Page 41 of Broken By Silence
“Then go sit in the car, you big baby,” I say, grinning. “I’m finding this shell, even if it takes up until the time of the date to do it.”
Roman groans. “He’s hopeless.”
“Hopelessly in love with her? Yes.”
“Closer to forgiveness than we are,” Elijah grumbles. “He must be doing something right.”
I go to say something, but I spot it, half-buried near a cluster of rocks, and my heart jumps. “Wait! I think that’s it!”
I splash forward before either of them can stop me. The shell glints in the sunlight—swirls of coral and gold. “Got it!” I hold it up like I just found treasure.
Elijah claps slowly. “Well done, SpongeBob. Can we go home now? I’m freezing.”
“Fine.”
I start walking back through the water, too focused on the treasure in the palm of my hand. That’s when I feel it—A sharp, searing sting across my calf.
“Ah shit!” I hiss, stumbling back. “Something got me.”
Elijah looks up, alarmed. “What do you mean, something got you? What kind ofsomething,Crew?”
“I don’t know!” I yell back. I yank my leg out of the water. “It’s burning. It’s… oh my god—” I see faint red welts curling around my calf. “Jellyfish!”
Roman immediately loses it. “No way,” he doubles over laughing.
“It’s not funny!” I shout, hopping on one leg. “It fucking hurts! I can’t… Jesus, it feels like fire.”
Elijah joins in on the laughing.
“This is not funny. Help. Me!”
Roman stops laughing long enough to wheeze, “I think someone’s supposed to pee on it.”
Elijah and me both pause. “What?”
“It neutralizes the venom,” Roman says confidently.
“Is that true?”
Roman shrugs. “I read it somewhere once.”
Desperation has me looking to Elijah, who shakes his head, backing away from me. “No. I’m not fucking pissing on you, Crew.”
I lurch forward and grab his sleeve.“Please.”
Elijah looks like he would rather die, but he groans, mutters something about how I owe him forever, and trudges toward me. Roman’s laughing so hard he can barely breathe.
Ten minutes later,the three of us are walking back up the beach in total silence. The wind whips through, seagulls crying overhead. I’ve got the shell in one hand and a massive pit of shame in the other.
Roman’s still snickering. “How’s the leg?”
“Shut up.” I hiss at him.
Elijah’s face is bright red. “Weneverspeak of this again.”
I nod. “I agree.”
Roman grins. “Oh, I’m absolutely telling everyone.”
