by Julie Cassar
“calm down. put ur arm around hm
& introduce urslf 2 nwguy
join the convo & smile”
“There,” she smiled as she slid the phone back into her pocket. “Crisis hopefully averted. Come on, you. Back to work.” We walked back up the beach and headed over to another area where she had huge rocks waiting on the beach for me. Oh joy. What torture did she have planned for me now?
She had me carry 40-pound rocks under water, and run along the bottom of the lake, letting me drop the rock only when I needed to come up for air. Which, unfortunately for me, was only every seventeen minutes or so. Yeah, I could go at least seventeen minutes under water before I needed to take a breath. Pretty cool, huh?
When I surfaced for air and walked back to shore, Anya was impatiently holding the phone out for me again.
“lovelovelove ths man. all bttr now! @movies”
I texted back, “ : ) ” and handed the phone back to Anya. She slipped the phone back into her pocket and looked annoyed. Apparently, my seventeen minutes under water wasn’t cool enough for Anya. She insisted that I could go much longer and shouldn’t need to drop the rock that soon.
“Come ON Ruby! You’re not concentrating hard enough,” she scolded me. “You should be able to stay under water much, much longer than this. Try harder.”
I was panting heavily and feeling exhausted. “I am trying harder. I’m just tired Anya.”
She shook her head at me like a school teacher scolding a student, “No. You aren’t. You need to focus. Jeremy’s practically had an entire relationship tonight and you’ve barely begun to really push yourself. The Challenge is just two days away. There may very well be an underwater scavenge part of the course during the Challenge. If you have to keep coming up for air as often as you’ve been, you will lose for sure.”
Great. Like I needed to hear that. I wasn’t a dragon or a Mermaid! I was human. I needed air when I needed air, dragon magic or not. I blew out a sigh of frustration. “Look Anya, I’m doing my best. I’m tired. I don’t know what to tell you.” It felt weird to be arguing with Anya, because it was something I never usually did. But she just didn’t understand! I was tired. I was really trying. I didn’t need her making me feel even guiltier than I already would feel if I lose. I was worrying about this competition more than anyone else.
She sighed, sounding a little more relaxed, “Okay. Let’s just do it again. Just please, please try to stay under as long as you can, okay?”
I nodded, but was still annoyed. Of course I’m staying under as long as I can. Did she think I was slacking off? I was not slacking off. Stripping off her shorts and leaving her cell on the beach, Anya followed me out into the water this time.
I gulped a big breath of air, went under the water, picked up the heavy rock, and started running across the sandy bottom of the lake again. Anya would swim near the surface holding a stop watch, as she followed me along. After what seemed like forever, my lungs felt like they were going to explode so I dropped the heavy rock and propelled myself to the surface.
Anya was smiling, “Good! You made it almost twenty-one minutes that time! See? Much better, Ruby. Much better.”
I treaded water lightly, catching my breath. Even though swimming and staying under water was so much easier for me, and I was (as Anya said) the fastest swimmer in Lake City now, I still got tired, just like any other person would. It just took longer to affect me. And we had already been working hard in the water for a few hours. After I caught my breath, I tiredly said, “Okay, I think I’m done. It’s getting late. I should be heading home soon.” My arms and legs felt fatigued, and I just wanted to crawl into my bed. The sky was turning purplish-blue, and the stars were starting to twinkle. In the summertime, I usually stayed out late swimming or whatever, so I knew my parents wouldn’t worry, but I was past the point of exhaustion now. I just wanted to go to sleep.
Anya wouldn’t let me off the hook that easily. “Tomorrow is our last day to prepare you Ruby. Let’s take a few minute rest on the beach and then go through the drills just one more time, okay? Then you can go home.”
I blew out a big breath, feeling defeated. Boy, Anya was sure cracking the whip. Just then, her phone went off again. She handed it to me without even looking at it.
“m jst drpped me off. suprhot. swim fst grl! ttyl!
I texted back,
“tryn 2. gnite.ttyl”
I sighed and handed the phone back to Anya.
“Come on,” she said, “Let’s head back out, and we’ll start from the beginning,” she swam easily ahead of me, not waiting for me to answer. I reluctantly followed like a lost, little puppy. I supposed I should put in the extra work, since I blew off the other night and kept getting interrupted tonight with Jeremy’s constant texting.
