The next two weeks were wonderful. Danny and Tucker's mom was overjoyed that her sons had finally made friends and she told the kids to stay as long as they wanted. They had fun times and Sharkboy was glad to see Tucker laughing and smiling. Sometimes he would lapse into his usual surliness and would become distant. But Lavagirl would speak to him and he would brighten. Lavagirl had that effect on him. All she had to do was smile in his direction and he would beam.
There was one thing about Tucker that made Sharkboy frown in thought and that was the younger boy's refusal to call him "Sharkboy." He would call him Steve, Joe, Jack, any name but "Sharkboy." It was a new name every day. The others found it amusing so Sharkboy decided to grin and bear it. One day they went to the beach. Tucker did not know they were going. They all went for a walk and ended up at the seashore.
As soon as Sharkboy saw the water, he gave a big whoop and flipped in. The others followed suit until only Lavagirl and Tucker were on shore. Danny beckoned to Tucker.
"Come in Tuck, the plastic is waterproof. Maybe it's easier to swim than to walk."
Tucker's face suddenly grew hard. "No thank you." He said icily. "I prefer to stay right here."
"Aw, come on Tucker," Sharkboy coaxed, "you know you want to."
"How do you know what I want Kevin? You don't even know me. Now leave me alone!"
With that he wheeled himself away from the now silent kids and up to the sidewalk that led to the house. Lavagirl followed him.
"Wait, Tucker. Wait!"
Tucker stopped. "What do you want?"
"I want to talk. What's bothering you?" She put a hand on the wheelchair's armrest. Tucker looked down at it.
"That you're burning my chair."
Lavagirl quickly pulled her hand away and glanced apologetically at the blackened armrest.
"Sorry." She said. "I can't help it. I guess I'm what you'd call a freak."
"No more than Kevin or me."
"How are you a freak?" Lavagirl asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.
He gestured towards his fake leg. "For your information, it's called a freak accident. Because that's what you become afterwards . . . a freak."
"What happened?" Lavagirl asked.
Tucker smiled grimly. "Shark attack," he said quietly.
"Oh." She said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"I never told you."
Lavagirl was silent for a moment. "Is that why you hate Sharkboy?"
Tucker shot her a look. "I don't hate him."
"Then why do you call him Kevin and Steve and names like that? And you don't look him in the eye and whenever he talks about his shark family you change the subject."
"So?"
"So . . . don't you think you're being a little harsh?"
"No."
They were silent for a while. They heard someone run up behind them. They turned and saw Sharkboy coming up to them.
"Listen, Tucker," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"You didn't."
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry anyway."
"Whatever."
Lavagirl gave Sharkboy a worried look. Tucker did not notice and he rolled himself up to the house. Sharkboy sighed and Lavagirl took his hand. Together they watched Tucker enter the house.
00000
Tucker was back to his morose attitude. He mostly ignored everyone. Lavagirl was the only one he would talk to, and even then he got mad at her too when he was in an especially bad mood.
One day Lavagirl approached him with it. The others had all gone to the beach and Lavagirl volunteered to watch Tucker. She noticed he was in a tolerable mood so she ventured a question.
"Is there something wrong, Tucker?"
He did not answer for a while. She was just about to change the subject when he spoke.
"You want to know the real reason I'm upset?"
She nodded.
He fell quiet again. Lavagirl waited patiently. Finally he began to talk, his voice remained without emotion and his face became impassive as he told his story.
"Danny isn't really my brother. He's my half-brother. Mom had already had him when she divorced her husband. Then she met Dad. I guess she felt sorry for him. He had just lost a son and was very sad. They married and had me shortly after. He was elated when I started loving sharks. He was a Marine Biologist and adored sharks.
"One day when I was six, I was playing sharks and I ran up to him shouting, 'Look Dad, I'm Sharkboy!' As soon as I said it, a sad look came in his eyes and I heard him whisper, 'Oh, Taylor.' I figured that this 'Taylor' was his son. After that I always felt that Dad loved Taylor more than me.
"After the shark attack, he left for America saying he was going for a new leg, but I knew he really went to find out what happened to his kid whom he's convinced is still alive someplace. So that's why I don't like Sharkboy. He reminds me too much of Dad, who hates me because I stopped liking sharks."
Tears sizzled on Lavagirl's cheeks. Tucker smiled wanly.
"I'm sure your Dad loves you, Tucker." Lavagirl said. "He just—"
"No." Tucker shook his head adamantly. "He just cares about Taylor whom I'm sure was his own little Sharkboy." His voice was bitter.
Lavagirl was surprised to see tears gather in Tucker's eyes. He quickly blinked them back. Lavagirl tenderly (and carefully) laid her hand on his shoulder.
"Hey," she said, "it's okay to cry sometimes."
Tucker stuck his chin out proudly; a glint entered his cool gray eyes. "I never cry."
Lavagirl was about to speak but held back as the kids entered the door. Tucker narrowed his eyes at Sharkboy, swiftly turned his wheelchair around, and left the room. Everyone watched him go. Sharkboy looked questioningly at Lavagirl who shook her head as if to say Not yet, I'll tell you later. Sharkboy nodded and turned back to his friends. Lavagirl sighed. She wished there was something she could do for Tucker.