by M.S Watson
Chapter Seven
‘One day you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be family.’
Johnathon Safran Foer, ‘Everything is Illuminated’
When Lainie’s cries of heartfelt agony dulled down, I finally was able to gain a couple of hours sleep. It was difficult to remain in slumber, my body restless despite the deeply ingrained tiredness. Tossing and turning, I finally relinquished myself to remaining awake, the few hours sleep leaving me sluggish but otherwise happy to remain in bed. I trained my eyes on the ceiling, watching the shadows dance as my ceiling fan whirred above. Everything was so hot and sweaty, the covers sticking to me as I absently kicked them off and they tumbled to the floor. Outside, the sounds of the ocean simply left me nauseated, increasing as the recognisable drone of Nevada’s car pulled into the driveway.
I rolled onto my stomach and pulled the pillow over my head as I listened to her let herself in downstairs. She called out for both Lainie and me, but only Lainie responded with a loud, ‘Coming!’ followed by Starden scurrying out onto the balcony and down a tree adjacent to the house. All traces of Lainie’s heartbreak were gone as she ran downstairs and spoke with a too-bright smile in her voice. Then again, after discovering that we were adopted, I didn’t think that Nevada could truly berate my sister for her sleeping buddy. Instantly I was glad that I had been sleeping on the bottom of the ocean. Living with the memory of Lainie’s screams all night would have simply made my skin crawl for the rest of my life.
When the footfalls ascended the stairs, I ran to the door to lock them out, my feet failing to grip against the polished floorboards. I was too late. As I approached, the door swung open and my sister and faux mother entered the room, wearing smiles and flashing shiny pink, purple and green credit cards. Nevada approached me sheepishly, only pausing long enough to place a purple and green pair of cards in my hand before tucking tail and returning to her place by the doorway. Lainie was slightly more adventurous, approaching well into my personal space as she fanned herself with a handful of the credit cards.
‘It’s hot, tiring and we’re in serious need of a new wardrobe before autumn hits,’ she pointed out. ‘I vote that we take these babies out and give them a workout.’ She winked at me and I begrudgingly relinquished a tight smile, losing it instantly when Nevada grew her own. She wasn’t in my good books yet, and I would be damned if I let her off easy now. She seemed to realise as much as I turned on my heel and approached my closet, sorting through the different items for something to wear. They seemed to take the point, closing the door quietly as they went to get ready themselves.
The thought of staying home and simply sleeping for the rest of the day crossed my mind more than once, but each time I insisted on pushing through the shock of becoming finned and finally, I was eventually able to focus on what I was going to wear. I settled for a white dress with peach-coloured flowers, the spaghetti straps covering up the uneven tan from constant use of strapped clothing. I left my hair down, brushing through the long strands and topping it off with a pretty white rose headband that looped over my head from ear to ear. I smiled slightly when I saw myself in the mirror in my ensuite, dressed in pastels and achieving an appearance of innocence and soft beauty.
Deciding against jewellery, I grabbed a pair of beige flats and slid my feet into them. For a moment, I paused and looked at my wrist, thinking of the birth mark there. It was barely a centimetre squared, faint tan in colour but oddly shaped in the form of a trident. Poseidon’s trident. I shuddered, my feet tingling with the memory of fins and mythological beings. Could I really be from the sea? Contemplating to myself, I thought about my sister’s birthmark on the opposite wrist. It was perfectly formed, identical to my own.
Maybe if I just push her in …
I shook my head and berated myself internally for thinking of such ludicrousness. My sister wasn’t attached to the sea as I was. She loved the sun tan and the adoring boys that came with basking on the sand. Never would she risk destroying her make-up and perfectly styled hair. I shuddered to think of what her reaction would be should she discover it the way I had. The concept of undertaking this new knowledge, not by myself as I had initially thought, but with my sister slowly became appealing to me. Maybe I could depend on someone else.
When Lainie and Nevada made their way downstairs with keys jangling in my fingers, I knew it was time to break out of my thoughts and follow them out. Who knew, maybe a miracle would occur and I would find it in my heart to forgive Nevada, but it wouldn’t be likely. Eighteen years of lies kind of does that to a person, especially within the first twenty-four hours of discovering the deception. Would I ever get over it? That was a damn fine question.
As I exited my room, I snatched a tan handbag from my bed and took slow steps down to meet my sister and the mother of lies. Lainie offered me a grin while Nevada smiled sheepishly. Watching it fall from her face, I almost felt sorry for her but the pain came back raw and fresh as a reminder. I didn’t know if I could trust her again. We left a note for Chris on the bench top, and another on the fridge in case he failed to notice the other, and we filed out onto the back porch. The sun was blaring in full force now, baking the green grass and rose bushes with all its fury. My own bridled fury burned deep within, threatening to scorch through me and outshine the sun. Lainie wiped her fingers under her eyes, clearing away her runaway make-up.
The car was in the driveway, shining brightly as we approached. When Lainie reached for the handle to the front door, she squealed and jumped back, waving her hand around and dancing on the spot.