After another hour in the water, I dragged myself to the beach and collapsed. Anya sat down next to me. “You’re doing well, Ruby…really good,” she said as she wrapped a towel around her. I was too tired to even bother. I laid on mine, sprawled out on the beach, staring up at the starry, dark sky.
“Yeah. But am I good enough?” I asked, staring at the bright twinkling stars and wondering if I could possibly make the happy ending come true for Celestine and Bexin. Why is it up to me to give them the happy ending to their fairy tale? I didn’t like it. I didn’t like having that responsibility on my shoulders. But I knew I had to do my best. I owed it to them. And to myself. And to my Fairy friends who have protected me for so long.
Anya didn’t answer. She shrugged her shoulders and stared up at the sky. “Well. There’s still work to be done. Tomorrow’s another day,” she simply said. “Same time?” I nodded, stood up and wrapped my towel around me. She didn’t sound very supportive. Maybe she was just worried. Or, maybe she just knew I could do better. Or, maybe she just didn’t want to get my hopes up in case I lost. She knows me better than almost anybody. She knew how awful I’ll feel if I lose and Celestine can’t marry Bexin.
“Okay,” she firmly nodded. “See you then.” She gave me a quick hug and POP, she was gone from my sight. I slowly walked back to my house, through the dark woods, as Fairies fluttered near my feet. I suddenly thought of the song “Popular,” from the musical Wicked, that my mother was singing the day I came home from Traverse City. The lyrics eerily ran through my head as I thought about what Anya had said to me.
“To be popular
I’ll help you be popular!
You'll hang with the right cohorts
You'll be good at sports
Know the slang you've got to know
So let's start
'Cause you've got an awfully long way to go
Don't be offended by my frank analysis
Think of it as personality dialysis”
Personality dialysis… Ha. That’s what Brennan needed. I thought sarcastically. But even I couldn’t smile at my thought. I was too wrapped up in my own worries. Was I good at sports? Would I be good enough in the Challenge? Things were moving so quickly…and I didn’t know everything I needed to know. All I knew was that I definitely seemed like I had an awfully long way to go… And I’d have to get there in just one more day.
Chapter 20
The next evening, I went to the beach to go through my swimming drills one last time before the Challenge. “What? No Brennan again?” I asked Anya as I walked up to her. She shook her head and shrugged, “Nope.”
“What’s his deal? I thought he was supposed to be helping me. Why isn’t he here?” I asked her. I was more than a little hurt that Brennan had not showed up. Again. He was the one who made such a big deal about everything, and it was his “brilliant” idea for me to do this stupid Challenge in the first place…now he just seems like to be blowing it off.
“Well, he was getting things prepared so Jeremy could come to watch too. He had to get permission from our Father and from the King of the Water Court. They normally don’t let…ah…outsiders come to watch, if you know what I mean,” she said.
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br /> “Okay…but…that couldn’t have possibly taken him all day. I mean…he knew we were practicing, right?” I pressed.
Anya nodded.
“So? Why isn’t he here then?” I asked again.
Anya kept her lips pressed together in a firm line and shrugged. “Ruby, he just didn’t want to be here.”
I stood there staring at her. Well, that was a pretty darn straight-forward answer. A lump rose in my throat, and I could feel tears well up in my eyes. “He…he…didn’t wanna be here? Is he mad at me? What did I do?” I said softly, very close to whining. Why did it bother me so much that he wasn’t here?
Anya’s expression softened, and she touched my shoulder as she spoke, “Oh Ruby, I don’t know…he just seemed crabby to me, that’s all. He didn’t really tell me anything. I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong. You know how boys are…”
I really didn’t know how boys were. But, I guess I really couldn’t worry about it. He wasn’t here. I felt let-down. Brennan was one of my best friends (even though I couldn’t stand him half of the time). I just really needed his support right now, and he didn’t even want to be here. The lump in my throat was still there, and, no matter how many times I gulped and swallowed, it wouldn’t go away. I blinked away the tears that had welled up in my eyes and decided I couldn’t worry about Brennan anymore. Good friends don’t let each other down like this. Maybe he didn’t think of me as fondly as I thought of him. Maybe he only hung around so much because of his sister and because he was friends with Leo. Or, maybe he was “crabby,” as Anya had said, because he’s just tired of dealing with me. Maybe because of all the times he’s had to rescue me, keep me safe from stalkers, do healing spells on me, and all of the other crap, he’s decided it’s just too much work. I suppose I have been kind of a burden to him. I tried to shake off all of my feelings of self-doubt and pity. I had one more night to get ready for this Challenge, and I couldn’t waste time worrying about why he wasn’t here. “Okay then. I guess we might as well get to work,” I sighed.
