When Life Gives You Fins

Problem Needing Solving

            “Celia Jane Kendal?! Celia Jane Kendal?!” the teacher blares.

            My head lolls to the side; I lift up and feel the drool sitting on my cheek. My red hair is stuck sticking to my face. I wipe the drool from the side of my head, and hide behind my hair.

            “Celia, why do you insist on sleeping in my class?”

            Snickers erupt from across the room where Diana and her posse sit. I glance over and Diana has her hand resting lightly on Greg’s shoulder. I roll my eyes.

            Half (okay less than half) of my attention stays on the teacher. I feel eyes resting on the back of my head. I ignore the fact, and stare at the clock for the last 8 minutes of class. The bell rings and I stand up.

            I turn around and a girl I don’t recognize is walking toward me.

            “Can I help you,” I say sarcastically.

            She glances down. Yeah, I’ve been told I’m kind of rude, but I’m not having a good day.

            “I…I,” she looks away and walks out the door.

            I roll my eyes and mutter underneath my breath, “Hello, earth to CJ.”

            Unfortunately, I can’t ignore my friend, “Hey, Taylor.”             “You are unbelievable! We are sophomores now, are we not? You need to start paying attention,” she gives me the same lecture over again.

            “Don’t give me that speech again, I’ve told you already. Since this summer I haven’t been able to sleep at night, I can only fall asleep during the day. It’s like I’m nocturnal or something?”

            “Yeah, well, I guess that’s debatable? You could be some sort of vampire,” she says as she wiggles her fingers in my face.

            I shove her away and laugh.

            “There’s that smile I know and love!” T gasps.

            We walk into the old, fading, Falcons cafeteria. “Ahhh, this place serves crap, with a side of crap,” T complains.

            “Do you ever stop wining?” I retort as she grabs a tray for each of up.

            “Hey,” I start, “it’s fish today.”

            “Nasty!” she mutters.

            We pay for our lunches and head off to sit at our usual table. “Hey, CJ,” Jason calls.

            Taylor elbows me in the side and raises her eyebrows. She skips over to the table, leaving the seat next to Jason as the only seat left.

            I give her a hard glare, and Jason pats the seat. I smile, only because it’s nice, and sit down.

            “So CJ, what grade did you get on your Spanish Test, I got a 93%. Not to shabby,” he tells me.

            “That’s a really good grade,” I scoff, “wish I could have gotten that grade. My parents are going to be furious when they see my test. The teacher probably already e-mailed them,” I pause for a breath.

            Jason rubs his hand on my shoulder and I stiffen, “It’ll be fine, you are really smart, CJ. You just have to stay awake during class,” he finished with a laugh.

            I glance at his hand, but it doesn’t move, no matter how much I will it to.

            Taylor laughs a little too hard and a little too long. Emma and Jake’s eyebrows raise, but I know why she’s laughing.

            Emma and Jake are twins and moved here two years ago. Jason introduced us to them.

            Anyways, Taylor “knows” that Jason and I are meant to be together. But no matter how much she wills that to happen, it won’t.

            “Hey, CJ, you better eat we only have eight minutes left for lunch,” Emma tells me.

            “Oh, that’s fine I’m not really that hungry,” I give them all a half smile.

            Jason shrugs and starts eating my fries from my plate, I crinkle my nose and push my tray towards him.

            T giggles and picks her tray up; she stands and is pushed back down her seat. She swallows hard and turns to see Diana looking down at her. Diana smiles a sickly, sweet smile.

            “Hey, guys! How are you?” then she turns toward me, “Wow! CJ I’m just so surprised you’re not falling asleep on your tray,” she keeps her hand on Taylor’s shoulder daring any of us to make a move.

            We all stare her down; she has no beef with Taylor, Emma, or Jake. Her sly gaze shifts to Jason and her fake, purple contacts meet his.

            Her eyes move, searching his face for a sign. What sign? The awful sign that Jason still “loves” her.

            Jason raises his eyebrows and looks away.

            Thankfully, the bell rings and the five of us release our breath. Diana’s hand slides from Taylor’s shoulder, because she sees she’s out numbered.

            She humphs, and leaves the table, with a swish of her hair and a sway of her hips.

            “Wow,” Jake says. Emma slaps him upside the head, and shakes her head.

            Taylor’s blonde hair is a little askew from being shoved back in her seat.

            “She’s such a little….,”  I stop my sentence because Taylor doesn’t like when I curse.

            I here Emma finish the sentence underneath her breath, though.

            Taylor plasters a smile on her face and throws her tray out, we all look at each other and follow suit, depositing our trays in the trash.

            The rest of the day I float through, only falling asleep twice.

            When the final bell rings I go to my locker. Jason leans against my locker waiting for me. I consider ditching my Spanish book and just going straight to the Georgia coast for a swim. But I really need an A on that assignment.

            I sigh and head over to my locker. “Hi Jason,” I grab my book and close my locker.

            “Hey, can you drop me off at Brunswick beach?” I ask.

            “Yeah, sure, do you want me to come?”

            The answer is no. It’s mid-April and I only have a few weeks before happy families of four start taking road trips through Georgia to get to Florida. What I really want is to be alone.

            I guess my pause is too long because Jason looks away, “That’s fine, I  have homework anyway.”

            I feel bad, but not bad enough to change my mind.

            “Thanks!” I say.

            “No problem.”

            We walk out to his car and I throw my bag in the back seat. Out of the corner of my eye I see Diana walk out of the school.

She stares at me and laughs with her friends. “So,” Jason starts, “you turn 16 in three days?”

“Yup, I don’t really care though.”

            “That’s cool,” Jason lies.

            We pull up to the Brunswick Beach and park. I smile at Jason, “Thank you so much!”

            “You know you can call me if you need a ride home in an hour or two. This place is not that far from my house.”

            “I said thanks, Jason, I don’t want to bother you anymore.”

            “Okay, then, see you tomorrow,” he awkwardly waits for me step out.

            I open the door, and step out. I grab my bag and wave him off.

            Once I’m out I shield my eyes from the sun and stare at the waves of the ocean.

            I jog to the women’s restroom and pull my orange sport swimsuit out of my bag.

            I make haste and change. I stare in the mirror and hold up my red hair. Diana makes fun of my hair. It’s red, when I say red, I mean red. My hair is as red as the sunset my dad used to say.

            And my freckles are more prominent than ever with all this sun I’m getting.

            I run out onto the sand and leap into the ocean. The water relaxes me, I feel the coolness spread over me. I suck a breath in as I duck my head under the water.

            I open my eyes and the water is so clear I can see ten feet out in front of me. The ocean waves touch me and lull me. My heart is at home in the ocean.

              I look beneath my feet at the sand and see a shell. I pick the shell up and my throat starts to burn. I feel my toes burn and I grasp at oxygen.

            I push off from the bottom from the bottom and make my way towards the surface. Just as I start to break the surface an undertow catches me, and I suck in a breath of water.

            I feel myself drowning. I feel tears push out the corner of my eyes, then I also feel the water swirl around me.

            It forms to my feet then my thighs, and it creeps up my body. I notice hands grab me around my waist, I feel myself be pulled to the surface.

            Then I black out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Then…I Almost Died!

 

            I wake up and start coughing up water. I throw up water for what feels like an hour.

            I pull myself to my feet and stumble over to my bag.

            Opening my bag, I walk over and pull out my cell phone. I go to my contacts and click on Taylor’s number.

            The phone rings, and rings, and rings. Then I hear her voice, Taylor I ne…..,” then I listen as her voicemail finishes up.

            I go back to my phone and reluctantly dial Jason’s number.

            The phone barley has a chance to ring before Jason picks up the phone, “Yes, CJ, what do you need?” he sounds like he’s mad, really mad.

            “I am so sorry Jason, I just need you to pick me up. Taylor won’t answer her phone. Again I’m so sorry,”  all I’m doing is giving Jason hope. And I resent every word as I say it.

            “Hey, calm down! I’ll be there in ten minutes.” The phone clicks off and I realize he sounds almost happy.

            I sit down in the sand and put my head in between my knees. I cry only slightly and quietly as possible.

            I look at my phone it’s been fifteen minutes, great! I roll my eyes and flop back down onto the sand, looking up at the sky.

            “Hey?”

            I look up and scream at the boy standing in front of me. His hair is sandy blonde and his eyes deep blue.

            His tan arm stretches out toward me, “Need help up?”

            I sigh and grab his hand, “Thanks, my ride was supposed to be here five minutes ago.”

            He shrugs, “It happens,” and flashes me with a brilliant smile.

            I raise my eyebrows after I’m standing, I start busting out laughing. I double over clutching my stomach as I laugh. I feel like a complete and utter lunatic, but hey, it’s been a long day.

            His white smile falters, but only for a second. He steps back slightly and puts his hand up, “Sorry?”

            I stand up and contain my laughter, “No, you’re fine. I’m sorry! I don’t know what has gotten into me.”

            He steps forward again and picks up my wet hair from my shoulder, “Your hair has a pretty color. It looks just like the sunset.”

            My eyebrows draw in and I look at him. I hear a car pull up behind me, “That’s my ride,” I laugh nervously and back away. Not being able to decide whether or not I like him.

            “I see,” he hands me my bag.

            “See you around?”

            He lets out a quick burst of breath, “Probably not,” he backs away and smiles a sad smile.

            “Okay, it was nice to meet you ……?” I began.

            “Haden.”             “Celia Jane or CJ, whichever.”

            I turn around and walk to the car, Jason opens the door for me. “Who was that guy? Looked kind of strange,” he continues ducking and dodging trying to get one more look at the guy.

            “He was nice since my ride was late,” I give him a side glance and immediately feel bad afterwards since he was nice enough to give me a ride.

            I see him slouch under my gaze. “Sorry, I was on the phone with….Diana,” he mumbles the last part, “then I went to McDonalds to get you a water because your throat sounded kind of dry over the phone. But I guess that’s no excuse.”

             “No it’s not a good excuse, but I forgive you anyways because I’m nice like that,” I smile at Jason then look back out the window. Who was that man? That nice, handsome man; that I will probably never see again, I think. After a while I sigh, a really dramatic sigh. And think my luck, I guy I actually could get to like shows some interest and then…gone. On the drive back I try to keep my mind away from my black out and Haden.

            After ten minutes Jason breaks the silence, “Here you are!”

            “Thanks! Bye,” I say as I step out of the car.

            My house isn’t much, it’s actually yellow. The house is worn down, the siding is barley sticking to the house anymore.

            I walk up the steps and open the door, “I’m home Mom!”             “I’m in the back!” she shouts out.

            “Hey Mom, boy do I have a story for you!” I say.

            “Really, what is it Angelfish?” she askes.

            “Well, it was actually kind of scary. But to give you the full story, I went to the beach and I picked up a shell form underwater. Then I tried to go to the surface but I was caught by some funky undertow,” by this point my mom’s face is horror stricken, “I’m fine no need to worry, mom. Anyways, then I felt someone put me on the surface. After that I blacked out.” I finish and look at my mom.

            “Oh goodness gracious,” she says as she looks at the door. “We need to talk,” she states as simple as that.

            “Okay then. What do we have to talk about?”

            “Sit down, Celia Jane.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once Upon a Time?

 

            I’m kind of freaking out as my mom starts.

            “Okay, Baby, here’s where I’m going to start. Remember when you were little and I told you all those stories, about the mermaids and the mermen. I talked about the merpeople?”

            “Yes, I remember…”

            “Well, those stories aren’t completely fiction. I mean, some of it is, like how they have super powers that allow them to fight evil and all, but most of it was true.

            Why don’t I start from the beginning, long ago in the Realm of Atlantis a group of merfolk migrated from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. They ended up loving the ocean over here and settling. They started by electing a leader named Neptune III. And then they constructed a city named Brunswick.

            Now, you’re probably thinking what the heck. So here’s the explanation, Neptune III was deceived and the two merfolk, Zara and Mack, were cursed to become fully human.

            When they moved to land, to mock Neptune III they named this town Brunswick. So people migrated here from other parts of Georgia. Zara and Mack ended up having a child named Helen. Even though Zara and Mack were cursed to be human, mer-blood still ran through their veins.

            She married a mortal and had two children. The second child went missing and was pronounced dead. So now every direct descendent from Helen and her husband’s child is half-mer. And there is only the single lineage to follow.

            Now that leads us to the topic of this, your father, John, was the last descendent before you were born. When he married me and had you. You became a descendent. And then,” mom had silent tears streaming down her face, “your father was killed in that car accident, and then you were the last descendent.

            It is every descendant’s job to continue the half-mer gene by marrying a human and having a single child.

            Moving on, while the half-mer civilization was just budding the underwater Brunswick was failing.        

            They were slowly losing all supplies and were debating whether or not to leave the location and go back to Australia.

            Now, the land Brunswick knew of the underwater Brunswick’s trouble and decided to make a deal.

            They told them they would supply them with what they needed if they agreed to take and train all of their half-mer when they turned 16.

            So underwater Brunswick, knowing they needed the help, agreed to the deal.

            So, ever since then all half-mer go down to learn and train. So your 16th is in three days and the sea is upholding its end of the deal. Your going to go down and learn and train in their ways.

            Then a small council will provide Brunswick with supplies. And that, Baby, is the story,” Mom rubs her hands across her jeans. Her blonde hair falls across her too thin face.

            “Mom, are you sick? You sound like a lunatic! Mom? Tell me you’re joking about this?”

            She touches my face, “I wish I was, Baby. But unfortunately, I’m not.”

            “Do you have pictures, mom? Your sick we need to take you to the doctor

            I reach for her hand, “Mom,” a tear slides down my cheek, “I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you. And what’s the point, anyways, I go down, learn the ways, and go home. Why do I have to go at all?”

            She smiles a sad smile, “Your Dad wanted to explain all this to you,” she looks out the window, “he could answer all of your questions, and more. But to calm you mind, you must go to understand your culture and uphold the sea-bound contract. You only have to go for five weeks, then you come home and the cycle starts over again.”

            “I…I…I don’t know what to say, you’re just going to let me go in three days?”

            “When you almost drown today, sugar, those hands and that strange undertow that was the sea calling you. I have no choice but to send you away. In three days, if you don’t go to the sea, the see will come to you.

            Ninety-seven years ago a small tsunami entered the town and didn’t go any further than the house of the half-mer.

            That boy didn’t want to leave his girlfriend and he was just a day late. He was drug out to sea.

            I don’t say any of this to scare you, Baby,” she says in order to calm my panicking mind, “just to warn you.”

            I take a shuddering breath, “Okay.”

            She smiles and hugs, “Pack a bag, now and keep it by your bed incase you need to leave, okay?”             “You say that like you’re saying good-bye.” at this point I am balling, tears fall freely now, and my mom’s thumb can’t keep up in trying to wipe away the tears.

            “Baby, this has to be good-bye, just incase,” she hugs me again and helps me up to bed.

            She tucks me underneath the covers and kisses my forehead, “You are my Baby forever.”

            “Hey Mom?”

            “Yes,” she says as she turns around.

            “If I were to take a bath would I turn into a mermaid,” a large smile spreads across her face and she laughs.

            “No, I don’t think so,” with a last laugh she walks out.

            I snuggle into my pillow and surprisingly I fall asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See You, in Like Five weeks

 

            The next morning when I wake up I pack a bag. Inside the bag I pack an extra swim-suit top (I’m assuming I won’t need the bottoms), hair clips, my piggy bank I received from my mom, and the glass orb with the swimming mermaid I got from Dad –which makes much more sense now-.

            “Knock, knock!” Mom says at the door.

            “Hey, Mom I think, I think maybe I should,” I pause and take a deep breath, “go before any of my friends see me at school then don’t. I don’t know what I’m saying, it’s just easier to rip it off like a band-aid.” I thought about this last night and cried really hard, but my experience in the ocean really scared me. And I really don’t want to take any chances of being drug out to sea.

            “You don’t have to leave for two more days! Are you really going to go early?” Mom asks searching my face for a sign of a joke.

            “Mom, not because I want to! I just think I need to go, you know. I thought about it last night, and thought, I want to do this for dad get acquainted with the sea and what Dad knew,” this is only half true of course, I look up at my mom and she’s smiling slightly.

            She grabs my face in her hands, “I love you, you hear me? I love you. I know its only five weeks, and I’ll live. I love you,” she holds me in a hug forever the she steps away and walks out the door with tears staining her cheeks, “I’ll start the car.”

            I grab my bag and wipe the single tear from my eye. I walk out the front door and don’t look back. I sit in the passenger seat and watch out the window.

            Mom drives to the beach in silence. When she pulls up and parks I look out the windshield.

            Sitting there on a beach where nobody ever sits is Diana and her gang. I roll my eyes and look at my mom, “Drive down further I’ll get out on the side of the road.”

            She raises her eyebrows at me, but does what I say. Five minutes later when she pulls to the side of the road I step out and grab my bag.

            She kisses me ten times then hugs me double that. I kiss her and walk into the little bunch of trees. I don’t hear the car pull away yet.

            I continue to walk and cry, and then walk and cry some more. I work my way down to the beach. When my toes hit hot sand I remove my shoes and leave them, seeing I won’t need them for the next five weeks.

            I also remove my shorts and my tank top until I’m standing on the beach in my swimsuit top and underwear.

            I walk to the water and I stick my toes in. All at once my senses are magnified. I smell the salt in the air, I taste the salt in the air, I feel the salt in the air. It’s all around.

            I take another step into the water, and I feel my self start to be pulled toward the Atlantic.

            The next thing I know, I’m up to my chest in the sea. I duck my head underwater and feel my hair wet.

            When I try to make my way to the surface I can’t. It’s like my feet are glued to the sea bottom.

            Then the water starts to form around my legs and suck me down.

            I struggle, but then I feel hand around my waist. I feel myself being dragged through the water.

            I ‘m going at high speed and I’m running out of breath. I gasp in a large gulp of water and actually start breathing.

            The sensation is different. It’s life drinking a cold glass of water than shooting it back through my nose.

            All of a sudden a feel my legs cramp and twist. I scream and pry at the hands around my waist.

            With a burst of bubbles I see my legs transform into a tail. A deep purple tail that shimmers when the sun hits the water.

            I pry again at the hands around my waist. I smack and hit and tear.

            Finally, the hands slide from my waist and move to my wrist, the person turns and looks me in the eyes.

            “Never thought I’d see you again,” I say.

Hello, Again?

 

            “What, huh?” he laughs at me and his laugh is contagious.

            I start to laugh, but then stop myself, “Why are you taking me?”

            “I am taking you because I have to,” he says with a roll of his eyes.

            “Doesn’t that make me feel special,” I retort in a dry, monotone voice,

            He grabs my hair in his hand again, “More special then you may think, CJ.” He looks at me, “You know your hair shimmers when you’re underwater? It makes you even more gorgeous.”

            “Thank you?” I ask.

            “Good enough, now will you please stop hitting me when I’m trying to take you to your place?” he says it seriously, but there is a smile playing on his lips.

            “And stop hitting you? Never,” I say, I try to bring my hand to my mouth in a gasp position, but couldn’t because my wrist was still attached to his hand. I scowl at it and roll my eyes.

            “Let’s go,” he shoots our back into the open water.

            I notice every couple of minutes other sea-life swimming around. While I’m being dragged to “my place” I get time to look at my new attachment. I start at my fins, they start at a deep purple, so dark it’s almost back, then it gradually lightens.

            Then I move up and I notice I am not wearing my conservative, sports swimsuit top. I mean I’m wearing a top, just not mine. It’s beautiful, though, green seaweed is braided in with shining white pearls and shells. It looks delicate, but fortunately, it’s strong and keeps everything right where I want it.

            Moving on, my hair, it is strung with white pearl, black pearl, and shell beads. My hair is even redder when I’m underwater.

            I look at Haden and yell, “How much further!”

            “You sure are patient,” he says with a roll of his eyes.

            I turn back around and I see the forms of a city forming underneath me. I see cliffs with caves, and merfolk swimming along. I see children playing, and I smile.

            As we move forward, I see a palace. The towers reach so high I would think boats would hit them. The towers are stone and gold, and on closer inspection I see the stone is inlaid with shells and pearls.

            The front gate had mer-guards. They march with spears. I stare at the young boy, no older than twelve, who marches.

            We have slowed down immensely, and Haden has let go of my wrist and put his hand in mine instead.

            I don’t remove it, only because I am too obsessed with everything else that is going on around me. I “breath” it the salty smell of the ocean. And almost forget the reason I came down here.

            Almost.

            “So, what do you think?” Haden asks.

            “I think this is nice, but…”

            “Oh great we’re talking with buts!”

            I snort, “Oops, I mean, why am I here? What do I have to learn from this place.”

            “Well,” he moves his lips from side to side, thinking about the answer, “I actually wasn’t here when your father came down. So, I really don’t know anything about what you learn here. I just know about the deal, but only because I’m the delivery boy,” he finishes.

            “The delivery boy?”

            “Yeah, sounds stupid, right?” Oh great, I said that out loud.

            “Oh, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean it like that,” I cringe at how bad that sounds.

            He quiets for a minute, then shakes his head and continues swimming. In notice that we have swum lower and are now closer to the ocean floor.

            I see children playing, men and women working, and businesses selling. I look at Haden and search his expression, nothing. He catches me looking at him and turns his frown up-side down.

            I raise my eyebrows at his sudden change in mood, but he ignores me instead.

            “Come on,” and he releases my hand. I follow Haden through the streets, at first he starts slow because I am still new to the whole swimming with a fin thing.

            The longer we swim though the more natural it becomes, and I take off. Haden is surprised when he sees that I have caught up to him. He swims in place and looks at me.

            I fidget under his intense gaze. He turns away and mumbles something, “What?” I ask.

            “Nothing, come on we have to hurry up.”

            He grabs my hand again and starts pulling me toward the castle in the distance.

            After only a few short minutes, we are only a short distance from the palace. Haden drops my hand and stands upright.

            I, following his example, stand upright also.

            He swims up toward the large, stone gates. I see the marching mermen again, and I look at the boy. Now I realize he’s probably younger than twelve.

            I give the boy a shy smile, but he turns forward and continues to march. When Haden addresses the soldiers, the head merman tells his men to stand.

