Shark Out of Water!

by Ace Landers

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Nonfiction

  Copyright

  Tammy’s watch was broken. It had to be.

  “It’s not three-twenty,” Tammy muttered, adjusting the knob on her watch. “It can’t be.”

  She was sitting atop a desk in science class. Aside from Tammy, the only other person in the room was her best friend, Kyle, who sat behind her. Whereas Tammy was fixated on the time, Kyle was drawing in a sketchbook. Kyle loved to draw, but when people asked him what he liked to illustrate, he’d shrug and say, “Interesting things,” as if that explained everything. (It never did.)

  It appeared, however, that today’s Interesting Thing was a logo for the Marine Science Club. Admittedly, Kyle didn’t care much for marine science, but Tammy did. And if something mattered to Tammy, then it mattered to Kyle. (Mostly, anyway.)

  “The flyer definitely said three, right? Not three-thirty?” Tammy asked hopefully.

  Kyle shook his head.

  “The best things take time,” he replied. “Maybe no one is interested in joining Marine Science Club now, but this time next month, they’ll be clamoring outside just to get in. There’ll be so many kids we’ll have to move weekly meetings to the auditorium. We’ll be the coolest club at school.”

  Tammy smiled at her friend. “I hope so,” she replied, then lowered her voice. “Marine science is just so cool.”

  Kyle smiled back. He wanted to cheer up Tammy. “Hey, take a peek at the logo I’ve been drawing. Maybe this’ll convince some kids to join.”

  Tammy looked down at Kyle’s sketchbook. He had hand-lettered the words MARINE SCIENCE CLUB in neat curved letters. Underneath those words he had drawn a shark that looked as if it were about to jump off the page. It had one big eye, a pointed fin, and lots of razor-sharp teeth.

  “Kyle!” Tammy said. “Where was this two days ago?”

  “What’d I say? The best things take time. You can’t rush art!” Kyle replied.

  The two friends laughed. Kyle could always make Tammy laugh. He could make anyone laugh, actually. That was what Tammy admired most about him.

  Just then, there was a loud voice at the door. Tammy jumped. She was so invested in their conversation that she had completely forgotten they were still at school—even if it was a Friday afternoon.

  “Oh no!” the voice hollered. It was coming from a black-haired boy who rushed into the room. He was short and scrawny, and he was wearing a black T-shirt with a rock band logo on it. “Is the meeting already over? Did I miss the MSC?”

  “The Music Sound Club meets in Ms. Ricci’s room,” Tammy replied. “My friend Kyle and I are just about to leave anyway. We can walk over with you if you’d like.”

  The boy looked very confused. “Music Sound Club?” he repeated. “No, not that MSC. The Marine Science Club! Fish, ocean, yeah? That’s here, right?”

  Tammy’s eyes widened. She exchanged a quick glance with Kyle, as if to say, Is this really happening?

  “Oh! Yes!” Tammy nearly shouted. “You’re looking right at it! And if you’re interested, you’re our third official member. What’s your name?”

  The kid fist-pumped excitedly in the air. “My name’s Alexander de la Cruz. But everyone calls me Alex. I just moved here. There wasn’t a Marine Science Club at my old school, but I think it’s an awesome idea. The best idea, actually. I really wish I’d thought of it first, but I’m glad I didn’t have to. Hey! Is that a shark?”

  Alex spoke very quickly, but he paused and pointed to Kyle’s drawing.

  “No, that’s my grandfather,” Kyle said very seriously. Then he laughed. “I’m just kidding. Of course, it’s a shark!”

  “I was about to say … that sounded fishy,” Alex replied, not missing a beat. Tammy chuckled. “What kind of shark is it?”

  “It’s a porbeagle,” Kyle replied. “I was looking up cool sharks to draw and this one popped up. It’s a medium-sized shark mostly found in the Atlantic Ocean, and its name is a combo of ‘porpoise’ and ‘beagle,’ because it kind of looks like a porpoise and kind of hunts like a beagle.”

  “Isn’t that just a theory, though?” Alex said, as quickly as before. “I’ve read that ‘porbeagle’ is a combination of the Cornish word for harbor—porth—and bugel, which means shepherd.”

