Mermaidia: A Limited Edition Anthology

by Pauline Creeden

  She shrugged. “I guess. Still, make sure you watch your back at all times.”

  “Okay. Gotcha.”

  Her face brightened, but I could still see the worried look in her eyes. “Catch ya later.”

  As I made my way through a crowd of students and then on to Biology, my thoughts remained on Katie’s words of warning. Could Belva really be as bad as Katie had implied?

  Chapter 2

  Most of the students were already seated when I arrived in the classroom which was buzzing with conversation. I found an empty table near the back, and as soon as I sat down, I noticed Adel Sanders's angry glare. She whispered something to the student beside her that caused Calista Mitchell to cast a hostile stare my way too. Apparently, Belva had wasted no time filling her Popular Girl Posse in on what had happened in Homeroom. Word traveled fast at Reef Ridge.

  Mrs. Quinn was passing out microscopes and slides. Thankfully, that took their attention off me, at least temporarily. Once the equipment had been passed out, the teacher asked if everyone had a lab partner. I glanced around the room, embarrassed that I was the only one who didn’t.

  “You can team up with Calista and Adel,” she advised to my horror.

  Both girls looked equally upset. Out of the entire class, Mrs. Quinn had to pick those two. I swallowed hard, knowing they would do everything in their power to make my life miserable.

  I had just picked up my microscope when the classroom door swung open and in walked the gorgeous guy who’d nearly run me over on the way to school this morning.

  He handed Mrs. Quinn a piece of paper. She glanced at it briefly, and then said, “Perfect timing. You can partner up with Regan.”

  My heart pounded wildly. I had the feeling that things had gone from bad to worse.

  A puzzled look clouded his handsome face. “Who’s that?”

  “Regan, please stand,” Mrs. Quinn ordered.

  I did so regretfully, noticing my legs felt like jelly. The last thing I wanted was to spend an entire semester with some cocky guy who probably spent most of his time flirting rather than working.

  Recognition glinted his eyes, and a lopsided grin curved his mouth as he sauntered over. He had to be at least six feet tall because when he sat down, his legs stretched out beyond the desk, nearly touching the chair in the next row.

  “Hello,” he said, brushing back his thick dark hair from his forehead. “Guess I was right when I said I’d see you around.”

  “Are you usually so good at predicting the future?” I asked sarcastically.

  His laugh was engaging. “That depends.”

  “On what?” I asked.

  “On whether the outcome is a given.”

  Now it was my turn to chuckle.

  “I’m Sasha Efron, by the way.”

  “Nice meeting you, Sasha, I hope.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t hold this morning’s accident against you. I’ve already retired my bike and decided to take your advice and walk from now on. It’s much safer, not to mention cheaper, seeing as I don’t have the money for a new bike, anyway. But like I said, no hard feelings. I promise not to sabotage your science project or anything diabolical like that.”

  “I appreciate it. And I promise not to hold against you the fact that you almost ran me over.”

  A wry but indulgent glint appeared in his eyes. “Good. Now that that’s all out of the way, I hope we can agree to be friendly lab partners. I work best without any grudges.”

  “I agree. Are you good at science?”

  “I can hold my own. That’s the reason I transferred into this class.” His voice was velvet-edged and strong. “I need a challenge. How about you?”

  “Let’s just say, I won’t be satisfied with anything less than an A.”

  “Beauty and brains. I like that.”

  As my cheeks heated up, I shifted my gaze away to discover that Adel and Calista were staring at me with looks that held open hostility.

  “Miss Gardner, you’re going to have to share your microscope with Sasha today,” the teacher instructed. “I wasn’t aware that he’d be joining us.”

  Sasha’s eyes widened. “Gardner? Are you related to Dale Gardner, the marine biologist?”

  My mouth went dry, and it felt like my throat was about to close up. “He was my dad.” My voice sounded small and hollow.