Anya put me to work in the water again, and I got the feeling she was going much easier on me tonight. I think she felt sorry for me. I was pretty quiet and tried not complain at all. I didn’t want her thinking I was too much work to be friends with too. I worked extra hard, and, when she told me we were done for the night, I even offered to stay longer.
“Anya, I can work some more. Come on, let’s go through everything again,” I offered.
Anya smiled and shook her head sympathetically at me as we walked up the beach to retrieve our towels. “No Ruby. You are as ready as you’re going to be. You’re exhausted and you’re stressed out. What you need now is a good night’s rest. You’ll be great.” She smiled, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.
“Are you sure?” I looked at her with wondering eyes.
She nodded firmly. “Absolutely. And don’t you worry about Brennan either. He’s just being crabby. He’ll be there tomorrow. I promise.”
I let out a big sigh, “Okay, if you say so…” But I wasn’t so sure. At this point in the night, I had convinced myself that Brennan felt like the friendship we had was just too much work. When I thought about it, I realized that I was the pain in the ass, not him. This past summer, I’ve nearly gotten killed at least three times, once by a dragon, and at least twice by a Troll, not to mention I’ve probably caused him so much trouble with the Royal Counsel…it’s no wonder he’s fed up with me. I’d be fed up with me too.
Chapter 21It was August 17th – the day of the Challenge. Thankfully, I had to work today, which kept my mind busy. If I had to sit at home all day, I’d just worry and worry and worry. Anya and I had arranged for me to spend the night at her house, so my parents wouldn’t suspect anything. Jeremy did the same thing. He told his parents he was sleeping over at Brennan’s. Since the Challenge was at night and we’d be out until who knows what time, we arranged the “sleepover” excuse. I think it was the longest day in history. It must have been. Was the clock even working at the craft and hobby shop? It seemed like I looked at it every five minutes; the hands were just crawling. Finally, my shift was over and I headed over to Anya and Brennan’s cottage. Jeremy was working that day too. He worked at the bookstore in town that was just down the street from where I worked, so he was going to pick me up. I waited outside the store with my backpack slung over my shoulder, and paced the sidewalk. I chewed my lip while I anxiously walked back and forth, full of too much nervous energy to sit still. Where was he, anyway? My stomach churned in anticipation of the coming events of the night, and I actually started feeling a bit nauseous. Finally, Jeremy roared up to the curb in his mom’s huge Buick LeSabre. “What took you so long?” I asked as I hopped into the front seat.
“Nothin’. You had to wait, what…like five minutes? Chill, Ruby.”
“Ha. Easy for you to say. You’re not gonna get your ass kicked by a Mermaid tonight.” I said grumpily as I stared out of the window.
Jeremy glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow and touched my left leg, “Now, now…there’ll be no ass kicking…ass swishing maybe, but no kicking…not from a Mermaid without legs,” he chuckled, “Besides. I know my Ruby. You’re going to make a fillet outta that little fish.” He glanced at me sideways and smiled, and I giggled at his lame remark. “You’re such a goof!” I laughed and smacked his shoulder playfully. I could always count on Jeremy to have my back and make me laugh…which was more than I could say about Brennan right now. I hadn’t heard from him or seen him in almost three days, since that night when he stomped out of the store.
