Beyond the Sea (20 page)

“Did you make a wish?”

“Yes, but I can’t tell you what it is or else it won’t come true.”

Peter slowly sat up. He took Melia’s hand. “Melia,” he started, then gave up and pulled her back down. He had a speech written in his head. It sounded good at the time, but now it was too wordy and lame. She snuggled against him. “I love you,” he whispered.

A jolt ran through Melia. “You do?”

Peter laughed. “You sound surprised.”

“I am, but I’m not. I-I-I love you too.” Melia didn’t know what to feel. In her heart, she knew she loved Peter. But should she? Was it fair to let him love her when there was so much about her that he didn’t know? It took only a millisecond to rationalize: Peter was a big boy. He could make his own decisions. If the time came and he really loved her, he would accept her—fish tail and all. “Peter, I really do. I love you.”

-Chapter 8-

“You had sex with Peter—twice!” Jamie loudly whispered back to Melia Monday morning at school. Melia had just told her an all too detailed description of Saturday night. Jamie hadn’t spoken to Melia since Friday night, or, technically, early Saturday morning. Melia had texted her late Saturday to tell her about the zoo, and again Sunday to tell Jamie that she was spending the day with Peter.

Melia nodded. “And he asked me to prom!”

“That’s so not the point here!”

“Why?”

“Because—you—you—” Jamie didn’t know how to say it. She understood human boys better than Melia did. She knew Melia trusted everyone more than they deserved, and not that Peter wasn’t trustworthy, Jamie didn’t trust him to not act compulsively. “Please tell me you at least used protection.”

Melia’s blank stare made Jamie shake her head. Of course a merrow wouldn’t know what a condom was.

“Melia!” she said too loud. She grabbed her best friend’s arm and lowered her voice. “What if you got pregnant?”

“I’m not pregnant,” Melia assured her.

“You don’t know that!”

“Yes I do.”

“It’s too early to know anything!”

“Not for a merrow.”

“Oh. Really? That’s…weird.”

Melia shrugged. “I guess so.”

Jamie let go of Melia’s arm. “Still, what if you got a disease?”

“What kind of disease?”

“Ones that can only be transmitted through sex.”

“What about sex?” a male voice asked, causing Jamie to jump. She turned to see Jeff smiling shyly.

“Nothing!” Her cheeks instantly reddened. Melia put her books in her bag.

“Jamie,” Jeff began, shuffling his feet. “What are you doing this weekend?”

“Um,” Jamie began. “Nothing.”

“Good. We’re trying to find a place to host Horrible Movie night. If we do, you should come.”

“What’s Horrible Horror Movie Night?” Peter, who just walked over, asked and put his arm around Melia.

“They watch movies,” Melia stated the obvious.

 
Jamie quickly explained, “They watch poorly made, lame movies. Whoever picks the worst movie wins.”

“Sounds like fun,” Peter said with a smile. “And I know a movie that would win.”

Jeff laughed nervously. “Jamie, you should host it.”

Now it was Jamie’s turn to be nervous. She deflected Jeff’s comment with a shrug and a vague ‘maybe’ and the four of them walked outside. Melia’s phone rang. While she paused to dig through her purse to find it, Jeff’s friends joined the little group.

 
“Hi, Mom! What—” was all Melia said before her brow furrowed. Melia began talking fast and low in a foreign language. Peter looked at her, confused and impressed. Melia sighed, and said something that was carried with the tone of disagreement. She fell silent, listening to her mother. She said something again, rapid and rhythmic.

Jamie liked hearing Melia and her mother talk to each other in Mermish. It was a smooth and beautiful language, and sounded so magical to her. “Bye,” Melia said in plain English, with just a smidgen of an accent in her voice.

“Everything ok?” Peter asked apprehensively, making a mental note to ask her what language that was later.