‘Damn, that’s hot!’ she exclaimed, blowing on the burn as Nevada got in and leaned across to open the door for her. She strained to open mine, too, but I reached it before her. Ignoring the burn that ensued, I grabbed the handle and yanked it open. She paused for a moment, meeting my eyes before turning sulkily back and looking at my sister. Lainie was trying hard to keep her eyes from running, to the point I thought she would cry more from her make-up running rather than her burning hand. I rolled my eyes and pulled on my large, white-rimmed sunglasses, turning the world dark through the new perspective.
We made our way to the Beaufort Plaza Shopping Centre, parking near the more popular restaurants and shops. As we filed out of the car, I turned my attention to the Taco Bell. It was already beginning to reach full swing, customers filing in and out of the doors faster than they could serve them. I followed Nevada and Lainie through the expanse, taking in the familiar shops and noting a few new additions. Pandora Boutique had finally opened, a formal dress shop that appeared to be doing well. As proof, we walked past noting two girls in the store with an assistant, watching a to-be bride swirl around in a dress of white organza and gems.
‘Come on,’ I heard Lainie insist, grabbing my wrist a moment later. I was dragged after her and Nevada, earning a small smile from Nevada as I stumbled past. Lainie led me in the direction of the Pandora café, a branch off from the Pandora Boutique. It was lavish and expensive, and I almost declined her insistence, but then I changed my mind. Nevada clearly was up for a high day of spending, so why not have a decent meal once in a while? Lainie didn’t seem to notice my hesitation, her eyes focused on the beautiful café. She was practically glued to the salad bar, her eyes focused on a 99% fat free roll of salad. When she finally reached the salad bar, she released me and I stumbled in surprise, quickly recovering the moment I saw Nevada enter and noticed her concern for me.
‘Hello ma’am,’ the girl behind the black marble top addressed me. She brushed her side-swept fringe out of her eyes and focused on me with a smile. I returned it with my own saddened version. ‘What may I get for you?’ She stood back, pen at the ready in her long, pale fingers tipped with cherry red nail polish.
‘I’ll have a double caramel mocha with four sugars,’ I announced, noting her shock before it was swept clean from her face. She instead focused a very pointed smile at me. ‘I’ll also have a set of pancakes with your best maple
syrup and hand-churned butter.’ She whistled in reply, shaking her head to herself as she recorded the meal on paper. When she finally finished and presented to us the price, I failed to listen for the shock. Almost sixty dollars later, I was sitting down to my double white mocha and pancakes while Nevada dropped her wallet ungracefully onto the table and sat down with a sigh.
‘You girls are expensive,’ she told us, offering a small smile. No, she rarely got annoyed for spending her money so plentiful on us. I suppose eighteen years of guilt will make a person lenient, regardless of the cost. She sipped on her own strawberries and cream mocha, frowning slightly as I imagined her contemplating the projected cost of the day’s shopping spree and the damage she would have to make up. I shrugged slightly to myself. It wasn’t my problem.
We ate and drank in silence, waiting for each other to finish before we finished our own. The awkwardness was almost palpable, my sister’s eyes glued to the newest information on her phone concerning Isabella’s burns and Ryker’s commitment to her. I didn’t have my phone on me, but I didn’t need to when I felt the raw guilt running through me, knowing that something had happened during that afternoon between me and the pool water, causing her burns. When my thoughts became too much, I turned my gaze across the room, scanning the customers as they filed in through the entrance and sat at their own tables. I almost turned away, bored with watching them, but then he entered.
Everything about him called to me.
From the way his dark hair was mussed to the way it fell over mysterious, cyan eyes. They glowed with their own inner luminescence. He was all tough, lean muscle that held definition without being that of a too-muscular body builder. His short-sleeved shirt clung in all the right places, and his height left him towering above the waitress. Then he met my eyes and I was swallowed by such depths of mystery and intrigue. I shivered with intoxication. When Lainie kicked my foot from under the table, I was finally able to drag my gaze away and break whatever connection it was that had fallen on me.
‘Stop eyeballing the dude,’ she hissed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She sat up and I watched as she met his gaze and winked. In disgust, his lip raised and he turned away. Lainie rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. ‘Drop kick.’ He seemed to have noticed, because he chuckled as he bent over his ordered coffee. He blew the steam away and sipped, my gaze transfixed on him before I realised I was staring. I bit my lip and turned my focus on my sister as she watched.
‘You should watch what you say about people,’ I muttered, twisting a straw between my fingers. ‘Perhaps one day it might come back to haunt you.’ She rolled her eyes and flipped her hand, waving me off.
‘Don’t be stupid Iris,’ she told me. ‘Don’t pretend you care just because you like the guy. You and I both know nothing will happen. I’ll always be Queen-B.’ I laughed.