We pulled up to Anya and Brennan’s cottage around 5 p.m. It wasn’t dark yet, but they had the porch light on. The cute, little craftsman-style cottage featured stone pillars and a huge white porch with giant potted red geraniums in full bloom. Anya greeted us at the door, smiling wide. “Hi guys! We ordered pizza, and it just got here. We figured we’d eat before the big night!” She seemed so excited and happy. How could she be in such a great mood, when I was more than likely going to lose and poorly represent the Earthen Court? I was still nauseous and didn’t feel at all hungry. I followed Jeremy through the front door into the bright, wide-open modern living space of the cottage. Shades of white, sand and pale lime-green welcomed me. I slipped off my tattered, navy blue Converse shoes and padded across the cool, dark-wood plank floors towards the huge granite-topped kitchen island that sat in the center of the house. To the right was the kitchen and to the left was the main living space. Brennan was nowhere to be found. Anya busied herself with getting down glasses and drinks for us while I climbed up onto one of the barstools at the island and helped myself to a slice of pizza. I nibbled at the edge while I stared out of the windows which lined the back of the house. Jeremy came up to the island, grabbed three slices of pizza, and went to sit on the giant lime-green sectional couch. Just then, Brennan came thundering down the stairs. I glanced over to him, feeling awkward and unsure of what to say.
“Recharging?” I asked, as I nibbled on my slice of pizza. Upstairs at Anya and Brennan’s house was a spectacular garden room. Potted plants, trees and flowers of every kind landscaped the interior space. It featured huge glass windows and solar panels to keep the room like a tropical getaway. Beautiful hydrangeas, hibiscus, lilies, birds of paradise, and about a hundred other types of flowers bloomed there, all year long. Anya and Brennan could stay in their human form longer, as long as they could recharge in the garden with the earth and plants. Having such a wonderful botanical place in their very own house made it very convenient for them.
Brennan cheerily hopped onto the bar stool next to me and nodded, “Yeah.” He grabbed a slice of pizza and took a giant bite. I just stared at him. That’s it? That’s all he was going to say to me after not seeing or speaking to me for three days? What was his deal? I dropped my barely-eaten slice of pizza on my plate and stared sourly out the window. At this point, Anya was sitting next to Jeremy on the couch.
“You’re not hungry, Kansas?” He
said as he glanced at me, grabbed another slice and started inhaling it, “That’s a switch. You usually scarf down anything that’s put in front of your face,” he snickered.
I blew out a big frustrated sigh, and directed my pissed off gaze at him. “Seriously?! That’s it?! That’s all you have to say to me? I haven’t seen or heard from you in three days you jack-hole! What the hell is your problem?” I snapped. Anya and Jeremy stopped their conversation and jerked their heads over to us, and Brennan just looked at me with frozen surprise. Okay. I may have been a little harsh. But how dare he act like nothing was wrong or nothing had happened.
Brennan’s expression softened from surprise to amusement. “Whoaaa Kansas. Relax. Did a house just fall on your sister or something?” Brennan smiled. I squinted my eyes at him, giving him an evil look. “Shut up, Brennan. You’re the one who’s blown me off for the past three days. Stop acting like I’m the witch here.”
Brennan raised his eyebrows with a look of innocence, “If the ruby slipper fits…” he smirked and my face turned about four shades of red in anger as Brennan quickly put his hands up in defeat, saying, “Okay, okay! Just calm down. Sweet Stars of Mars, Ruby… I was busy. And Anya ran the drills with you. No need for you to send the flying monkeys after me…” He picked up his half-eaten slice of pizza and started devouring it again.
I rolled my eyes, feeling heat rush to my face, but I held my tongue. Hmmm. That wasn’t really an answer. He didn’t lie, but he certainly didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. He didn’t answer my question about why I hadn’t seen or heard from him in the last three days. Stupid Fairy answers. Ugh. I suppose he was treating me the way he always had. He wasn’t acting like he was mad at me. In fact, he was acting like Brennan usually acted…he annoyed the hell out of me. Maybe I was making more out of this than there was to be made. But then, he was the one who blew me off. I would never understand boys. I blew out another sigh of frustration and shook my head. I was still annoyed with him, but I guess there was no sense in worrying about that anymore since he was here now and we were all about to witness me getting my ass swished by a Mermaid in just a few short hours. I decided to drop it and turned my attention to Anya, who was still sitting silently on the couch with Jeremy. In the sweetest voice I could manage, I calmly asked, “So, what time do we leave? I don’t want to be late.” I thought I did a good job of ignoring Brennan’s flying monkeys comment and even Brennan himself, who was shaking his head and grabbing yet another slice of pizza.