I put one foot on a pedal. The bike starts wobbling. I try to put my other foot on the other pedal. It wobbles even more. This is much harder than when I used to ride with training wheels. What if I fall? Then I look around. Worse, what if someone sees?
I look at Nick and whisper, “This is scary.”
Nick walks over and holds the bike. “It’s okay, kiddo. Get both feet on the pedals.”
I do and he holds the bike.
“Okay, now just pedal.”
I try, but I stop and put my feet on the ground. “Mom, what if I fall?” My lip is starting to shake.
Mom walks over, and both of them look at me. “Everyone falls at some point, Stella.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty much the best at everything, but even I fell a little bit at the beginning,” says Nick. Then he rubs my helmet.
“Really?”
“But … mi chiquitita, Stella, if you don’t want to ride you don’t have to today,” Mom says. “It’s your birthday and it’s Stella’s rules.”
“Yeah, we can play video games. And I’ll let you beat me.” Nick elbows me gently.
I take a deep breath. It takes all of my courage, but I say, “No, I’ll try. I am stronger than I think. Right, Mom?”
Mom nods.
It takes about ten tries with Nick holding the bike while I get started. Like the sea dragon, he knows when to let go so I can swim away on my own. Finally, I ride the bike a few times without any help. Before I know it, I’m doing loops around the playground with Mom and Nick. Each loop feels more natural and my legs get less shaky. They start to feel strong.
As I ride around, I can’t help but imagine all the fun times I’ll have riding my bike now with Nick and Jenny. I wonder if Anna knows how to ride a bike. Maybe all of us could ride together. That makes me feel excited and I begin to pedal faster. Then I wonder if Stanley knows how to ride a bike. I’m sure he’d be really good at it, but then again I’m not sure anymore. Stanley’s not always the best at everything, just the best at most things. For a brief second, I imagine Stanley riding bikes with us and I pedal faster and faster.
Chapter Nineteen
“Wow!” I say as we walk through the big doors of the Shedd Aquarium. My mouth drops open. It’s more beautiful than I imagined, with giant columns and chandeliers hanging everywhere.
I am so happy to finally be visiting the aquarium. I know it will help me finish my project. I’ve nearly completed all the drawings, and started the submarine, but I need a little extra inspiration to figure out what I’m going to say. I’m still pretty nervous about it, but Nick promises he’ll help me practice.
“This is so exciting I could spell!” I say, then I spell, “E … X … C … I … T … I … N … G.”
Nick rolls his eyes. “Come on, Bumblebee.”
I grab a map right away and start trying to figure out where everything is. I especially want to make sure to see the lionfish since it’s the last fish in my animal project. Lionfish are originally from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, but many aquariums have them on display, including the Shedd Aquarium.
As we wait in line to enter the exhibits, I look all around at the signs hanging from the ceiling. The aquarium is so big, and it’s full of so many people! There’s an area for people to check coats, an area with tour guides, and a really long line to get tickets.
Luckily, Mom has the tickets already, so we can go right in to see the exhibits.
“Ready?” asks Mom. I nod and I lead my family to the jellyfish room.
When we enter the dark room, there is a soft glow, but as we walk toward the glass, it grows brighter. It’s like magic. We spend a bunch of time looking at the different types of jellyfish and trying to decide which one is our favorite.
“Did you know they don’t have brains?” I say.
“That’s cool!” Nick replies.
After the jellyfish, we walk to the Amazon Rising section, where it’s humid and warm. That’s because there are more than just fishes in this section. It’s a mini jungle filled with plants and other Amazonian creatures such as tarantulas, monkeys, and even an anaconda! Out of the fishes in the Amazon, Mom likes the leopard whipray and zebra-striped stingrays best, while I like the fruit-eating fish named the tambaqui. Nick makes us stop at his favorite, the piranha exhibit.
“Be careful, Stella. I hear they especially like to eat nine-year-old girls.”