‘That’s until Queen-A comes and knocks you off the perch,’ I muttered, snickering as she attempted to kick me under the table. She missed, kicking her toe of the underside of my chair instead. My laughter only increased, until I was laughing loud enough to gain the attention of the entire café and a cold-as-ice glare from Lainie. I blushed, burrowing my chin against my chest as the patrons returned to their meals. My gaze flickered in the direction of the guy at the bar, and my blush worsened when I saw him watching me with open curiosity.
Nevada sensed it was time to leave. I sighed a breath of relief and practically ran from the inner workings of the café, brushing past the guy as my cheeks burned. Lainie took her time instead, running a dainty pink fingernail along the length of his shoulders as she passed. She breathed huskily in his ear before she met Nevada and me outside, and I grabbed their hands and quickly led them away. Nevada remained silent, but Lainie clearly wasn’t taking the hint when I elbowed her in the gut. She continued chatting merrily, teasing me well until we reached the car and ushered her inside.
‘Oh, come on sis,’ she groaned childishly. Nevada entered the driver’s seat whilst I made my way into the back. My jaw ached from how tightly I had been holding it shut, in fear that I would burst if I gave in. ‘It’s just a guy. No need to get all huffy about it!’ She huffed, crossing her arms as she kicked off her shoes and folded her legs. Obviously the shopping trip was off, if Nevada’s eagerness to leave was any indication. She reversed quickly, the wheels skidding as the newly falling rain of morning began to make the roads slick.We sat back in our seats as she made her way back home, and eventually the tension in the air began to thin out.
By the time we were driving past the docks, Lainie was well and truly recovered and ready to be out again. Pulling over to the curb, Nevada idled the car as I followed Lainie out with the excuse of visiting Macy’s. Nevada appeared to be reluctant to release us, but then she realised that being the more reliable of the two, I would keep my sister under a tight leash - or so she preferred to believe.
‘Be good girls,’ she told us through the open car window. ‘And behave! I don’t want to be hearing reports back from Macy saying that you’re harassing her too much.’
‘Yeah, yeah,’ Lainie replied, waving her off. She slipped her handbag higher on her shoulder and we listened as the car moved away and further down the road. She kept walking down the path, rolling her eyes as she examined her comments and statuses on her phone, narrowing her eyes when she spotted more information about Ryker and Isabella. I ignored her rants as we entered Macy’s. Macy was behind the bar, washing glasses as we approached. She and I exchanged a knowing glance before she turned to face my sister.
‘Vanilla coke?’ she asked, knowing very well what Lainie’s answer would be. She was already pouring the glass when my sister finally managed to pry her eyes away from her phone long enough to nod. I didn’t bother having a glass, following my sister outside after she dropped her bag behind the bar. She led me to the edge of the boat where it met the dock, the water lapping against the pillars below. Lainie sipped at her drink while she looked at me, her eyes scrutinising. It was unnerving, watching my mirror image look at me so closely.
‘So,’ she addressed me. ‘You like that guy?’ I narrowed my eyes. She was planning something, and depending on my answer, I probably wouldn’t like it. Eventually, I shrugged.
‘Even if I did, it wouldn’t be any of your business,’ I replied, narrowing my eyes at her. A thought crossed my mind, and before I knew it, I was pushing her into the water. She screamed as she fell, the coke splaying over my clothes and she entered the water in a splay of arms and legs. A moment later, I was diving in after her and dragged her deep under the water, close enough for her to surface quickly but far enough out that no one could see my emerging fins.
It was difficult swimming with my fins. The large mass of scales and muscles glided through the water, but when we eventually surfaced to give Lainie air, I noticed we were no longer near land. The buildings dotted the green of the land, the boats merely small shapes on the horizon. For a moment all I could hear were the slight waves around us. They lapped around me gently but were quickly interrupted by a spray of water droplets as my sister surfaced, shrieking a string of curses at me. She glared, her make-up ruined and her hair limp with water. She fisted her hands and battered me weakly, her nails drawing thin trails of blood. I finally caught her fists, stopping her in mid-swing.
‘LAINIE!’
I caught her attention, her eyes blinking as my fins lifted from the water in a beautiful show of blue and lilac scales. They shone brightly in the sunlight that peaked out from the impending grey clouds above. Her gaze finally focused, understanding dawning in her mind and she pushed away from me, screaming.
‘WHAT ARE YOU?’ she shrieked, her voice ringing through my head. I didn’t answer her though. Instead, I dived under the water and towards where her legs had been, intrigued to find that they had been replaced by a long, lean set of ruby red and orange fins. They were predominantly ruby red, but the orange formed thin bands around her, beginning at her hips and trailing down. She reminded me of a
tropical fish, only so much more beautiful.
I finally surfaced behind her, smiling as I began to circle around. When I didn’t seem likely to answer, she shook her head and began to swim back to shore. She didn’t manage to swim far though, her new fins unable to move smoothly and she began to sink. She started to panic, and I swam forward to hold her above the surface. Her arms locked around me, just as she used to when she was scared when we were little. She began to cry.
‘I am the same as you,’ I whispered in her ear. ‘We are mythological creatures.’