Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World

At the beginning of the novel, Dante and Ari are lying in the bed of Ari’s truck. Dante is sound asleep, and his head is resting on Ari’s chest. Ari is fixated on Dante’s breathing when he realizes “[his] body had never felt so alive” (9). It is then that Ari finally understands what it means to feel desire.

Ari wakes Dante so that they can head home before their parents get worried. Neither of them wants to go home and would rather savor this intimate moment for as long as possible. Dante asks Ari if he will always love him, and Ari assures him that he will. Ari and Dante kiss and tease each other, trying to prolong their time together.

The drive back home is quiet. Dante is unusually quiet, despite being the one who “was always so full of words, who knew what to say and how to say it without being afraid” (12). Ari is wondering if Dante is afraid like he is when Dante suddenly admits that he wishes he were a girl. He clarifies that he likes being a boy, but if he were a girl, he and Ari could get married and be together publicly.