by Theo Shapiro
Part III: The Wreck
“Ok everyone that’s all for today. Enjoy your weekend and stay safe.” Trapper’s teacher, Mr. Onty, dismissed the class. Trapper was ready to face another weekend alone, doing nothing. Trapper didn’t have any friends. Sure some fish were nice to him, but that’s it. He couldn’t call any of them friends. Friends was way too strong a word, acquaintances worked better.
Then there were the other fish, the ones that didn’t fit under the term acquaintances either. They fit into a category Trapper’s mother didn’t allow him to use. Those fish picked on him and made fun of Trapper all the time. The worst part was Trapper couldn’t blame them. After all, he stood out like a Fit Tún in the middle of the ocean. In this reef community Trapper was the only Puffer fish (other than his mom).
Even in a community where there are a plethora of Puffer fish they are still looked on as a joke, but when there are only a few, they’re as easy to laugh at as toothless shark (although Trapper still thought the idea of a toothless shark was rather scary).
The other fish at school loved to hide behind a reef or bury themselves in the sand and lie in wait for Trapper to come by. Once he’s close enough they would jump out at him and scare him, forcing him to blow up. Once blown up it would take him several minutes to calm down and reach his normal size.
The first couple times this happened Trapper tried to play along and laugh with the others, but no matter how hard he tried those laughs would turn into sobs and that just encouraged the others even more. Trapper couldn’t help it, if he wanted to he could lay some of the blame on his mother for coddling him when he was no bigger than a guppy. Trapper’s father was killed by a Fit Tún’s fishing boat. From what his mother told him the boat appeared out of know where and before they could even react a net dropped down from the boat and ensnared Trapper’s father.
At that point his father did the only thing a Puffer fish can do, he puffed up. Trapper’s father was one of the puffer fish that are poisonous and have barbs that stick out when blown up that will protect it against other creatures. Trapper’s mother was a non-poisonous puffer fish and of course Trapper took after his mother. Either way, as Trapper’s mother has reminded him many times over, the protection of toxin isn’t the greatest thing in the world. His father’s barbs did nothing to combat the fisher’s net that was slowly dragging him to the surface and his doom.
It’s during this part of the story that Trapper’s mother loses control and blows up and starts to cry as she explains that there was nothing she could do but watch him go toward the surface like an angel ascending to Heaven. Since that day, and for Trappers entire life, his mother had been very protective of him and turned him into a “Scaredy Balloon” as all the fish at school like to call him.
Trapper always thought if he was only poisonous he wouldn’t be as big a joke as he was, but without the poison puffing up only turned Trapper into a larger target that had the mobility of an anchor.
So when class was let out Trapper was again faced with the task of making it from the crowded part of the reef where school was held to his home sanctuary where nothing could surprise or scare him. Trapper waited for everyone to clear out and stayed put for a bit longer hoping by the time he left the area most of the others would have been off onto better things that didn’t involve picking on Trapper.
Trapper tried to ignore the curious looks Mr. Onty was giving him, but he could see Mr. Onty was getting annoyed and wanted to go home himself. So Trapper prepared himself the best he could and swam toward the exit. Before he left the enclosed area of the reef they used as a classroom Trapper looked in all directions trying to spy any fish lying in wait. Of course this always proved pointless because several fish in his class could change their color to blend into their surroundings (a much better defense than puffing up). When Trapper was as sure as he could be he swam out of his sanctuary considering himself as brave as a dolphin charging a Great White.
His home was located on a completely different reef from where the school was, which was fitting considering Trapper and his mom didn’t fit in. They had moved into the reef about three months ago. Trapper’s mother chose this place for one of the reasons that Trapper is singled out; they were the only puffer fish. After Trapper’s father died many male suitors kept pestering his mother and she showed no interest, still to loyal to his father and afraid to move on. As she continued to turn down their advances they started to get aggressive and once Trapper started to be harassed by these suitors she started to fear for their safety. After some searching she found this reef and the idea of no other puffer fish around appealed to her. The fact that her son would grow up ostracized and made fun of didn’t even occur to her, or made no difference.
Trapper was halfway home when he felt the familiar rush and sensation. He could feel the pressure in his chest and felt all his insides preparing to expand into its’ bulbous self. Trapper closed his eyes and tried to think calming thoughts, doing everything in his power to keep from expanding.
It wasn’t fear or shock that was bringing about this reaction; it was an all-together different kind of excitement. Trapper watched as the most beautiful fish in the school swam along on her own, gracefully weaving in and out of holes in a large piece of coral. Her bright, vibrant yellow color flashed like the sun being covered by a cloud and reappearing over and over in fast forward.
