22. Same Tide

19-year-old Kya observes a group of young adults she'd occasionally watched through the years frolicking at the beach.
They hadn't changed much, and Kya feels a pang of loneliness as they laugh warmly together. Still, she's hiding, afraid that they would label her as "marsh trash".
Kya notices one of the boys, Chase Andrews, who she had seen around due to some chance encounters over the years.
As the group comes closer, Chase catches Kya's gaze and holds it. This interaction causes Kya to feel a rush of warmth since she was not overlooked.
Afterwards, Kya unconsciously keeps looking out for Chase and feels a new thrum of social connection though she refuses to admit it.
On one of her visits to Jumpin's wharf, she bumps into Chase. Their meeting is awkward but Chase, not knowing her real identity as Marsh Girl, asks her out for a picnic.
Ahead of the picnic, Kya reflects on her past romantic connection with Tate and recites poetry. She finds that a certain poem, "Sea Fever" by John Masefield, reflects her feelings perfectly.
In a surprising plot twist, we discover that Tate had come back to Kyra once, but upon observing her wild, fearful reaction to a passing boat, he feels overwhelmed and can't bring himself to say goodbye when he leaves for college.
He leaves with a heavy heart and deep remorse, torn between his love for Kya and his passion for biology.

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