  His tanned face turned an ashen shade of gray. “I’m so sorry. I was a huge fan of his work. It’s because of him that I wanted to attend Reef Ridge.”

  I bit my bottom lip to keep it from quivering, and it was a minute before I was able to say, “Me too.”

  “I apologize for not making the connection. I should have. I knew he had a daughter…”

  It was evident that not only was he embarrassed but upset that he’d brought up a painful subject. Maybe Sasha wasn’t a jerk, after all. Gently, I placed my hand on his arm. “It’s okay. Most people don’t make the connection. My dad kept his family private, especially his child.”

  Although the color began to return to his face, an awkward silence hung in the air. Luckily, Mrs. Quinn started to explain today’s lab. When she finished, we went through the slides, jotting down on a worksheet what we saw.

  I could tell that we’d work well together, but small talk, at least for today, had ended. We each said a polite goodbye after class and then headed to second period.

  For the rest of the day, I couldn’t seem to get Sasha off my mind. I wondered if he had a girlfriend, what his family was like, and where he lived. It had to be fairly close to my house, seeing as we took the same route to school. I knew it wasn’t a good idea to get wrapped up in a boy who would never be interested in me as anything more than a lab partner, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about him. And then on the way home, when I saw him standing on the beach staring out at the ocean, something tugged at my heart. Maybe it was the way his shoulders sagged or the way he had his hands stuffed into his pockets… Something gave me the impression he was lonely and could use someone to talk to.

  I had enough of my own problems that I certainly didn’t need to take on someone else’s, especially someone I barely knew, but I’d always acted on instinct, and there was no way today would be any different. Without overthinking it, I headed down to the water’s edge.

  Chapter 3

  It took a moment before Sasha knew I was there. When he turned to look at me, his face was drawn.

  “I was on my way home, and I saw you. I hope I’m not intruding…” My voice kind of trailed off awkwardly as I wasn’t sure what else to say. I glanced over at the rocks and saw that his bike was gone.

  “My uncle disposed of it,” he said, following my gaze.

  I wondered if that was why he seemed so down. “I really am sorry.”

  His bright clear blue eyes were direct. “It’s not your fault. I should have been paying more attention to the road, but the sea was calling to me like it tends to do.” There was a huskiness to his tone that wasn’t there before.

  Most people on the island were beach lovers, so I wasn’t surprised by that. However, when he added, “A storm’s brewing.” I was left puzzled. The waves sluiced gently against the shore, and the bright afternoon sun beat down hotly on my head.

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  He shaded his eyes with his hand as he tilted his head back to look up at the sky. “See there,” he said, pointing at two layers of clouds moving in different directions. “That means the atmosphere is unstable. Also, my ears are ringing, indicating the barometric pressure is dropping.”

  The weather here could change on a dime, so I had no reason to disbelieve him. “Do you live close by?”

  “Relatively. About a ten-minute walk.”

  “I’m farther. I guess I should head home.”

  “There’s no need to rush. The storm is still a way off. It won’t hit until tonight.”

  A strange feeling stirred inside me, knowing that he wanted me to stay.

  “How come I’ve never se
en you around before today?” His dark brows were drawn together into a straight line by his frown.

  I wasn’t comfortable talking about myself, but my instincts told me he genuinely wanted to know, and it might actually be nice to make a friend. “I don’t go out much. Especially since my dad died. My mom needs me.” I sucked in my bottom lip as painful memories began to surface. Memories that I tried hard to suppress and usually only let out late at night as I lay in bed, wondering how different my life would have been if my dad were still here.

  “Sixteen is too young to be a recluse.”

  “And thirty-seven is too young to be in a wheelchair.”