Sole was one of the most popular fishes in the school, probably the entire reef, for several reasons. Not only was she beautiful but she was also smart, funny, and kind. Sole is as rare in the reef as Trapper is. She is one of the only yellow tang on the reef. There are a handful of others, but none are as vibrant and compelling as she. No one could explain why, but she just stood out and in all the right ways, just like Trapper stood out in all the wrong ways.
What mattered most to Trapper, more important than her beauty, was how she treated him. If she wanted to she could treat him like waist from a parrotfish, but instead she was always kind to him. Not only would she talk to him, but also she did it in public. She would ask Trapper how he was, what his plans were, and for help on some things in class. She even stood up for him from time to time, and whenever she did the other would quickly back down not willing to do anything but please Sole.
The first few times Trapper saw Sole he would blow up faster than if a barracuda was swimming at him. When he managed to control himself at the sight of her, his reactions would start all over again whenever she spoke to him. When she asked if he was ok he would make some excuse like it happened when he went by a particular piece of seaweed that he was allergic to (something that is completely untrue, but one of the benefits of being the only puffer fish is that he could make anything up and he couldn’t be proved false). It took a long time, but he finally started to manage his body whenever she was around, but from time to time he could still feel his body starting to swell, just like he was now.
Trapper opened up his eyes once he felt the internal swelling start to fade. Trapper realized Sole was now swimming away from the coral and was on her own pecking at the sandy ocean floor looking for something to eat. From somewhere deep inside Trapper he felt a sense of courage that he never felt before. This internal feeling was completely new to Trapper and as surprising as anything he had ever experienced. As if he was in a dream watching down on his own body act he imagined his body moving without having any control of it. Trapper couldn’t even feel his fin propel him toward Sole.
As he got closer and realized there was nothing he could do to turn back now he kept repeating one thought over and over; just don’t puff up, just don’t puff up, just don’t puff up, just don’t….
“Hello Trapper, I didn’t even notice you swim up.”
Trapper felt his mind return to his body and realized he was hovering next to Sole, but still had yet to say a thing. Great start, he thought to himself. Trapper knew he had to say something, but he was afraid that if he opened his mouth he would lose all control. So in a greeting Trapper just smiled
.
Sole acted as if this was completely normal. “I was just searching for something to eat. Do you have any plans this weekend?”
“N-n-n-oo.” Trapper managed to stutter out. “D-d-d-oo you?”
“Not really. My parents are out with some clown fish on some swimming trip so I’m stuck home. Are you ready for the pop quiz next week? I hear it’s about blending into our surroundings and avoiding predators.”
“Oh yeah, I got it in the bag. I just need to make sure I always have a bunch of floating balls around.”
Sole started laughing. Trapper hadn’t even meant to tell a joke, but he was thrilled to be the one to cause that sound of laughter that was a beautiful as the crash of waves on a beach. Hearing that sound emboldened Trapper and he felt the inside pressure decrease. “Hey Sole, I was wondering…I mean if you’re not busy….that you and I…we could go for a swim and…”
“SHARK ATTACK!!”
The shout came from just behind Trapper and shocked him so much that he lost all control and instantly expanded. When he expanded he shifted up and lost sight of Sole. For a moment he didn’t have any control of his body and the only thing he could see was the surface. He had no idea if there was a shark behind him large enough to swallow him whole or bite him in half, or worse possibly eating Sole right now as he helplessly drifted nearby.
Trapper tried to get some control by flicking his fin back and forth, but he was too large and didn’t have enough strength yet to control himself while inflated. Trapper gave up and waited for the end of his life or to hear Sole’s sing song voice turn into screams.
Instead he heard the familiar sound of laughter. This laugh was particularly familiar. “What’s wrong with you Corsair? Why do you always pick on him?”
Through spurts of laughter Trapper could hear Corsair answer. “Oh come on Sole. I’m just messing with him. After all he is a big ball of fun. Literally, hahahah!”
Sole quipped back, “Stop Corsair, Trapper hasn’t done anything to deserve this from you or any of your friends. “
Trapper felt as helpless and out of the discussion as if he was a piece of coral. The fact that Sole was defending while he floated around helplessly only caused him more angst, which kept him blown up to the max. To regain control Trapper’s mother taught him to close his eyes and just focus on the current of the ocean. “Let the ocean calm you.” She had said. “Feel the gentle push and pull of the ocean, feel how calm it is. Now say to yourself ‘Tide comes in, tide goes out, tide comes in, tide goes out’ and just keep repeating that until you are calm.”
