Shark Lover

by Marie, Gracie

  “He acts tough on the outside, but on the inside he is a huge softy.” She opened the car door of her jeep and hopped in as she hit the unlock button for Marc to get in. “And I am feeling okay. I think it’s the fact that I forgot to drink coffee this morning. I always wake up to a cup of coffee, but I had been running late this morning and I forgot to pour myself a cup. I normally don’t get so seasick.”

  “He seems like a nice guy. I hope you feel better. I know what you mean. Coffee is part of my morning ritual as well, without it I am lost.” He turned down the radio in the car as he buckled his seat belt. She put it in reverse, backed out and started driving down the road. He couldn’t help but admire his surroundings. He always loved a good car ride. Especially if it was to the beach. It reminded him of his father.

  “Dad, stop the car.” He told his father instructively.

  “Why? Is something wrong Son?” His father looked back at him fretful. “Are you car sick?”

  “No, just stop the car. Please Dad. Just stop the car.” He begged his father.

  He pulled the car to the side of the road. Putting the gear in park, the car came to a complete halt. “Okay, Son. I stopped the car. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, everything is fine.” He opened the car door and sprinted out as fast as he could. Normally he loved going to the beach, it was his favorite drive. His father would bring him along with him to the beach every week. It was a day that he looked forward to. Today was different. He couldn’t keep going without looking back. He couldn’t leave what he had left behind. He ran and ran. He backtracked where they had been and where they had gone. He finally found what he had been looking for. It was what he had lost.

  “Marc? Where are you?” He could hear his father shouting out in the distance.

  “I’m coming! I found what I lost!” He picked it up carefully, making an effort not to hurt it. He wanted to bring it back in one piece. He took off his shirt and wrapped it around his newly found treasure. Running back to his father, he tried to run without hurting his beloved prize. Cars were blasting by him at what seemed like 100mph. He held it closer to his body, to shield it from the fast paced cars. He wasn’t going to let anything hurt it. Not again, not ever.

  He was nearing his father. He figured his father could see what he had in his arms now and he had to figure out a way to explain it to him, so that he would understand. Moving his shirt around, he tried to recover the item. He knew they were almost to the beach and his father had wanted to surf. Marc had other plans. Plans with more meaning.

  “Marc, what do you have there in your arms?” He asked hastily. “Is that why you ran off?”

  He tried to cover it in his arms, but it was too hard to conceal. “Oh nothing, Dad. It’s just something that I need to surf with. Let me just put it in the backseat of our car and we can get on going to the beach. We better hurry because you know the sun sets pretty soon. Your favorite time to surf is right before the sunset, so let’s go Dad!” He started to hurry back to the car, but his father stopped him with a swift movement of his arm.

  “Wait a second there, Son. Now what is that? What do you have in your arms?” He asked imperturbably.

  “Oh nothing Dad, I just realized something was dropped out of a car and we could use it. That’s all.” He explained cautiously.

  “But what is it Marc?” He tried to lift the shirt up, but Marc expeditiously took a step back.

  “Now Dad, before I let you know what it is, you have to promise to be understanding. You can’t just automatically say no without putting any thought into it. I saw it get thrown out of a car and I wanted to save it. I couldn’t just leave it there…”

  “Woof!” A small bark came out of Marc’s shirt, as a small head popped out with big floppy ears.

  “Marc, is that a puppy I heard? Please don’t tell me it was a puppy. You know we can’t take another one on. We already have three dogs. Four would be just too many to handle.”

  “But Dad! A car just threw him out! I can’t just leave him on the side of the road to die! Plus a car could hit him. I’m not going to just leave him here.” Marc said with force as he walked back to the car and got in.

  His dad followed behind him as he got back into the driver’s side of the car. “Marc, we will take him with us today. We can’t keep him though. We will bring him to the shelter and they can help us find a nice home for him.”

  “But Dad! I want to keep him.” He wailed. “The shelter won’t do anything. Most of the dogs end up getting euthanized. I don’t want that to happen to him.” He looked at the puppy’s small white face. He held the dog up to his face and he licked him. The dog appeared to be a mixed breed. Marc could tell that he had some Cocker Spaniel in him, with his big floppy ears and his furry light gold hair. He couldn’t think of having to give up this sweet, innocent dog. His father didn’t understand how hard the pound was on dogs. Looking at the puppy’s little face, he couldn’t bear the thought of parting with him. He had to make his father understand.

  “Marc, I…”

  “Dad, how can you say no to this little face?” He held the puppy straight up into his father’s eyes. “Plus what would Mom do? She would never want to leave a puppy abandoned on a congested road. She would want to keep him. Gold is her favorite color. This puppy is gold. It’s fate.” He stated factually. From his father’s expression, he could tell that he was wearing him down slowly, but surely.

  “We will see Son. Let’s take him back to the house. We’ll let your mother take a look at him.” He sighed knowing that he had lost the battle.