  “Possibly. But then wouldn’t that just be a theory too?” Kyle replied, smiling.

  “My dad thinks this necklace is from a porbeagle shark, but I’m not convinced,” said Alex, taking a shark-tooth necklace on a chain out from underneath his T-shirt. “But the tooth is not as pointy as a porbeagle’s tooth, see? And it’s longer. It’s my good luck charm. I picked it up on the beach when I first moved here a few weeks ago, and I’d really like to figure out what kind of shark it’s from.”

  Tammy’s head zoomed back and forth between Alex and Kyle. She always knew that Kyle did a lot of research on his Interesting Things, but where had this new kid been hiding? He knew even more about sharks than she did, and she’d studied marine animals with her grandfather last summer in Japan!

  “Okay, nerds.” Tammy smiled affectionately. “As much as I love this chitchat, we’re off-topic. Now that we’re a group of three, we can be an official organization represented by the school. So first things first, we have to vote on a president, and then I can get this organization application over to Principal Sutker.”

  “Well, I think that answer’s obvious,” Kyle said, “but Waverly Middle School is a democracy, so let’s vote. Who thinks Tammy Aiko, founder of this club, should be president?”

  Kyle and Alex both raised their hands high.

  “Thanks, guys. And who wants to be my VP?” Tammy asked.

  “You should,” Kyle said, gesturing to Alex.

  Alex nodded, accepting his role dutifully.

  “And do you want a position, Kyle? Maybe secretary? Or treasurer?”

  Kyle thought for a moment. “Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m here to support you, Tammy. And, uh, all of marine science!”

  Tammy shot him a curious look, but then decided against saying anything. “Well, it looks like Marine Science Club is a go!” she announced, finishing up the organization paperwork.

  “I feel like we need a secret handshake or something,” Kyle said.

  “How about we pump our fists together and say, ‘Science!’?” Alex suggested. Then he demonstrated the motion.

  “Hmm. Maybe something a little … cooler,” Tammy replied. She was thinking about the rest of the school joining in. She couldn’t really imagine kids like Leo McCormack chanting “Science.”

  “The best things take time,” Tammy said, repeating her friend’s advice. “A handshake will come. Besides, it’s getting late. Let’s all meet this weekend at the beach to do some hands-on marine science stuff and really get things going. Alex, here’s my phone. Text yourself so that you get my number, and I’ll save yours.”

  Tammy took her phone out of her back pocket and handed it to Alex, who did as instructed. Then, she saved his contact information in her phone as Alex , making sure to put not one but two emojis, because that was what she did for all her favorite people.

  When Tammy got home, she made a list of all the things she could do to make Marine Science Club cool.

  Post pretty pics of marine science stuff to social media.

  Host a school-wide field trip.

  Plan an ice cream party.

  Th
e school-wide field trip and ice cream party were good ideas. But MSC wasn’t there yet. If Tammy wanted to make Marine Science Club cool, she’d have to start small.

  “First step: Take some pretty pictures,” Tammy muttered to herself. “I think we can handle that.”

  On Saturday morning, Tammy made a group chat for the members of the Marine Science Club.

  Waverly Middle School students were lucky because Tiburon Beach was so close. It was about two miles away from the school, which was the perfect distance for kids’ parents to drive them after class.

  Tammy loved it at the beach. There was the boardwalk filled with fair rides and games. When Tammy was six, she won a stuffed seal at the water blaster race game, and she still slept with it on her bed. The boardwalk had everything, from Tasha’s Italian Ice to fancy seafood restaurants to T-shirt shops and sunscreen stands. At the end of the boardwalk was a pier that stretched out into the ocean. Locals liked to fish there. Tammy used to visit a lot with her grandfather when she was younger. He’d point out interesting facts about the waves, and she’d smile and listen intently because it was her favorite place in the world.

  But today, Tammy didn’t just want to traverse the boardwalk or the pier. She wanted to meet there, sure, but then do something else. Go on an adventure. Make the Marine Science Club cool.