I roll my eyes. “Can we go see the sea dragons next?” Mom and Nick agree with me. But just as we walk into the sea dragon area, I see a familiar boy with light-brown hair holding a map in front of his face. As soon as he lowers it, I know who it is.
Stanley.
Stanley Mason.
I whisper to myself, “Really, why is he here?”
I grab my map and lift it in front of my face. Even though I feel a tiny bit less nervous around him now, I’m not ready to talk to him outside of school. “¡Rápido!” I think. Immediately, I plan my escape. “Oh, I meant sea turtles!” I start walking into another hallway.
Mom and Nick look at each other. “Whatever you want, Stella.”
When we get to the sea turtles, I don’t see Stanley. I relax and watch the sea turtles gracefully swim. It’s almost as if they are doing tai chi. Except instead of doing it outside in the park like my neighbors do, the sea turtles are doing it in the water.
Then I hear Stanley shout, “Awesome!”
I whisper to Mom, “There’re too many people in here. Let’s go see the sea otters now.” I walk even faster this time.
My roja quickly goes away when we enter the sea otter room. Straightaway, I know this is my favorite room and it’s not just because it feels cooler. The sea otters might be the Olympic gymnasts of the sea. They spin, twirl, and flip through the water all while looking adorable. I desperately want to get a better look at one, so I chase it around the curved tank. But as I go around the curve, I almost run right into Stanley! He’s too busy looking at another sea otter with his dad to notice though. This time, I don’t even wait to say anything to Mom or Nick. I just run into the next room.
“Wait!” Nick and Mom both say as they chase after me.
The rest of the day goes like that. Instead of seeing dolphins, sharks, and even penguins, I see Stanley, Stanley, and Stanley.
“Why don’t we take a break?” Mom says. I can tell she is a little tired and annoyed from running all around.
We go to the cafeteria, and I order two scoops of lime sherbet with nuts on top. It doesn’t help. My perfect day at the aquarium is nothing like I had hoped it would be. Worst of all, I am too embarrassed to tell Mom and Nick why I was running from room to room.
Mom can tell something is bothering me. “¿Stella, todo está bien?” She’s asking me if everything is okay. She only speaks pure Spanish to me when it’s something serious.
“Sí, the aquarium is very big. I’m just tired.” I rest my face on the table.
“Stella, did I see that boy Stanley from your class?” Mom asks.
“No.” I keep my head on the table. If she could see my face, she’d know I was lying. I don’t like lying to Mom, but I’m too embarrassed to tell her the truth.
“My mistake.” I feel her hand on my head. She starts making a braid with my hair, and I feel a little better.
“Well, we can go then and come back another time, but why don’t we get you a small birthday regalo?”
I lift my head. Another regalo, another present! When we enter the museum store, I know what I want right away. Under the giant octopus in the middle of the store is a huge, beautiful book with the title The Ultimate Guide to Sea Creatures in glittery letters. It’s filled with so many pictures that I want to draw. I hug the book, close my eyes, and spell, “A … W … E … S … O … M … E!”
I open my eyes and hear a voice that says, “It is awesome!”
It is Stanley. I want to run, but I can’t. Mom and Nick are a few feet away. If I sprint out of the store, they’ll think something is very wrong
, instead of the truth, which is that I’m just too shy to talk to Stanley. Then I notice that Stanley is holding the same book. Suddenly, I remember what Jenny told me. Just ask questions. Be Sherlock Holmes. Using my own power of deduction, I realize I have something to say. It’s the perfect question. I mean, he’s at the aquarium, he said the book was awesome. So I take a deep breath. My throat is dry, but I manage to ask quietly, “Do you like marine life, Stanley?”
“Y … U … P!” Stanley spells. He opens The Ultimate Guide to Sea Creatures and points to the lionfish in the book. “This one is my favorite.”
“That’s one of my favorites, too!” I say. “It’s actually the last fish in my animal project.”
“Cool!” says Stanley. “You know, I was going to do fishes, too, but I saw your drawings and realized mine would never be as good. So I decided to do monkeys instead. I’m doing a monkey mobile.”