            My eye is still on the young boy as he turns; his heavy spear catches the end of the merman’s red tail next to him.

            The merman falls forward and knocks the spear out of that man’s hand. As these events fall into place because the boy has dropped his spear, and already seems to be tearing up.

            Seeing Haden is still shocked by the current events, I swim up to the boy. I reach my hand out to his shoulder and he cringes away.

            “It’s alright, buddy,” I coddle him with a sweet voice, “here.” I hand the boy his mighty spear, and realize how heavy it really is. It weighs at least thirteen pounds, the staff is inlaid with indicate gold writing. It’s in some sort of language I have never seen.

            The boy looks at me with his large sea-green eyes and mumbles a thank you. Just as I start to reply the head soldier grabs the boy by the scruff of his neck.

            I lurch forward and grab the boy’s hand; I pull him toward me, and put him behind me as if I am going to protect him.

            When I look up all of the soldiers and Haden are staring at me as if I am some sort of mad-women.

            “Do you know this boy Ms. Kendal? Or should we send him back to his mother and tell him he is a failure at being a mercenary?” my mouth is gaping open at him and he just stares back.

            “You a…………!?” Haden comes up behind me.

            “She’s sorry,” Haden says before I have the chance. I assume he knows exactly what I’m going to say next because he throws his hand over my mouth.

            The boy comes out from behind me and gives me a smile. “Sir,” he says in a small voice, “forgive me, but I am obviously not a mercenary.”

            He bows and gives a small badge, I hadn’t noticed before, to the general. Then he swims away.

            Haden addresses the general again, “May we please enter the castle? I am bringing the girl to the king.”

            He nods and opens the gate to us.

            Haden leads me in, when we are a good distance away from the soldiers, I whisper to Haden, “What was that? Are there any child labor laws here what-so-ever?”

            He looks at me then glances away, “Welcome to Brunswick, CJ.”

           

 

 

 

A New Buddy

 

            As Haden leads the way down the long palace corridor I study the walls. Each wall is covered with images of mermaids and mermen swimming.

            Some images are casual, there are merfolk living, going to the market, and children running about.

            Others are catastrophic, men being wounded in a battle along with women and children being enslaved.

            I slow my pace, and take more time to study the images.

            “Pretty, aren’t they?” says a deep, non-Haden voice in my ear.

            “Uhhh, ya, I guess?” I turn around to uncover the person behind the voice. Standing there is a man; his tail is deep sapphire blue, as well as his eyes. He has a mop of floppy, brown hair and a dazzling smile.

            “I guess? That is the most wonderful answer I’ve heard in a long while,” then I notice the crown. It’s gold with red rubies and green emeralds.

            “Come again?” I ask.

            He laughs a hearty laugh, “You don’t know how nice it feels to be treated like that.”             “Like what?”

            Then Haden swims up, and upon seeing the man drops to the floor and bows reciting words of praise for his…Prince?

            “Like that,” the Prince replies.

            Oh.

            The Prince gives Haden permission to come to a stand, and I wonder if I was supposed to bow as well. In order to be safe I curtsy because he already made it clear he doesn’t like being treated like a god.

            At least that’s what I think he said.

            When I look up he has a slight scowl on his face.

            “Where are the two of you headed of to?” he directs the question more toward Haden then me.

            “We wish to go speak to the King, your father.”

            “I am very well aware that the King is my father,” he says quick and exasperated.

            Haden’s eyes shift down to the floor. The Prince continues, “Anyways,” he dismisses what has only happened seconds ago, “why do you wish to see my father?”

            Haden responds, “Celia Jane Kendal.” He gestures toward me, “is the new and only,” he mumbles, “half-mer of the generation.”

            The Prince nods, “Why is her hair red?”             “What?” I sputter.

            The Prince looks at me as if he had no idea the question would be offensive, “What do you mean, What?”             “I mean,” I begin, “that my hair is red because my ancestor’s hair is red, it’s of no importance.”

            “You’re right it’s not. It’s just that no other half-mer has had red hair, and despite what you may think, red is not a very popular hair color for merpeople,” he replies.

            “Sorry Prince Zak. We didn’t mean to disrupt whatever you were dealing with,” with that Haden bowed ,low, and swam off again toward the King’s Royal Throne Room.

            Me, on the other hand, glared at Prince Zak, and curtsied as low as I could go, “Your Highness,” with that I left him, still standing, his mouth still forming a perfect O.

           

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Highness, and All the Other Things I’m Supposed to Say

 

            “CJ you need to be more,” he twists his lips from side to side again as he thinks, “lady like.”

            I crinkle my nose at his proposal, “Do I have to come here? Can I just start my training with you?”             “Be quieter, CJ, someone might hear you.”

            A few things have changed about Haden since I met him in “Land Brunswick” and “Water Brunswick.”

            The main thing is this, in “Land Brunswick” Haden has unbelievable confidence and charm. Here he is no more charming and confident than a sack of potatoes.

            Since there are social classes here I have no choice, but to assume Haden is at the bottom of the totem pole.

            But I would also have no assumption of what class I am in.

            Haden leads me back toward the Royal Throne Room and stops in front of the guards. They are not the same guards that were at the front of the castle.

            “May we please enter and speak with the King,” Haden states, “we have a scheduled appointment for two days from now, but,” he glances at me, “she came early.”

            The guard nods and opens the doors. Inside the first think you notice is the King of course.

            He is at least six foot six inches tall, and maybe weighs around 275 pounds. At his side is, no not a Trident, a large sword. The sword is engraved with golden writing and is about four feet long.

            Then you notice these people in this order: a beautiful women with black hair wearing a white dress that ends about mid thigh, amazingly attractive but absolutely annoying Prince Zak, a younger girl about my age with an aqua tail and an aqua top, finally a younger boy who is maybe only six or seven wearing a black vest to go with his onyx tail.

            At this time the King addresses us, “Haden, you may leave now!” he bellows.

            I glance at Haden, willing him to stay, but he frowns because he knows he can not disobey orders.

            When I turn around I catch Prince Zak’s angry expression, for what I don’t know.

            “Young girl, state your name! State your plans!” he yells.

            My plans? Well I can do my name, “My name is Celia Jane Kendal, but you can call me CJ,” my voice comes out very shaky, “my, um, plans are to learn from you, I guess,” at this Zak smiles.

            “You guess? Is that a yes or a no?” he screams.

            I feel the prick of tears in the corners of my eyes. I swallow hard and feel the corners of my mouth start to turn down.

            Seeing this, the girl in the aqua shirt smiles a sick smile, almost as if she’s won something.

            “Yes!” I say firm, so only a few could here my terror.

            “Good. This is what I have to say. Unless anything changes you with be here for five weeks and two days, this is because you are two days early. You will be considered wealthy class while you stay here. You will be provided a room in the palace.

            Your training will start in two days and it will consist of learning our history, learning or government, our economy, and finally our source of trade and war routes. The time remaining, approximately two weeks, is the time you will use to live your life here as an everyday citizen.  

            Haden, the boy who brought you here, will be what you might call a guide for your five weeks unless anything changes.” He finishes with that. He picks up his sword, takes his wife’s hand, and dismisses me will a wave of his hand.

            What a nice way to give a lecture, end it the same way you start it.

            Prince Zak gives me a smile, the girl gives me an awful glare, and the young boy swims up to me.

            “You’re different, you know.” And with that they all leave.

            As I follow a servant girl up to my room I realize these things: 1) The little dark boy creeps my out, 2) I don’t like the King or his snotty daughter one bit, and 3) I am at the very most top of the castle, so I do not leave with out orders from someone higher up than me.

            When the servant girl turns to make sure I’m still here for the third time I ask her, “Why do you keep checking me, I came down myself. I’m not going anywhere.”

            Her cheeks grow bright red, and she looks at her feet. I believe she is embarrassed by the words I have said, then I hear him.

            “Hello, CJ,” Prince Zak grabs my hand and kisses it, “Mira, I will be glad to assist this lovely lady to her rooms.” Mira doesn’t need to be told twice, she leaves.

            Dang that Mi n  ra! I glance at Prince Zak and turn my eyes back to my fin.

            It feels strange to have a fin and not legs; it also feels strange to be swimming next to a guy with fins, well, there’s not much else on him.

            “So CJ, what did you think of my father?” Prince Zak says these few words in a mocking tone.

            I look at him and say nothing. What am I supposed to say to that?

            “I see,” he goes on without my reply, “he’s, um, very bold and large. Yes, bold and large,” he reassures himself.

            “Okay, well thanks for taking me to my room.”

            “No problemo!”

            “Oh nice, merpeople speak Spanish too!” I joke.

            He smiles then glances around me at my door, he takes a deep breath. “Hey, maybe you want to go down to the market outside the castle. You could, I don’t know,” he rubs the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, “buy some jewelry or something?”

            I raise an eyebrow a his question, and from somewhere deep inside I get a spark of boldness, “Are you, Prince Zak, asking me on a date?”

            Prince Zak stumbles over his words before he comes up with an answer, “As friends.”

            “Okay!” what possesses me to be so peppy? The world will never know.

            “Okay? Okay!” he says.

            “Yeah sure, oh shoot,” I mean to say this in my head, “never mind.”

            He looks at me like I said a foreign phrase, which I probably did, “Everything alright?”             “Yeah, listen, I would love to go shopping, but I have no money. So maybe we could go shopping after I make some money.”

            “Okay, or I could just lend you a few Clam Shells.”             “Clam Shells? Anyways, no, I couldn’t borrow any money from you. We’ll just postpone it, okay,” I turn around and start to open my door.

            “Actually it’s not ‘okay’ you are going to do something fun on your first day, and,” he digs his hand into the pocket on his vest, “here,” he shoves a fist-full of golden coins imprinted with clams.

            “Are you sure?”             “Positive!”             “Okay, we can go,” he starts down the hall before I finish, “But! I am going to pay you back.”

            Smiling, he shakes his head and responds, “That is the first time I have heard those words from anybodies’ mouth.”

            He wraps his arm around my shoulder, and I remove it. He chuckles to himself.

            “Hey!” the voice comes from behind us.

            Prince Zak turns around and “the voice” aka Haden apologizes.

            “Hi Haden, do you want to come with us to the market?” Prince Zak’s smile slips, but only for a moment. But it doesn’t disappear fast enough because Haden catches it.

            “That’s alright, I’ll stay here,” he goes to turn, but I shout.

            “Haden, no, come with us! It’ll be fun, please?”

            He checks Prince Zak’s expression then speaks, “Okay, I guess.”

            “Yay! “I shout apparently too load because Haden’s hand covers my mouth. I glare at him, and Haden smiles, Prince Zak frowns.

            I hook my arms around both of theirs and we head back down the long staircases and hallways until we finally made it to the bottom floor and we head to the gates.

            As soon as we made it down Prince Zak releases my arm and gives me a shy smile. On the hand, Haden continues to hold my arm.

            Without any words spoken the guards open the gate and let us out. When we step out I let Haden’s arm drop and stare in awe at the market that wasn’t there this morning.

            “Wow!” I swim away from the guys and go straight to a fabric counter. There lie a wide variety of fabrics. A gold fabric catches my eye and I feel it.

            Instead of feeling heavy and coarse it feels soft and light. I hold it up to myself and notice how well it goes with my hair, my tail, and my skin. I look up at the sales person, “How much does this fabric cost?” I ask.

            “For you, eight clams.”

            “Oh,” I count the coins Prince Zak, seven, “never mind then, I only have seven.”

            “Here,” I look and there stands Prince Zak’s younger brother. In his hand is a single golden Clam.

            I smile at him, ‘Thanks…”

            “Destin.”

            “Thank you,” I reach for the coin, but Destin drops it. I watch it fall almost in slow motion. I stare at the coin and then it stops moving.

            The golden Clam has frozen in midwater and I break my gaze and look up at Destin and he has a wicked grin across his face. Then I hear the clink of the coin hitting the ground.

            “Destin? What did you do?” my voice shakes with nerves.

            “I,” he looks at me, “didn’t do a single thing, CJ.”

            “Hey!” Prince Zak swims up and looks at my face and Destin’s, “what’s going on Destin?”

            Destin looks at Prince Zak and stares, “Zak, remember the other day when I told you that story from the book I read? Well, I need to do more research                              

            so I need a pass for the palaces library! Please!!” this Destin is very different from the Destin I just talked to. He’s acting more like a little brother looking up to an older brother.

            At this Haden swims up with something in his hand, “Here,” he reaches out and puts his hands around my shoulders, I stiffen.

            Around my neck he places a necklace. The necklace is silver, but the minute it touches my skin it turns purple and black. The necklace is shaped like a large pearl with the shape of a starfish burnt into it.

            I turn and look at Haden and stare into his eyes. Out of the corner of my eye I see a gold Clam flying toward Haden’s head. I look at it and it freezes in water again no less than three inches from Haden’s head.

            I rip it from its frozen state before anybody notices. I ignore Haden, Prince Zak, and Destin’s confused stares.

            I look at the gold fabric again and give him the money for the golden fabric.

            “I think I’ve had enough shopping.”

            All three boys nod.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                  

 

 

The Point is that You Can’t go to The Point

 

            After I grabbed the fabric and left the market I asked Haden where the Seamstress was and he told me how to find her.

            I thanked Prince Zak and Destin for the money and promised I’d pay them back.

            I looked for some sort of clock, but I couldn’t find one so I had to ask a servant, he gladly told me it 4:56.

            Strangely though, it felt like it was 7:00 at night. I guess it’s because the water is dark at 4:00 and maybe the time is different underwater.

            I swim to my door and open it. Inside the room is very clean.

            The walls are aqua blue and the bedspread is a yellowish-tan color. I look into the left corner of the room and see a vanity complete with a brush, mirror, and clips.

            I rest on the stool with my fin curled underneath me; I look at my reflection. I haven’t looked at myself since I’ve been down here. My hair is even more vibrant underwater. To compare my hair looks like a toned down version of Arial’s from The Little Mermaid.

            My eyes are a deep green, unlike anybody else’s down here. Blue seems to be a popular color.

            I’m still wearing the green seaweed bra-top thing, it hasn’t even wilted.

            I look at a rigged system to tell time on my vanity, but it says 5:12.

            After my eventful day I decide to call it a day. I swim over to the bed and look around it trying to find where I am supposed to lay.

            I here a giggle from behind, and I turn around, standing there is a small, petite, brown haired girl. She shakes her head and switches a button on the bed. The bed opens like a clam. Inside is plush, white, cotton bedding; I sit down a bounce. The bedding is so nice, it’s like a cloud.

            Sighing, I lie down and close my eyes. I here a small cough and realize the girl is still here.

            She points at a button on the inside of the bed, “You click this when you need to get out.”

            With that she closes the lid on me, I close my eyes, and fall asleep without a problem.

           

            Not long after I fall asleep, I here a loud knock at the door. I ‘shoot’ up out of bed and hit my head so hard on the top of the bed I see stars.

            I feel around for the button and fall out of the bed when I find it.

            I swim over to the door grumbling all the way. When I open the door I’m looking at Haden. “Hi,” it comes out a jumbled mess of sleepy words, “what are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

            He laughs at me, “It’s only 8:25, CJ.”

            “Oh.”

            “Yeah, well, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go to the point and watch with me?”

            “The Point? Is that like a…a bar or something?”

            “A bar? Why would I run you into a bar?” he has the confused little boy look on his face.

            I laugh at him, “Never mind, sure I’ll go with you. One minute,” I run into the room and throw my hair back in a ponytail. “Let’s go!”

            Haden grabs my hand while we swim down the back hallways. When we get to the foyer he drops my hand, he steps up to the guards, who let us out.

            When we leave the palace he grasps my hand again, and starts pulling me toward the right side of town. This side of Brunswick is all cliffs.

            He starts swimming faster and faster until we’re going as fast as we did when he took me here.

            I’m laughing and twirling in the water, I look at Haden and he has a smile on his face.

            When he starts slowing down, I do as well. I follow him up to a point on a cliff. He sits down and starts staring out toward the city. I sit next to him and wait, looking at the city along with him. When I guess it’s about nine lights inside homes start turning off.

            I lean on Haden‘s shoulder and decide to ask him a question, “Haden, how do you have light down here?”

            “Easy, there are many different rocks and corals that you guys don’t even know about. These rocks and corals glow in the dark and…,” his voice trails off as I start to fall asleep.

           

            Next thing I know I hear another loud knock and I shoot up out of bed. I hit my head on the top of my bed again.

            I search for the button and find it, as I hit it I fall onto the floor, again.

            I mumble under my breath again as I go to the door. I open the door and there stands Prince Zak. I groan and swim away holding my head in my left hand.

            “What is up with all the knocking in the middle of the night?”

            “First of all,” Prince Zak starts, “it is not the middle of the night. But it was, like, the middle of the night when Haden took you…well, I’m not sure where he took you, but it wasn’t here.”

            “Ha! Don’t make me laugh. I just went to the point, I think that’s what it’s called? Anyways why does it matter, I was back before it mattered. I wasn’t out in the middle of the night it was only 9:00,” I say with a wave of my hand.

            “It doesn’t make a difference when, the point is that not every body here loves you. There are crazy people here too. They want you,” he tosses the word around in his head I know he’s going to say, “dead.”

            “And let me guess, you,” I jab a finger into his chest, and three guards I hadn’t seen early almost jumped me, “think I can’t protect myself, or for that matter have Haden protect me. So let me ask you this, who is good enough to protect me?” I cross my arms and lean to one side, daring him to mess with me.

            When I think I’ve finally gotten what I wanted, “At least two guards with accompany you at all times.”

            And he’s gone.

            And like any mature young adult I stomp around my room, slamming things into a bag, mumbling about how I’ll find somewhere else to stay.

            After about five minutes of this I realize it’s pointless, and I sit.

           

           

 

 

 

 

           

           

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the Story Goes…

 

            Seeing that today is my last freebee day, I decide to go out alone. Well, except the two guards I have to have, but you get the point.

            Anyways I have absolutely no Clams left. So I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but I go anyways, I can window shop, right?

            As I get deeper into the market the crowd gets thicker. My guards, in an effort to keep up with me, pull out badges to make a path to me.

            I pull of to the side, I stand in front of the same fabric ship I was at yesterday. I see the salesperson and smile. The salesperson looks at me and asks, “So how much you willing to pay, sweety?” he asks.

            “Uhhh, nothing, actually. I haven’t any money to give you.”

            He rolls his eyes and turns away from me. I turn back around and ram into something/someone rock solid.

            “Hello there.”

            “Hi,” I look up at his face, “Prince Zak…?”             “Hello, I’m here on certified business though. My father’s ‘right hand man’ needs you. He says he has to go over some debriefing,” as he talks his posture goes from plank to loose.

            “Okay, like, right now?”

            “Like now, yes,” he smirks at me as he mocks my improper speech.

            “Ha ha very funny,” we start swimming back towards the palace.

            “Yeah, I’ve been told I’m very humorous.”

            “Yes, quit humorous,” I look at my, uh, fins and smile to myself.

            “What were you doing out here? Did you find some more money?”

            “No, I was window shopping. I spent my money on that fabric. Which reminds me, I have to take that to the seamstress soon!”             “How about this, I’ll take your fabric to the seamstress and you go figure out what my father want?” he looks serious, surprisingly.

            “Okay, I guess, but I don’t want something ugly or bulky, wait, or un-modest.”

            He looks at the green-seaweed top I’m wearing and smiles, “Okay, fair enough.”

            “It’s in my room on my vanity. Remember,” I point my finger at him, “my rules.”

            He waves me off, “Don’t boss me around. Meet my father’s friend in the library in section A, row 2.”             “Bye!”

            He turns around and leaves me alone, except the guards, I swim up to the gates and the guards let us in.

            As the guards lead me down the hallway I cross my fingers and say a little prayer that Prince Zak has a great sense of style.

            “Hello.” The voice is very dry and old. His voice sounds like you could saw wood with it.

            “Hello. Do I need to sit?”             “Yes.”             “Ooookaaaay.”

            “So, you are getting some important information today about what you’ll be exactly be doing here.”             “Yeah, that sound great.”             “A comment wasn’t needed, but moving on. So first you’ll be talking to Mr. Haleron. He is your educator; he’ll teach you mer-history. You will meet him at 7:00 sharp, and be there till 8:00, give or take.

            “At 3:00 you will go to the castle and do one of these jobs.”

            The man hands me a list: seamstress, cooking, cleaning, or working with the children in the nursery.

            “Okay, I guess I’ll work with the children,” I answer.

            “Yes, that job goes from 3:00 to 5:30. It is one of the shorter jobs on the list.

            That is all I need to tell you for now. You will start this procedure tomorrow. I will send a housemaid to prepare you for your days work at 6:00 sharp. Make sure you eat breakfast,” after the man finishes he stands leaves.

            “See you later.”             I exit the room with a paper that gives me an hour by hour by report for the next five weeks.

            I swim past a servant, “Good day, mamm.”             “Thank you.”

            “Hello.”

            “Hello, Haden.”

            “I can’t surprise you anymore can I?” he asks with a laugh.

            “No, sorry,” I toss a quick look over my shoulder.

            “Ahh, oh well, at least you remember my name.”             “Yes, at least. So what are you doing here anyways? I thought you worked as a delivery boy?”

            “Yeah well that job is a one time thing.” He looks up at me a smiles. “I have to go, but I’ll talk to you later okay?”

            “Yeah, I’ll see you later.”

            “Good-bye, CJ.”

            Haden goes away and I continue on the long trek back to my room. As I continue, I here many ladies talking about a ball and how the Prince has yet to pick a date, with the ball so close.

            I roll my eyes and hope the ladies have more of a life than this.

            I swim down the hallway and go into my room, the bed is made and the room is clean.

            I go to my bag and pull out the globe my father got me. I set it on my vanity and straighten up the little bit of stuff I own.

            I hear a knock on the door, I open the door and see no one at first, until I look down. Destin’s here, at my door looking into an old book.

            “Hello?” I say.

            “Hi,” he mumbles as he swims into my room, not even glancing up. “So I went to the library and found this book on this old legend. And it kind of related to what happened at the market.”

            “Destin, what happened at the market was probably a one time thing, okay?”