  I heard his quick intake of breath. “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too. Everything changed the night my dad died. I’ll never forget the look on my mom’s face when she got the call telling her he wouldn’t be coming home. My dad was an expert diver, but that night something went terribly wrong. The sea grew choppy, and he never came up. The crew sent two divers down to look for him, but all they found was his oxygen tank. It was a dark moonless night, and the current must’ve carried him away. The shocking news was too much for my mom and she had a massive stroke. It was a blessing that she survived at all, but she was left paralyzed on her right side.” I don’t know why I told him all that. The words just seemed to fall out of my mouth, but I had to admit, I didn’t regret it. The weight on my shoulders had been lifted a little.

  “That’s a heavy load to carry alone.”

  “Yeah, well, I do what I can. An aide stays with her while I’m in school or have to run to the store for groceries and stuff.”

  “What about now? Is it okay for you to be here?”

  I shrugged. “Should be. They both know there’ll be days I might have to stay after school.”

  “Good, because it sounds like you sure could use some fun.” Sasha scooped up a couple of seashells. “Whoever finds the least has to jump in the water first.”

  “I-I can’t?”

  “What do you mean you can’t? Why not?”

  “I don’t have a bathing suit.”

  He looked at me quizzically. “You’re wearing shorts.”

  “I’m afraid of the water.”

  His tone softened. “Because of your dad?”

  I shook my head. “Because I have asthma.”

  “Isn’t swimming supposed to be good for that?”

  “Apparently, but I’ve always been too afraid to learn. So I do karate instead.”

  His mouth dropped open. “That’s how you stay in such good shape. Remind me not to make you angry.”

  I laughed. “You have my word.” I picked up a shell, before adding, “I’ll play your game, minus the water part.”

  “Deal.”

  I dropped my books, kicked off my shoes, and then raced across the beach, scooping up shells and plenty of sand as well. I stuffed them in my pockets, and when those were full, I made a pouch by tying up the front of my shirt and stuck them in there too. Sasha had a backpack that he was using.

  When I was out of room, and both hands were full, I collapsed on the beach, pouring my findings into a large glistening pile. Sasha sat down beside me and did the same, then we began counting.

  I was almost done when I noticed off in the distance, three girls running toward us. Their long hair blew out behind them like silken capes. As they got closer, I realized it was the Popular Girl Posse. A cold knot formed in my stomach. It was bad enough that I had to see them in school. I certainly wasn’t about to spend time with them after. Not that they’d be the least bit interested in socializing with me, either, but Sasha was another story. I’d seen the way both Adel and Calista had enviously glowered at me when Mrs. Quinn had said we were to be lab partners. That wasn’t surprising, considering how good looking he was. No doubt, most of the girls in my class probably had a crush on him. And now that I was getting to know him, it was quite evident why. He was smart, charming, and kind—an irresistible combination. I knew I would have to be careful, or he could steal my heart as well.

  Chapter 4

  “Hey, Sasha! Whatcha doing, counting shells?” Belva asked. Her breath came out in short little gasps. Obviously, she wasn’t much of a runner. Calista and Adel, however, had barely broken a sweat.

  “Wanna play a new game?” Adel asked. Although the statuesque blonde’s catlike green eyes were on Sasha, the other girls’ were staring at me.

  “What kind of game?” He dumped the rest of the shells in his backpack into the sand.

  “It’s a surprise,” Calista replied. “But it’s lots of fun. Promise.”

  He looked over at me with raised brows. “I’m up for it if you are?”

  I floundered before the brilliance of his look. A warning voice whispered in my head that it was time to go home, but how could I without appearing unfriendly. These girls were the “It” squad, and they wanted to include me in their activity. I knew it was only because of Sasha, but still… I swallowed hard, trying to manage a feeble answer. “Okay, but I have to leave soon.”

  “Whenever you’d like.” To my surprise, Adel took hold of my hand and pulled me up onto my feet, then she quickly led me to where the water lapped the shore. The other girls were beside us.

  Belva grabbed my other hand, as she and Calista formed a circle. Sasha lagged a bit behind, and when he tried to join us, they wouldn’t let him in. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but there was no mistaking the panic-stricken look on his face.

  “You lied to me,” he yelled. “This isn’t my idea of fun.”