  “Yes!” He knew that the puppy was his. They couldn’t bring an abandoned animal back into their home without his mother wanting to keep it. She never turned down an animal in need. It was the inner animal lover in her. She had become a veterinarian to save animals, just like the puppy that he had found on the highway. He knew that the dog was his now. He stared at the beach as they drove along in silence. He had saved a dog’s life. He felt as if he had done something important in his young life. Even though he was only fourteen years old, this was the best thing he had done with his life yet.

  Chapter 8

  “Wow, she really makes her way up and down the coastline pretty fast.” Marc stated as he looked intently at the computer screen on Chris’s desk.

  “She’s a fast creature. She’s got a lot on her agenda.” Chris responded restlessly as Cathy and Marc crowded closer towards him in order to get a better look.

  Back in the lab at the Shark Savor’s headquarters, Chris had put in the tracking information for Mandy. Marc and Cathy had pulled up chairs in the empty lab to start observing Mandy’s whereabouts. The little yellow dot that represented Mandy showed them where she was and would help them to track her to see where she mysteriously disappeared. They all glared at the screen with intense eyes, waiting for her to make her next move.

  “She’s already made her way from Ocean Beach to the Aquatic Park. I wonder if she’s looking for something.” She looked at Chris in wonderment. “I mean why else would she stay in this area for long periods of time and then flee for months. She must like a particular species of food or possibly the climate here. Maybe that’s what keeps her returning.”

  “There’s no way to know for certain, but I would say she probably is enjoying the sea life creatures that she is finding in the water. Great white sharks tend to enjoy eating sea lions, so it makes sense as to why she would like the coast waters. Stinson Beach is known for having many sea lions. Just this fact alone is probably drawing her to that specific area.” He answered without taking his eyes off of the screen.

  Marc yawned as he put his arms up above his head and stretched. He loved tracking sharks as much as the next guy, but he had had a tiring day already. He’d already picked up trash in the ocean, swam with sharks and helped Chris track Mandy for three hours. Chris and Cathy had been talking nonstop for hours about Mandy and what they assumed she was doing or what she would be doing in the future. He could see the p
assion in their eyes as they discussed the possibilities of where Mandy could be going over and over again. He could see how Cathy’s eyes lit up as she traced Mandy’s dot with her finger. Animals were truly her passion in life and he could say the same thing for Chris.

  While Marc cared about animals and marine life, what he really felt like was a nap. He had woken up at the break of dawn and he still had coursework from his graduate studies he needed to complete. He didn’t feel particularly focused at the moment, he had been thinking about something more important. The last hour or so he had been zoning out. He was quite surprised at his thoughts. He had actually thought about surfing again. He hadn’t thought about that in a long time.

  The last time he surfed had been so long ago. He didn’t know where these sudden thoughts were coming from. He assumed it was probably the fact that he had gotten in the ocean, swam with sharks and felt the rush of the waves again. But he knew it wasn’t just that, something had been missing in his life for a long time. Surfing was part of who he was. He was starting to regret the decision he made after his dad died to give it up. When his dad had died, he couldn’t even think about getting in the water. It felt like betrayal to him. Now that more time had passed, the wound had healed more. He wondered if it was the right time to pick up surfing again.

  He turned his gaze to the window. The light was shining down on the water and he could see the ocean front right through the glass. It was almost as if he could feel the ocean calling his name. Stretching his legs out of the chair, he could almost feel the cold, salty water crashing down on his thighs. He wanted that feeling again. He wanted to feel like he was on top of the world. He missed the rush that it brought him. He would do anything to have that feeling again in his life. He wouldn’t feel complete until he did.

  “Marc, are you going to meet us after school to surf?” His best friend Tony asked. He looked at Marc intensely as they walked down the halls. Class had just been dismissed for the day and it was a Friday afternoon. Usually every Friday, he went with his friends to the beach to surf. Lately he hadn’t been in the mood. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He felt so out of place with the world these days.

  “Nah, thanks for asking though Tony.” He opened his locker and threw all of his books inside. There was no way he was even thinking about studying this weekend. Truth be told, he hadn’t thought about studying in a long time. His heart just wasn’t in it anymore. He still dreamed of being a marine biologist, but his grades had been slipping lately. Improving them would be his best bet at getting into a good school. It was already his junior year and he needed to start thinking about college.

  “Why don’t you ever come with us anymore? You used to come with us every week, almost every night. Now we never see you. I don’t think I have seen you in the water for months.” Tony asked with diligence.

  “I don’t know man, I just don’t feel like it. Okay?” He shut the locker door and started walking out of the building with Tony on his tail.

  “But why? You never told me why. Is it because of your old man?” He grabbed Marc and turned him around to face him. “You know you haven’t been much fun since he died. He wouldn’t want you to live like this, Marc. I knew your dad. He would want you to surf and be happy. He would want you to move on and live your life.”

  Marc pushed him away as he continued walking forward. “It’s not even about that. How do you even know what he would have wanted me to do?” He yelled as he slammed the door behind him. Walking to his car swiftly, he hoped Tony would just leave him alone. He didn’t feel like talking about his dad or what had happened to him. He didn’t want to relive those horrible memories again. Tony just didn’t understand and he knew that he couldn’t make him understand, no matter how hard he tried.