He grins. I’m surprised. He saw my project? I never thought he’d be interested in what I was doing.
Stanley says, “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about your drawings and how you got so good, but I thought you didn’t like me. You always cover up your drawings and turn away before I can ask you.”
“That’s not true at all!” I quickly reply. “I also have some art books if you want to see them. I draw from them all the time.”
“Yeah!” he says. “That’d be awesome!”
Stanley then opens his book and starts pointing out all his favorite fish. I start doing the same. Before I know it I’m no longer roja and I don’t have to think about what I am going to say. Talking to Stanley feels normal, like talking to Nick or Jenny.
I ask him, “Stanley, do you know what you are doing for your presentation?”
“I’m going to wear an ape costume! What about you?”
“Not sure yet.”
“You should dress up like Jacques Cousteau!”
I gasp. That is the best idea.
“I really need to come up with something else to go with my ape costume though. It’s not like I can bribe people with cookies again.”
“What do you mean?” I can feel my eyebrows pushing together.
“I give out cookies every time I’m new or trying to get people to like me. That’s a trick my mom taught me.”
I giggle, remembering Stanley’s birthday cookies. I can’t believe he was nervous then. He looked as cool as a cucumber.
“Moms are the best,” I say.
Then Stanley’s dad walks over and says, “Who is this, buddy?” He’s grinning and has a Texas accent.
“Oh, this is Stella. Stella is in my class and she loves fishes, too. She’s an expert at math and spelling and is the class artist.”
I beam. “Fishes are simply … A … M … A … Z … I … N … G.”
Stanley’s dad says, “Well, she seems like a great friend! You guys should play together. You’ve been looking for a friend to ride bikes with since we moved here. Do you know how to ride a bike, Stella?”
Nick walks over. “Stella is great at riding bikes.” He squeezes my shoulder. Then he whispers into my ear, “We’ll practice more.”
Mom links arms with me. “Hi, Stanley.” I look up at her slowly. I’m a little nervous that she might be upset with me for lying, but instead of a frown, she has a giant smile. She winks at me. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m starving. Who wants pizza?”
Nick and I raise our hands.
“Stanley, would you and your father like to join us?”
“Can we, Dad?” exclaims Stanley.
“Sure! We’ve been meaning to try real Chicago deep-dish pizza!” he replies.
“Mom, do you mind if we see the lionfish before we go?” I ask. “It’s the last fish in my project. I accidentally forgot to see it earlier.”
Mom nods, and the five of us walk to the lionfish.
While they might be in one of the smaller tanks, the lionfish do not disappoint. They are more lovely in real life.
“Wow, they move so slowly,” says Stanley, pointing at a white-and-black lionfish.
I nod and say, “I wonder if it’s because of their shape. They almost look like peacocks!”
Stanley grins in agreement. The lionfish have large striped rays that spread out all around them.
“Well, they don’t look too happy,” replies Nick.
I giggle. The lionfish do look like they’re pouting.
“Maybe they’re hungry? Did you know lionfish can go up to three months without eating?” I say.
“Cool!” says Stanley.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not a lionfish,” says Nick. “Let’s go get some pizza.”
Everyone laughs and we head to the pizzeria. Over delicious messy deep-dish, we talk and look at my new book at the table. I have to clean my hands and face constantly with my napkin, but I don’t mind. I like being able to share my new present with everyone. As I wipe tomato sauce off my face for the millionth time, I smile. My new book is a top-notch present, but how the day ended is probably the best present of all.
Chapter Twenty
When I wake up on the day of the presentation, I feel mostly happy about going to school. It might be the fact that I’m nine now or that the school year is almost over, but lately things have been good. I did well in the spelling bee, I can ride a bike, and Jessica isn’t really bothering me anymore.
