Held |There's something in the water. . . .|

Downstream

That next week was so hot, horses were fainting
up and down the Street. By Thursday, the burning
temperature inside the diner was 102 degrees.
But Izuku didn't mind the heat. Something
amazing had happened that day: The guys had
invited Izuku to go swimming with them at the
creek.
All week they'd been coming into the diner
earlier and earlier, and then sticking around even
after they'd wolfed down their doughnuts.

——
"You ever seen the Atlantic Ocean?" Katsuki had
asked one day
"Sure," Izuku said.
"What's it look like?" Tenya asked.

Izuku took a minute to picture it. He didn't
want to disappoint the guys.
"A little less bluer then the Pacific. Waves smaller but
more pushy. It's cool too."

They all seemed satisfied.

—
"How about the Mississippi River?" Eijiro
Had asked the next day. "You seen that too?"
Izuku told them it was wide and muddy.
"I was on a steam boat that got stuck in the
mud," Izuku said. "We had to stay there for a
whole day and night."
That impressed them all.

Katsuki mumbled. "Your the luckiest kid I know,"

"Me?" Izuku said.

"Sure!" Tenya said. "To see all those
places!"
"I don't know," Izuku said. "I hate moving
around so much."

Hearing those words startled Izuku. He felt
that way, but he'd never said it out loud. Not
even to Uncle Yagi. He hoped the guys didn't
Think he was bellyaching.
"Hey,... why don't you ever come down to the
creek?" Katsuki said.

"Yes! We're always looking for you there," Tenya
said.
Izuku tried to hide his surprise.
"It's not the ocean or anything," Eijiro said. "But
it's pretty nice."
"I hear it's better than the Pacific," Izuku said
The guys all laughed.
"Why don't you come today?" Katsuki said, and
of course Izuku said he would meet them after
Uncle Yagi drew Izuku a little map so he
wouldn't get lost — a dotted line to the end of
the Street, and then behind the tile factory.
Down a hill and across a path.

Izuku made it to the bottom of the hill, and
for a second he thought he was lost. He couldn't
see the creek, just tall golden grass. But then
he could hear shouts and splashing. He walked
through the grass and into the clearing. The guy's
dusty trousers and shirts were laid across some
low branches. Three pairs of scuffed-up boots
were tumbled across the dirt.

And just beyond, there was a creek.
The guys were right: It wasn't much — maybe
twenty feet across. He couldn't tell if it was deep
enough to dive. But it was nice and shady, and
at that moment there was no place on earth
Izuku would rather be.

"Hurry up!" Eijiro shouted. "The water's
perfect."

Izuku threw his clothes off and climbed up
onto the broken down dock.

"Jump already!" Katsuki said.
With a running leap, Izuku launched himself
into the air.
𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘩! The cool water rose up around him.
All of his worries washed away.

The guys gathered around him. Eijiro threw
a pink rubber ball high in the air.
"Izuku! Catch!" he said.
Izuku squinted up into the sun and,
miraculously, caught the ball.
"Here!" Katsuki yelled, jumping up and waving
His hands. Izuku threw the ball, straight enough,
like Uncle Yagi had taught him. Katsuki made a
clean catch

They played ball, then they took turns
Jumping off the dock and chasing each other
back and forth across the creek.
When they got tired of swimming, they sat on
the bank under a big elm tree. Katsuki's mother
had packed him three big molasses cookies,
and the guys fought over who could share with
Izuku.
"So?" Katsuki said. "You like it here okay?"
"The creek's nice," said Izuku with a mouth full
of cookie.
"No, of Eri Hills," Tenya said.
"You think you'll be staying for a while?" said
Eijiro.
Izuku swallowed hard. Just the day before,
he'd gotten a letter from Mama. "𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦
𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶," she wrote.
"𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘗𝘢𝘱𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴
𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦."

"I hope," he said.
The guys all nodded
"Ochako Uraraka's sweet on you," Eijiro said.

"Really?" Izuku squeaked.

"Sure," Tenya said, sounding a little jealous.
"She told my sister."

They sat there for a while, talking about Ochako,
and Uncle Yagi's no-hitter in the high school
finals years ago. Then Eijiro stood up and dove back
into the water. They all followed him.
Eijiro went swimming down the creek, and
Izuku played ball with Katsuki and Tenya. He
and Tenya tossed the ball back and forth a few
times.

"Katsuki!" Izuku called, ready to throw the
ball.

But Katsuki didn't look at him. He was
looking at something downstream. He had a
strange look on his face.

And then Izuku saw it too: a gray triangle
sticking up through the water, heading right for
Katsuki.

What was that?
It looked like the fin of a giant fish. Was it . . .
He shook his head. His eyes were playing
tricks on him.
A shark in the creek was Impossible.

He even tried to smile. His mind must be
messed up because of the Captain's story.
But the fin was getting closer and closer to Katsuki.Faster,
faster, closer, closer.
"Katsuki!" Izuku shouted.

But it was too late.
There was a huge splash. And then Katsuki
disappeared.