  Tammy dressed in her usual beach attire, which was a pair of denim shorts, a blue T-shirt, and a bathing suit underneath. She swept her long dark hair up into a ponytail and tied a purple ribbon around it. The ribbon was a gift from her grandfather—he’d proudly told her that it was biodegradable, meaning if it got lost, it wouldn’t contribute to pollution.

  Then Tammy’s mom drove her to the MSC meeting point. Tammy knew Kyle was usually late, but she was surprised to see that Alex was already waiting for her.

  “My parents own the new pizza spot right next to Tasha’s,” Alex said, noting Tammy’s puzzled look. “That’s why we moved here, actually. They make the best pizza ever. My mom thinks it’s her crust that makes it extra delicious, but I think it’s my grandma’s secret sauce.”

  Tammy smiled.

  “That’s amazing,” she said. “I love pizza. Maybe we can go there when the meeting is over.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure my parents would love that! Hey, while we wait for Kyle, why don’t we grab some Italian ice now?” Alex suggested.

  Tammy agreed. She could always go for some Italian ice! She bought two scoops of cherry Italian ice (one for Alex, one for her), and they sat on one of the benches outside and dug in.

  “So how are you liking your new house? Waverly Middle?” Tammy asked. “I’ve lived here my whole life, so I don’t really know anything different.”

  “I like it so far,” Alex said. “But it’s been kind of hard to make friends. I feel like everyone’s so obsessed over what’s cool and what’s trendy. You’ve got to have the latest phone, the newest computer, stuff like that. And I like being trendy too, but it’s a little overwhelming.”

  “Well, it looks like you found the least trendy club out there,” Tammy said, laughing. “For now, anyway. But I’m glad you did.”

  “Me too,” replied Alex. “And I wouldn’t say that. Just you wait! All good things—”

  “… take time,” Tammy said, finishing Alex’s sentence. Then she turned around. Someone had finished the sentence with her—Kyle!

  “Took ya long enough,” Tammy said, sweeping Kyle into a big hug. “All right. Now we’re ready to go for an adventure. Time for Marine Science Club meeting number two!”

  Alex fist-pumped the air and yelled, “Science!” Then he smiled at the two of them.

  “One day you’re going to like it,” he said.

  “Don’t hold your breath,” Tammy joked back. Then she was all business. “Now that we’re all here, it’s important we set Marine Science Club out from the crowd by doing something really fun. And taking photos. So I was thinking, let’s head out to … Tiburon Cove.”

  “Tiburon Cove?” Alex repeated. “What’s that?”

  “You can’t be serious,” said Kyle at the same time. “Tammy, no one goes to Tiburon Cove. It’s nicknamed Stinkerton Cove, remember? It stinks. Bad. Like rotten eggs.” Kyle pinched his nose with his fingers.

  “Well, it might smell bad, but it’s also really beautiful down there,” Tammy replied. “We can snap some pics of the tide pools and post them to our new social media accounts, maybe even submit them to the school paper. People need to know about MSC. We need to up our awareness.” When she said that, Tammy channeled her cousin Alison, who was a freshman at Waverly College studying marketing.

  Before Alex or Kyle could say anything else, Tammy started strutting toward the cove. And then Alex and Kyle followed, because that was what best friends did.

  When the three friends arrived at Tiburon Cove, Tammy had to admit that Kyle was right. It stunk down there. But she tried not to let it get to her.

  “Hey, what’s that?” Kyle asked, and pointed to a little ripple inside a tide pool.

  Tammy whipped her head over. Inside the tide pool was a tiny hermit crab easing into the wet mud.

  “That’s a hermit crab,” explained Alex. “Fun fact: Hermit crabs are not true crabs. They are actually more like lobsters.”

  Kyle opened up the sketchbook he’d been carrying. As he did, Tammy smiled at him. She realized that Kyle had found his daily Interesting Thing.

  And if the hermit crab was interesting to Kyle, Tammy reasoned, then it might just be interesting to the Waverly Middle School student body too. She took out her phone and angled the lens just right. Then she snapped a photo of the crab.

  “This is going to make an excellent first post,” Tammy said, admiring the hermit crab both in real life and in the pixels on her phone. She was playing with the brightness settings of the photo when Alex tapped her on the shoulder.

