The sea became completely calm again. I thought about Lorelei, and how she had commanded the sea lions. That was her I had seen! I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I scanned the sea all around us, looking for her.
“Marina,” Ethan said, “Let’s go in.” He was looking at me strangely, and he seemed a little alarmed.
“OK!” I smiled broadly. I was thrilled. If she could find me here, at a different beach, I knew I could meet with her when I was ready. We definitely had a connection.
We gathered our gear and loaded it into his truck. I climbed in the cab and Ethan opened a small cooler and handed me an orange juice.
“Here, drink this. It’s easy to get dehydrated out there.”
“Thanks,” I smiled gratefully, surprised at how consistently thoughtful he was.
I was silent for a few minutes, thinking about Lorelei. It was warm from the sun and I was pleasantly tired and relaxed, sighing with contentment. I leaned back, stretching out my sore shoulders with my eyes closed. When I opened them back up I saw Ethan watching me.
“What?” I said sleepily.
“Marina, the dolphins... that wasn’t normal. I’ve never seen them act like that.” I looked out the window and smiled to myself.
“Yeah, I suppose so,” I said, thinking I wasn’t very normal either.
He cleared his throat, “Do you remember how I freaked out when I first saw you?” he asked.
I nodded, looking down. He continued, “It was your eyes. I’d seen your eyes before... I was starting to think I hallucinated the whole thing...”
My head snapped up, “What?” I said, looking over at him, “When?” His eyes locked onto mine and I could see him struggle with what he was about to say, “I was in a surfing contest out at the point. I was way out, sitting up on my board, waiting my turn when I saw a big shark heading for me.” He took a breath and went on, “It was a great white, maybe fifteen feet... coming at me fast. There was nothing I could do...” He glanced over at the ocean, remembering.
“What happened?” I asked quietly. I think I knew what he saw.
“A girl came from out of nowhere. Popped up right between me and the shark... She must of kicked it away or something, because it just took off.” He shook his handsome head.
“Wow,” I said softly.
“I was shocked... but I know I saw her. She looked me straight in the eyes and disappeared underwater. I looked all around, diving in the water, but I couldn’t find her...” he looked down,
“The whole thing only lasted a few seconds. I... I knew no one would believe me so I never told anyone.”
There was a moment of silence, “I believe you,” I said.
He turned to face me again and his eyes burned into mine, “I thought it might have been you when I first saw you...”
I shook my head, “No, It wasn’t me.”
“Then who was it?” his eyes were intense.
I wanted to tell him everything right then but something stopped me. What if he didn’t think I should look for Lorelei again? What if he was disgusted by my possible origins? Or worst of all, what if he didn’t want anything more to do with me?
“I…” I bit my lip, “I don’t know.”
I had to look away, unable to bear his gaze. There really was so much I didn’t know, and I was more determined than ever to find out. I remembered how I wanted to tell him what I’d seen the day he pulled me out of the sea. It was unbelievably ironic that just moments after I first saw Lorelei I would come in contact with the only other person in town who would have actually believed me.
He drove me home in silence, the unspoken truth hanging between us. He sighed as we pulled up in front of the house.
“You could be a really good surfer if you keep practicing,” he said.
“You sound like Cruz with my driving,” I replied, “Could we go surfing again?” I asked timidly, fearful he might say no. I had a feeling he knew I was being evasive.
“I was hoping that you’d want to,” he smiled at me and I relaxed.
We got out and started unloading my surfboards.
“I want you to have that board,” I said.
He thought about it for a second and shrugged, “I’ll borrow it when we surf together,” he glanced over at the Porsche. I had an idea.
“Do you want to drive it?” I asked.
He smiled, and again I noticed the way his eyes crinkled up at the corners, “I thought you’d never ask.”
“Be right back.”
I ran in the house with my bag, surprising Cruz and Megan as they sat on the couch watching television.
“Hi guys,” I said, rushing past their questioning eyes to my room. I grabbed my purse and keys and ran a brush through my hair. I hurried back past them towards the door.
“Ethan and I are going for a driving lesson,” I tossed out casually. Megan and Cruz exchanged smirks.
Abby came in from the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel, “Dinner’s almost ready...
do you want to invite Ethan?” she asked, looking out the window at his truck parked out front.
“They’re going driving,” Cruz said teasingly. I blushed, and flashed him a mock dirty look.
“Don’t wait for me, I can grab something later.” I made my escape, handing Ethan the keys as we climbed in.
“Where to?” he asked.
I looked up at Megan and Cruz in the window and said, “Let’s just get out of here.” He saw them and smiled.
“They’ve been worried about you all week too.”
He took the Porsche out on the freeway and headed down the coast. He gunned the engine, pressing me back into the seat.
“How come your old auntie has a sweet ride like this?” he asked.
I laughed at his characterization of Evie. He had no idea. “Her late husband collected cars.
This is just the tip of the iceberg,” I said, telling him about the underground garage full of cars. I described some of her Rolls Royces, Ferraris, and other cars I couldn’t name. He let out a low whistle.