It’s not like Jessica hasn’t tried. I’ve just become a professional at ignoring her. Having more friends helps, too. It means I’m not alone in dealing with Jessica, and she’s less likely to say something. Lunch is also more fun because Lauren, Isabel, and Anna eat with Jenny and me more regularly. I even sometimes talk to Lauren in class now, although we both still like being quiet. I don’t run away from Stanley anymore, and I’m not afraid he thinks I’m weird, because we’re friends now.
Best of all, I am ready for my presentation. I’m going to dress up like Jacques Cousteau, like Stanley suggested, which goes perfectly with my submarine. I made it out of Styrofoam poster board and glued my fish drawings on the outside. Both Jenny and Stanley helped. Jenny cut out all the fishes perfectly while Stanley helped with making sure the submarine was realistic-looking.
“Real submarines have portholes,” said Stanley. “And nuclear reactors!”
“I think I’ll skip the nuclear reactor,” I replied.
As promised, Nick helped me practice the presentation the night before.
“You don’t want to memorize the whole presentation. It sounds lame. Also, you don’t want to read from a handout. That makes it so boring.”
So we practiced the first minute, when I introduce myself as Jacques Cousteau. With Nick’s help, I came up with the best introduction. It was so good that I presented it to Mom.
“My name is Jacques Cousteau. Welcome to the wonderful world of fishes! Have you ever wondered what lives in the sea? Well, today I’m going to tell you!”
Mom applauded.
Over our morning cereal, Nick gives me a little pep talk. “Remember the first minute is the hardest. Then it’s easy peasy.”
“Lemon squeezy,” I reply.
“That’s right, Mr. Cousteau.” He shakes my hand.
I wish Nick could go with me to school. Luckily, Mom is able to come for the presentation. She wanted to help me set up the submarine, and we also have an appointment before class with Ms. Thompson about my speech progress. As we walk up to the building, I see a boy in an ape costume. I wave.
“H … E … L … L … O, Stanley.”
“Hi, S … T … E … L … L … A!”
I’m a little nervous when Mom meets with Ms. Thompson. I think I’m doing better in speech, but I can never tell. I sit outside her office while they talk before my class. After a few minutes, both Mom and Ms. Thompson come back outside. Mom is smiling. Ms. Thompson says, “That’s an interesting outfit, Stella.” She seems a little confused as she looks at my blue turtleneck, blue pants, and red beanie.
“I’m Jacque
s Cousteau!”
She laughs. “Oh, of course!” Then she continues, “Stella, I’m sad to say that I think this is goodbye for us. I recommended to your mom that you stop taking speech classes.”
I squeal. I’m so happy.
“But I want you to read out loud at night for practice.”
“I promise.”
“Take care, Stella,” she says.
I wave goodbye. As we walk to class, Mom whispers, “Can you believe she still asked me if your father is moving back?”
I am definitely glad not to be answering that question anymore.
When we get to the classroom, we set up my submarine. Mom can’t stay the whole day because she has to work, which means I have to go first with my presentation.
“You’ll feel better getting it done sooner, too,” Mom whispers. To shake off the nerves, we do some jumping jacks.
I notice Jessica staring at us. She’s wearing an equestrian outfit for her presentation.
“Good luck with your presentation, Jessica,” says Mom.
Jessica crosses her arms and turns around. I look up at Mom, who pats my head. She’s the best.
I walk to the front of the class.
I feel myself turning roja when I first open my mouth. My turtleneck feels apretado around my neck, like a boa constrictor.
“Hello…”
My voice is shaky.
“My name is…”
“Louder,” someone says.
I catch eyes with Jessica, who looks very smug. I can only imagine what she’s thinking. I start doubting myself, but then I look out to the crowd. On my left, I see Stanley in his ape costume. He gives me the thumbs-up.
“My name is Jacques Cousteau,” I say without my voice shaking.
I look out to the crowd again. This time I notice Ms. Bell, who is in the middle and smiling.
I take a deep breath. I stick out my chest.
“Welcome to the wonderful world of fishes!”
When I look out to my right, I see that Mom’s taking pictures. Surrounded by my support system, my inner starfish starts taking over.
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