Page 170 of Johnny

I just stare at him.

“Did you ever swim in it?”

“What?”

“The plankton? When it glows like this? Did you ever? Because you grew up on an island so I get

it. This isn’t anything special or new to you. But I’ve always wanted to swim in it so I’m just

wondering… why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because you! You’re so… so damn…” But I can’t say it.

He grins. And it’s not the same grin he’s been grinning either. If it was daytime instead of night, I

might accuse him of blushing.

And that’s it. There’s nothing more I can do.

I am lost.

Utterly turned around.

Not even a compass could help me now.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - JOHNNY

I just want to stare at her for a while. Memorize her so later, when shit gets bad, I can think back

on this night. Think about her and how she’s charming the pants off me and she’s not even trying.

Think about how her blue-green eyes catch the sparkle of the neon plankton down below and how I

could picture her as a thing of the sea.

An octopus, maybe. Those little blue ones that people use to make poison. Or one of those glow-

in-the-dark jellyfish. All willowy arms and legs. But touch her and she stings.

I know she stings. I know she’s got secrets. I know this is all a very bad idea, but—

“Oh, my God. Say something.”

—but I have secrets too. “When I was a kid—”

“Wait,” she says, holding up a hand. “Is this some story that will only make sense tomorrow when

we’re swimming with glowing dolphins? And then I’ll be like, ‘Yeah, I can totally see your point.

Why did I ever think differently?’”

“What?” I chuckle.

“Is it a trick? Or is it real?”

“Uh… well.” I think about this for a moment. “I don’t think it’s a trick. But I wasn’t trying to trick

you earlier, either. I actually didn’t plan that conversation about death. It was just…” I shrug. “I