Originally Trapper thought that was stupid, but it actually worked. Whenever he lost control or was scared he would close his eyes, focus on the swell of the water, and repeated the saying over and over in his head. As Sole and Corsair continued to talk below him Trapper mumbled quietly so neither of them could hear, “Tide comes in, tide goes out, tide comes in.”
“Look!” Corsair shouted, “Fatty’s gone!”
Trapper opened his eyes and felt the pressure flow out of him like he had been holding a breath for as long as he could. Trapper could see Sole was still upset and he wanted to relieve the tension before things escalated. “Ha-ha, good joke Corsair. I didn’t even see you.”
“See Sole, Trapper knows I was just messing with him.”
Trapper tried to give Sole a reassuring look, but it only looked like a he just ate something rotten. Sole could see right through him and could tell his pride was hurt, but she also knew that all he wanted to do was put the incident behind him so she let it go.
“So what are you two doing out here all alone? Were you two looking for a place to make out or something? Ha-ha.” Corsair asked in a mocking tone.
This question nearly caused Trapper to inflate again. Corsair was one of the many fish that loved to pick on him. Corsair wasn’t as mean as some of the others, but he loved to take his shots nonetheless. The strange thing is Corsair really seemed to think that him and Trapper were friends and Trapper did enjoy the jokes he made about him. Corsair was one of the school’s class clowns. Everyone said he was part clown fish but in actuality he was a Squirrelfish. His body was mostly a burnt orange color with some white stripes going down his side. His main distinguishing feature is his large black eyes. His eyes are much too large for his tiny head and body, but for some reason no one seems to make fun of him for it.
Squirrelfish are night fish and like to do their hunting at night. For this reason Corsair is always in the know of places to go and things to do at night which impresses all the other fish in the school. In Trapper’s opinion Corsair has as lame a defense mechanism as he did. Squirrelfish can make different sounds to scare off and defend themselves against predators. They also have razor sharp spines to ward off attackers. Trapper was willing to admit the noise making sound did work to keep things away because Corsair never seemed to shut up and it always made him want to get as far away as possible.
“No we weren’t making out!” Sole shot back defensively. The sound of her voice gave off the tone that she was disgusted by the idea. Trapper felt himself wince at her quick defense.
The three of them were quiet for a moment; Corsair trying to think of another joke, Sole waiting for it, and Trapper not knowing if he should say anything or swim away as fast as possible. Trapper couldn’t take it anymore and was the first to break the silence. “Sole was just telling me what she was up to this weekend. Do you have any plans Corsair?”
“I always have plans. In fact this could be one of the coolest weekends in the history of weekends.”
Trapper saw Sole role her eyes and he was glad to see Corsair’s charm wasn’t rubbing off on her. When neither Trapper nor Sole showed any interest in what Corsair had to say he decided to continue on. “I’ll tell you what, since I’m such a good guy I’ll let you two join me on my incredible weekend. How about it? Do you want to go on an adventure?”
Trapper started stuttering, flipping through different excuses he could use to explain why he was busy, but before he could settle on one he saw Sole move a little closer to Corsair with a sense of excitement radiating off her. “What kind of adventure?”
Corsair gave a sly smile giving the impression that he had cornered his prey and was moving in for the kill. “Oh it’s a good one. I would tell you what it is, but that would ruin the suspense. Instead meet me by the Black Rock tonight.”
“The Black Rock!?” Trapper nearly shouted. The other two turned to face with a look of surprise. Trapper assumed they forgot he was even there. “We’re not allowed to go near the Black Rock, especially at night. That marks the end of our protective zone and where the large predators like to lurk.”
“Just to let you know Trapper, in order for it to be an adventure you need to take some risks. Don’t worry about it though I don’t expect you to go. I’m surprised you can even say Black Rock without blowing up.” Corsair looked to Sole for a round of laughter, but was greeted with a disapproving look.
Trapper was about to agree with Corsair. He would never dream of going to the Black Rock and even if he did his mom would filet him. There was no way in 100 years he would go…
“Trapper is braver than you think. We’ll both meet you there tonight. Right Trapper?” Sole asked.
“That’s right, I’ll be there.” Oh my God, what am I thinking? I can’t do this.
Corsair gave a look at Trapper, which made him think he knew exactly what he was thinking. “All right then, I’ll see you both in a few hours. Don’t keep me waiting or I’m going without you.”