  “I didn’t know dolphins get close to Tiburon Beach,” he said, pointing to a spot in the not-so-distant horizon. It looked like a glimmer among the growing waves at first, but then it popped up again. It was right outside of the cave they were standing in.

  Kyle stopped sketching to take a look. “Whoa, I can see their pointy back things peeking out of the water.”

  “Pointy back things? I think you mean dorsal fins. That’s pretty cool,” Tammy said.

  A pod of dolphins, after all, was way cooler than a tiny hermit crab. Hermit crabs were interesting, but dolphins were material for the front page of the Waverly school newspaper. Tammy took out a pair of binoculars from her backpack. She needed to inspect the dolphins even more closely.

  Tammy adjusted her binoculars and zoomed in. Sure enough, a gray fin broke the surface, followed by a second and a third. The animals were moving in rhythm. But they didn’t look like dolphins …

  “Guys,” said Tammy slowly. “Those are sharks! Three different sharks!”

  She passed her binoculars to Alex and Kyle. They shared the binoculars by each taking one eyepiece.

  “Whoa,” Kyle said.

  “That’s amazing,” Alex added.

  Tammy smiled to herself. It was amazing. One shark by itself would have been amazing, but three sharks? Even more amazing. And what were the odds?

  Tammy had to get a photo of the sharks for the school paper. She had to. Nothing would make Marine Science Club cooler.

  Tammy could just imagine the headline now: SPOT SHARKS WITH THE MARINE SCIENCE CLUB! Tammy’s face pasted right in, next to those of Alex and Kyle. “We weren’t really expecting anything when we went to Tiburon Cove …” Tammy’s quote would start off. Then they’d interview the hundreds of other members who had joined MSC, because when you were a club that spotted sharks, you got hundreds of members. You got to be the coolest club at school.

  Coolest club at school. Tammy could almost taste it.

  “Come on,” she told her friends, urging them to get closer. “It’s shark time, baby.”

  Of course, that was how Tammy, Kyle, and Alex found the
sharks.

  But how did the sharks find the humans?

  Earlier that day, Hammerhead was swimming to her special place, an old sunken ship that used to belong to a pirate. Aside from Hammerhead’s best friends, Porbeagle and Mako, most other sharks didn’t care for the old sunken ship, but Hammerhead loved it. She liked to swim around and stick her head through the skeletons with funny hats and poke around little sticks that the humans must have used as peg legs.

  Hammerhead had a collection of human things. Of course, not everyone was happy about that. Hammerhead had been swimming around one day with an eye patch when she ran into Tiger Shark. Tiger Shark was Hammerhead’s friend, but Tiger Shark still liked to tease her.

  Whatcha got there, Hams? Tiger seemed to say.

  None of your sharkswax! Hammerhead motioned back.

  Tiger didn’t take no for an answer. He kept lightly bumping into Hammerhead, trying to get Hammerhead to reveal what was curled up in her fin. Finally, Hammerhead showed him.

  Tiger seemed to laugh. Tiger was one of the toughest sharks in the sea. He could flatten out a whole ecosystem with one swipe of his tail. And as much as Hammerhead hated to admit it … Tiger was the coolest shark she knew.

  Give it to me! Tiger all but hissed, motioning for Hammerhead to hand the eye patch over.

  No. Hammerhead shook her head.

  Tiger didn’t like that.

  Hammerhead tried to stand her ground again, but unfortunately, once Tiger decided he wanted something, he got it.

  Tiger mustered all his might and body-slammed Hammerhead. Although Hammerhead tried to keep the eye patch in her fin, it was no use. The patch slipped out of her hold and into the deep ocean below. Then Tiger made a mad dash for it.

  Hammerhead tried going after it too, but she was too late. Tiger was fast. In just a few moments, the hulking Tiger Shark had the eye patch wrapped firmly around his own eye. He cast a toothy smile at Hammerhead, as if to say, Smell ya later. Then he was gone—and so was Hammerhead’s precious eye patch.

  The memory made Hammerhead’s eyes prickle. She had really wanted that eye patch. She was planning something very important.