ronnie, please go and have fun without me for awhile." " No." I could tell my father was there. " Ever since I've known you the only times I've seen you cry was because of your brother's death and becuase of me. Now you're crying because something happened to you that you didn't want to happen." I felt a sudden change in me. I felt normal. I felt weird. I didn't feel angry anymore. I felt disappointed in myself. I couldn't do this. I couldn't be in a relationship. I had to put a stop to this. I didn't belong in this world… Suddenly I hear glass shattering. I jumped. Ronnie! I unlocked the door and no one was there. I swam quickly to the main room. There was Ronnie trapped with a knife to her throat by Carlotta. I would start out by playing nice, but if she made one wrong move. I looked around me and My father, Oscar, and Angie were all still here. I hoped I wouldn't have to hurt anyone. Carlotta's guards were behind her blocking the doors. " Carlotta', please let Ronnie go." Carlotta' took a step forward. " Why?" " Because I love her." It was the wrong thing to say. She made an ever so slight cut on Ronnie's neck. It was like a paper cut and you couldn't even see it, but you could smell the small tint of shark blood in the air. Ronnie didn't even flinch. She had been through this situation so many times. She looked at me, worried what I do, what would be my reaction. I growled. Now it was time for the hard way. "Carlotta', let her go." I said in a very angry voice. I was ready to tear her apart too if that's what it took. " Why don't you love me? Why would let her punch me and break my nose?" she paused for a moment and then continued. " Why did you kill my father?" Everyone gasped except my father, Oscar, Angie, and Ronnie. Ronnie had seen it and she still loved me. " I don't love you because you're a cold-hearted bitch! I was in love with her before I even liked you. By the way, I never did. Also you shot me! Must I remind you! And your father tried to kill me first! Now let Ronnie go or you're next!" Carlotta' smiled. This was clearly what she wanted: a fight and the truth. She knew that no one else knew my secret. I didn't care. Ronnie's life means too much to me. She is my life. " Take one step forward and I'll cut deeper." I froze. I had been in this position before and I had failed. I knew this trick. Whether I moved or not she would be hurt or worse killed. I lunged at Carlotta and tackled her. She had given Ronnie another small cut across her cheek before I had the knife in my fin and tossed it across the room where it landed in the wall. It darted right past Angie's head. She was startled. She hid for cover. I was wrestling to Carlotta to let go of Ronnie. She was quite strong, but I knew I was stronger. I grabbed her fin and Ronnie was released. She quickly went over to my fathers side. She held her close. I got up and watched for what Carlotta would do now. She got up. " Huh. You're gonna pay for that, cheater!" She pulled out a gun. " Really! Again with the gun!" She smirked and laughed. " Oh, poor Lenny. It's not for you." My face dropped and watched in horror as she pointed the gun at my father and shot him in the neck. " No!" I swam over to him just as he was falling. I heard Carlotta and her goons leave. I was panicking. I hadn't had enough time with him yet. He was the only family I had left. He couldn't leave yet, and not like this… I was bawling. I could tell he was trying to speak. " Dad, don't try to talk. Someone help please!" I felt his fin touch my wet cheek. " It… will… all…be...okay" I tried to smile but I couldn't bring myself to. I sat there surrounded by clouds of his blood and other sharks trying to pull themselves together. By the time the medics got there he was gone… I've spent days upon days in my room. Ronnie has been sleeping in the guest room. I still can get the reality wrapped around my head. Why do I have to lose everyone I love? I knew Carlotta would be back, but I could care less about that right now. I sat up and stared at the wall. I hadn't eaten for about a week now and I still didn't feel hungry. I looked at the pictures I had hanging up on the wall. I was suddenly filled with rage. I jumped up and tore them off the wall and I heard the glass shatter when they hit the floor. I threw all my books off the shelves and heard the thuds as they hit the floor. I tore up my bed and tossed the blanket and pillow to the ground. I grabbed something else to throw it and I realized it was a folded piece of paper. Then a knock on the door. " Lenny, are you okay? I heard a lot of noise." I didn't answer her. She opened the door and saw me sitting on the floor surrounded by the things in my room. " Oh, Lenny! It's okay." She came up next to me and gave me a squeeze. Then she saw the paper in my fin. " what's this?" I stared at it. " I don't know." She smiled at me. " Why don't you open it and find out." I was shaking. I opened the piece of paper and began to cry. It was my father's handwriting. " Just read it." This is what it said.