            “Sure,” he lifts his hand and throws a coin at my face. I stop it in mid-water again and glare at him. “I knew you’d say that, so I had to prove it to you that you can do some pretty cool stuff.”

            His dark eyes stare into my mine, begging me to understand. “Fine,” I throw up my hands in defeat, “what’s the ‘legend’?”

            “Well, it’s really simple. First, the legend is that a half-half girl came from land 3,000 years ago. Anyways, she was different and she had the power to manipulate water.”

            “Good, we know it’s not me!” I yell.

            “Well, actually, this makes more sense. Because the coin stops in mid-water, not because you’re stopping the coin, you’re controlling the water,” he smiles and raises his eyebrows at me.

            “What’s going on in here?”

            “Hi Zak,” Destin says, even happier.

            “Hey, what are you guys doing in here?”

            “Oh, Destin’s trying to tell me that I have ‘powers.’ Can you believe it?”             He looks at Destin, “Nice, what kind of powers?”

            “What!? I have no powers. What I did at the market all mermaids can do, right?”

            “Well, uh, yeah, actually,” he scratches the back of his neck, “no.”             “You’ve got to be kidding, right.”             “No, listen I don’t know what’s going on, but, Destin, why don’t you get a full story then convince her.” Destin swims off mumbling to himself.

            “Does this kid do this to every guest? Or am I just special?” I humph and sit on a stool.

            “Just you and Adrianne, my sister, but she literally flips out on him,” he gives a shy smile and laughs.

            “I haven’t met Adrianne yet, I’m sure she’s very nice,” I lie through my teeth.

            “I thought you were the honest one!”

            “I am, I’m sure she’s nice to her friends.”             He chuckles do himself, and mumbles, “You have no idea.”

            “Anyways,” I try to cover the awkward silence, “what did you need?”

            “Oh, yes, my father wanted to invite you to dinner tonight before you start your first official training tomorrow. You can wear whatever,” he rubs the back of his neck again. “Haden is going to lead you to each of your training procedures tomorrow.”

            “Okay. That it?” I’m impatient to get back to my room and search more on Destin’s ideas. (Okay so I’m a little bit interested)

            “No, uh, that’s it.” He steps back out of the door, but not before hitting my desk and knocking my snow globe onto the floor.

            I cringe as I watch it fall. Zak reaches out to catch it and misses. The snow globe stops just inches from the air as Destin comes in again with two more books in his hand.

            “Do you believe me now,” he asks very calmly.

            I shake my head timidly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do It Right This Time!!!!

 

            Destin enters into the room and waits for Zak to come in, then he closes the door. He sits on a couch and begins, “So I already told you my theory about not controlling the coin, but the water. So here’s the other part to my idea, you are controlling the water to still the coin, and I bet you a hundred Clams you can control the water to move the coin. Sooooo, we’re going to try it,” he has already made up our mind. “So we are going to use a coin, just because it works.”

            He flips a coin in the air and I watch it float down to the floor. I stare at him. “You have to try and stop it?” he looks exasperated.

            “Okay, should’ve told me that before you threw the coin at me.”

            “Whatever.” He throws the coin at me and Zak sits back and reads from the ancient textbooks.

            I stop the coin in mid-water again and wait for something else to happen. “Move the coin,” Destin whispers.

            I concentrate on the coin and squeeze my eyes, twitch my nose, press my lips but nothing happens. I squinch my face together and grunt then, Prince Zak bust out laughing.

            My eyes shoot open and I glare at him. He is rolling on the floor laughing his guts out as a coin drill him in the face. “Owww!” he shoots up.

            “Ha! Now that’s funny Prince Zak!” I laugh and snort in his face all the while Destin is trying to get my attention.

            Prince Zak rubs his forehead and gives me a hurt face, “Let me guess? You’re not sorry one bit.”

            “Nope!”

            “You,” Destin shoves a finger in my chest, “listen! You moved that coin with water, right? Because if you did we are making progress!” Destin was so excited he was shaking and talking to himself.

            “Okay crazy professor! Tell me why are your spidey senses tingling!” I wiggled my fingers in his face and they both gave me the same questioning look. “Oh yeah, I forgot! No television. This place can be lame can’t it?”             Destin grabs my hair and yanks it, hard, “Owwww!!!!! You little piece of sssssshhh…slime, slime!”

            “Good cover,” Zak whispers.

            I give him a tight smile and glare as I swim away rubbing my head.

            Destin swims out of the room, “I’m going to be here tomorrow to try again.”

            I raise and eyebrow and to prove my point I slam to door after him as I sit on the other side of the room.

            “That is so cool, CJ!”

            “Thanks Zak,” silence follows before I realize my mistake. “Oh! Sorry Prince Zak. I curtsey trying to cover up my blushing cheeks.

            I feel Prince Zak grab my shoulders and pull me up. He tilts my chin up, “Actually Celia, I’d rather you call me Zak,” I nod my head just waiting out the awkwardness, “Zak is perfect.”

            He is way to super close to me and I’m starting to have a panic attack. Just as I think he’s going to kiss me, “See you at dinner, Celia.” And he’s gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life on Repeat! Life on Repeat! Life on Repeat! Life on Repeat!.....

 

            I sit at my dresser as Mira twists and weaves my hair for dinner tonight. I feel her braid my red strands and then she adds beads and other hair pieces. As she works I run my fingers over my lips and trace them with my pointer finger. I stare into my green eyes and examine my freckles. No wonder he didn’t kiss me! I think. I’m too bland, too boring, too normal! Uhhhh I slump in my chair and Mira flicks me in the back of the neck.

            “Sorry,” I mumble.

            After a silence Mira speaks, “You are very pretty, Ms. Celia. Quite pretty, the other palace girls are jealous of your looks and your connection with the prince.”

            I look at her, “You know what Mira! I am pretty. I am pretty,” I state to assure myself what I believe I already knew. “But you’re wrong with out connection. We are friends.”

            Mira raises her eyebrows and looks at me, “I know, that’s what they’re jealous of.”

            From this point she continues to do my hair in silence. When she’s done she moves me to my couch. And pulls out a top from the closet. It’s green, apparently I look amazing in green. The top is strapless and is very detailed. Green braided fabric is intertwined with gold fabric and shells, similar to my bra top, but this short ends just at my belly button.

            “Wow. It’s very beautiful, Mira.”

            “Yes.”

            I slip the top on and go to the mirror. I have on a gorgeous top, and my hair is half up and half down. I have on purple creamy eye shadow.

            “Thank you, Mira.”

            “You look great,” she hugs me and swims out the door.

            I twirl in front of my mirror and then there is a knock on my door.             “CJ,” Haden whispers.

            I open the door and he immediately starts talking, “CJ let’s go to the Point again tonight and we can….Oh.” Haden stops and looks at me.

            “I really want to go Haden, but I have dinner with Zak and his family.”

            “Dinner with the Royal Family, which happens to include Prince Zak, is what you mean right,” he says with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

            “What’s your problem Haden? Zak…”

            “Prince Zak.”

            “Stop being a jerk! I don’t want to be all red and mad two minutes before I have to go to dinner!” I yell at him.

            His blue eyes go somber before they harden, “CJ, why are you so obsessed with this guy you barley know?! What’s so great about him!” Haden is mad now, and I’m not even sure what I did.

            “Haden, maybe you should leave.” I say quietly.

            “Leave! Well,” his temper has suddenly lessened, “I guess I’ll go to the point by myself then.”

            A fat tear rolls down my cheek, “Haden! I…”

            He raises his hand, “Good night, CJ.” He opens the door, and standing right behind it is Prince Zak.

            “Haden, if you would be so kind as to never come back to Ms. Celia’s room. Ever. From now on you will only speak to her when necessary and take her to her training exercises,” Zak’s voice is hard, and tense and it doesn’t help when he sees that I’m crying.

            “Zak, no! He didn’t do anything wrong!” but Zak doesn’t listen.

            Haden nods, “Yes, Prince.” He bows and I swim past Zak and stop Haden by using the water. I pull him toward me. His eyes are saucers. “Good night, Haden.” I say as I kiss his cheek.

            I turn around and rub the tear from my eye. Zak hooks his arm through mine, but I remove it. I look behind me and catch Haden smiling.

            I’m nervous to look at Zak, and that’s beside the fact that I’m mad at him for kicking Haden out.

            “I’m sorry, CJ. But I did what had to be done. He was only going to get hurt when you have to leave in five weeks.

            I turn to him with my mouth open and start, “First of all, it’s his heart to break, Prince Zak. And Second I could still see him. He goes on land too.”

            “Your delusional, he can’t go on land, no full-mer can. Besides what does he have that I don’t?”

            “Why does everyone keep asking me that question!” and right about here is when Adrianne comes up the stair and sees us.

            “Trouble in paradise, Big Bro?”             “Leave us alone Adrianne,” Zak says to her, but his eyes never leave mine.

            “Trust me I wouldn’t love anything more, but you’re late for Daddy’s meal and he’s no happy. So I suggest you get your butt down there,” she looks at me, “even if it is scrawny.” She laughs and makes her way back to the dining hall.

            “Let’s go.” I swim down the stairs with Zak in my trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Dinner I Dread

 

            As we approach the door my hand goes out to open it, but Zak grabs my arm. “You probably shouldn’t go in first,” he says with his head down.

            I hook my arm through his unwillingly, and we enter. The King is sitting at one end of the table. To his left sits his wife, his right is left open for Prince Zak, after Zak is Destin, after the Queen is Adrianne. Then all the way at the opposite end is me.

            I curtsey, “Your majesties.”

            The Dining Hall is exquisite. The table has six places, the chairs are made of gold and seashells, and the walls share the same images the entrance halls have.

            “Have a seat, young lady,” the King proclaims with nod in my direction.

            I sit and wait for something else to take place. I most definitely keep my eyes from meeting Zak’s. But in this process I catch Adrianne’s sly smile.

            “So are you ready to start your training, Celia Jane Kendal?” the Queen asks.

            “Yes, your majesty. I am,” I pause thinking of how to formally say what I wish, “most delighted with this city, and I can’t wait to learn and experience more.”

            Adrianne laughs under her breath, but her Mom kicks her under the table. Her Majesty nods. “Well, we are most delighted to have you with us! Right, Dear?” she looks at the King waiting for his reply.

            “Yes, yes! Of course!”

            After the King’s words our food is brought out. Colorful fish, large crab, red lobster, and massive clams line the table. “Oh my God,” I whisper under my breath.

            I look up at he royal family, “This is awe…amazing. It looks absolutely delicious.”

            They all smile, and eat contently. During the silence that follows I catch Destin throwing a pea at me. I don’t stop it, too many people. I eat slowly at first, but gradually I eat fast.

            After twenty minutes everyone is finished and the food is brought away from the table. I turn around and hand the servant my plate.

            When my attention is back on the family I see that Adrianne is smirking, the Queen is smiling, the King is angry, and Zak and Destin are smiling along with their mother.

            “We have people for that,” Adrianne informs me.

            Oops! “Oh, I’m sorry. I mean I’m sorry if I offended anyone.” Crap! I clutch my stomach in the tense moments that come after. With all eyes on me I really want to leave. Thankfully Zak speaks.

            “Well, there is still dessert! So hopefully we all are still hungry.”             “Bring us our dessert!” the King bellows.

            Servants poor out of the kitchen with fancy plates and divine topping, I glance around, crossing my fingers for ice cream.

            “The chef has made you a lovely mouse. It is Creame` Kelp Mouse with many topping available. Enjoy!” The servant leaves.

            We all eat our dessert before the King asks me. “Celia, will you tell us about land,” he pauses, “Brunswick,” he removes his eyes like he’s embarrassed.

            “Of course. Well, I guess I’ll start with the beaches. During the summer and late spring months there are so many tourists. We don’t have great surfing waves, but there okay for boogie boarding. People line the beaches all day and soak up the sun. I enjoy swimming in the early fall because everyone’s gone by then. Too cold, I guess.”

            “What else?” the King pries.

            “The town itself is a little bland. I used to think our town had no money, but now I realize our money was coming here. Most of the houses are white, yellow, blue, or pink. And usually two story. Not much else I can tell you guys. It’s really boring up there. And I find most of it annoying including the people.”             “Is there still enough money to fund our home, Brunswick?” the Kings eyes show he is slightly worried.

            “I believe so,” I say with only some courage. The King looks relieved.

            A stout man brings out some sort of Conch Shell on a table. He moves it and music starts playing.

            “Thank you, Mr. George,” the Queen says. Then she looks at her husband, “Thought you could relax a little,” she grabs his hand and they start dancing. He laughs, and they look happy.

            I shift in my seat uncomfortably. Out of the corner of my eye I see Destin and Zak get up. Destin gets to me first and pulls me onto the dance floor. I smile at him at laugh.

            “I can’t lie to you, Destin. I don’t know how to dance!” I laugh as he pulls me along. “You are crazy!”             I ruffle his hair as he dances with me. Destin is laughing and I see their majesties are spinning. Zak and Adrianne sit at the table bored.

            I whisper in Destin’s ear, “Dance with your sister.” He runs off and grabs her hand. She rolls her eyes and whines, but a smile spreads across her face when he twirls her.

            I swim up to Zak and pull him out of his chair. He surprised, but I just want to dance. I don’t care about little fights.

            Prince Zak grins and spins me out then whips me toward him. I shriek and land with my hand splayed on his chest. He laughs and continues dancing.

            The music is fast and it only seems to be getting faster. Adrianne actually smiles at me as we pass, and I throw my head back and smile to myself.

            Why does this have to end?

            Half an hour later the Queen claims she’s tired and the King follows after he bids me good night.

            Adrianne and Destin swim out of the hall arm in arm. Her aqua tail swishes next to Destin’s onyx one.

            Zak and I leave the room in silence. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs.

            I glance his way and don’t answer. After a minute we hit the stair case that leads to my room.

            “You don’t have to come all the way up this stair case. I’ll swim myself to my room.”

            “Don’t worry about it.” He swims along side me till we reach my door. “Good night,” he says under his breath.

            “Night, Zak,” I turn around and being to unlock my door. Zak swims away then calls my name.

            I turn around to see what he wants, “CJ, will you go to the ball with me, please? I’d be honored if you would.”

            I pause and mull it over in my head, “Okay, I guess.”

            “Is that a yes or no ‘I guess’?”

            “Yes.” He smiles and turns around.

            “Good night,” he calls from down the hall.

            He also leaves me thinking, What the Heck?!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Push Comes To Shove

 

            I sit on my stool and take out my hair. I stare into the mirror and look at my green eyes. They’re full of life right now, after I danced, and lived, and had so much fun.

            My hair tumbles down and I slide off my dress.

            I’m going to the ball with Prince Zak. I’m going to the ball with Prince Zak. I keep repeating these words in my head until I’m twirling around shrieking.

            Unfortunately, I have no girl friends at this place, so I can’t share the news. Well, there’s Mira. I’ll tell her tomorrow morning.

            I climb into my shell and shut the lid. I fall asleep happy and quickly.

            Cold water wraps around me as I feel my shell open. I shiver and see Mira working around the room.

            “It’s 6:30. We have thirty minutes to get you ready before Sir Haden comes and takes you to your educator,” she pulling our hair clips and clasps.

            “Can’t I just go like this!” I click the button that brings the lid down. Mira swims over and catches it with her tail.

            “No! Now get up!”

            “I get up and sit with my head in my hands. She rolls her eyes at me and shoves me onto the floor, off my stool.

            “What the heck.” I’m lying on the floor with her standing above me.

            “Going to do this right now?”

            I grumble and sit back in my chair, straight this time. She clips and pins my hair in some sort of bun.

            “That wasn’t too bad was it?” she smacks my butt as I stand and she laughs.

            “Mira!”

            She smiles and makes my bed.

            “Oh, Mira! I almost forgot to tell you,” She raises an eyebrow and I grab hr shoulders, “Prince Zak asked me to the ball! Can you believe it?”

            She shakes her head, “You are blind, everyone but you I guess knew he was going to ask you.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have been more prepared! Instead of, ‘duuuuuh’ I could have been like,” I twirl my hair around my finger, “ ‘I’d like nothing more.’”

            Mira laughs out loud at me, “Lady Celia, I had no clue that you,” she pauses and twirls her hair, “ ‘would’ve liked nothing more.’”

            I gape at her, “How could you not?!”

            “To be honest, I couldn’t tell whether you liked Prince Zak or Haden more,” she shrugs her shoulders.

            I think about this because I do really like Haden and I really like Zak. They are both so different. Haden is funny, nice, and uber cute, but only when he’s by himself.

            But Zak is sweet, caring, and –not going to lie- easy on the eyes, but can be crazy protective and jealous when around other people.

            Am I really sending mixed signals? “Mira? Am I giving them both the idea that we could be more than friends?”

            “It depends, do you want to be more than friends with either one of them?”             “Well, obviously, Mira, I do. I mean I agreed to go to the ball with Zak. But I think I would have given Haden the same answer if he asked me.”             “Then, you are stuck.” Mira pushes me out the door and locks it. “It is 6:56 where is Haden? He should be here by now.”

            Another minute goes by and Haden still isn’t here. “I’m going to be late on my first day, Mira!” I complain.

            “I know, but he’s supposed to take you.”

            Right as Mira finishes Haden comes zooming down the hallway. “Thanks, Mira!”             And then we are going back down the stair case. “Sorry I’m late! I’ll explain later. Okay?”

            We’re at an old door two minutes later. “This is it, I’ll pick you up here,” he points to where we are standing, “at eight. Bye.” He kisses my forehead and leaves.

            I walk into the door and an old man sits there, “And with not a moment to spare.”

            “Sorry.”

            “Quite alright! Just a lesson in life, always be early!” he organizes his stacks of books and papers. “I believe we should start.”

            “Yes,” I grab a piece of parchment from a stack on his desk, “Do you mind?”             “Not at all. We are going to start with prehistory. Of course, you know all of the human prehistory: hominids, homo sapiens, homo erectus, homo sapiens sapiens, and so on.

            But what you don’t know is homo ichthyoid, which means ‘fish human being.’ The hominids came first then some hundred years later came the merfolk. Now, around the same time human civilization broke out, is when mer civilization came about.

            Mer civilization developed quickly. There were many civilizations, but around the time Columbus discovered the Americas is when things start to change.

            The civilizations leader, Neptune I, was found by an old man who used magic. Knowing that Neptune I was mer he cast a spell on an old staff. The staff held power and he gifted it to Neptune I. But of course, there was a deal, Neptune I had to give him a mermaid and a merman to conduct an experiment on.

            Neptune I was a little greedy so he agreed. Anyways, the old man gave them formula after formula and eventually they mutated. And their voices became high pitched and beautiful at the same time.”

            I broke off his lecture, “Are you talking about Sirens?”             “Actually, I am. Sirens are deadly and dangerous. If you ever see one stay away. They are more dangerous to humans, but they have the same drowsy affect.”

            “Oh.” Scary thought. The teacher stopped talking.

            “It’s 7:40 already, wow! I really didn’t even want to start talking about sirens yet. Since I don’t have much more to say, I believe you can leave. I was expecting more questions, so.”

            “That’s fine,” I pick up my paper and pencil, “I have a few places to go anyways.”             “Well, it was nice meeting you, Celia Jane.”             “As well as you Sir…?”             “Harrison Benford.”

            “Pleasure Sir Benford.” I wave good bye and stop outside the door. I still have twenty minutes until Haden is supposed to be here.

            I sit on the floor beneath the door and wait five minutes before I’m bored. Across the hallway I see a sign that say in curvy letters Seamstress. I glance both directions and swim to the door and knock.

            “Come on in!” yells an women’s voice.

            “Hello, mamm?” A tiny woman in a too long skirt swims out from behind the counter. Her glasses are askew and she wears an embroidered apron that says ‘Don’t mess with the Seamstress’.

            “Hi, my name is Celia Jane Kendal. My friend dropped off some gold fabric. I was wondering how it was coming along.”

            She stares at me for a minute before she registers what I am saying, “Okay, follow me!”

            I follow her to the back of her room and she pulls out a dress form. “I already finished.”

            “In two days!” I am super surprised.

            “Well, for some reason the Prince wanted it on rush order. I’m assuming it is for the ball in two days?”

            “The ball is in two days? Already!”

            She shakes her head, “Why, don’t have a date?” she laughs.

            “Actually I would like to inform you I’m going with…” I stop myself because I really don’t want everyone knowing. “Oh! Can I just see the dress?”

            She shrugs and steps aside. The dress is amazing. She took my gold fabric and braided each and every strand. She sewed every braid together, and in between some of the golden braids are deep violet ones. The dress is strapless and comes to about mid-thigh, like most dresses do. It is form fitted till it hits my hips than the fabric is some violet silk the flows to my thighs.

            I am absolutely in love with this dress. “Can I try it on?!”

            “I don’t care.”

            I shriek and swim to put it on, I slip it over my head and tighten the invisible laces she has put into the side.

            The dress tightens, it makes my waist look skinnier and my boobs look bigger. It’s the perfect dress for a 15, no wait, 16 year old. The purple matches my fins perfectly. I turn around and hug her, “Thank you so much.” At first she stiff, but then she hugs back.

            We hear the door open and Haden comes in, “CJ! CJ!”

            “Right here!” I continue to look at myself in the mirror. Haden comes up behind me and looks at my dress.

            “Wow. Celia you look amazing.” His eyes follow my dress down to where it stops and I wiggle under his gaze.

            “Not to shabby, eh?”

            “Not shabby at all,” he replies sort of dazed.

            I snap my fingers, “Earth to Haden!”

            “Sorry.” The door opens again and we hear someone ring the bell.

            “Hello,” she calls, “right here.” I give her a look basically saying I don’t want anyone to see me in this dress. She shrugs her shoulders, again.

            Two girls walk back, one is blonde and tall with a emerald fin. The other has brown hair and the most common color fin, blue. But not a blue like Zak’s sapphire or Adrianne’s aqua, plain powder blue.

            The blonde looks me up and down and continues her conversation, “Anyways,” she tells the auburn girl, “Prince Zak already asked me to the ball.” She flips her hair and laughs.

            “Wow,” the other girl says.

            “I know, I have to be at some high level of irresistible.”

            I almost gag at her fakeness.

            “Here you are,” the old woman brings out a white dress that ends right under her but and starts right smack in the middle of her boobs.