“Tell her the old man had great taste. This thing’s in excellent shape.” We continued our drive along the coast, and he seemed to be enjoying the ride. We sped past rich farmland with artichokes and strawberry fields until he took an an exit and turned onto a country lane.
“Where are we?” I asked, as we wound down the remote road and parked.
“C’mon, I’ll show you.” He led me out to a large field, part of it planted with lettuce. It was windswept, with a few gnarled Cypress trees clinging to the edge of a bluff. The view of the coast was magnificent.
“This land is all part of the Khang family farm.” He said, gesturing from the bluff to the hills. “Lue’s selling me the five acres right here between the freeway and the ocean.”
“Wow!” I said, “It’s beautiful out here. What are you going to do with it?” As we walked along the field he told me how he wanted to start a nursery growing native and drought resistant plants. He told me what a good spot this was for growing, and how he was working for Lue to pay for the plot. He was planning to study landscaping design, horticulture and business at the local university.
As he spoke, his eyes lit up. He reminded me of my father when he was onto a particularly interesting line of research. I thought about what Lue Khang had said about Ethan’s “earth spirits” and I couldn’t help smiling.
“What?” he asked, suddenly self-conscious.
“Nothing,” I shook my head, “You just remind me of someone. Now I see what you’re working so hard for.”
We continued our stroll until we arrived at a spot with a perfect view of the sun setting over the sea.
“I’d like to build a house right here someday,” he said, and I could suddenly see it in my mind as if it already stood right before us.
“It’s going to be beautiful,” I said, with an intense spasm of pain right behind my eyes. I pressed my palm to my temple and staggered back a step. Not again… not now.
&nb
sp; Ethan turned to me, puzzled. “What did you just say?” he asked. He was looking at me the same way that Cruz and Megan had...
“Nothing,” I said, feeling the blood draining from my face, “I’m just a little dizzy.”
“We haven’t eaten all day,” said Ethan, “Do you want to go get some pizza or something?” I blinked, and forced a shaky smile, “OK, that sounds good.” He took me by the arm to steady me as we walked back to the car. As we drove back up the coast my head was reeling with the knowledge of what I’d done. I had just blurted something out in garbled mermaid language right in front of Ethan. I felt like I was losing control of myself and it scared me. I imagined talking to Lorelei on my surfboard and began to feel a little better.
I could see Ethan’s worried glances over at me in my peripheral vision. I tried to act normally, to beat back the panic and steady my breathing. We drove to a place he knew and took a quiet booth in the back. He ordered right away and made sure I got some water. I knew he was watching me, and I did my best to act as though nothing was wrong, and my whole world wasn’t being turned upside down more and more each day. I put everything that was going on out of my mind.
“Do you feel better?” he asked after we ate some pizza.
I nodded and smiled, trying to reassure him, “Yes, much... thanks.” He seemed to relax and I followed suit, leaning back and sipping on my soda.
“So, you really never went to school?” he asked, “I mean, you seem so… smart.” I laughed, finally feeling like myself, “I’ve had lots of teachers! You don’t need to be in a classroom to learn.”
He chuckled, and I really liked the way it sounded, “I guess so… I was wondering,” he switched topics, “You’ve looked like a totally different person every day this week at school...
How come?”
I looked down, pressing my lips together, “My Aunt Evie sent a bunch of my clothes down to me along with the Porsche. Cruz likes to pick the outfits for me.” He didn’t look convinced.
I smiled sheepishly and added more truthfully, “Also, those girls at school get... irritated....
by all the things that Evie gives me. So, I thought I’d just give them just a little more to be annoyed about.” It sounded petty when I said it out loud and I felt a twinge of guilt.
“You little instigator,” he chuckled again, and I looked up into blue eyes sparkling with amusement, “You don’t need to do all that stuff. I like you best the way you are right now.”
“Uhm, thanks,” I said, my cheeks burning, “but I can’t deny Cruz all of his fun.” Now I changed the subject, asking him more about his plans for the future.
We discovered that we shared the same birthday in January, which struck us both as an unusual coincidence. He would be eighteen the same day I was to turn seventeen, and I couldn’t help but remember all of Evie’s talk about destiny. Whether it meant anything or not, our common birthday made me feel closer to him, like we had a special connection.
The more I got to know Ethan the more impressed I was, for he was totally unlike any of the other boys at school. He was far more serious about mapping out his future than most people our age. It was as if he needed to know precisely what was going to happen in the future, and he worked hard to make sure things turned out like he planned. I wasn’t sure if it was good to work so hard, or bad to be so inflexible. He reminded me of my dad.
He was always polite and serious, but never without a sense of humor. He wasn’t vain at all, which I found unusual for such a good looking guy. He seemed indifferent to all the girls that flocked around him at school, ignoring them as they tried to catch his eye. I was no better than any of them, I thought, embarrassed by how quickly he had crept into my psyche, appearing in my dreams regularly.
He asked me about some of the different places I’d lived and I asked him more questions about surfing. We talked for a long time, and when the restaurant finally closed we reluctantly started for home.
Ethan pulled up and we climbed out of the little car.
“You better get some rest,” he said, walking me to the door. We stood there awkwardly for a moment while I searched in my bag for the house keys.
