After we got back in front of the entrance to the school, Mrs. Bonucci waited until we all got lined up, just like we were in the morning.

"Well, class, that's it for today. See you tomorrow."

Right after she said that, all of my classmates went on to run around - or run a little slower. Back to their homes, all the same.

They all got far away. And Mrs. Bonucci herself went back inside the school.

Only Giulia and I remained in front of the entrance.

We didn't go back home yet. First, we looked at each other, very awkwardly.

Neither of us said anything for maybe 6 seconds, and then:

"You can't believe how lucky you are!" Giulia started to scold me.

I suddenly felt quite confident in myself.

"Yeah... I can't believe that eithe-"

And just as I was saying that, someone grabbed me by my hand, and pressed me against the wall.

It was Giorgio, still breathing a little more heavily than the rest of us.

Seems like I'm not so lucky, after all.

"Uh... Giorgio?" I uttered.

"I saw what you did in the water..." he began. "You... you turned into a sea monster!"

I closed my eyes in shame. And I could feel Giulia doing the same.

"How can you do that?!"

Oh no! I have to answer it right now!

I mean... since he already knows, why not tell him the whole truth?

"I was born that way."

Giorgio looked at me in shock.

"Born...?! So, every time you get in water... you turn into that?!"

I see it the opposite way.

"I mean, I'd say every time I'm out of water, I turn human."

Giulia looked at me with real disbelief at what I just said.

It wasn't until her reaction that I realized what I just said.

And that Giorgio might find that even more frightening.

"Please don't tell anyone," I added.

"Of course I won't! No one will believe me!" Giorgio said, still obviously shocked.

And he let me go.

He too went home, but we watched him seem aimless as he got farther from us.

"Hi, Mrs. Marcovaldo," I greeted Giulia's mom when we got back home.

"Hello, Luca," she greeted me back the moment she saw me.

But Giulia didn't do any greeting.

She must still be angry at me.

"Hi to you too, Giulia," Mrs. Marcovaldo told her, in a little more firm voice.

"Oh, hi, mom," Giulia suddenly snapped out of her peevishness.

She came inside without saying a word. Much unlike most of the days.

I can see Mrs. Marcovaldo feels something isn't right.

"Come on in," Mrs. Marcovaldo. "Didn't you have more classes today?" she asked us, since we were home a lot earlier than usual.

"No, we just had that trip to the museum today," I answered her.

"Oh, that's nice. And how was it for you?" she asked me. And a genuine smile came back on her face.

"Eh... nothing special, honestly," I told her.

Mrs. Marcovaldo was actually unpleasasntly surprised by what I said.

"Really? I had a wonderful time there," she responded.

I didn't know what to say to her. So I just shrugged.

"I guess it's just not my thing," I claimed.

Mrs. Marcovaldo sighed.

"Well, at least you spent a lot of time outside," she reassured me.

"That is true," I agreed.

Dear mom,

today was a special day in school. We actually didn't have school today. Instead, we went to a museum in Genoa with lots of what I guess are some cool historical artifacts. I know all those things are really important to humans, but I don't see the appeal in them. That trip was actually kind of boring to me. But at least I went outside for a little longer after a while. Tomorrow is back to basics, or however they say it.

Love,
Luca

After I did my homework, I stared at that beach through my window. Quite a lot of people were there again.

And I just remembered that Giulia is still concerned about what I did.

She's not being all that unreasonable, though. Do those people at the beach know that a sea monster was "seen" in Genoa? Has that rumour even been spread? Maybe someone already came along to "debunk" that rumour.

Okay, I'm definitely worrying too much.

It wasn't until Mrs. Marcovaldo told me to put up the plates for dinner that she finally said something about Giulia's noticeably different attitude.

"Giulia?"

"Yes?"

"You haven't said a word since you came home. Is there something wrong?"

"Uh... nothing important."

"Did something happen in the school? Sorry, I meant in the museum."

And instead of just simply answering "no", Giulia groaned and turned away.

And I could see it in Mrs. Marcovaldo's eyes that she wasn't satisfied with that "answer".

"I saved a classmate from drowning," I answered her question.

Giulia's reaction to that was about the same as earlier today.

"Really? That's so heroic of you," Mrs. Marcovaldo said. Then, she remembered who our classmates actually are, so she asked both of us: "Was it that Giorgio boy who fell in the water?"

"Yes," Giulia and I answered, in way different tones of voices.

"Is he okay now?" Mrs. Marcovaldo asked then.

I mean... the last we saw of him, he wasn't.

"Yes," I answered.

None of us said anything for a while. We went to have dinner.

After dinner, Mrs. Marcovaldo had an interesting idea for me.

"I know what you will do for me," she told me.

"What?" I asked her.

"The grocery store is still open. I want you to help me carry some of it."