            She puts the dress on and comes out. Just as I thought little…nice words…meany? What am I saying she’s dressing like she’s standing on the side of the street, if you get what I’m saying.

            She runs her hands down the stretched fabric as I step off my pedestal to change, “OMN! Oh my Neptune I love this so much! It hugs in all the right places!” which, I’m guessing, is everywhere.

            I put on my regular green seaweed top and come out.

            She’s twirling around in her dress and stops in front of me, “You’re the mutant.” She cocks her head to the side.

            “Excuse me?!”

            Haden steps forward, “And you’re a b………!” my hand flies up to Haden’s mouth and I cover it.

            “a beautiful creature who’s going to get everything she deserves!” I finish for him.

            We walk out and he gives me a look. “Thanks. I really don’t know what got into me.”

            “No problem. You do it for me all the time,” I dismiss the subject with a wave of my hand.

            “Well, apparently the rumors are true. Prince Zak did snag some super hot chick,” he raises his eyebrows in my direction, “or most people’s opinion of a super hot chick.”

            “What?”

            “That girl,” he gestures to the seamstress’ door, “she’s going to the ball with Prince Zak. Didn’t you hear her?”             I feel really guilty that Haden doesn’t know. “Haden,” I pause, “I must tell you something.”             “What?”             “Prince Zak, the other night, asked me to go with him.”

            Haden’s expression is worried, “Go where?”             “To the ball.”

            “Oh.” Haden drops his head and slows his gate.

            And just because it’s my life Zak swims up in front of us.

            “Hey, CJ! What’s up Haden?” he looks at Haden and I shake my head no.

            “Well, I was just passing through, so I better go.”  When Zak tries to swim past Haden, Haden ‘accidently’ rams his shoulder into Zak’s shoulder.

            “What’s your problem?!” Zak turns to Haden and gives him a small shove back.

            “Guys?” I try to stop it before it starts.

            Haden answers, “You either know the problem and are acting blind or you don’t know the problem because you are an idiot!”

            Zak gets in Haden’s face, “You better remember who you are talking to, Haden.”

            “Listen, Zak,” I try to talk again.

            “I know what this is about. You’re mad because I yelled at you last night.”

            Haden rolls his eyes just as Blondie and Airhead come out.

            Blondie gives a wave and giggle to seething Prince Zak, “Hey!”

            “Hey.” Airhead walks up and begins to talk to Zak.

            “Prince Zak. I think you and Jennifer –aka Blondie- are going to be the cutest couple at the ball.” Jennifer gives Airhead a look that could kill.

            Zak, not really paying attention, “I know Celia is going to be the prettiest girl there.”

            Blondie stands upright, “What? Who’s Celia? I thought you didn’t ask anyone yet!”

            “Celia,” Zak points to me, “is her.” Blondie’s mouth falls open.

            “Well, I think you should know that her dress is horrendous. It’s flashy and ill-fitted!”

            “I’ll have you know. Jennifer, I designed that dress.”             Again Blondie’s mouth is gaping. “Oh! Prince Zak I am so sorry!” she drags out the so a little too long.

            “Celia is my date, she’ll look good in a trash bag, and You,” he points to Jennifer, “are getting on my nerves.”

            She turns to me, “You’re little man stealer! I will pulverize you into a social outcast!”

            “Jennifer,” Zak shouts, “you’re being a b……” I cover Zak’s mouth.

            “beautiful person that will get everything she deserves!” I finish. Zak smiles at me. I roll my eyes.

            I look at both of them, “Man! I must be rubbing off on you guys! I’m a bad influence.”

            Haden smiles at my joke, but I can tell Zak is smiling at something different. “I get what this is all really about,” Zak starts, “Celia and I going to the ball together. Do you feel left out? It’s not like you could take her.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?”             “The only place you could take her would be the market!” Zak slices Haden down with his words.

            I slap Zak, hard, and then look at both of them. Haden is smiling again. “For Neptune’s sake! You both enjoy each other’s pain or something? Haden I’m not going with Zak because I’m ‘in love’ or like him more. He simply asked first. If you would have asked me to go to the point, first, on the night of the ball; I would have gone with you even if Zak asked me to the ball two minutes later.

            You guys are being way too clingy, and I think, I think I may not want to go anywhere in two days. I might just chill with Mira!” I stay there with my hand on my hip.

            Haden is the first to speak, “I’m sorry, Celia. I really care for you, and seeing you hang out with this slime ball makes me jealous only because I can’t do what I want with you. I can only stay to strict guidelines. In all honesty, I want you happy, but I really wish you’d be happy with me,” Haden’s eyes meet mine and I feel like I am seeing him open himself all the way up to me.

            Zak speaks next, “Celia, I will follow you anywhere. I like you a lot. Actually, I thing I L…”

            “Stop! We are not going there, so if you want to keep talking, skip over that part.”             “Anyways, you’re special. And my mom adores you. I really hope you choose to ditch your plans with Mira and go to the ball with me.

            And Haden you can come to the ball too. Because she’ll need her best friend.” Haden’s jaw clenches.

            “If that’s what she wants.”

            “Good! Now that my two best friends are coming I would really enjoy my third friend Mira to come. With a date of her choice,” I wait for an answer.

            Zak shrugs, “Whatever.”

            I hug them both. “Now it’s almost 9:00. I have till 3:00 to do some fun stuff. Who’s in?”             Two hands went up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sirens Go Off In Town

 

            Zak and Haden take me out of the castle. And of course it’s not like they magically understand each other, and are best friends.

            But, they’re both walking in the same place at the same time. So it’s a start. We head toward the heart of the city, which I haven’t really explored yet. I step ahead of Haden and Zak, and make my way to a little parlor.

            All of these small little shops line the street: Seamstresses,Farmers, Bakers, Carpenters, Bankers, Restaurants, Beauty Salons, and Clothing Stores.

            “This is amazing!” I spin around examining all of the shops. “Do these people use the supplies you get from us?”             “Yes, and no.” Zak answers.

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.

            Haden answers, “Some comes from there,” he points to the top of the water, “but most of it people find. I mean our baker uses a lot of Fish and algae to make the pastries.             “And our Carpenters use coral and other sea rock,” adds Haden.

            “So what kind of supplies do you get from Brunswick?”             “Well, they raise money for underwater Brunswick and then my Father tells them how we wish to use the expenses. Pretty simple, actually,” Zak tells me.

            “How does your father meet with the city officials? For spending and budgets?” I pry.

            “He doesn’t, you do.”

            “Oh, so in four weeks and six days I will meet with a council and basically state what your father wants me to?”

            “Basically.”

            “What stops Brunswick from stopping all funding?”

            Haden answers this question, “Neptune III is one of the strongest sea rulers. He has the staff, and he’s honed his skill.”

            Zak decides to embellish, “Yeah, trust me! You do not want to make my Father mad!”

            “Then what stops Brunswick from turning you guys in. Neptune III can’t hurt them then, can he?” I argue.

            “Well, technically,” Zak starts.

            “nothing.” Haden finishes the statement very bluntly.

            With that sour end note I continue swimming along. I stop in front of the clothing store, and see Blondie and Airhead. Not going in that place.

            I keep dragging the boys behind me until we hit the end of the street and a huge giant fence. “Holy crap!”             “Yeah,” Zak explains, “took almost one whole spending budget to put this thing in. We had kids ‘sneak’ out a night.”

            “Do kids still sneak out?”             “Yes.”

            “Isn’t there anything fun to do in this town? Where are all the people?” I complain.

            “The people, probably like you should be doing,” he starts, “are getting everything in tip top shape for the ball in a couple days.”             “But it’s two days away. I won’t get ready until the day of.” I look at Zak and Haden, “Is that what everybody does?”

            “Pretty much.”

            “If you’re a girl,” Zak adds.

            I roll my eyes, “So how does this fence work anyways? Can’t I just swim over it?”

            I swim up making my way to the top. Zak and Haden scream no and pull me straight back down. I land with a thud and a glare.

            Zak wheezes, “Electric!”

            “We are under water!”

            “Just stop asking questions,” Haden says as he rolls off of me.

            “Okay,” I sit up and come to a ‘standing’ position.

            I give Zak my hand and start pulling him up, and then I drop him. I laugh my Zak is rubbing the back of his head. Haden’s cracking up along with me.

            “I can’t believe,” I take a deep breath, “the worked!” I laugh some more as Zak gets up.

            He turns to Haden, “We really need to find her something to do.”

            Still laughing, “This day could be so much better, but that,” I point to Zak, “was priceless.”

            We swim through town until we are back to the main street. As we swim we hear six or seven voices laughing around the bend.

            When we turn we see three beautiful men and three beautiful women. The youngest seventeen or so, the oldest maybe twenty-nine.

            They turn to us a smile. My body relaxes when one of the boys speak to me. “Hello Celia,” his voice is musical and beautiful, “want to sit with me?” He pats his knee and I nod. Why did I nod? I sit on his lap while two of the girls pull Haden and Zak over.

            One of the girls whispers in Haden’s ear, and he smiles. Zak is basically making out with the other girl. Then the other girl kisses Haden.

            The merman is trying to whisper in my ear, trying to get me to kiss him. But, I push him back, just like I did with the coin.

            I do the same to the two girls and I grab Haden and Zak by their arms, I pull them a good two hundred yards then push them to the ground.

            I ‘pace’, “Wow! Wow! Wow! That was crazy!” I look at Haden, he has a worried expression on his face, but he’s still kind of out of it.

            The mighty Prince Zak has hot pink lipstick all over his face. He is also dazed.

            I snap my fingers in front of their eyes. Nothing. So I go to the worst, I slap them. And with that they are no longer dazed.

            “What the heck!” they both scream at the same time.

            I hand Zak a shard of glass, he catches his reflection. “Crap!”

            “What,” I joke, “not your color?!” he looks sorry, but I’m not really mad at either of them. I’m kind of mad at myself.

            Zak looks at me, “What? At least my hair doesn’t look like a bulldozer ran through it!”

            “Well, I guess you need a bigger mirror!” I yell.

            Haden looks at both of us, “You both look pretty bad,” we glare at him, “but if nobody else noticed, Celia just threw a huge guy off of her! Using water!”

            Shoot! Another thing Haden doesn’t know, “Haden, at the market that day, I stopped the coin. Well, Destin, thought I could move the coin too, so he taught me.”             “Well, that’s fine. Was Zak there?” Haden is waiting, because he knows he was.

            “Yes, only because Destin was there.”

            Zak pipes up now, “Stop CJ, you don’t have to make excuses for him!” he turns to Haden now, “I was there because she wanted me to be there, Haden.”

            “Listen, Haden,” I start, “I like you, a lot! But I don’t know if I like you like that. I know we’re good friends, but I think to myself, do I really want to screw that up?”

            Haden gives me a bored look, “That’s what girls say when they try to get out of dating their best friend.”

            I look at Haden, “You’re right. I’m trying to get out of it. Haden I like you, but I don’t know if I could date you! Sure on land, you are this cocky, brilliant, and you are extremely hot. Down here…”

            Haden speaks, “Are you saying I’m not extremely hot down here.”

            “I’m saying that you’re not you down here.” I wait for what seems like an hour for a response.

            “Well, Celia, I’m me wherever I am. So I guess you’ll have to live with it. Because I’m not changing for a girl I can find at the next corner!”

            My mouth false open, and Haden realizes what he said, “Celia, oh my god, Celia I as so sorry! I didn’t mean it! I was mad and and…” he stutters for his next word.

            “Go to h…!” Zak covers my mouth.

            “Haden you need to leave.” As Haden walks away Zak continues to hold my mouth as I scream nasty words. Then I cry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depression Then Prosperity

 

            Zak puts his arm around me and takes me back to the castle.

            I talk to Zak, “How could he do this to me? We were best friends, Zak. Was he talking about our friendship or was he talking about me being nothing…?” I continue to mumble on to Zak, he just nods.

            By the time we are in my room I have stopped crying like a mad person. Zak sits next to me on my couch.

            Zak says his first words since we left, “I really don’t have much to say, CJ. But I do know that he actually cares about you. Granted he shouldn’t have said that. But who knows, the guys in love with you and you basically tell him that you don’t want to date him.”

            I stare at Zak, “You aren’t helping!” I start crying again.

            Zak looks worried. He stands up and goes to the door. He opens it and looks around outside. “Please, come here.”

            A minute later he’s bringing in Adrianne. I moan, “Take her away!” I call.

            “Oh shut up!” she snaps. “I’m here to help you.

            “What!? Are you going to kill me? Put me out of my misery?”

            “Unfortunately, no. My little brother needs you, for some project he’s doing.”

            “Oh, then where are we going?”

            “Well, 2:21, so there is not much we can do. But I’m going to give you an idea for revenge.” Her smile is wicked.

            “I don’t want revenge!”

            “Then why am I here.” She gets up, ready to leave. Zak goes up to her and whispers something in her ear.

            “No! she wouldn’t like it any way!” Zak gives her a look.

            “Fine! Meet me at my room at 7:00 tonight, okay flounder?”

            “Why?”

            “Just do it!”

            “I don’t really trust you, but I’ll meet you.” And she’s gone.

            “CJ,” Zak tells me, “you should try and trust Adrianne a little more. She’s gone through tons of break-ups!”             “Zak this is not a break-up! It is the tragedy of two friends,” I look up at him, “not being friends.”

            He rolls his eyes, “Same idea.”

            “Or not.”             I get off the couch, it’s 2:30, “I have to get ready to leave.” I wipe the tears out from under my eyes. “Zak do you think you could take me to the castle nursery?” Zak wrinkles his nose.

            “What?” I ask whining.

            “Well, I just didn’t expect you to choose the nursery as your job choice. You did get to pick didn’t you?” I nod to answer his question. “Sure I can take you. Do you think you’ll be able to find your way to everything tomorrow?”

            “Yeah, I might get a little confused trying to get to my professor, but I’ll ask around.”

            “Okay!”             “Zak? Who was Jennifer? An old friend?” I ask trying to get my answer.

            “Oh, old girlfriend, I guess, you could call her.” Zak looks away.

            “Do you miss her?”

            He looks up, surprised, “Heck no, I was annoyed out of my mind. But obviously she’s still obsessed.”

            “No kidding,” I mumble.

            He laughs at me or with me I don’t know?

            I sit around listening to Zak tell all sorts of crazy stories for twenty minutes. I lounged around and laughed until I had five minutes left.

            “I guess we got to go?”

            “Probably!”

            We stand up and walk out the door. I almost run into Destin, “What’s up?” I ask surprised.

            “I was wondering if I could throw some heavier objects at you?”

            “What kind of heavy objects?” I ask worried.

            “Just some usual stuff: chairs, dressers, records. You know?”

            “Actually, not that I don’t want stuff chucked at my head, but I have to go to my ‘job’.”

            “Too bad it would have been fun!” Destin looks depressed.

            Zak leads me around Destin into the hallway, his hand on my back. “Let’s go.”

            We swim down the hallway toward my new job.

            I wave good-bye to Destin, but his frown reminds me of Haden.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Think I Hear A Lie Coming On

 

            Zak leads me to the nursery and when we get to the door he tells me, “CJ, you didn’t let me say it earlier, but,” he smiles, “I guess I’m falling in love with you.”             Now normally any guy telling me that they ‘guess’ there in love with me would be pretty bad. But, Zak did a play on my first words to him. It’s kind of cute. “Zak, I…I…,” he raises his hand cutting me off.

            “You don’t have to say it back, or say anything at all. I just wanted you to know. I know it’s a lot with Haden and all. But like I said, I thought you should know.”

            “Well, thanks for letting me know?” I smile, very confused on how to answer.

            He shakes his head and chuckles, “You sure are a strange character.”             “That’s me!” I point to myself. “I guess, I got to go, and do my job.”

            “I guess so.”

            I open the door, and back away. Zak smiles and turns around leaving me to my training. I swim into the room and instantly hear crying. Oh my god, I think, this is going to be a long five weeks.

            A blonde girl with a green tail turns around and gives me a sickly smile. “Hello, Celia, right?”

            “Yes.” I stare into the eyes of the beast.

            “Well, Celia, I’m going to be your task manager, so you better like me real well.” Of course there’s a hidden meaning to those short fourteen words.

            “Well, Blondie. Oops! I mean Jennifer! You better like me quite a bit too because your going to see a whole lot of me at the ball.”

            She gives me a hard glare, “You can start by changing all the diapers and then taking out the trash.”

            “Okay, where’s the trash?”

            “On the roof. We float it up to New Brunswick, they are such a dirty city!” I clench and unclench my hands, “Oh wait!” she cries, “that’s where you live.”

            “You better watch your step b…..!”             “Ah, ah, ah! Kids around, don’t want them repeating that to their mothers, do we?” she raises her eyebrows as she reprimands me.

            “Well, I guess, you should leave because we don’t want to give the kids nightmares, do we?” I raise my eyebrows and reprimand her.

            “Get going or I’ll be forced to report you to management!”

            I roll my eyes and swim over to the changing booth. This is going to sound really weird, but I’m actually really good at changing diapers. I knocked those babies out in fifteen minutes flat! (not what you think)

            I grabbed the trash a made my way to the roof. About halfway down the hallway I realized I didn’t know how to get to the roof. And I would feel really odd swimming up the side of the castle with a bag of poop filled diapers.

            I swam around leisurely looking, until I realized the bag stank like no other. The next person I saw I asked how to get to the roof, and I held up the trash. He pointed to a staircase and gave me a dirty look.

            I went to the staircase and followed it up, up, and up some more. Holy crap! This is a long staircase. Finally, I made it to the top.

            I walked around the whole roof until I realized I wasn’t looking for a Waste Management Dumpster. I was looking for a hole in the ground.

            When I found it I threw it in and turned around to go back down the steps. Unfortunately, there are like five stair cases that lead to the roof and I don’t remember which stair case I took.

            I look down each stair case but they all look the same. So I choose the one I think it is. After a couple minutes the stairs fade out into a room and I hear a voice.

            “Destin get out of my room!”

            “Sorry, thought Celia might be up here. I really wanted to throw a chair at her!” Destin insists.

            “Well,” Zak answers, “she’s not.”

            Destin laughs and gives a reply, “Zak and Celia sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, next comes the baby in the baby carriage!” Destin cracks himself up.

            Zak moans and I hear him grab Destin and throw him on his bed, “You’re a dork!”

            “Guess what a little birdie told me?” Destin asks.

            “What?” you can tell Zak is done with this conversation.

            “You told Celia you love her!”

            “You little slime ball!” I hear him lunge for Destin, but he screams and runs off.

            The door flies open and there is someone else in the room, “Zak you owe me, like, big time for taking Celia to the club,” Adrianne complains.

            “Guess what I know,” Destin screams.

            I hear Zak try to chase after him, “Zak loves Celia!” he shouts to Adrianne.

            Adrianne falls on the floor and laughs, “You have got to be kidding me! Priceless!”

            “You guys can’t tell anyone!”

            “Why not?! It’s love!” Adrianne cries.

            “Because she didn’t say it back. And she probably doesn’t want the whole palace knowing, nor does she want you guys knowing.”             “Ohhh,” I hear Adrianne swim over to Zak, “you poor thing. She doesn’t love you?”

            “Not yet. But she said she really liked me!”

            Adrianne sighs, very loud, “Is that not what she told Haden? She told him she liked him a lot, and then she dumped him.”

            “Yeah, well, that was different?” The statement is more of a question.

            “Is it? Is it really?” Adrianne antagonizes.

            “You’re lying. She likes me, for real. I mean she’s going to the ball with me. On a date.”

            “Whatever. Just saying!” then the door opens and closes.

            “That was intense,” Destin says.

            “Well, it’s not true. Right?” Zak sounds worried.

            “Who cares?! Girls are gross anyways!” Destin gets up and I hear him walk out the door.

            Of course, I turn around to leave and I run into the wall, face first.

            “Who’s there!” Zak calls. Definitely not scared one bit.

            I swim up the stairs as fast as I can, and I hear Zak throw something.

            I make it to the roof. Definitely not that stair case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Party In The USA…Did I Ever Tell You I Hate That Song?

 

            I walk down another stair case and this one actually leads me to the hallway I was in. I head back to the nursery. It is 3:56. First day of work is going great.

            I walk back into the nursery. “Wow! That took you forever! I was about to call and file a missing persons report.”

            “Took the wrong stair case,” she smiles at me like she knows which stair case I took.

            “Oh, well, get back to work!”

            “That’s what I was planning on doing,” I complain.

            I go around and clean up, change diapers, calm crying babies, and ignore Blondie.

            At 5:00, I am so glad that I only have half an hour left. I am in the very back of the room cleaning up a huge toy mess when someone comes in the door.

            I listen, I automatically hear Blondie turn on the charm. She starts giggling and probably shaking her butt. Whatever!

            “Celia here?”

            “Zak?” I ask as I peek over the corner.

            “Hey, sorry, I figured you still had some work left.” He looks everywhere but my eyes.

            “Okay, what do you need?”             “Can I talk to you? Alone?” He asks.

            “I guess.” I follow Zak out the door and into the hallway. He starts ‘pacing’ around.

            “I thought you needed to talk, not exercise?”

            “Yeah, right, sorry. How do I say this? I figured you probably didn’t want anyone knowing about what happened,” he pauses gesturing to where we are standing, “before you went to work. But I was in my room talking to my siblings and someone over heard out conversation. We were talking about you,” he points at me, “I’m sorry.”

            I guess I’m going to have to play it off like I don’t really care, “No biggie! You didn’t know that was going to happen,” I push him in the shoulder, lightly.

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yeah!” my voice is high. I’m the worst liar.

            “Well, here’s what I know: it’s a woman because I saw her hand-tiny-, She either has a black or purple tail, and she’s fast.”

            “Okay so how many people do you know with black or purple tails?” a second later I add, “besides me or Destin, I mean?”             “No, I can’t think of any females with purple and or black tails.”             “Well, it’s not that important.”

            “Unless,” he says getting really close to me, “it was you?” he raises his eyebrows, and throws me over his shoulder. He spins me around and I shriek.

            “Put me down,” I yell as I get over the initial shock, and realizing he’s not actually accusing me of snooping.