“Yea. My mom and Ed-my mom and my dad are going to Europe for a few weeks. It has something to do with uh, Dad’s new international business or something.” She frowned. “I hate being in an empty house.” She looped her arm through Peter’s. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

“Of course,” Peter told her, unsure of how he’d be able to get away with not being home on a school night. He rested his hand on the small of her back.

Melia was bummed. She really did miss spending time with her family. And she knew that she couldn’t expect Peter to stay with her every night. She would normally ask Jamie to stay, and she knew Jamie would, but she didn’t want to since Jamie’s dad was home. She didn’t want to take Jamie’s time away from him.

“It won’t kill me to stay one night this week,” Jamie said, knowing what Melia was thinking.

“I know, but your dad’s home.” Melia smiled at her friend. She glanced at Jeff and his friends, who were gaping. “You guys can have movie night at my house then.”

“Seriously?” CJ blurted.

“Yea. I like having people over,” Melia explained. “And Peter has a movie.”

“You-you want to pick out the movie?” Zack asked Peter, his mousy face glowing with awe.

“Yea. Jamie explained the idea. It sounds fun. And I know I’ll win.” He smiled his famous heart melting smile.

Elle made a weird strangled noise that turned into her clearing her throat. “It’s a date then,” she mustered.

“Awesome!” Melia smiled. “Do you guys need directions?”

*

“That was the
worst
movie I’d ever seen!” Jeff ran a hand through his hair as he spoke to Peter. “Hands down, you won.”

Peter laughed. “It was easy.”

“Yea, an evil gingerbread man. That’s all I have to say.”

“What’s even worse,” Peter said as he stood. “Is that there is a sequel.”

“No shit!”

“Yep. I haven’t lowered myself into seeing that one, yet.”

Rosemary giggled. “Next time then.”

“I still get the credit,” Peter joked. Slowly and lazily, everyone made their way upstairs. When Peter’s friends found out he was hanging out with Jeff and the likes, they gave Peter hell. Janet had fun mocking him, telling him that she knew Melia would bring him down. Peter just shrugged and told them that he liked making Melia happy. Eventually, the guys let it go and agreed that making Melia happy would work out in Peter’s favor.

Rosemary offered to help Melia clean up. Her friends followed her into the kitchen, looking around the gargantuan house with awe. Jamie knew they wanted a tour (who didn’t?) but knew Melia wouldn’t think to offer one. Melia still didn’t understand humans’ fascination with money and all things grand. She didn’t get why everyone in San Morado would die to see inside her house. She didn’t understand why anyone would spend so much on a house. Would her guests like her any less if the house was smaller? She hoped not.

Wolfy smacked the door with his paw. Melia opened the door for him, stepping out after the huge dog lumbered outside. The ocean breeze was strong tonight; the scent of salt and water heavy in the air. Melia inhaled, pleased, and closed her eyes. She felt it in her heart before she heard it. Otherwise she wouldn’t believe it.

A distant neigh, echoing and bubbling from being underwater, then a lot of splashing, followed by the unmistakable sound of hoof beats on the shore. Wolfy barked. Thank goodness the gate was closed. Melia struggled to get him inside.

“There’s a…cat, outside,” she explained. “Peter, can you, uh, hold Wolfy while I go look for it. I think it’s injured.” Her eyes met Jamie’s in a desperate plea. Jamie nodded.

“Hey,” Jamie said suddenly, turning to her friends. “Want a tour?”

Melia grabbed a package of ground beef from the fridge and slipped out the door. It couldn’t be. Actassi would never allow it. It was too dangerous, there were humans close by. Though she knew she could do major damage to her friends, she hoped it was true. She missed her.

“Cordelia!” she called, her heart racing. She dashed to the shore. It was far too dark for a human to descry the hoof prints, but she saw them just before the tide washed them away. “Cordelia!” she called again, hopeful. She pulled her dress over her head, carelessly throwing it on the damp sand, and jumped into the water. She made it only a hundred yards out when her heart skipped a beat.