“Thanks for today,” I said nervously, fiddling with the lock.
“Let’s go again next Saturday,” he said.
I smiled, turning the knob, “Sounds like fun.”
He hesitated, and then turned to leave, “Goodnight Marina.”
“Goodnight,” I called after him.
When I came inside, Cruz was waiting for me on the couch. He peppered me with questions about the day, teasing me about being out so late with Ethan.
“Let’s see, you’ve only lived here a couple of months and already you’ve almost drowned twice, discovered a mermaid, and are dating the cutest guy in school!” He shook his head theatrically. “What are you going to do for your next act?” I scowled at him, “We’re not dating.”
“He took you out to eat on a Saturday night.”
“So?” I said. He just laughed at me as I headed down the hall to bed. “Good night Cruz,” I called over my shoulder.
“Good night Marina.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HERO
The next week at school started uneventfully. It looked as though things were going to blow over with Shayla, but I knew it was only because she didn’t want to make Ethan angry with her.
Nevertheless, I relaxed and stopped looking over my shoulder so much. I was getting used to the routine, and while my classes were for the most part boring I enjoyed spending time with Megan and Cruz. Ethan was friendly with them, I enjoyed art class, and the mean girls avoided me.
Maybe my dad was right about me needing to be here.
“Ethan’s a really nice guy when you get to know him,” Megan said. “I guess I just assumed that all surfers were jerks.”
“You know what happens when you assume...” Cruz added.
Ethan began joining us at lunch, and always escorted me to art class afterward. Our new-found camaraderie infuriated Shayla and her gang of followers. If looks could kill I would have been in real trouble. I toned down my look a bit, but always included at least one truly flashy piece of designer wear in each outfit. I could see them check out each new handbag, jacket or pair of expensive shoes I wore to my great amusement. Eat your hearts out, I thought.
I started attracting the attention of a new round of boys. They would try to sit with me in class or strike up conversations in the halls. It was a little disconcerting, but Evie would have loved it. I think it had something to do with the red hot sports car I drove to school each day, Cruz nervously coaching from the passenger seat. Ethan often seemed to materialize by my side when they came lurking around, a protective presence that came as a welcome relief. When he was nearby I relaxed and let my guard down, and I felt a little better about everything that was going on.
Every day after school I went down to the beach, hoping to find myself alone on the cement ship. Lorelei had proven to be unpredictable, so I never knew when I might happen upon her. I hadn’t seen any sea lions for quite a while and I was growing discouraged, starting to think I’d never get another chance to meet with her. That Thursday after school I packed my bag and wandered down to the pier in the hopes that today might just be my lucky day.
It was cool breezy afternoon, and the beach hosted only a smattering of people. I lingered on the pier, waiting for the ship to clear off. Making my way down to the fence, I looked through with my fingers crossed. My heart sank when I saw no sign of the sea lions or Lorelei. Pressing my face to the fence I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated.
“Lorelei! ” I called out, hoping I could summon her, “Sister! ” I scanned the wrecked concrete, sighing in frustration.
“Well if it isn’t our local freak!” Shayla’s voice called out behind me. I turned to see Shayla and Heather approach me menacingly. Jamie hung back a little with a scared look on her face.
There were three of them, and I wondered how badly the
y were planning on beating me. I considered jumping off into the water, but the wild surf and Ethan’s warnings about the pier stopped me. I steeled myself for the worst.
“Leave me alone!” I hissed, and tried to walk boldly passed them. Shayla shoved me hard and I stumbled backwards, falling to the pavement.
“Shayla, we should go...” Jamie said quaveringly, looking behind her. There was nobody there to call for help.
“Whersh your boyfriend now?” Shayla was taller than I remembered as she closed in on me.
She lunged for me but I scrambled to my feet and backed up. “Little miss I’m so-o perfect and my parents are rish. Ethanz so stupid– he only likes you cuz a your car.” She was drunkenly ranting, and started cursing me out, calling me every vile thing she could think of. I recognized the pain in her voice and realized how much my petty games had really affected her.
I could hear Heather laughing hysterically as I dodged Shayla’s first punch, “Kick the crap out of her! Pull her hair out of her head.”
Shayla swung again and connected, splitting my lip against my teeth. I could taste blood in my mouth and I fell back down again. She stood over me, seething with rage.
“You think you’re so great but you’re just a stupid freak!” I could smell the alcohol on her breath, and her eyes were bleary and unfocused. I tried to crawl away, watching as Heather collapsed in stitches on the pavement. Shayla reached down and snatched my purse. She staggered over to the side rail and dangled it over, a triumphant grimace on her face. She stumbled, and the weight of the bag combined with her height tipped her over the edge.
Heather’s eyes swung open in shock.
We all ran to the side and looked down. At first we couldn’t see her but she finally surfaced, her face white with shock. Her head started bobbing in the churning foam. Jamie stood frozen in fear and Heather started wailing and crying. We stood watching Shayla gasping for air and flailing as the currents sucked her down. I was pretty sure she was too drunk to swim.
Derrolyn Anderson - [Marinas Tales #1] - Between The Land And The Sea Page 14