            He sets me on the ground and laughs, “You’re light as a feather under water!”

            “Are you insinuating that I’m not on land?” I joke, keeping the mood light.

            “I’m sure you’re perfect.” I stare into his deep, sapphire eyes and I sigh. I lean slightly forward, only inches from his lip when someone comes down the hallway.

            I pull back and that someone isn’t just a someone. It’s Haden.                

 

            “Haden!”

            “Celia,” I can tell he’s choosing to ignore what he saw or blame it on Zak, “I’m so sorry! You have no idea. What I said wasn’t right. It was so wrong, and the words shouldn’t have left my mouth.”

            I don’t answer as two women walk past and enter the day care, “You should be. I really don’t want to talk to you today. It has been a lot.” I glance away embarrassed that I have to tell him I don’t except his apology.

            “I understand,” he nods his head and continues down the hallway.

            I keep my head down and choose to just work, “I’m going to go back to work.” I turn around to go, but Blondie is walking out the door.

            “Rosa and Jane just took over ten minutes early. Tomorrow I expect you to do way more work.” She turns to Zak and flirts before she walks away.

            “I loath her.”

            “Who doesn’t?” Zak replies.

            “Want to grab a bite to eat?” I ask him.

            “With you? Who wouldn’t!” he wraps his arm around my waist and we swim through the castle until we reach the main entrance.

            “Hey! Maybe Destin and Adrianne want to come to dinner with us?” I look at Zak for a response.

            “I could ask if you want.” I give him this look that says please.

            Zak rolls his eyes and turns to a mercenary. “Will you go and fetch my brother, Destin, and my sister, Adrianne, for dinner?” the solider nods, “Thank you!”

            As he walks past I add, “Thank you.”

            We wait by the entrance for five minutes before they come. Adrianne gives us an eyebrow raise and glances at his arm around my waist.

            “I’m starved,” Destin chirps.

            Zak leans down and whispers in my ear, “I can take my arm off when we leave the palace if you want?”

            “I’m fine.” I don’t know what, but something changed between me and Zak in the hall way. Maybe it was the fact that I heard the conversation or maybe that I knew how Haden really felt. But I like Zak, a lot.

 

            Fifteen minutes later, we reach a restaurant called Shelly’s. It seemed to common for the royal children to each at, but what did I know?

            All four of us walked into Shelly’s and waited for a table. “Hello…” the waitress stopped talking when she realized it was half the Royal Family.

            “Oh my gosh! Let me get the three of you a seat!” she squealed.

            I looked at Zak, “Apparently I go unnoticed.”

            “Not to everybody,” he murmurs.

            The waitress gives us a table and we sit. I take a seat next to Adrianne and Zak sits next to Destin. I’m across from Destin.

            I decide to start the conversation, “So, Adrianne, where’s this club we’re going to?”

            “Shut up you flounder! Only a few people know about it, it’s not allowed,” she whispers.

            “Sorry.” She rolls her eyes. Okay, I decide, someone else’s turn to try and start the conversation.

            “Think fast!” Destin yells as a salt packet hits me in the forehead.

            “Ouch! What was that for?!” I rub the spot where it hit me.

            “Either you have really sloe reflexes or you have no idea what think fast means!”

            “Such a disappointment,” Zak jokes.

            “Destin,” Adrianne whines, “if we were going to throw things at Celia, you should have told me!” she gives me a shy smile.

            Someone walks up to our table as we are all laughing. Jennifer –aka Blondie- squishes herself into the same seat as Zak. “Hey, what’s up?!” her blonde hair floats around her head like a undeserved-halo.

            “Actually,” I say, “we were just getting ready to eat. So if you would be so kind as to leave we’d be forever grateful.

            “You know Celia, you’re only a jerk because you have nothing else going for you. You have to stand up for yourself somehow!”

            At that precise moment Zak give Jennifer a push off the booth seat.

            “Uhh!” she yells.

            “Like I said Jennifer, you will get everything you deserve.”

            She swims away with an angry swish to her tail. Adrianne laughs. “So there has got to be a story on how you told her that one the first time!”                                                                            

            “Yes, but, really this was the third time I had to tell her. The first two times were Haden and Zak’s faults,” I swallow hard on Haden’s name, but I tell her the story.                                       

 

            A couple hours later, it 7:00. So Adrianne lets the boys know we’re going to the club, where ever it may be.

            We set off and I can tell Adrianne doesn’t want me to come, but, I decide, I’ll just stay out of her way.

            When we come to a street at the back of town, I’m officially weirded out.

            “Adrianne, what kind of club is this?!” I swallow hard.

            “A secret one,” she whispers, “Why? Scared?” she gives me a wicked smile.

            “No! Just, I’ve never been to a bar before.” I wait for her response.

            “Well, lucky for you, I’m not going to run you into a bar. I’m taking you to a club!”

            “Bar means cl….!” I just leave it there, she doesn’t really care. When we come to a cave hidden in the cliffs, Adrianne waves me through. We swim through for what seem like thirty minutes. The space becomes really cramped as we swim along, and I start to freak out just a bit.

            “How much further?”

            “A minute.” We come out at the other end and it opens up into a huge room. One of those shell radios sits in the corner, but instead of classical music, it plays rock. All different colored coral and rocks line the walls and light from the ceiling bounces off if them creating a disco affect. There is a ‘DJ’ in the corner singing along to all the songs, and introducing them.

            “Well, I brought you here,” she complains, “I’m not going to have you attached to my hip all night!”

            She swims off and leaves my by myself at the door. Great. I swim over to a snack table and eat a few shrimp. I see Adrianne dancing with a group of girls, her friends?

            I continue standing by the snack counter thinking to myself, ‘if I stand here any longer I’m not going to be able to fit back out.’

            I look around and I see a brown haired boy coming toward me. “Hey!” he grabs a shrimp and eats along with me, staring at the crowd of people here. “To loud for you too?!” he yells.

            “Just a little!”             “Yeah, I just came with a friend. Not really my thing,” he gestures to a boy with a blonde ponytail and red fins dancing like he’s intoxicated – and in simpler terms – drunk.

            “Me too,” I pointed to Adrianne and his face lit up.

            “You came with the royal Princess her self,” he looks at me like a fat kid staring at a piece of chocolate.

            “Uhh, yeah, but she’s more of a royal pain!” I scream over the noise.

            He doesn’t hear a word I said, “Will you introduce us?!” I look at this scrawny boy, with brown hair and freckles, a tail that shines silver, and tall as a bean pole. Definitely not Adrianne’s type! And I can see Adrianne smushing him like a bug.

            “Well…”

            “Oh, please. Just to say hi?”

            “Fine,” I grab his hand and pull him toward Adrianne and her group of friends. I get Adrianne’s attention and call her over with my finger, “Adrianne meet,…?”

            “Joshua, but call me Josh!” he reaches his hand out and shakes her hand.

            Adrianne gives me this look, like, what the heck. “What do you need, Joe?” she asks.

            “Josh!” I yell, she waves it off.

            Josh goes closer so she can hear him, “You look very pretty tonight, Adrianne. The prettiest girl in the room!”

            Her cheeks flush, but she even ignores it, “Who are you?!”             “Josh, Richard Benson’s son! He works for your father, at the castle!” he waits for her reply.

            Adrianne looks at me one more time, and this time gives me a glance that says, ‘what the heck!’ but in a good way. “Sure why not!’

            Josh grabs her hand and drags her out to the dance floor, blonde hair and aqua tail dragging behind her.

            I watch her smile and dance for another minute until I turn and leave. This kind of thing is not for me.

            I find the entrance/exit and swim out. I make my way through the small openings and come out the end. Thy sky has been pitch black for a why now, and I make my way to the top of the cliff, and sit on the edge. I lay on my back and gaze up at where the stars would be if I were home. I wonder, hoe is home?

            I miss you, Mom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Finally, It’s The Kraken!

 

            I wake up and feel dirt and grit in between my teeth. Uh! Oh! I slept out here all night. Everyone is so going to flip. I sit up and look down to the town below me.

            People scurry around frantically. I wince at the pain in my back from sleeping on rock.

            I swim down to the bottom of the cliff and make my way to town.

            I swim through town yawning all the way. People scurry about crazily. I pull a piece of hair down into my eye sight. Gross! My hair is brown, caked with mud from last night.

            I come to the castle gates. The doors are locked and no guards appear to be anywhere. I take a seat with my back against the castle wall. And to no surprise I fall asleep, again.

            I wake up to a man with a speak slapping my face, “What are you doing?!” I ask as I bat his hands away.

            “Sorry, Miss. We need to get you to the King, right now!” he screams in my face.

            I shield the light from my eyes, “Okay, but I don’t look so great.” I hold up my hair.

            “We are aware,” he yells.

            “Uh, thank you?” twenty seconds later two soldiers are rubbing sponges and soap in my hair.

            Dirt runs down my face and I sputter, spitting the mucky water from my mouth.

            “I’m done! Alright!” they step away and we enter the palace.

            We go into the throne room and the King, Queen, Prince, Princess, and Boy Prince all stand where they stood on the day I met them.

            “Hola!” I wave at them. Then I bow.

            The King bellows, “Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused?” I cringe at every word, “You had had all our men searching, all night, for you!” I’m too scared to look anywhere but the Kings face. “We all thought you left. Went home to land. Do you know I would have sent a tidal wave up to your home town and drug a wave through your city until I realized, that you weren’t there!”

            “I’m..I’m… sorry? I don’t know what else to say. I fell asleep after I,” I stop and glance at Adrianne, not wanting to sell her out, “after I took a trip to the top of the city. I didn’t realize I would fall asleep.”

            “Well, you’re lucky Adrianne, here, defended you and promised me that you didn’t go home. Now go to your room, and don’t forget about your classes today. It’s already 6:45!”

            I bow and swim out of the room. A few silent tears drip down my cheeks, I swim, fast, up to my room. I enter my room and slam my door. How could I be such an idiot; I can’t believe I fell asleep, in the dirt!

            I hear a knock on the door, “What?” I whisper, choking back tears.

            The door opens, “Hey,” its Adrianne, “I told father to slow it down, it’s my fault really. I left with Josh last night and I didn’t see you, so I figured you went home,” she chuckles, “I figured wrong.”

            I stare at her, I basically jump on her lap and hug her, “Thank you,” I say in her ear.

            She pats my back, “Well, I don’t know, but Josh I really sweet,” she pulls me back, “do you think it’s too late to dump Gale for the ball and take Josh?”

            I laugh, “Just a little,” I wiggle my eyebrows, “unless you make him ditch you!”

            She smiles her wicked smile, “You,” she points at me, “are the best!” She swims out the door at super speeds.

            After she leaves, Zak swims in with is arms behind his back. “Here,” from behind his back he pulls a bouquet of, what at first looks like flowers, but are really an arrangement of corals.

            I take them from him, “They are so pretty, Zak!”

            “Well, I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have forced you to go out with Adrianne. Or maybe I should have come?”

            “Actually,” I stare out the door where Adrianne left, “I think we are on better terms now.” I smile up at Zak as he gives me a questioning look.

            Zak gives me a hug and laughs, “Told you she wasn’t all evil!”

            We hear a smash from the front of my room, and Haden explodes through the door. “Celia,” he sees me, “are you all right?” he grabs me by the arms and turns me around examining for bruises and scrapes.

            “All I did was sleep outside! Haden! Stop shaking me!” I yell as I try to get his attention.

            He stops, “Oh, sorry, I just thought maybe something happened to you. I came as soon as I heard. Gossip spread through town like wildfire, that you had gone home, the King killed you,” he looks at Zak as he says this, “or that you were eaten by a barracuda.”

            “No, all lies.” My answers are short to Haden because I’m getting all these mixed feeling. Do I trust him enough to be friends again or do I still need a break. It’s only been a day?

 

            I head to my history class right after Haden left. I told him that I was happy he came to see me, and left it at that.

            I open the door to my professor’s room, “Welcome! Come we have a lot to speak of!” I set my parchment down and write the date.

            “Well, I’ll start where I left off,” he doesn’t even acknowledge what happened last night, and I am so thankful for that, “I believe I left off at the Sirens, correct?”

            “Yes, Sir.”             “Okay, well, we were talking about how Sirens have an effect on both human and mer. So I advise you to stay away if you see one! Sirens are the most deadly creatures to approaching ships. They were actually considered royalty in mid-evil times because they were compared to knights.”

            “What did they do?”             “Well, they do what Sirens do best. During this time period, half of the city would be underwater and the other half would stick up out of the rocks. When ships would approach, the Sirens would serenade them, and no more ship.

            After the Age of the Siren was over they automatically became objects of hatred. Ever here of the Salem Witch Trials on land?”             “Yes.”

            “Well, it was like that, except with Sirens. Sirens were taken from homes. Children taken from family and at the time anyone with an overly exceptional voice was beheaded. This time was very hard on the Siren race. They basically committed genocide.

            The Sirens did hold the grudge on that era of mer, but on every mer afterward. The Siren act more as a cult now, they have a ‘Hymn’’ which, like it sounds, is the best singer in the group.

            A Siren hasn’t entered our town since last year when they passed through.”

            “Well, there were some her yesterday!” I feel the information is important.

            “Really!” he jumps up out of his chair and moves to a bookshelf. He removes a book titled History of Sirens: An Encyclopedia of Sirens and Everything Having to do with Siren. Talk about long name!

            “This book should talk about…” he begins to tell me.

            “The history of Sirens and everything having to do with Sirens?”             He stares at me, “Yes,” and continues reading, “This proves my theory!” h kisses me on the cheek and I wait for any sort of explanation.

            “What’s your theory?” I finally ask.

            “I believe that every 376 and a fourth days a group of Sirens come to Brunswick. Now this sound like I made it up, right?” I nod, unsure how to react, “well, I didn’t! I’ve timed the distance for 4 years! It’s the same. But Sirens were supposed to be here yesterday, right? No, because there’s the fourth you have to worry about. A fourth plus a fourth plus a fourth plus a fourth equals one day.

            Today was the 377 day since they last came! It proves my theory, does it not?”

            “What if every four years they just come one extra day?”

            “That makes no sense!” Okay, this guy is clearly bonkers, coo-coo for coco puffs, silly rabbit tricks are for kids. Anything you want to say, this guy is.

            He sits in his chair and mumbles to himself. His completely random episode is kind of freaking me out. It’s already 7:45. Fifteen more minutes, I can do that?

            “Excuse me?” he doesn’t hear a word I say. “Excuse me!”

            “What!?”

            “Is there more lesson?”

            “Yes, sorry about that!” he sits down, and restarts our lesson. “Anyways, a ‘Hymn’ is in charge and every piece is controlled by that ‘Hymn’.

            Moving on, another huge part of mer history is the Kraken. The Kraken is a giant squid…”

            “I know what the Kraken is!” I say, I’m irritated? Just a little.

            “Yes, anyways, the Kraken would demolish everything in his sight,” I was about to speak, but he held up his hand, “Now this,” he points to a picture in a book, “is what you don’t know.” I stare at an image of the Kraken. He looks just like every other picture I’ve seen.

            “What’s so special or different about this picture?”

            “Read this,” he point to the side of the boat being swallowed.

            The Santa Maria, “Do you mean the Santa Maria, Columbus’ ship? You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

            “Yes, I do. It’s documented that the Santa Maria ran ashore and had to be abandoned. But what really happen was the ship was taken over by the Kraken. La Navidad, the Spanish Fort Columbus ‘built’ form the ships timbers? No, I don’t think so, the fort is made from any other timber.

            And why, you ask to Columbus not speak of this “Kraken”? I’ll tell you, imagine going back to a country’s King and telling him a giant squid-like creature ate your boat. Of course no one would believe him. H would be claimed a nut case and no one would have believed him about anything.

            But who’s to say they sailors didn’t speak of it? They did, it was a mighty sailing story, which is how the story started. The Kraken spread as a large threat, as a story. Not as a fact.” Professor gives me a smile.

            “Do all mer children learn this history?”

            “Yes, and much more you have to learn. I believe that is all the time we have for today.”

            He pushes me out the door as he continues proving his theory. Oh my goodness! Could I be going crazy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Might Be The Best Day Of My Life Except For Blondie

 

            I stand in the hallway in front of the Seamstress’ door. I enter. “I’m here to pick up my dress!” I call down the hall.

            “Figured you would, you left it here yesterday.”             “Thank you so much,” she hands it to me from the back.

            She looks me up and down, “Eh, you look about the same size.” She drags me to a tailoring pedestal. “Here, I’ve been waiting on this girl to come in for a fitting, but she won’t show up. So I guess you’ll have to do.”             She slips a dress over my head. The dress is ugly. It’s yellow and navy, with ruffles, and glitter. “Is this what she wanted?!” I ask the seamstress.

            “Terrible, right? She’s got to be color blind!” I snicker with her.

            We stay in silence for twenty minutes or so while she finishes the garment, “Well, I guess it will do.” As she puts her supplies away I get a good look at the dress. Yes, still ugly.

            I take the dress off and hang it on a rack. Picking my dress up, I go to the front counter. “How much do I owe you?”

            “Nothing, already been paid for!” she shouts from the back.

            “Of course it has,” I mumble under my breath. I swim out and head back to my room to put my dress up.

            The trek is long, really long, and it feels like forever before I make it up the stairs and through the winding halls.

            I hang my dress up quickly and exit my room. I let the hallways take me where they want for the next twenty minutes. I see the kitchen, where the laundry shoot leads, the entrance to the back of the palace, and a staircase to the roof – not going there.

            I continued going forward and eventually made it to a hall with locked doors. I pried and yanked, but nothing changed. I hit the doors with my fin, which, did nothing!

            After another three minutes of shaking and yanking I turned to leave, but the door flies open from the other side. I jump back, surprised.

            Adrianne stands there with an eyebrow raised. “What are you doing?” she keeps the door cracked, barley opened, I can’t see a thing.

            Considering I can’t think of a good excuse I decide to tell her the simple truth, “I was trying to break down the door to see what was behind it.”

            He pink lips twisted back and forth, “Well, I would guess it’s locked for a reason.”

            From behind Adrianne I hear a voice call her name. A guy’s voice. From behind her comes Josh. His lips are pink, lipstick pink.

            Now it’s my turn to give an eyebrow raise.

            “What?” she shrugs her shoulders.

            “I’ve got to go,” I laugh at her from down the hall.

            Not knowing where your at in a palace the size of three Wal*Marts is like not knowing where you are at in a palace the size of three Wal*Marts.

            Still not understanding? Too bad.

            I linger around the same hallway, but eventually leave. I’m sure she has whatever it is she’s doing figured out.

            Tomorrow is the ball, oh gosh. Overwhelmed, already I have three tons worth of pressure on my since I’m going with Prince Zak. I guess this what people call panic attacks, in mini form. I’m breathing fast, too fast. In. Out. In. Out. In. Cough! I start hacking like a fifty year old smoker, too much concentration.

            I make it to the main hallway in one piece. I wasted forty minutes, not enough. I still had to find something to do until 3:00, and most likely by myself. With Zak busy doing whatever business Zak has to do, Haden and my relationship still a little rocky, and Adrianne doing what Adrianne’s doing; it seems I’m out of options.

            I wonder if I could move my job up to an earlier time? That would mean two bonuses: I get away from Blondie and I don’t have awkward time in between school and my new job.

            Man! I think, this palace needs a directory, just like the mall. There should be some sort of lounge with coffee and pastries. Yum!

            Finally, after what felt like an hour, but was only five minutes I fine a room between the kitchen and the maid service center.

            Maids, including Mira, are sitting around laughing together. Mira sees me out of the corner of her eye. She waves me into the room.

            “Hey! Everybody this is Celia.”

            “Call me CJ!” I tack onto the end.

            Everyone smiles then continues with their conversations. Mira begins a new conversation with me, “So, what? You’re bored?”             “Extremely!” I grab her hand, “you have to do something! I’m dying!” My head falls into Mira’s lap. I fake crying. Everyone looks my way. Mira waves them off.

            “Drama Queen!” she mouths.

            I hear someone else whisper, “She going with Prince Zak to the ball.”

            “The red-head? Really? He could honestly do so much better?”

            I hate loud whisperers; they tend to ruin my day. Mira heard them too, but she’s pretending she didn’t.

            Then someone gets ballsy, “Hey! You’re friends with Prince Zak! Why are you here?”

            My mouth hangs open, “Because I’m here with my friend?”

            “Mira? She doesn’t want you here! None of us do, so leave,” this man is such a jerk. I didn’t do anything to him at all.

            “Why should I leave I didn’t do anything wrong to anyone. And Mira and I are really friends, jack….” Mira clears her throat, “I mean jerk.”

            He gives mean death stare, “I don’t know if precious Prince Zak told you this, but there are people out there who hate your guts. I happen to be one of them. So stay out of my way before you get hurt.” This fat, bald, orange tailed man stares me down.

            I shrug my shoulders and give the man a peace sign, “See ya later, Baldie.” I swim out the door and don’t look back.

            Once I’m in the hall I lose all of my bravery. Those were my twenty seconds of courage.

            I take slow deep breaths and someone comes up behind me. “Hey, don’t listen to him, he’s a jerk,” Mira had followed me out.

            “Yeah, well, fortunately, jerks get what they deserve. Someone has to make sure of that, right?”

            “Right!”

            We continue down the hall together. “So why aren’t you with Prince Zak?” Mira finally asks.

            “Well, he’s busy, I guess, that’s why I’m bored. Everyone I know is busy all the time!” I throw my arms up in defeat.

            “Prince Zak isn’t busy,” she shakes her head as she say it, “one of his maids says he’s been in his room all day moping around.”

            “Why?”

            “I don’t know. They just said they were cleaning and he kept lying around staring up at the ceiling.”

            I smile, “Thank you! Do you still need me?”

            She gives me a funny look, “I never needed you, last I remembered you were ‘crying’ in my lap.”

            I scowl at her, “Well, I didn’t know if you could do without me!”

            “I think I’ll live, besides I have to go to Jennifer Benson’s room and clean that pig sty,” she rolls her eyes.

            “Jennifer lives here? She actually lives in the castle?”

            “Yeah, her brother and her father stay here too. Her father works for the King.”

            “Who’s her brother?” I ask worriedly.

            “Joshua Benson. Why?”

