“Funny, funny.” I pause because they’re not going to like this idea. “I think you should go into the lake, Sam. Try to see in that darkness. It’s the closest thing to being under.” Toby died here, so I hate the suggestion, but it seems necessary.
Costa is somber now, but Sam agrees instantly, “Of course. That’s good.” He takes off his shirt and heads to the water as he undoes his pants. “You coming?” he asks me. “I need you.”
I’m not much of a lake person myself, but I know I have to go in. The closer that I am to Sam, the stronger his vision will be.
“Let’s hope no one else has a bitchin’ vision power,” I say as I strip down to my bra and underwear. I glare at Costa to stop him from saying anything lewd. “It’s the same thing as a bathing suit. Shut up.”
Costa holds up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t say a word.” He crosses his arms. “Hey, I’m going to wait up at the house, if that’s okay.”
“Of course,” Sam says.
Watching us in the water here would be too hard. Without the hot summer sun, the temperature is a bit chilly, but we dunk in and swim out until we’re treading water.
“Ready?” I ask.
“Ready. Hold my hand, and we’ll go under.”
We swim for a bit, and I try opening my eyes to see what I can make out, but I can barely see Sam, and he is right next to me. The water is for sure murky, so it’s a good test. We break through the surface, and I look to Sam.
“God, it’s so easy, Stella. I can see clear across to the other side, down to every pebble on the bottom.”
I smack my hand against the water and splash him. “Show-off,” I tease.
He splashes me back, but then he gets serious. “It’s because of you, you know. You’re the only reason I can do this.”
“It’s because ofus.” I tread water for a second. “If we find Toby, you’re going to lose your powers when you surface him.”
His expression sobers. “I’m not worried about that. Neither should you.”
“I know it’s a trade-off worth making, but I love your powers,” I say.
This is true. There is something so special about them because they are determined by the union of the two of us. It’s a physical manifestation of our bond.
“And without them, you won’t need me. I won’t serve a purpose.”
“Stella, don’t you dare think that. Never. Your purpose is not to be my power augmenter.”
“Why do you think I’m your power augmenter? Did I become thatbecausewe fell in love? Or…” I don’t want to say this, but the thought feels like more than I can contain. “Did we fall in love because I was…I don’t know…fatedto be your power augmenter because of my dad?”
“The chicken and egg question.” Sam shakes his head. “Stella…”
“Come on, it’s a possibility. Maybe we met in the hospital years ago because we were supposed to. Because I was already your power augmenter or I became that because my father tripped your best friend. The fates knew Costa would later trip you…I don’t know. Maybe the way we feel about each other hasn’t been our choice. What if the way we feel is just a fabrication?”
“Is falling in love ever a choice?” He swims closer and touches a wet hand to my face. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s a possibility though, isn’t it?” I go on my side and start to lead us into shore. “It happened so fast between us, an instant connection even when I was only sixteen.”
“With death tripping though, doesn’t it seem to you that things happen because of how we feel and not the other way around? We affect experiences. Like, we have bad trips when our emotions are out of whack.”
This makes me feel a little better. “That’s true.”
“I know, without a doubt, that you being my power augmenter is a natural consequence of our love. Even if I have no powers to augment, you’re still going to be the absolute love of my life.” He flashes a smile. “And my death.”
It seems unimaginable, but even in the upheaval and chaos that has come with the introduction of death tripping into my life, I am more present and grounded than I’ve ever been. My heart is lighter, my head less hazy. Our love is proof that, against all odds, together, we can see in the dark.
When I can set my feet on the sand below, I stand with the water lapping gently against my chest. “We came first.”
“Yes, we came first. I can’t be tricked into loving someone. Everything that I feel for you is real. It comes from me.”
Sam Bishop, the boy who brought me Wonder Woman socks and who subsequently rocked my world into a hundred shades of clarity, kisses me and floods me with belief.