Dear Lenny,
I shouldn't have tried so hard to make you sacrifice everything you loved for me, to become what I wanted you to be. I should have been the one making sacrifices. So that you could have the life you deserve. I found you enchanting because you were the sweetest child I had ever seen. I was thinking, what had I done to deserve you? You are a gift. I will always support you now and forever. Even if I'm gone. Still know that I love you. Even after all the mistakes you've made. I should have spent more time loving you instead of trying to correct you.
I had to laugh at that. It was the first time I'd laughed since he'd died.
I decided that day after you were gone that once I saw you again, I would stop pointing fins and placing the blame on you. I would accept you, no matter what. I would take responsibility for my mistakes and everything I put you through. Now, before I go let me give you a tip. Choose someone good for you. Choose someone who is not good for your image, but because you love them. Not because they're rich. Choose them because they will make your life physically and emotionally fulfilling. Like that Ronnie. Now she's good for you. Tough, but sweet. She's like you.
I love you,
Your father
I crashed into Ronnie's chest and began to cry again. The small cut she had gotten was all healed. He had written me a letter hoping I would find it at some point. I pulled away from Ronnie and wiped the tears from my eyes. I told the paper and stuck in on the top of my bookshelf. I would frame it. I began to clean up my room while Ronnie helped. I couldn't help but think this was all my fault, but I knew whos fault it was. I had a plan tonight, but Ronnie would have no idea. I can't tell her. I decided to act like normal today. Like nothing had happened. It was around nine o' clock in the morning. I thought that maybe I should go to the dining room with Ronnie. I told her to go to our table and wait for me there. I was about to leave when something caught my eye. It was the present for Ronnie! I had completely forgotten about it. We had been together almost a year now. I quickly grabbed the present and went to the dining room. I swam over to our table with the present behind my back. Ronnie was suspicious. I put the present off the side next to me. " What's that?" She pointed at the present. " Oh. It's nothing. Just something I was going to give you for your birthday. I thought why not give it to you now." I picked up the present and gave it to her. She was about to open the present when the waiter came over and asked us for drinks. I order a coral cola. Ronnie just wanted some lemon water. Once the waiter came back and gave us our drinks he asked us for food. Ronnie wanted some fish and toast. I mentioned that I wasn't hungry. Ronnie looked at me worried. " No really, Ronnie. I'm not hungry." For two reasons I wasn't hungry. I was full of butterflies and I was going to eat later tonight… Ronnie was literally bouncing out of her chair. The waiter finally left and she began to tear open the present. I began to chuckle. She got the top off and saw all the money I had stashed in there. " It's 5,000. I thought that you might want to get a new house or something with it, but I guess it's not really that necessary now." I was waiting for her to get to the bottom. She smiled. " Wow Lenny thanks." She was beginning to put the stuff back in the box. She looked disappointed. " Ronnie." She looked up at me. " There's more." She immediately ripped all the stuff back out. She was stacking the money up. She was like a shark pup on Christmas. I got up and swam next to her. I was standing. She pulled out a box and gave me a look that said I-am-going-to-slap-you. " Is this a joke? Like one of those things where there's a box inside a box." I smiled. I took the box. It was half the size of the actual box. " Kind of." I opened that box and it shrink half it's size again. " Ronnie, do you remember when we first met?" She nodded. She was very confused. What is he up to? She thought. " Well, I stare at you all the time and you don't seem to mind much anymore. You know the reason I fell in love with you was because you are kind, innocent, tough. You are pretty much the girl version of me. We belong together. The moment I realized you were the one for me was when told about the dream where I died. You were so upset and you had actually hugged me for the first time. That's when I knew you were mine. You gave me your trust again. The thing I love the most about you is that you never give up. It doesn't matter what I do or what I have done. You still love me and it will be returned to you. I hope that someday we will have children that look like you. I would love to have a daughter who has your smile." Ronnie smiled. She was getting close to tears. " I want a child who