            Crap! This is the story of my life! “Thank you, Mira. All this new information you’re giving me is helping my mood.” I give her a smile to show her I’m joking, kind of.

            “Whatever? Bye.”

            I wave and swim toward Zak’s room. Maybe I’ll keep him company? I wonder why he didn’t just come find me, I’m super bored.

            I make it to Zak’s room and here him talking inside. “Why are you here, anyways?”

            “Because,” says Blondie!, “ I came to talk with you. I thought maybe,” she pauses for dramatic affect, “we could go to the ball together. You know like the couple we used to be.”             “We were never a couple! I took you to the ball last year and you ditched me!”

            “I just thought we’d be, like, a power couple along with your sister and my brother?”

            Those little manipulative Bensons! They’re both working their ‘charm’ on the two most important Royal children. Then again Josh seems to actually like Adrianne, but Jennifer is obviously a fake.

            “No the whole power couple thing, not really going to work for me!’

            “Why not?’ she pouts, “Will this work for you?” I hear Jennifer take a step forward, at this point we can all see what’s about to happen.

            So, like any slightly jealous human being I knock on the door. More like knock down the door.

            I hear someone run to the door and open it right away. Zak opens the door a crack so no one can see in. Coward.

            “Oh?” he has an extremely guilty look on his face, “what are you doing here?”

            “Took a stroll through no mans land, and decided to pay my best pal a visit. Unless you’re busy, can I come in?”

            I know I’m pushing it a little far and maybe a little too hard, but I almost enjoy it. Is that really bad? I guess it is.

            I wave my hand at him, “Whatever, I already know Jennifer is in hear. Could hear her a mile away,” I speak louder, “she talks like a man!”

            Zak’s eyes say sorry and he opens the door to let me in. Jennifer has something to say about this, “We were having a private conversation, Rat!”

            “Not to private anymore?” Either because I have a bucket load of guts or I’m on an adrenaline high, I flop on top of Zak’s bed. Her mouth drops open.

            Zak smiles. Okay I’m clear on the whole ‘bed flop’ thing. “You have no manners! Plus you ruin everything! I hate you!” Blondie picks up a rock off Zak’s dresser. She throws the rock at my head; I freak and move the water currents. The rock crashes into a family photo on Zak’s nightstand.

            Zak yells at Jennifer, “You are a lunatic!”

            “I am so sorry, sugar.” Blondie swims over to Zak and puts her hands on each side of his face. “Please forgive me.”

            “Get your hands off me b…. (except he doesn’t actually stop).”

            Jennifer slaps Zak, hard. I get off the bed and come closer to the fight. She turns on me now, “Zak will never like you! You’ll be a faze, just like the rest of us girls. Take them to the ball, show them attention, give them a gift, and then something better comes along!”

            Zak glares at Jennifer, cheesily, but really dreamily, he bends down and kisses me. Now I expected something a little bit more romantic, but I’ll take it.

            Zak kisses me sweetly, but for a long time. I’m guessing long enough to make a point to Jennifer.

            I pull away and Zak smiles. If Jennifer had feet she’d be stomping them right now. “Uhhh, I hate you both!”

            “With that classy exit, who knows,” I look at Zak, “you might want her back?”

            “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

            “Who said I wanted to?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really Dumb Move When I Have Work With The Evil Blonde Benson!

 

            After Blondie left, Zak asked me about Adrianne and Josh because Jennifer decided to mention it.

            “They just met at the club, he’s really nice.”

            “I don’t know? I need to meet him? Is he going to the ball with her?”

            “No, she’s going with someone else. But that doesn’t matter because she’ll probably spend all her time with Josh anyway.”

            “True. Usually when she likes someone she forgets about everyone else,” Zak adds. “Do you think they’re serious?” his expression is worried this time.

            “Well, I certainly don’t think it’s a fling. But that doesn’t eliminate the fact of whether it’s real or not.”

            “No it doesn’t,” Zak looks awfully worried over something so small.

            “Zak, why be so worried over this, Adrianne can handle whatever comes her way. She’s tough; she knows how to deal with guys who break her heart.”

            Zak smiles, “That’s the thing, no one’s ever broken her heart. They’ve only scratched it.”

            “Her heart must be covered with band-aids,” I say in an attempt to lighten the mood.

            “You have no idea.”

 

            After another thirty minutes of ‘snuggling’ with Zak, I go to work. Unfortunately, after I leave Zak it gives me time to think about the fact of Haden. Yes, you think, why can’t I just give this guy up?

            I can honestly say, I love Haden, but, I am not in love with Haden.

            Now, whether or not I’m in love with Zak is the story. I like Zak a ton, enough to date him, and go steady. But love is something you cultivate, especially that kind of love.

            I stop in front of the nursery door and enter. Jennifer hasn’t shown up and I’m three minutes late.

            Meredith and Fiona are in back still, “Hey guys! I can take over have you seen Jennifer?”

            “No, we assumed she was sick or something? She’s always five minutes early,” Fiona answers.

            “Well, I can take over still,” I offer.

            “By yourself? We can barely keep up and there are two of us.”

            “I’ll just help until Jennifer gets here,” it took every ounce of will power not to call her Blondie.

            As we change diapers we hear the front door open and close, “Jennifer, you’re late. You know how we all hate to work late! Where were you?”

            Jennifer looks at her fin, but for sure she ignores my eyes, “I had a really traumatic experience. I’m having Post Dramatic Stress right now.”

            The sad part is she’s saying this seriously. Wow!             “But then, she perks up, this guy saw me looking all down and told me some crazy funny jokes. He’s really nice and cute. Maybe you know him? His name is Haden,” her wicked smile crawls across her face.

            “You are crazy! Haden would never hang out with the likes of you!”

            “Really because we’re eating dinner at Shelly’s, so I can tell him all about this girl who stole the love of my life from me. If the girl happens to be hid best friend,” she shrugs, “he’ll have a shoulder to cry on.”

            Meredith and Fiona knew something was going down, right here right now.

            “You leave Haden out of this. He should find out about Zak and I through me. Not some malicious Blonde and her brother trying to rule the world.”

            She laughs, “You think my brother is part of this, yeah right, sadly he has too much guppy love for Adrianne. He’s too far gone.”

            She’s really creeping my out right now, all that’s missing is an evil laugh.

            “Okay, well, I think we should probably get to work now. Before they,” I point to Meredith and Fiona, “tell my advisor on me or you!”

            “I should tell your advisor on you!” she points her green-tipped finger at me.

            “Hey! I was here in time and working.”

            She screams under her breath, “Whatever!” and she leaves.

            “Okay….” I drag out the last syllable. “I guess you’ll have to call someone down to help? So you guys can leave.”

            Meredith nods, “We’ll send someone as soon as possible.”

            They swim out and I turn around, seeing a mess that wasn’t there before I roll my eyes. As I clean up, three kids need diaper changes. Great! I change them quickly and continue picking up. A minute later, more diaper changes.

            I continue this process for another hour, until, finally someone shows up.

            “I’m back here!” I shout to the new helper.

            In walks Josh.

            “What’s up!” he gives me a peace sign and wipes the sleepiness away from his eyes.         

            “Not much, just trying to grow a third arm. You?”

            “Sleeping, they called me down, plus I felt guilty because my sister started it. She can be a real jerk sometimes,” Josh shakes his head.

            “Yeah, but I guess we all can.”

            “True dat!” he raises his hand like he’s holding a glass.

            I laugh at him, “So, how’s Adrianne?” I ask quietly.

            “Great! She really likes me. I am so glad you introduced us,” I smile takes up half his face. Josh is actually kind of cute. He’s probably a year younger than me. He has brown hair and brown eyes, different for down here. His tail is orange and as I said earlier, he’s scrawny and tall. Josh is probably 6’2” at least, whereas Adrianne is 5’5” at most.

            But, apparently she really likes him. Works for me as long as he’s not evil like his ugly sister.             “Well, why don’t you go ahead and clean the room, there’s like one hundred diapers I need to change.”

            As I change diaper I think t myself about how this would be a decent time for Zak to meet Josh, but I think Josh is good. I think.

            After I finish changing diaper I go to Josh, “Hey, I’ll be right back. I have to go run an errand. Be right back.” He nods and continues hanging out with the kids.

            I go into the hallway, and swim at super speeds to Zak’s room. I bang on the door and he opens it. He was sleeping. Dang it!

            “I’m so sorry,” I whisper but I don’t know why, “Josh is down stairs at the nursery. I thought you might want to meet him. Again, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.”

            “What time is it?” Zak’s room is completely dark.

            “I think it is 4:30 or 4:45 something like that.”

            “Okay,” he leaves the door open and waves me in.

            “We have to hurry because I told him I was on an errand.”

            “Why is he down there anyway?”

            “Oh, Jennifer, kind of quit.” I don’t know why, but I don’t look him in the eyes as I say it.

            “What happened?” he grabs my chin in his hand and forces me to look at him.

            “She’s going to hurt Haden,” my bottom lip trembles because I feel so bad for Haden. He’s having such a hard week, our fight, me telling him I could never date him, now Jennifer is going to mess with him. “I feel so guilty.”

            “You shouldn’t. She’s screwed up anyways, you know that and so does Haden. He’ll stay away from her.” Zak tries to stop my trembling lip.

            “You’re right,” I wipe away the lone tear that fell from my eye, “Haden’s smart. You’re smart. Adrianne’s smart. I’m smart. We all know what’s going on with Jennifer. We just need to know what her brother’s position is. But I think he’s fine personally.”

            “We’ll see.”

            Zak and I swim down to the nursery, fast. I open the door and yell out, “Look who I ran into – Prince Zak.”

            “What’s up,” Josh yells.

            “Not much, just came to say hi, plus I wanted to see who this guy my sister won’t shut up about.”

            I smack my hand to my forehead. And run a finger over my throat. Overkill. He doesn’t care.

            Josh runs to the front of the room, “Really! She talks about me, a lot?”

            “Yeah, I guess.”

            Josh’s smile lights up the whole room, “Wow! I wish I could take her to the ball,” his smiles gone, “too bad that lame bottom feeder had to ask first.”

            “Too bad,” Zak mumbles. I give him a questioning look, what’s worng.

            “Josh would you please change Sophie’s diaper, I’ll be back in two seconds.”

            “No problem!” he leaves us alone.

            “What’s the issue, he’s sweet.”

            “Yeah, but now I’m worried Adrianne’s going to squash him like a bug.” Zak watches the door way Josh went through.

            A knock comes from the entrance door, and Adrianne comes in. “Hey? What are you doing here Zak?” she has a worried expression on her face. She must think Zak is mad because Josh is Jennifer’s brother.

            “Came to say hi to CJ.” There’s some truth in that.

            “Oh.” Adrianne holds a basket in her hands. I see three sandwiches in there. One for her, Josh, and me. That’s so sweet!

            “You know what Adrianne, Zak was just leaving.” I give Zak a look.

            “Sure,” he leans down to eye level with me and smiles. He kisses me on the corner of my mouth.

            Whatever? He’s weird. As Zak leaves Adrianne smiles.

            “Thank you! Here this is for you,” she hands me a sandwich with my name on it.

            Josh comes from the back at blinding speeds, “Adrianne?!” He swims up to her, and lifts her up. He plants a big kiss right on the lips.

            I turn away and go to the back of the room. I hear Adrianne ask Josh a question, “Can I help?” I never thought those three words would come out of Adrianne’s mouth.

            “Sure.”

            Josh and Adrianne come back. “I’m cleaning up the toys, but you can help CJ!”

            “Okay!”

            I hold my hand up as to stop her, “I’m changing diapers!”

            She gives me a look, “Okay? So what?”             “Never mind?” Adrianne comes over and begins helping.

            She gives me a smile, “I’m so glad you introduced me to Josh, CJ. He’s just so sweet. I really like him, what do you think?” she waits for me to answer.

            I really think they’re cute together, “I think you need to come up with a plan to dump your old date, and bring in the new!”

            Adrianne laughs, “I wish it was that easy! But I haven’t even seen him since he asked me to the ball.”

            “Maybe he forgot about you?” her eyes say, yeah right!

            “Wishful thinking,” she mutters.

            “You could have Josh beat him up?” I say as she hand me a baby to change.

            “Wishful thinking,” she repeats, “or Josh could go alone and I could just ditch my date to go with him?”

            “Wishful thinking? Has there ever been a guy who doesn’t follow you around?”

            “True.”

            We stop our conversation, before Adrianne starts it again, “So how are things with Zak? Was that a kiss I saw in there?” she smiles at me.

            “Honestly, I can’t tell you what that was. But that’s not saying I haven’t kissed him.”

            “Oh, I knew this was going to happen! Haden was no match for Zak!”

            I give her a half smile because her thoughts make me feel guilty even though I shouldn’t.

            “Oh, I’m sorry.” She says as we change the last two babies.

            “You didn’t do anything wrong! It’s just the fact that you’re right. Haden didn’t have a chance with me, I could have never dated him because we’re too close as friends.”

            Adrianne shares a sad smile, “Well, you can’t make everyone happy.”

            “True that!”

            We continue to work for the last hour in silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dancing, Dancing, Dancing, and Falling

 

            After work I go straight to my room. I comb through my hair and climb into my shell bed.

            I immediately fall asleep. Sadly, I have a nightmare.

            I’m standing in my room before the ball and I’m putting my dress on. My hair is in some old fashioned beehive.

            A knock on my door signals that my date is here. I open the door and it’s Zak and Haden. They both chant ‘choose’!

            I dart out of the room with both of them tailing me. Then I’m in the ball room and I’m dancing with Zak. And like any nightmare I fall flat on my face.

            Every one points and laughs. Jennifer grabs Haden around the arm and smiles.

            Where did Haden come from?!

            Zak and Haden begin laughing at me.

            I leave the room and now I’m home. Mom is yelling at me, she’s pointing back at the sea. I turn and the sea is raging.

            Waves twelve feet high crash onto the beach. I look back at my mom, but she’s gone. I scream for her, but the sound from the waves drowns out my voice.

            The sea reaches further up, it grabs me. I feel myself being dragged back to the sea.

            I scream. And thrash beating at hands that are not really there. It’s the water’s grip I’m scared of.

            I wake up in a jolt as I’m pulled under. I hit my head on the top of my shell. I fall out of my shells as I swing the door open.

            I’m breathing heavy, it’s 7:06. Shoot! I brush through my hair and pull it back. Racing out the door, I knock on my professor’s door four minutes later.

            He opens it. “You’re late.”

            “I’m aware. I overslept, sorry.”

            “Come in.”             I follow him into his room. He sits down. “Read!”

            “What?”

            “Sit,” he points to a chair across the room, “read any book you want. I’m very busy. He picks up a notebook that I notice is labeled Sirens.

            The guy is obsessed. I pick up an old worn book and cuddle up in a worn velvet chair.

            I fall asleep, and he never notices.

           

            I wake up fifty minutes later. I look at him, still in the same place.

            “Do you need me to do anything?” I ask him.

            “Leave!”

            “Okay!” I scramble up and I exit through the door.

            Girls line up outside the seamstress’ door. I see a black haired girl leave holding the ugly, yellow navy dress.

            Wow! Wait till the last day why don’t you!

            Yes, the ball is today but, I’m more nervous than anything. And my dream last night didn’t help at all.

            I see Fiona, and walk up to her.

            “Thanks for waiting for someone to arrive yesterday. I’ll try to get there early today to give you some time off.”

            She smiles, “That’d be great, but we don’t have work today.”

            “Because of the ball?”             “Pretty much, if you work at the castle then you don’t have to work, its like a holiday.”

            “Well, that’s nice.”

            “Everyone looks forward to it! I just picked up my lady’s dress.”

            “Who is ‘your lady’?”

            “No one you know, I’m sure. Gabriella Yules.”

            “You’re right I don’t know her.”             Fiona holds up the dress, it’s green. “Yes, her dress matches her tail. Are you picking up your dress?”

            “No I picked mine up yesterday.”

            “Oh, well, I should be on my way.”

            “Me too. Good-bye,” I wave to her as I leave.

            When I enter my room Mira is sitting in a chair waiting. “Hello, she says.”

            “What are you doing here?”

            “Prep time,” she say ‘like’ duh, “If you’re going with the Prince you have to be exquisite. Take your clothes off and get into a robe.”

            I do as she tells me. Mira leads me to the bathroom. She cleans me up and slathers this oily goo all over my body. “Uck!”

            “Deal with it! It gives you smooth skin.”

            “Yeah, well, we’ll see how long that lasts. Why do I have to start prepping at 8:12 in the morning. What time does the ball start?”

            “The ball starts at 6:00, but the royal family and their dates have dinner at 4:30.”

            “Still that’s forever away. Do I just sit here, for two hours?!”

            “Well, if Zak wants to take you anywhere, you’ll be ready,” I roll my eyes.

            “So…, I was thinking maybe some old-fashioned beehive hair-do?”

            “No! No! No! Never in a million year! No!” I scream recalling my dream.

            “Okay, she throws her hands up in defense, “cool down.”

            “Sorry, it’s just not happening.”

            “How about a messy bun with jeweled clips, it’d be stunning.”             “I could deal with that,” I smile at her.

            “Good!”

            After the goo dries to my skin, I can barely move. She starts peeling it away from my skin and scrubbing and rubbing. Ow!

            “Can you stop that!” I ask about half way through.

            “No! Not unless you want to go with wax on your skin!”

            I grumble, but let her continue. Ouch!

            After ten more minutes she actually finishes. And wow, my skin is smooth.

            “We are never doing that again!”

            “I agree.”

            Afterwards she takes me to my vanity, and brushes through my hair, again, ouch.

            “Your hair is really long, I never realized just how long it was.”             “Yeah goes it goes down to the middle of my back. Its annoying, I think I’m going to cut it.”

            “Cut it! No! It’s so pretty.”

            “Why don’t we cut it tonight? Right now! We’ll surprise everyone,” Mira whimpers.

            “Do we have to? I thought we were going to put it in a messy bun?”

            “That was before, this is now. Let’s cut it!” I’m actually excited about it.

            “How short?”

            “To my shoulders or shorter! I don’t know?”

            “Or shorter?!”             “Come on! It’ll be fun! I trust you to cut my hair!”

            “Okay,” she comes back from the bathroom with a pair of scissors.

            “Let’s do this! I’m going to close my eyes, do what you want!” I smile. Mira winces.

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yes!”

            I close my eyes, and I feel her snip away at my hair. She takes her time, that’s for sure.

            After about twenty minutes Mira speaks, “You can look.”

            I open my eyes and gasp. “Oh my God!” I squeal, “I love it!”

            My red hair is shorter than my shoulders it comes about an inch lower than my chin. I have bangs that go straight across. The only negative is it makes me look a little younger. But who cares, I love it!

            “It’s new!” she shrugs.

            “Yes leave it just like this, it’s perfect.”

            “Let me do your make-up! This I know I can do!”

            “Okay,” I close my eyes again as she works her magic.

            After a long time, she tells me to look. I open my eyes and purple and gold eye shadow covers my lids. My mascara is dark and my eyelashes seem extremely long.

            “Wow! I look pretty darn good. It’s a shame I just have to chill in here,” I look for the time, “from 10:00 to 4:30!”

            “Yeah, it’s a long time, but you can sleep, read, do anything you want.”

            “Except leave this room!”

            “None of the other girls leave their room either, so don’t worry, you are not the only one bored.”

            “Not helping!”

            “Sorry, listen, stay here! I have to leave and help out in the kitten for tonight, okay. If you leave I will beat you, seriously.”

            “Whatever!” I flop on my bed.

            “Stay!” she leaves.

            I wait ten minutes to make sure she’s really gone. I look out the door, no one. Yes!

            I swim out into the hall, slowly I make my way down the steps, no one is in the halls.

            As I go up and down the halls, I feel something hit me in the back of the head, “Ouch!” I rub the back of my head and turn around.

            Destin.

            “What’s up? I haven’t seen you in forever. By the way, nice hair!”

            “Destin, are you ever going to stop throwing stuff at me?”

            “Probably not. But don’t you realize you are the only girl out in the hallways. Obviously, you are not supposed to be here.”

            “Why not?!”

            “Because, in ten minutes all the guys come out here and party before the ball.”

            “Why?!”

            He rolls his eyes, “Because! No guy likes all the fancy-schmancy stuff. Its more of a girl thing.”

            “I want to go!” I am so happy I don’t have to sit in my room now.

            “No! Zak would kill me if I let you go. It’s a guys thing!”

            “No, you said it was a thing because you didn’t like all the fancy-schmancy stuff. Lucky for you, I don’t like that either!”

            “Of course you do! Look at you, if you didn’t, you wouldn’t dress and do your make-up!”

            “Not true! I was forced!”

            “You have five minutes to leave! Then thirty guys are going to be down here partying for three hours! Zak is going to kill me if I let you come!”

            “Let’s just say I found the party myself!”

            “No! Leave!” I stick out my bottom lip and pout, “Stop that!”

            “Destin!? Please.”

            “No!”

            “Destin! Where are you?” shouts Zak.

            “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Leave, please.”

            “Fine!” I throw up my arms, “I’ll be back,” I point at Destin.

            I turn around and run into Zak. Dang he’s fast!

            “What happened to your hair?! It’s gone!”

            “Why I like it?”

            “You have bangs!”

            “Yeah, I like my hair!”

            “It’s so short!”

            “Is that a bad thing?”

            “No! No! Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound like I don’t like it. Because I do!”

            “That’s sure what it sounded like.”

            “Sorry, it’s cute?”

            I shove him, “That’s real convincing,” I roll my eyes.

            “I like it! I promise.”

            “Okay? I hated my long hair anyways.”

            “New question, why are you down here?”

            Destin pipes up now, “I did not bring her down here!”

            Now it’s my turn, “Can I, please, come to your party?”

            Zak’s face is conflicted, I know that look. I really want to say no, but I don’t want her to be mad.

            This is the perfect time to lay it on thick. I usually don’t do this, but I believe it is necessary measures.

            “Please?” I draw it out and put my hand on his chest.

            Destin’s mouth is wide open. I bat my eyelashes, really slowly, and I pout.

            Like I said I don’t usually do this, but I am not staying in that room all day.

            “I don’t know, Celia?”