  I flinched at the tone of his voice and was suddenly anxious to escape, but when I tried to pull my hands away, they were held in a vise-like grip.

  “Don’t do this,” he screamed at them.

  What were they doing? The posse began to dance in a circle, and I had no choice but to follow their lead. However, as they went deeper and deeper into the water, I tried to dig my toes into the sand, but they dragged me along. Fear and anger knotted inside me. “I need to go home. Now!”

  Instead of answering, they began to sing in a language I’d never heard before. It was high pitched and beautiful, like a choir of angels. But these girls were far from angelic.

  My chest tightened, and I began to cough. I needed my inhaler badly. “Stop!” I wheezed.

  Their eyes glittered dangerously. Their tanned skin paled and took on a glistening green iridescence. Was this really happening, or was I hallucinating?

  As the water tickled my waist, sheer black fright swept through me. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

  “She can’t swim,” Sasha yelled.

  It was no use. In a matter of seconds, the water would be up to my chin and then over my head.

  “Don’t do this. Please, don’t do this.” His cries were the last words I heard before going under.

  As the air left my lungs, a strange lightheaded euphoria took over. I knew I was dying, yet for some reason, my fear had evaporated, replaced with a deep sadness because I was leaving my mom behind. I’m sorry. I know how much you need me. Those thoughts lingered for just a second or two before everything went black.

  Chapter 5

  I expected to be welcomed into Heaven on a cushion of clouds with my guardian angels beside me. Instead, I was floating in an underwater paradise. Fish in every imaginable shape and color swam by me. Bright pink and fluorescent yellow coral reefs lined the ocean floor. Maybe it took a while for my soul to leave my body, and that was why I was still in the ocean. Whatever was happening was out of my control, so there was no use fighting it. I reveled in the weightlessness of my body and the fact that breathing was no longer difficult. Two tiny seahorses swam out from the coral, seemingly unafraid of the dead body at their doorstep.

  As I waited for my progression, I saw sea turtles, clownfish, and a variety of invertebrates, such as jellyfish and shrimp. It was a magical place that I’d been too afraid to visit when alive. I had no concept of time, so I couldn’t tell if I’d been down there for hours o
r days. All I knew was that I was waiting for something.

  A tiny ocean fish with needle-like fangs went by, as well as some sort of ray. I was so engrossed in my surroundings that I didn’t notice the giant, eel-like creature until it was right in front of me. About the size of a manatee and with a great white’s teeth, it was a terrifying sight to behold. I assumed it was there to eat me and expected my body to be quickly shredded.

  It took its time studying me as if trying to decide where to start. I didn’t question why I was able to close my eyes. I was just glad that I could. I didn’t want to watch as I was devoured by a monster.

  My numb legs started to tingle, and the sensation slowly spread throughout my body. I snuck a peek, expecting to be locked in the creature’s jaws. Instead, Belva, Adel, and Calista floated before me. My eyes were open wide now as I realized their head and upper body was human, but in place of legs, they had an aqua tail with one fin splayed out at the bottom. They looked like mermaids!

  “See! I told you we didn’t kill her,” Adel said to the monster. “It’s just taking her longer than usual to make the change.”

  Make the change? What was she talking about? My gaze shifted down over my body to find that I now too had a tail. Could it be that I wasn’t dead after all? But how? Mermaids didn’t really exist. They were the things of myths and folklore. Yet here I was at the bottom of the ocean with the three girls who’d brought me here, and they were very much alive.

  “What do you want us to do with her?” Belva asked.

  “Bring her to the grotto where I can have a closer look at what you’ve brought me. I won’t pay for damaged goods.”

  They were selling me to a giant eel? Maybe none of this was real. Maybe the whole day had been just a dream, and I’d wake up, have oatmeal and toast for breakfast, then head off to school. Unfortunately, though, I felt the pain of Calista’s tight grip on my upper arm as she grabbed me, an indication that I wasn’t asleep.