has your gentle kind heart and innocence." I kneeled down and opened the small box. Ronnie had covered her mouth with her fins and had her tears flowing freely. " Ronnie, will you please do me the honor of marrying me?" Ronnie nodded. I stood up. " Yes!" She jumped into my arms. We hugged for a long time. Everyone in the room cheered for us. For the rest of the day Ronnie and I spent time together planning the wedding. How long we would be engaged, when we would have the wedding, where the honeymoon would take place, and what she would wear. " You know I think we should have the wedding here." Ronnie was surprised. " Really? I would love that." She smiled. " So, how long should we wait?" I asked her. It was a difficult question. Yes we wanted to get married, but were we really ready to live together as husband and wife? Would we stay here or move somewhere else? So many questions and answers and choices that came with this decision. " Well, I think we should continue to plan everything together and buy ourselves a house. Our own house. Our first house together. And then take it from there." I smiled at her. " I think that's a brillant idea. You know, has anyone ever told you that you were a genius?" She chuckled and looked at me with her dark green eyes. " I may have heard that somewhere before." She smiled. We were outside sitting on a blanket. The place where I wanted us to get married. Right on top of the Titanic. Ronnie and I came out to watch the sunset together. Once the sun had set it had begun to get dark. Ronnie was smiling and looking at the stars. I got lost in her. I couldn't stop thinking about her, looking at her. I had the urge to touch her. I began to nuzzle my nose against her neck. She turned to face me. She raised an eyebrow. " It's romantic to cuddle under the stars. I believe it's called stargazing." I couldn't help but smile at her. She never made me feel anything other than happiness. She laughed. " I know. It's just…" She frowned. " What?" I wanted to know what was hurting her so I could help. " I wish my parents could attend my wedding. I mean yours too. You would never think that when you get married you're parents wouldn't be there. It's just sad." I was shocked. I guess I hadn't thought about Ronnie's family. " I had no idea your parents were gone. Is there any other family you have besides Ricky?" We sat there in silence and I thought she wasn't going to answer so I would going to tell to forget it when she put her fin up. She took a minute to think. " Well, I don't think so. It's just been me and Ricky since I was 14. Ricky was 26 when it happened." I was curious just like she was so I asked. " How?" She smiled at the connection we had. " My father had cancer and he fought it for 10 years. Then he finally gave up. My mother couldn't take the pain it gave her and she killed herself eight days later." I gave Ronnie a big squeeze." I'm sorry." I whispered in her ear. She smiled. " It's okay. I have you and Ricky. I don't think could possibly want anything else." Then that statement got me thinking. " Well, I could wish for a few things." She turned to look at me. She raised an eyebrow. " And that would be?" I put my fin to chin. " Well, I wish Carlotta would leave us alone, but I have a feeling she won't. By the way how did she know where I was? How did she know that my dad was Don Lino?" It hurt to say his name out loud. It was a sharp pain. It killed me inside. Then I heard the truth in my statement. Carlotta wouldn't go away. She would keep going after me and my family and friends. ANyone I loved. She had to know I killed her father. There would be no other reason. Well, except for the fact that I dumped her. I didn't feel bad about that though. Ronnie's voice broke my thoughts. " Well, maybe she got somebody to spill their guts." She chuckled. " Hey come on. Let's get to bed." She stood up. " Okay then, Mrs. Lino." She laughed. " Hey! You can't do that! We're not married yet! Wouldn't you want to at least hyphenate my name?" I rolled my eyes at her. Then we swam in comfortable silence to our room. As soon as I hit the pillow I feel asleep, despite that I've been lying in bed for the past few weeks. I'd say I was out of my slump for now. I threw my body upwards. I was sweating and panting. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I had a terrible headache. The dream seemed so real. Everyone gone. Everyone I knew and loved surrounded me shredded like pieces of paper. Worst of all, I saw a baby shark pup next to what I assumed was Ronnie because her necklace was there. Then a mirror appeared and I was covered from head to tail in blood. My eye's were blood red. That's when I woke up. I got out of bed. I guess the nightmare was good. It had woken me up at 1 in the morning. I go out into the city now for a meal...