            “Please?”

            “No!” Destin yells, “She’s tricking you! Look at her!”

            I glare at Destin, I turn off the charm, at least a little, “Please!” I start hopping up and down, “I promise I won’t ruin anything!”

            “That’s not the problem, though, girls usually don’t come.”

            I will not go back to my room, “Fine,” I sniffle, “I’ll just go wait in my room while my date throws a party.”

            I turn around a sniffle again for good measure, “Wait!” he grabs my arm, very soft, “I guess you can stay?”

            “Really! Yeah!” I hop up and down. I give him a quick kiss. Destin is throwing a fit!

            “Yeah! I swim all around the hall hooting and hollering. They both give me a funny look.

            “Come on!” he grabs my hand and takes up a ton of stairs. I know where we’re going! The roof!

            “Why do you want to come anyway?”

            “Because, I am so bored! Mira said I had to stay there from 10:00 to 4:30. That’s a long time!” I shout over music that starts to fill the hall.

            “Some of the guys aren’t going to like that you’re here. So you might have to leave early.”

            “Whatever!”

            We come up onto the roof. There are about thirty guys. Lots of drinks, music, and food.

            “This is awesome,” I yell.

            Zak is still squeezing the life out of my hand. “Yeah,” he gives a nervouse laugh.

            You can already see some of the guys gossiping like a pack of sixth graders.

            The blonde guy with a red tail that I recognize as Josh’s friend from the club comes up, “What’s she doing here? Thought no girls were supposed to come?!” he glares at me.

            “I’m here because I can be! Now leave me alone!” Zak gives a shrug, as to say ‘sorry’ or ‘too bad’.

            His grip loosens a little. We move around the party, after fifteen minutes Zak begins talking to a group of guys he knows. I head over to the food table.

            My stomach is literally growling by the time I make my way over there. Someone comes up next to me, “I leave you for the night and you have a new haircut,” Josh jokes.

            “Hey! What’s up?” I laugh at his joke.

            “Not much, just wondering why you are here?”

            “Turned on the charm, basically,” he gives me a guilty look, “Hey! It worked. If you thought I was going to sit alone in my room for six and a half hours, you’re delusional!”

            “You could have hung out with Adrianne?”

            “Yeah, but his is much better! No offence Adrianne!”

            Josh chuckles. “Not much for you to do at this party though. You don’t really know anyone here.”

            “Not really, but, like I said more fun than my room!”

            “I’m not arguing that point. I’ll see you later! I’m going to go say hi to some of my buddies.”

            “Okay! Bye!” Josh leaves and I continue eating shrimp.

            Not to long after he left three guys, one being red-fin – I don’t know his name – then he bumps me over as he begins devouring shrimp with his friends.

            “Hey!”

            “What? This food is for the people who were invited!”

            “I was invited by Prince Zak! So move it!” Bravely I walk in front of them and eat shrimp as they watch me.

            “Listen, you need to leave this is a guys party! How are we supposed to talk about guy stuff and do guy stuff with you around?!”

            “I have an idea,” I fake happiness, “why don’t you leave and talk ‘guy stuff’ in your room!”

            “You better watch your step.”

            Then his dopey friend speaks, “Yeah, read-head!”

            Everyone gives him a weird stare. He doesn’t get why of course.

            “Listen, you stay away from me I’ll stay away from you. Deal?”

            “Whatever! Roll out!” he calls to his friends.

            “You have got to be kidding me,” I mutter.

            I swim away from the food counter. I’m going to be fat. I rub my eyes and my hand comes off purple and gold. Shoot!

            I look for the staircase to Zak’s room, and open the door. I creep into the room and find a mirror.

            “Oh! No! Mira is going to kill me!” my make-up is smeared on my left eye. Dang it!

            I take a towel and wipe away the smeared eye shadow. Then I wipe away some of the make-up from the other eye to even it out.

            Decent.

            Feeling guilty about ruining Mira’s make-up I get up to leave. I jiggle the handle to the stair door, it’s locked. Dang those stupid boys.

            I go to the regular door, locked. I hate them!

            Great! I’m doing exactly what I didn’t want to do, be stuck in a room.

            I flop onto Zak’s bed, and pick up a book. Boring! I need to be doing something. I reach for my hair, but I remember I chopped it off.

            I cover my face with a pillow and scream. Uhhh! How long before someone realizes I’m down here. I can still here the music from outside the door. I here guys yelling and joking with each other!

            I close my eyes, and at least I fall asleep.

            I dream that stupid nightmare again, but I don’t wake up this time. The nightmare ends with me falling again. Then it’s over. Why end there? I could never tell you. Apparently I have a fear of falling.

            Shortly after my dream ends I start to wake up, I realize I’m being carried. There are arms around me, Zak’s I’d guess.

            “Where are we?” I mumble.

            “We’re on you way to your room.”

            “I want to go back to the party, I want to give those guys a piece of my mind!” I say half-heartedly.

            “You do that?! You’re half asleep. Plus, I called Mira, she’ll have to redo your make-up since it’s all over my pillow.”

            “Sorry, I fell asleep. I had this stupid nightmare again! Uhh! I get terrible sleep with it!”

            “What’s it about?” he sounds genuinely worried.

            “Nothing, just pitiful worries. You know, the usual.”

            “Okay?” but he’s not convinced.

            “Can I please go back to the party!?”

            “I would say yes, but it’s been over for an hour!”

            I shoot up and crawl out of his arms, “An hour! What time is it?”

            “Almost 4:00.”

            “Oh, no! Oh, no! Mira’s going to kill me! I still have to do make-up, hair, get dressed. I have thirty minutes before I have to leave and eat dinner with your family!”

            “It’s alright! Calm down,” he puts a hand on my head, “Man! I can’t get over how short your hair is! Why did you cut it today?”

            “Because it was supposed to be a surprise, but I got too bored.”

            “Well, here you are!”

            I turn to Zak, “Don’t let her kill me!”

            Zak laughs, and opens the door for me.

            Mira doesn’t hesitate, “I told you to stay here. Because all the other girls are ready and perfect! You’re going to have to go looking half-best! You know who what’s going to happen, all the maids will go, ‘that girl looks terrible! Who did her make-up? It was Mira’! All creditability lost!”

            Zak holds up a hand, “Stop! It was my fault. I told her she could stay.”

            “Then you!” She actually starts yelling at Prince Zak! Very scary!

            “Mira, we need to get started!”

            “Okay sit, you leave,” she points at Zak.

            “Bye,” he walks out the door.

            Mira starts with my make-up. It’s purple and gold, it looks exactly the same to me, but according to Mira it’s a rookie version.

            She brushes through my hair and puts some gel in it to make it shiny and straight underwater.

            Next she puts lotion on my whole body, “Do I really need to be smoother?”

            “Shut up!”

            She keeps working. After the lotion sets in she paints my nails. She paints them purple. I think I see a theme going on here.

            After that she rushes me to get the dress on. It’s 4:35! She kicks me out the door, literally, and Zak is actually standing there ready to bring me down.

            Prince Zak looks me up and down. He smiles, “Not to shabby, Celia.”

            “Do I look fine? She didn’t even let me look in the mirror!”

            “You look perfect.”

            Zak has on a vest, it’s brown with gold accents. I guess to match my outfit. “You look quite dashing.” He laughs at me.

            “I guess, I didn’t design it Mira did.”

            “I can tell,” I snicker at him, “I don’t mean that in a bad way though!”

            “Of course you don’t,” he rolls his eyes.

            We swim up to the Dining Hall entrance. “Ready?”

            “Do I have a choice?”

            “No!” he says with a smile.

            We enter and only the King, Queen, Destin, Destin’s date? are here.

            “Hello Celia,” the Queen comes up and hugs me, “You look so pretty in purple and gold. Your hair, you cut all your hair off. It’s so different.”

            “Thank you,” I’m taking the last part as a complement.

            “And Zak, you look quite dashing. Definitely worthy of the fine young lady beside you.”

            Zak thanks his mom, but gives me a look.

            “Sit down, sit.”

            We sit. I sit next to Zak across from where Adrianne and her date sit.

            I turn to Destin, I have to have some fun, “So Destin, won’t you introduce us to your date?”

            Destin smiles, “Only if I can throw a chair at your head!”

            “Destin,” the Queen chirps, “be nice, never threaten!”

            “Sorry, my date’s name is Wilma Jeffery.”

            “Well,” I reply, “it’s nice to meet you, Wilma.”

            “It’s nice to meet you too…?”

            “Celia, but call me CJ.”

            “CJ. You look really pretty. I wish I was as pretty as you are!”             “Thank you so much, Wilma. You look very cute.” She did, she had on a green dress that corresponded well with her gray fins.

            “Thank you.”

            “Your date, Destin, doesn’t look to bad either,” I say to Wilma.

            She giggles, “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having him,” she points at Zak, “on my arm,” she blushes like mad. But I just laugh.

            I try to stop because it’s not very nice. Zak holds my hand under the table.

            “I’m sorry, Wilma. I’m sure Prince Zak would love to dance with you tonight!”             “Really?”             “Yup!” Wilma goes back to sipping her water with a smile on her lips.

            Zak leans over and whispers in my ear, “I’ll dance with her even though I’d rather be dancing with someone else,” he squeezes my hand.

            I fake shock, “Who? I can’t believe you’re my date and you don’t want to dance with me!”

            “Dork,” he mutters to me.

            The King speaks, “Where is Adrianne!?”

            Just as he says this Adrianne bursts through the doors, in an aquamarine dress. It matches her tail exactly. She looks gorgeous with her blonde hair hanging down her back.

            Trailing behind her is Josh. Josh?

            I look at Adrianne. She doesn’t notice.

            “Sorry father, I almost forgot!” she pats the seat next to her for Josh.

            The King mumbles.

            “Okay, now that everyone is here, bring out the food.”

            Food id brought out by the tons. Enough for the town to eat. Food of every variety covers the table as far as I can see.

            “You may begin eating!”

            Zak grabs my plate and asks me what I want, “Lobster, crab, shrimp, dolphin fish, sail fish, and some shark! Please.” He gives me a look.

            “All of that?”

            “Why not, they throw away the extras anyway? And I’m pretty sure there will be extras.”

            “True.”

            Zak hand me my plate and fills his own, he has more than I do. “All of that?”

            “Why not? They’ll be extras!”

            I laugh, Adrianne and Josh fill their plates. Josh is making Adrianne laugh.

            The Queen is cutting Destin’s food and he’s about ready to die of embarrassment. Wilma is looking a Zak.

            “I think some one has a crush.” I murmur to Zak.

            “Really? I thought I knew that after you kissed me!” I glare at him.

            “My turn, Dork!”

            We keep eating. After an hour everyone is holding their bellies, claiming they’re full as they eat one more piece.

            “We have thirty minutes until the ball starts, do you guys want to practice dancing?”

            “Sure!” Zak grabs my hand and pulls me to the dance floor as the music just begins.

            The King and Queen dance. Wilma pulls Destin around because he’s obviously not in the mood to dance.

            Adrianne is yanking on Josh’s arm. We fly by and I here Josh, “I don’t know how to dance!”

            The second time we come by I let go of Zak and grab Adrianne’s arm and start dancing with her.

            “What are you doing?!” she laughs out loud.

            “You looked like you wanted to dance,” I twirl her around, “So what’s up with Josh being here?”             “Well, it’s a funny story really. My old date dumped me ten minutes before I was supposed to come to dinner. So I had to run all around looking for Josh. He was outside my door the whole time pouring his heart out to me.

            So I drug him down here mid sentence.”

            “Wow!”

            “Yeah, tell me about it!”

            When we come back around Zak and Josh take each of us. Josh is actually a really great dancer. I don’t know what his problem is?

            “So what’s Josh doing here?”

            “Adrianne’s old date dumped her ten minutes before.”

            “Sad story,” he says.

            “For who? She’s happy and he dumped her!”

            “Good point.”

            After the song ended Zak and I sat down. Destin and Wilma stop dancing shortly after we do, but the King, Queen, Adrianne, and Josh keep chugging along.

            Destin bows in front of me, “May I?”

            “I don’t know, you wanted to throw a chair at my head!”

            “That was an hour ago!”

            “Fine!”

            Destin and I dance we switch on and off with Adrianne and Josh. I had a blast.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For!

 

            The music stops and they tell us the ball is about ready to be begin, and that we should get ready to make our entrance.

            I turn to Zak, “You never said we had to make a grand entrance! I can’t do this! I can’t do this!” I am cutting off circulation to his hand.

            “It’ll be easy, just like the dance we have to do,” he waves it off.

            “We have to do a dance! Okay,” I release his hand and turn around, “I’m leaving!” he catches me by the waist.

            “I don’t want to have someone fill in for you!”

            “I do! Adios!” Zak keeps dragging me by the waist.

            “Come on! It’ll be easy, I’ll be right here.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me this before? I would have said no!”

            “Exactly!”

            I start freaking out and shaking, “Oh my gosh!” Zak says, “calm down! It’s going to be okay,” he continues to say soothing words into my ear right up until the point where we have to walk out.

            The King and Queen go first, everyone cheers. We’re next, Oh my God!

            “Just remember, I love you,” Zak whispers last in my ear.

            Not helping! Not helping at all! Now I’m freaking out even more.

            I take a deep breath and walk out onto the stage, praying I don’t look terrible. I haven’t even seen myself.

            Everyone cheers for us as we enter and exit the stage.

            That wasn’t too bad. I smile as we go down the steps, “Not as bad as you thought?” Zak asks.

            “No.”             Adrianne and Josh come down next. Josh is living it up! He’s blowing kisses to the crowd and Adrianne is laughing at him the whole way down. She really is happy!

            Wilma and Destin go last, Destin doesn’t smile. What is his issue?

            As everyone makes room on the dance floor for the royal family and their dates dances I get ready to puke.

            “It’s the same music you danced to in the Dining Hall. Don’t worry, you know this.”

            The music starts and I close my eyes, Zak keeps talking to me trying to calm me down. Slowly I relax, a little.

            First, I open my eyes, Second I smile, and Third I actually move my self – Zak isn’t dragging me – it’s still really terrible. But it’s bearable now.

            After the music stops everyone claps. A speaker begins to talk, “Now we have our winner from the drawing. Who will get a special spotlight dance with the royal family? I will pull five names: King, Queen, Prince Zak, Princess Adrianne, and Prince Destin.

            Here we go! The first name, dancing with the King is, Maria Helen.” An older woman comes and shakes hands with the King.

            “The Queen, Dylan Wilson!” A young teenager comes up and high fives the Queen, she’s surprised.

            “Dancing with Prince Zak is, Jennifer Benson!” Blondie swishes her hips in her dress and puts an arm around Zak, he smiles nervously.

            “With Princess Adrianne, Dylan Wilson! Wait! What are the odds of that happening! We are going to have to draw again folks. The winner is Ian Oddessy!” A old man walks up to Adrianne and spins her around she smiles and laughs.

            “Finally with Prince Destin, Fiona Jordan!” Fiona walks up and smiles at Destin.

            Of course he doesn’t know who she is. Fiona waves at everyone, she’s so sweet.

            A slower song begins, everyone takes their places. Jennifer’s grip tightens on Zak’s shoulder. She’s talking to him, he’s trying to avoid eye contact.

            I knew that wasn’t the end of Jennifer Benson. She’d be back for more, and here she is.

            When Josh notices his sister and Zak dancing he frowns, he gives me a ‘what are you going to do’ look.

            But when Josh and I look at Adrianne we smile. She’s twirling around the dance floor with this older man, one of whom she’s never met. He chuckles with Adrianne.

            As the song comes to a close, the King and Queen give bows to their dance partner. Destin is smiling at the Fiona, who gave him a piece of candy.

            Adrianne hugs the old man and introduces him to Josh. Jennifer hangs tightly onto Zak for an extra minute.

            Zak points towards me trying to get away. Blondie gives me a glare. Whatever. I could care less.

            Zak finally gets away from her and walks toward me. “Sorry about that?”

            “Not your fault, drawing was rigged. I mean what are the chances of that happening?!”

            “Zero to none?” Zak guesses.

            “Probably.”

            “How about I introduce you to some people? People from all over the sea travel here for our events!”

            “Really?!”

            “No. But some people come from a few mils away!”

            I frown, “Not quite as exciting, but let’s go anyways.”

            First, Zak tells me he’s taking me to meet his aunt and uncle from The Florida Keys.

            “Ooo, exciting!”

            “Yeah, to warm down there, for me at least!”             As we get closer our path is intercepted by an older man and a younger woman, “Zakipoo!” screeches the young woman.

            “Hi!” he fakes excitement, “CJ, this is my grandpa and grandma.”

            ‘Grandma’ speaks again, “What did I say about that word. It makes me feel old. Call me Caroline, please.” She gives me a blinding smile, “and you, dear, are just gorgeous! They don’t get more unique than you! With that red hair, and my goodness, it’s even short!”

            “Thank you, I guess?” I say to Caroline. Caroline is Fake. From her hair to her boobs to her too shiny tail.

            “If I were you I would put some strawberry-blonde highlights in! It would be fabulous!”

            Grandpa stays quiet until now, “Babe, leave her be. I’m sure she likes her hair the way it is. Say, Zak, where’s that Jennifer girl you had last year. Now she’s exactly how every man likes them. Blonde with a green tail, feisty!”

            “Hey you! Is that why you fell in love with me?” if you haven’t guessed it, Caroline has blonde hair and a green tail.

            “Sure.” That’s real convincing, but it’s convincing enough for Caroline.

            “Grandfather! Celia, is just as good if no better than Jennifer!” Zak’s eyes turn toward me, “besides, she doesn’t have to have blonde hair and a green tail for me to love her,” he says this quietly now.

            My heart is in my throat. This is the third time he’s said it, but it doesn’t make it easier to hear. My goodness, what am I supposed to do!

            Thankfully, I think, Zak’s grandfather decides to pipe up, “Woah there! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves! There are plenty of fish in the sea! Right? Just hold your horses.” He’s worried about Zak. No, he’s worried about how it will look for there family not to have the epitome of a mermaid.

            “Well, I’ll have you know, Sir! I am a world class swimmer, I’m just as ‘cool’ as any other mermaid, and I am kick-butt! So deal with it!” I am breathing hard because I was so nervous. I can’t decide whether or not Zak’s facial expression is surprise or embarrassment, Shoot!

            “Well, I’ll have you know! You definitely have the feisty down!” He slaps me on the back and laughs. “Call me George!”

            “Okay, George.”

            “We’ll see you guys later, we have to go talk to your Mom and Pop!”

            I turn to Zak after they leave, my expression says it all ‘What the Heck!’

            “Don’t know? He’s really out there.”

            When we get back to our original mission, they’re gone.

            “Oh well.”

            “Too bad. They’re my favorite relatives. Is that prejudges?”

            “Depend who you ask? Me. I’d say no. Caroline, ‘Oh my gosh, Zakipoo! Don’t be mean!” I slap my hand to my cheeks, in an ‘Oh my gosh’ gesture.

            “You have that impression down! Do me?” he looks a little nervous at this one.

            “Okay! ‘Sup! I’m Zakipoo…” I can’t finish because I’m basically rolling on the floor from laughing so hard.

            “Very funny,” he says blandly, but there’s a smile playing on his lips.

            All the slow waltz music has stopped and rocking jams replace them. It’s just like a party.

            Zak catches me staring at the dance floor, “Do you want to dance?”

            “Oh my God, yes! I’ve been waiting a whole minute for you to ask!”

            He shrugs his shoulder as if to say sorry. I drag him to the dance floor, he yells at me to slow down, he can’t go that fast.

            So I drop his hand and go as fast as I can through the throng of people. I make it to the dance floor ten seconds before he does.

            And you know what song it playing, California Girls, by Katy Perry!

            “I love this song! Since when do they play and music under here?”

            “Since ever?”

            “Yes!” I start dancing by myself, after a minute Zak joins me.

            “You know, you were the only one dancing by themselves.” He tells me.

            “I figured!” we dance to two more songs after this one.

            The ball is the best, everyone is letting loose and having fun. I guess I just love it because it’s the only party I’ve ever been to. That sound really pathetic.

            We’re worn out a beat, so we sit down at a table with our names on it.

            “W`hat are all the tables for? Didn’t everyone already eat?”

            “Yeah, there’s a toast tonight, they want everyone to be sitting!”

            “What’s the toast for?!” right as I finish the announcer comes over the speakers.

            “Please, everyone, have a seat. We have a few toast we’d like to make before this night of fun continues!

            Let’s start with our most obvious! Our very own Royal Family, for hosting this lovely ball in their lovely home!” Every member of the family stands and smiles. Everyone in the crowd takes a drink.

            “And this year!” the speaker continues, “we have a half mermaid in attendance! Everyone give a warm welcome, if you haven’t already met her, to Celia Jane Kendal!”

            Most of the crowd goes wild. Zak tells me to stand up. I feel myself shaking my head.

            Oh great! I’m going to throw up! I stand and everyone cheers.

            Unfortunately, I stand so I can get to the bathroom. And that is where I go, to the porcelain God.

            Once I’m in, I swim past all the women and throw up. It’s really nasty, but I have terrible stage fright.

            I can’t even think about the thousands of people in that ballroom. They were all looking at me! Well, now they’re going to be laughing at me.

            Oh! I am such a dork. A tear slips down my cheek, just a single tear. Hey! I’m human, and I’m very embarrassed.

            “Celia?” Adrianne calls.

            I stick a hand outside the stall so she can see me.

            “Oh, Celia! It’s all right,” she says as she sees me red-faced and crying – a little, “Most people didn’t even notice that you went to the bathroom. Trust me?”

            I nod my head, “It’s just that,” I sniffle, “I really wanted one perfect night! You know what I’m saying, right?” she nods, “And of course, it could have been if I didn’t have all that attention on me!”

            She clear her throat, “That’s partly my fault, the three of us – Me, Zak, and Destin – thought you would like to have a special mention. We honestly didn’t know you were this terrified of public recognitions, otherwise we wouldn’t have done it. I swear!”             “It’s not your fault, not at all,” Adrianne begins fixing my make up with a piece of seaweed.

            “You’ll be fine. You’ll go back out there, dance with Zak, make new friends, and have the best night yet! Got it?”