 
She knew that kelpie. Jet black except for a little star of white under his forelock and one white sock on his right hind leg. “R
è
alta!” As the name escaped her mouth, Melia was overcome with emotion. He knew her voice. Melia would have no problem getting R
è
alta back into deep ocean.

He looked like a race horse, with long legs and a muscular body. His mane flowed in the water as he swam.
 
He was stubborn, arrogant, and too smart for his own good. And he had been Lana’s. Melia began to shake. Moonlight sparkled through the water. Melia held her breath as R
è
alta glided his way to her.
 
He snarfed down the meat before greeting Melia, rubbing his head against her just like a normal horse would. Melia hugged R
è
alta. She ran her hands over his sleek fur, short and smooth like a seal’s. Gills were hidden behind his luxurious mane.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked him, speaking in Mermish. “Why are you by yourself?” His nostrils flared and he was panting; he looked scared. R
è
alta looked past Melia, hoping to see his owner swim up to him. “She’s not coming,” Melia told him, her voice quivering. R
è
alta pressed his head against Melia. She wrapped her arms around him and cried. “I miss her so much,” she whispered to the kelpie.

Quickly, she composed herself. “It’s not safe here, ok boy? We need to get you home.” She swam forward but R
è
alta didn’t follow. “Please, come on!” She motioned for him to follow. Instead, R
è
alta looked at Melia and then at his back. “Y-you want me to
ride
you?” she asked incredulously. She had never been invited to sit on his back. One time she got on double with Lana and R
è
alta didn’t like it one bit. Melia was dumped off in seconds. It was funny to the merrows, that only someone as bull-headed as the kelpie himself could ride him. Lana had laughed and climbed up on his back, telling everyone they understood each other.

Kelpies had the ability to transform. Above water, they were able to appear looking like beautiful horses. Underwater, their back legs turned into a tail, much like Melia’s, and their front hooves sprouted fins. They were powerful swimmers, able to propel themselves with surprising speed. And being meat eaters, kelpie teeth looked like those of a giant dog.

Melia sat on R
è
alta’s back. She curled her tail around his thick body and held onto his neck. R
è
alta nickered softly and slowly swam forward. Soon, they were flying through the water. Melia felt a weak smile pull her lips up. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the ride.

Melia couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, hiding, trying to gammon her with an unseen trick. She looked around nervously, thinking it was very odd that Rèalta was all by himself. She knew it wasn’t something that was likely to happen. And she also knew she couldn’t be gone from land for too long before her human companions would question her whereabouts.

She got off Realta, gave him a final hug goodbye and sent him on his way. She swam back to the shore. “Crap,” she said aloud when she realized her bra was soaked. She took it off and hid it behind a rock. She rang out her wet hair and put her dress back on.

“You’re wet,” Peter said, stating the obvious.

“Uh, yea. The cat went into the water.”

Elle raised an eyebrow. “But your dress isn’t wet.”

“I took it off.” Melia smiled nervously.

Jeff asked, “Did you find it?”

Melia looked up, feeling like she had just gotten caught.

“The cat,” Jamie clarified. “Did you find the cat?”

“No, it, uh, ran into the water and I lost it.”

Rosemary gasped. “It drowned?”

“Yea.” Melia swallowed hard. “It must have.”

Zack scratched his head. “So you took your clothes off and ran into the ocean trying to save a cat?”

Melia nodded. “I’m gonna go upstairs and dry my hair.” She wanted Jamie to follow. Jamie, knowing it would be too obvious, sat down in the ‘leisure room’ that was attached to the kitchen.

“Peter,” she said, sensing his inclination to follow Melia upstairs. He turned to face her and Jamie scrambled to come up with something to say. She hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. “Wolfy seems to really like you.”

“Yea,” Peter said, petting the large dog. “We get along great, don’t we, boy?” Wolfy eagerly licked Peter’s face.

Rosemary shook her head. “I still can’t get over how big he is!”