  “Wait up Marc!” Tony yelled across the parking lot. “I didn’t mean to offend you. Come on man, I was just trying to help you. I see you every day and it just looks like you got the light knocked out of you. Come on, just come surf with me. We won’t even meet up with the other guys. It’ll just be me and you. Like the good old times. So what do you say?”

  Marc stopped abruptly at his car and thought about what Tony was saying. It had been awhile since he last surfed. Maybe he could give it another go. Time had passed by rather quickly and he had missed surfing. “I say maybe I overreacted and I am sorry Tony. You’re right. It has been too long since I last surfed. Let’s go to the beach.”

  “Now that’s more like it. Now you sound like my best friend.” He patted him on his back. “Your dad would be proud of you. You know that.”

  “Hop in,” Marc demanded as he started the car. “I am your best friend. Just don’t talk about my dad. I don’t want to talk about it. I know you are just trying to help, but I am just not ready to talk about it. Don’t push it.”

  “Alright man, I won’t say anything again. I’m just glad to see you out of the house. You were so depressed for such a long time. It’ll be good to see you on a board again. You were the best surfer I had ever known.” He said as Marc drove down the road.

  Marc rolled his eyes at Tony’s compliments. Tony had always been fond of Marc. He was a year older than Tony, which in return made Tony look up at him like he was a god. Ever since they were little, he had wanted to be just like Marc. They had met in elementary school, over a bond of surfing and had been friends ever since. Marc appreciated Tony’s friendship throughout the years, but he just wasn’t in a talking mood at the moment. He was trying to fixate on the fact that in moments he would be surfing again. The last time he had surfed, his dad had been alive. Without his dad to encourage his talent, he assumed he would be nothing.

  Marc stopped the car in the parking lot as Tony hopped out and grabbed the boards from the top. He starting running to the beach, calling for Marc to come join him. Marc needed a moment to relax and take in what he was about to do. It had been so long, he wasn’t sure if he even knew how to surf anymore. Walking down to the beach slowly, he could already see Tony catching a wave in the distance and riding it into shore. Marc envied him in a way, which was strange for him. He was used to having Tony envying him, not the other way around. The waves looked so inviting and he wished he could be like Tony. He wanted to be able to go into the ocean, without the constant notion of fears or flashbacks holding him back.

  He was on the beach now and he could feel the soft breeze floating swiftly through his shirt as he took it off. Tony was running towards him. Marc groaned already knowing what he wanted. He would want him to get in the water and surf. Tony didn’t understand that he just wasn’t ready for that yet. He didn’t need the constant pressure of his best friend to get him in the water. He would go in when he was good and ready.

  “Marc! Come on in, man. The water feels great.” He called out from the shore as he paddled on his board.

  “I’ll be there in a minute. Just give me some time to get used to it.”

  “Get used to it? You haven’t even touched the ocean yet. You could at least put your feet in,” He pulled the board out and started walking back to Marc. “Can’t you see I am trying to help you face your fears? It’s kind of hard to do that when you’re not cooperating with me, you know.”

  Marc sat down on the sand in anger. He usually didn’t get mad, but Tony was pressing all of his buttons. He was tired of all of the pressure and the force to get him into the water. His mother asked him constantly to get back in the water and try to surf again. For the first few weeks that she asked, he had tried every day. In the morning, he was dead set on doing it. When the afternoon rolled around, he had already changed his mind. He knew he was overthinking things, but that was just how he was. Thinking things over was what he did. He didn’t know any other way of life.

  “Marc?” Tony probed as he held Marc by the shoulders and shook him. “Are you alright man? You haven’t said anything for a while and your face was completely blank. I think you are trying to avoid surfing because it brings you tension and heartache. I know the first time will be
rough, but once you get over that it should be smooth sailing.”

  “I’m fine Tony,” He said trying to simmer his temper before speaking again. “I just don’t think I am ready to do this again. It doesn’t feel like the right time yet. I know it’s been awhile since he’s been gone, but it just doesn’t feel right to do this without him. I feel lost.”

  “I know you do and I am trying to help you find yourself again. Surfing was a huge part of your life. I think if you tried it again, you would find who you are again. Just try it. What do you have to lose? And you know he would want you to. The legend lives on.”

  He let out a sigh before speaking again. “I have been feeling lost for a long time. It’s just I wish I had some closure, you know? It’s hard to even think about doing the last thing my father did before he died. It just feels like disloyalty. That’s the hardest thing to get over. It was hard enough losing him, then I had to give up surfing too. I lost my life.”

  “But it doesn’t have to be that way. In your mind you see it as being like that, but it’s not. Your father would have wanted you to continue on. He wouldn’t have wanted you to put your entire life on pause like you have. It’s not being disloyal. It’s living your life again and making your father proud.” He stood up and put out a hand to Marc in order to help him up. “So what do you say? Want to give it another try?”

  “You made it sound better at least.” He took his friend’s hand and stood up. “I’ll give it another try. Be patient with me though. I haven’t surfed in forever. I don’t even know if I can even step up on my board anymore.”