            “Yeah,” I sigh heavily as she finishes wiping away messed up make-up. Thankfully it doesn’t seem ruined, Mira would have killed me!

            “Let’s go!” she helps me up, “Look in the mirror, CJ.”             I look in the mirror and besides the red face. I don’t look too bad. My make-up is still gorgeous. An the dress looks even better than the day I tried it on. My hair looks so different, but I’m glad I cut it.

            I swivel back around to Adrianne, “Thank you!” I give her a really long hug.

            “Let’s get back out there! And let’s show them what us girls are made of!” she fist pumps the air and I laugh.

            “All right.”

            We open the door together, she goes and first and Josh is waiting for her. He spins her around and they go straight back to the dance floor.

            Zak stands there too, “I’m so sorry,” he starts.

            I hold up my hand, “Save your breath. It’s not your fault or anybody else. It’s just that I have a terrible fear of anything that has to do with a crowd, so that’s it,” I make eye contact with him.

            “Want to dance?” he’s trying to lighten the mood. Lucky for him, it works.

            “Why not?”

            He takes me back to the dance floor, and we begin to dance. A slower song comes on and Zak pulls me closer.

            He spins me around a few times. Zak leans in closer, he kisses me. I kiss him back, but he pulls away.

            Standing at our side is Wilma, she’s tapping on Zak’s fin to get his attention, “I believe you owe me a dance?” she says it with every ounce of confidence in her.

            “I believe he does,” I answer for him.

            Zak’s face says that he really doesn’t want to, “Promise is a promise,” I whisper to him.

            “Not the one who made the promise,” he says back.

            “Too bad,” I reply as I step away and Wilma takes his hands.

            Someone taps my shoulder, “You owe me a dance too, and if you don’t remember, don’t think about it,” standing behind me is Haden.

            “Hey,” I say wistfully.

            Haden grabs my hands, he spins me around the dance floor, crazily, “Hey,” he replies.

            “How have you been?” What I’m really asking is who are you with! Jennifer?

            “Same old same old. I came here tonight assuming I was still invited.”

            “I was assuming you were invited too.”

            “So, not much of a crowd person either?” he says it mockingly.

            “Not much, no. But I’m trying to forget it happened,” I say seriously.

            “I see,” he nods his head as he pulls me closer. We are friends, I beam it into his brain.

            But, apparently, it doesn’t work, “You know, you’re the prettiest girl in the room,” it’s his voice that scares me though, he changes it back to his usual voice, “But I do have to say, you surprised me with the new cut. Very edgy!”

            I smile and nod, this feels to awkward. To more than friends. The song ends and Haden dips me down. I wrinkle my nose hoping he get the hint, DO NOT KISS ME!

            I’m sure he saw Zak and I kiss.

            He brings me back up to standing position, “See you around.” He leaves me on the dance floor standing there. I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking, ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

            Zak comes over with Wilma tailing him, “What was that about?” he asks as he stares at the spot where Haden left.

            “I honestly don’t know.” I shake my head to clear it.

            “Can I have another dance?!” Wilma whines.

            Zak wants to say no, so I help him out, “My turn, sweety!”

            “Go dance with Destin! I’ll dance with Zak!” she pulls Zak back out to the dance floor for a more modern song.

            I sit at a table with Destin, he’s pouting, “What’s the matter?”

            He points at Wilma and Zak, “My date is obsessed with my brother!”

            I look at him, “Well, do something about it! Because I really want to dance!”

            “What am I supposed to do?”

            “Want to make her jealous? Come on!” I pull Destin to the dance floor. He laughs.

            “Trust me! You are not making Wilma jealous, but you are making all my friends jealous!”

            I shove him a little, “What you want me to dance with all of them?! No way!” I shake my head.

            “Please? They’ll all owe me big time! Or!” he screams, “I’ll make them pay! Jackpot!” he sings at an extremely high tone.

            “Fine! But I get 25% of the profit since the other 75% is going to be thrown at me!” I yell at him as he runs to his friends.

            I start dancing with each of the boys. Note to self: do not dance with thirteen year old boys! More than one with touch your butt!

            After I finished dancing with what felt like twenty boys, I’d been asked to eight dates, three marriages, and one kid asked me if I had a younger sister.

            Destin comes up to me, “I made $25.00! You get $6.25.” he hands me the money, I stare at it.

            “I didn’t really think you were going to charge all your friends!”

            “My friends? This was just for anyone who was going to pay!” I smack him on the head.

            “Jerk! Some of those kids were really weird!”

            “Not my problem!”

            Destin swims off counting his money. I stick mine down my shirt. Where else am I supposed to put it?!

            Zak comes up to me, “Can you explain why I just had six boys come up and ask if they could go on a date with you?”

            “Because, I felt bad saying no when they asked, so told them they’d have to ask my boyfriend,” I laugh at his facial expression.

            “Hey!” Haden is behind me again, “Just one question before I leave. Is there a reason why two boys asked me if they could go on dates with you?”

            Very awkward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

           

           

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

The Ball: Part Two

 

            Zak’s full of mumbles after I told Haden I had no clue why. Of course I did know why, sadly, so did Zak.

            It’s 10:40, and the speakers come back on, “It’s midnight snack time! For all those who stuck around, you’ll be having a sweet treat!”

            Everyone gets into a line for the snack, Zak tells me to sit, and that he’ll get one for me.

            I sit down and Blondie swims up, and sits at the table, “Listen, you need to back down, Celia. This game is over because I won. Now, get that through your itty bitty brain and leave!

            Go to your class and go to your job, but stay away from Zak.”

            “You know what, Jennifer, I really don’t care what you have to say!” Jennifer’s pretty face is stunned. Jennifer is sitting right there, she’s really pretty, I just realize this. It’s a strange time to notice, but I do.

            “Now,” she says sweetly, “what are we going to do?”

            I struggle to come up with an answer. I think really hard, but Zak interrupts my thoughts, “Here,’ he hands me my midnight snack and I slowly come to realize what going on again.

            “Blondie, I mean Jennifer, leave. No one wants you here.” She’s taken back by the bitterness I my tone.

            She smiles her famous wicked smile, “Make me,” she raises her eyebrows. 

            “No problem,” I feel the water currents around the legs of her chair, I pull. Jennifer’s chair flips backwards immediately. She gasps as she hits the ground.

            “You jerk!”

            “Like I’ve told you, you get what you ask for,” I smile.

            “Stay away form me you, witch! Just stay away!” Blondie stumbles out of the ballroom her hair a jumbled mess.

            Zak’s upset, “You really shouldn’t do that in public, especially with Jennifer. You don’t want people to get curious,” he says sternly.

            “What! She’s been driving me insane since I got here, this was my one chance to tell her to ‘back off’. I took it, so don’t tell me that I did the wrong thing! Just leave it be!” I stand up and swim out the door leaving Zak sitting alone with my midnight snack.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guilty Is Charged

 

            I head back to my room, exhausted. I fall face first onto my bed. I feel so guilty for being so mean. I was mean to Jennifer, but I was just being a jerk to Zak.

            I take off my dress and run my fingers through my hair. I take off my make-up and flop into my shell bed. Comfort!

            I roll over and fall asleep without closing the top.

 

            I wake up two hours later, it’s 1:00. I feel nauseas and guilty from what I said to Zak.

            I climb out of bed, and put on a blue robe. I swim over to and out the door. I follow the familiar route to Zak’s room.

            Taking a deep breath and knock on the door.

            I here a lock turn and the door opens, Zak stands there leaning against the door frame.

            “Does it help if I say, I’m sorry?” I look down at the floor, waiting for an answer.

            “Yeah,” he puts a finger under my chin, “I’m just worried about you, that’s all.” He smiles sweetly at me.

            I wrap my arms around is torso, and hug. He hugs me back, whispering in my ear.

            He pulls me into his room and sets me on his lap. I snuggle into his chest, and close my eyes.

            Easily, I fall asleep.

            I wake up disoriented, I have no clue where I am at first. Then I realize I’m lying on Zak’s bed, with Zak’s arms around me.

            I wiggle around so I can see the time, 8:43. Way too early, I can’t believe I stayed up till 11:00 last night.

            I wiggle out of Zak’s arms and stretch. I yawn and look at the time again, 8:44! Holy crap! I’m late! Class, I have class today.

            How could I forget? I look under my robe. At least I put my green seaweed top on. It’ll have to do.

            I set my robe on one of Zak’s many chairs and silently creep out of his room.

            As I head down the stairs I think whether or not it’s a good idea to show up almost two hours late.

            I’m going with the philosophy, better late than never.

            I knock on the door, “Come in!”

            “Hello, Sir, I’m sorry I’m so late. I accidently forgot to set my alarm.”

            “Don’t worry about it! I wasn’t expecting any of my students to show up! But if you want we can carry on with your lesson?” Great! I shouldn’t have gone with my old philosophy.

            “Well, maybe we can do a shortened lesson. I have somewhere I need to be.”

            “And where would that be?” he raises he eyebrows to mock me.

            “My bed, I can’t lie. I miss it dearly!”

            He chuckles at me, “Dear Ms. Kendal. Please don’t let your bed wait much longer. Just make sure you remember. There is class tomorrow!”

            “Yes, I would never forget!”

            “I thought so,” He goes back to his work, Sirens I assume.

            I leave the room and sigh. Yes! I got out of class. Not to shabby. I head back up to Zak’s room. I open the door, I didn’t lock it after I left, and put my warm, fuzzy, blue robe back on.

            It’s funny how underwater, when you’re a mermaid, things feel similar to what they feel like on earth. Like my robe, it isn’t soggy and wet. It’s plush feeling, almost.

            I crawl back onto Zak’s bed and fall asleep immediately, again.

 

            I awakened by a sharp knock on the door. I roll over and moan as I stretch. Zak shoots up in bed and puts his pointer finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet.

            I give him a thumbs up, he shakes his head and smiles.

            Zak opens the door and talks low to whoever is out there. He comes back in, but with him he has breakfast.

            “Yummy,” I say as I see all the food piled on the tray.

            “Want some?”

            “Don’t mind if I do,” I pluck a shrimp off the plate.

            “You are only slightly obsessed with shrimp, right?”

            “Crazy in love!” I roll onto my back and swallow my shrimp.

            He holds another one above my mouth, I open my mouth and he drops it in. “Thank you very much!”

            After we finish the large plate of food I get off the bed and flop on the floor.

            Zak leans over the edge of the bed, “What are you doing?”

            “Thinking.”

            “About?”

            “Stuff.”

            “The broadest statement of the 21st century!”             “No! That would be whatever!”

            “I call them tied!”

            “So it shall be!” I point up at the ceiling.

            We sit there and relax in a moment of silence.

            “So,” Zak asks, “what do you have to do today?”

            “Work, at three and until then nothing,” I sigh.

            He nods, “My father’s thinking about giving you something else to do in that huge block of time you have.”

            “Why? What does he have planned?”             “Well, actually, someone gave him this idea. Two ideas were proposed: Destin’s- a self defense class that would be taught by Destin, and Jennifer’s,” he says her name in a lower tone, “- would be for you to work as a maid and actually learn how to do our traditions.”             I roll my eyes, “And of course I would be Jennifer’s maid?”             “I imagine,” he gives me a sorry smile.

            I get up from the floor and plant my butt on a chair in the corner. “Well, surly, the King won’t choose Jennifer’s plan. Right?”

            “He says Destin’s plan will go to waste, that you could just bring guards. But I’m sure we both know Destin isn’t going to teach you ‘self-defense’ in the literal term. He’s going to throw chairs at your head instead.”             “Now that, I can deal with, not being Blondie’s little servant!” I’m not panicking; I’m just getting worried about what she’ll do to me.

            “Who knows what will happen? Destin, Adrianne, and I have been telling him not to consider Jennifer’s idea. But, he says we’re all too attached. We need to not worry about you because you’re just going to be here for less than five weeks, now,” he looks really upset when he brings up me leaving.

            “Don’t worry about me leaving! I can come back, right, visit?” I hold is hand.

            “No.”

            “Why not? Why do I need to learn all of this if I’m not coming back?”

            “After five weeks, you go back home,” he points straight up, so I know he means land, “and you must decide what you want. You can stay up there as long as you want, but the minute you swim back down to Brunswick, you become a full mer.

            Now if you haven’t noticed the glitch here, I’ll tell you. How is there supposed to be another generation of half-mer if you don’t stay?”

            “How?” my voice catches on the one word.

            “Do you remember if when your mother told you our story, she spoke of a second child?”

            I nod, “Why did no one ever tell me this before?”             “Not supposed to. If you come back after you leave then we tell you, so it doesn’t affect your decision.

            Anyways, that second child, proclaimed dead after missing for so long. He came here. And he begged for forgiveness. Forgiveness was given, but we made a deal. If the other ‘official’ half-mermaid wanted to live here. Wanted to be here forever? Then the ‘unofficial’ half-mer would have to go to land and replace them. Staying up there forever and continuing the generation line.”

            “Oh, my.” I can’t believe this, out of everything that was affecting my decisions, I’m thinking about who my eighth cousin is, “Who’s the ‘unofficial’ half-mer?”

            “You’re wondering who you’re distantly related to? Well, good new is, I have no clue. Only the King knows the lineage. Therefore, he’s the only one who knows. Now for safety purposes, the lineage is kept in a vault somewhere.”

            “That is so,” I pause thinking for a very descriptive word, “wacky”

            “Wacky? Is that the same as weird and strange?”

            I nod, “And I can’t ask either, because the King would know you told me or that the ‘unofficial’ half-mermaid told me?”

            “Precisely,” he nods his head.

            “Great! So now I get to feel guilty of I want live my life down here. I would feel guilty not only for leaving my mom, but for making some other mermaid live where they don’t want to!”

            “I imagine that land calls them just like the sea calls them. Because when you lived on land, didn’t the sea call you? So now that you’re down here, land beckons you?”

            “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Exactly how close would we be related?”

            “Well, no ‘official’ half-mermaid has stayed, ever. They all either have fallen in love – like your Dad – or they have never liked the concept of the ocean.”

            “Wow! So we really are eighth cousins. Not intertwined, where their great-great-great grandma is my great^3 grandma. That’s a relief!”

            “Yeah you just have the same great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother and grandfather.”

            “My mother always told me I never had any cousins because every parent and grandparent had only had one child.”

            “That would make sense, but, now, you do have a cousin.”

            “So their parents would be my seventh cousins?”

            “They’d be, yes, but I believe they are dead. I don’t know how, I just always assumed.”

            “Well, I hope my cousin knows that I know how they feel, I lost my father. I’ll never forget him, ever.”

            A silent tear for my dad runs down my cheek. “I’m sorry,” Zak holds my hand.

            “Can we go do something besides sit here?”             “Yes, but,” he tackles me to the bed, “I was having a great time before we got into the heavy stuff.”

            “Stuff! The broadest statement of the 21st century!”

            Zak kisses me. I kiss back, but when he stops I squirm out from underneath him and bolt. I swim vigorously down the hallway, waiting for him to catch up. I’m just swimming to swim.          

            I’m not trying to get away either, I just want to swim. The faster I swim the less the things said in the room matter.

            I fly out the castle doors and head toward the city limits. The water is cleaner out there, I remember.

            When I reach the limits I come to a stop. Halting I look around and breath in the fresh water.

            Zak comes up behind me out of breath, “I,” pant, “have got,” pant, “to get out,” pant, pant, “of the castle,” pant, “more!”

            My chest heaves, but not because I’m tired, “Yeah, it seems that way!”

            I continue swimming along the fence. Slower this time so Zak can keep up. I head straight back toward the cliffs and caves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crabs, Squids, and Sharks! Oh My!

 

            When we reach the caves I automatically pick out one I want to go to, “Come on!” I yell Zak follows me.

            I enter the cave; the cavern is low, low enough where we have to swim parallel to the ground.

            I look at the shiny pebbles and stones as I swim past. Zak picks some up and further inspects them.

            “Find anything neat?” I shout behind me.

            “Not yet, but I found a few crabs.”

            “Crabs! What do you mean, I’m not getting snipped in the butt! We are out!” I point back the way we came.

            Zak puts his hands on my shoulder, “They won’t ‘snip’ you in the butt, CJ. Besides they’re only baby crabs,” he picks up a little baby crab and shows me, “See, not even developed enough to pinch you!”

            “Awwww, they’re so cute!”             “Weird, how you go from, ‘Ahhhhh’ to “Awwww’?”

            “It’s a girl thing,” I shrug my shoulders.

            “Or,” he acts surprised, “a crazy thing!”             “Ha ha, you are so clever!”

            “I know, I can tell you are dying on the inside!”

            “Such a reader, here tell my future!”             “I have to stop you because that was bad, like, really bad!” he’s laughing at my bad comeback.

            “Pretty pathetic, I know, but dying on the inside? Come on! Give me a break!”             “We’ll agree then, that, we shouldn’t say another comeback because we both suck at it?”

            “Precisely!”

            Without another thought of the crabs and the crazy we head down the tunnel, “This I a little spooky,” I whisper in the growing darkness.

            “Want me to go in front? Sometimes squids live up in these cliffs, it’s a nice little hidey hole.”             “Hidey hole?”

            “Hiding place, secret getaway…” I stop him.

            “I know what ‘hidey hole’ is. It’s just that I’d never expect you to say ‘hidey hole’!” I give him a look.

            “People surprise you,” he returns my look.

            “True that, as Josh would say!”             “True that!”

            In the creepy silence we continue, nothing but our breath fills the chambers of the cave. Deepest corners are also deepest black, very little light seeps through. Almost no light seeps through.

            We should have brought some of that glowing coral Haden told me about, “Do you have any of that glowing coral?”

            “Not in my back pocket, no. But you can pretty much find it anywhere,” I pauses looking around.

            “Well, not obviously here! Look around, no light, not a speck.”

            “Yes they only glow when you touch them to your tail fin.”             “Why?!”             “I’m not really sure, but I believe there is an acid that mixes with the coral that makes it glow.”

            I instantly swim to the cavern walls and begin banging my tail against them. The cave ignites, glowing coral all around glows.

            “Wow,” I gaze at the now lit caver.

            “Pretty neat, I always loved to do that, I actually didn’t even think of glowing coral. I just thought that,” he pauses, “I wished it was day time.”

            And I realize something, “Haden!”

           

 

 

 

When You Find Out A Secret That You Can’t Tell

 

            “Oh my God!” I swim out of the cave, getting dangerously close to some of the sharper rocks.

            Zak zips along behind me shouting at me to slow down.

            All I’m thinking is, Oh my goodness gracious! Oh my gosh! Oh my Neptune! You name it! It’s like a mad lib, Oh my _______!

            When I break out into open water I ‘skid’ to a stop. “Zak, I need to talk to Haden, okay. You can just go back to the castle and I’ll, I’ll meet you later!”

            “What is going on?”

            “I can’t tell you right now. Not one thing! I’m so sorry,” I rush off leaving Zak in the dust.

 

            I swim all around town looking for Haden. Where is Haden? I ask all around and nobody can help me.

            I see an older woman sitting on the ground playing some sort of harp instrument, “Excuse me? Have you seen a blond haired, blue eyed boy named Haden?”

            “You could have just said his name, but no I haven’t seen him. But I can tell you where he lives.”

            “Thank you so much!”

            “For two Clams,” she smiles a crooked smile.

            “Two! That’s two straight pieces of gold!”

            “I know my bets, lady,” she waits.

            I wave her off, “I’ll ask someone else,” I turn to leave.

            “No one else knows. He moves to different spots every week.”

            “Then how do I know you know?”

            “Trust?” her eyes do not say trust me.

            “How about,” I come up with an idea, “I pay you one before and one after. When I find him, I’ll bring you your second coin?”             She shakes her head, “How about not!” she holds out her wrinkled hand, “if you want to see Haden you have to give me two coins, now.”             “Fine!” I yell grabbing the coins, I mumble, “take all my money! Why not?”             “Thank you,” she gets up from her seat n the side of the road, “Follow me.” She starts off without me, I follow shortly after.

            “Wait up!”

            I catch up and she doesn’t even slow her pace. A man walks up in front of us, “Hola! Te gusta los libros? A mi me gusta los libros! Si?”

            The older lady ignores the man, but I glance back. Books? I halt, “What kind of books?!”

            The man turns to see if I’m talking to him, he raises his fingers as if to pinch the air, “Little English, si?”

            “Oh,” I point to myself, “Me gustan los libros!”

            He throws his hands toward the sky and begins blowing kisses up to heaven I suppose, “Gracias!” He shakes my hands, “Mucho gusto!”

            “Ecantada?”             He leads me over to a hole in the wall and he pulls out a few books. Why I came over here? I have a weird feeling about his place.

            That sounds corny, but I trust my instincts. I pick up some of the books, they’re history.

            “Do you have any books about Sirens?”

            “Si!!”             He hands me a worn, brown, leather book called The Ancient and Present History of Sirens and Their Kin. “I’ll take it! How much do you want?”

            “Dos Clams.”                           

            “Two! I have that. I go to grab two coins, but I turn to the old woman, still waiting, and she’s flicking my only money up into the air.

            “I need that! Sir, can you hold that book for me? I’ll be back, okay?”

            “Ya, ya, ya!” the Spanish speaking man waves me off.

            I catch up to the woman. She doesn’t speak to me, she just leads me closer to the edge of the city, the side I’ve never been to.

            She stops in front of a straight drop off cliff. “This is it. There’s an entrance to a cave about a hundred feet up. They’ll be a wooden door across the front, he should be in there. If he isn’t he’ll be back soon.” I stare up the steep cliff.

            “Why does he live here?” I wait for a reply, but hear none. She’s gone.

            I start swimming up, about a third of the way there I’m out of breath and my abs are screaming. No wonder Haden’s abs are awesome.

            I finally make it to the ledge and just about die there. Gathering all the energy I could I knock on the door.

            Haden answers giving me a funny look, “Why are you here?”

            “Because I need to talk to you about something!”

            “Sure, what’s up?” Haden asks nonchalantly.

            “Haden,” I pause, be brave I tell myself, “I know you’re the other half-mer.”

            Haden’s face isn’t smiling anymore.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 04.12.2013

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Widmung:
To my sister Lia.