FINNED (The Merworld Water Wars) (12 page)

“You’re quiet,” he said.

“Blame me?” I asked, staring out the window.

“Not at all. Why haven’t you talked to me since New Year’s Eve? Haven’t you heard me outside your window?”

“I heard you. I’m really confused right now. I have scrambled eggs brain,” I said, rubbing my forehead.

“I get it. Just, be careful around the others, especially Katrina. Don’t say things that might make her think you know what we are,” he warned.

“Does it even matter now? I’m the only Normal left. Meikle is sick with who knows what, Trey is missing, and two people took Polly on a little joy-drown. Who cares what I say or do?” I said angrily.

“I care,” he said, placing his hand on mine.

My instinct screamed for me to leave my hand underneath his, but I pulled away.

“Thing is, Meikle thought Polly moved the same date I saw her forced to sleep with the sharks. Trey is missing, but the school claims he and his grandfather went on some fishing trip. I know that’s not true. His grandfather was scared, saying Trey discovered things about this town. The other Normals supposedly moved without warning, but we banished freaks can’t leave. Nothing makes sense. What happened to them, Troy? What happened to the Normals?”

“So, you did see his grandfather. Didn’t I ask if you had visited him? And didn’t you say you hadn’t?

“Well, yeah…times two.”

“Little liar,” he said, smirking. “I think it’s safe to say Trey found out about the existence of us merfolk. He’s a strong intuitionist, no question. As for his grandfather, you have to remember he has PTSD.”

“I’m getting sick of people trying to make Mr. Campbell out to be some loon. I heard Mr. Anderson burst into his house. I heard Mr. Campbell scream.”

“Trust me, I’m not trying to be disrespectful. It just wouldn’t surprise me if Trey tried to tell his grandfather about Merpeople, and that triggered his PTSD. Perhaps Trey didn’t feel safe and wanted to give his grandfather some time to calm down. He probably didn’t want to return to town because Anderson would stick him somewhere until his grandfather got better. From what I’ve seen, Trey isn’t the type to play by a stranger’s rules.”

Hmm. Makes sense. Trey would definitely prefer being alone to staying with strangers. Maybe the note from Trey was really a clue to his whereabouts! Still, unless he’s hiding in a spike-y cave on Seventeenth Street, I’m at a loss.

“Possible, I suppose. But why would Mr. Anderson be so rough with an old veteran? And why lie to my mom?”

“Politics. That’s why he wouldn’t tell your mom the truth. When you have a missing student and an unstable grandfather with a gun, you’re going to try and keep it quiet for as long as possible. This town is good at keeping things pretty quiet.”

“No kidding.”

“This isn’t the first time Mr. Campbell has been taken away, Marina. It’s not like the town can have him pointing a gun at people every time he has an episode.”

“He’s threatened people before?”

Troy nodded. “Once, he ran up and down the streets, waving his gun…and Trey took off that time, too. Look, I don’t like how Anderson deals with Mr. Campbell, but…it’s just a really sensitive situation, as you can imagine. Trey’s grandfather is a war hero and a damn good man. But, there have been problems that Trey simply couldn’t handle on his own. Maybe this was another one of those times.”

“I had no idea.”

“And not to sound insensitive, but you Normals—by the way, not my label of choice—aren’t exactly normal. The school has to say something to maintain order.”

“Well, true. I might regret this, but my warped curiosity just has to follow the mer-rabbit down the hole. What label
would
you slap us with?”

Hitting the steering wheel and laughing, he said, “I’m a mer-rabbit, now, huh? If it were up to me, I’d call y’all Specials. No one should be outlawed because they’re different, because they’re unique. You have a God-given gift. You all do.”

Specials. That’s exactly what my dad called us. I watched him carefully—his face softened when he spoke about Normals. There was something extraordinary about Troy Tombolo, though he tried so hard to hide the depth of his heart. To hide something so magnificent deprives the world of a rare find: a purely caring heart.

“Anyway, I’m just saying that maybe the others experimented with their talents a little too much, and things went a little too far.”

“Well, Meikle was afraid her lifesaver spell might’ve inadvertently killed Polly and her mom.”

“There you go. I mean, I’m sure whatever happened to Polly and her mom is reversible. Of course, Meikle will have to get better in order to undo it. Whose life was her spell supposed to save, anyway?”

“Mine.”

“Just before you fell asleep on New Year’s, you mentioned me defeating the cards. You read your death before coming here, didn’t you?”

“Yep, I was deader than a fish on a grill. Sorry.”

By the playful twinkle in his eye, I knew I hadn’t offended him. “That’s pretty dead. So, Meikle stopped it with a spell?”

“Or you stopped it with a fin.” After saying what I did, I noticed he sat a little taller in his seat. “Um, speaking of not-completely-normal beings with powers, what did you do to Meikle in the cafeteria to make her stop convulsing?”

“I just stopped her pain.”

“You didn’t do that for my wound.” I really didn’t mean for that to sound girly-jealous. “Uh, so does it depend on the injury or something?”

“Sometimes it does depend on the wound. But, I actually did do it for your wound when I pressed your stomach against my skin while underwater,” he said softly.

How could I forget? “Oh.” My cheeks burned at the memory of his skin upon mine.

“It didn’t keep the pain at bay because the depth of your wound was too much to overcome.”

“What’s it called…your power to heal?” I asked.

God, I loved to hear him laugh, even if it was at my expense.

“I wouldn’t call it my power. We call it silver snow. Merpeople always have the ability in the ocean, but it does stay two hours after our skin last touches the water.”

“So, you did the swim thing before lunch, then?” I asked, smirking.

“Suppose I must have.” During our drive, his smile seemed to be a permanent fixture, and I loved that I helped put it there.

We weren’t too far from my house when the whirling numbness that was my mind landed on an unpleasant vision: me…alone…all day…in my house…with only my thoughts to keep me company. I had zero faith in playing solitaire with my dreams and memories. Who knows what those thoughts could make me do?

And the mere thought of those thoughts made me blurt rather loudly, “Do you have a cell phone?”

“Uh, yeah. In the glove compartment. What’s up?”

“Mind if I borrow it? No? Thanks. We banished ones aren’t allowed to have cells. Of the phone kind, that is, not the brain kind. We can have those.” Oh, please someone shut me up.

“Who are you texting?”

“My mom. The school provided her with a phone. Um, I know this probably isn’t nice to ask you, especially being so close to dumping me off at my house, but I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind dropping me at the library. I know it’s on the opposite end of town, way out on the edge, but…never mind, I feel too guilty asking.”

Without answering, Troy smiled and made a U-turn. “Pain in the neck.”

“Thanks. Being a pain in the neck is nothing new to me. I’ve perfected the art.”

“You don’t miss a beat, do you?” he asked.

I shrugged. “On occasion.”

“So, why do you want to spend all day in the library?”

Um, I don’t want to be alone with thoughts that will trigger tangible memories of your touch, which will then mutate into desires I’m afraid I can’t control. End of wheeze. “Well, I like the smell of old books.” Oh. Dear. God. Did I seriously just say I liked the smell of old books, like some dweeb?

“You like the smell of old books. You’re an unpredictable one,” he said, narrowly missing a stop sign. “Aside from going to sniff books, what do you plan on reading?”

“I don’t really know. Maybe I’ll research for that English assignment.”

“That’s not due for another two weeks. Besides, you could research in the school library or, here’s an idea, the Internet. I mean, I
know
you can use the Internet, just not e-mail or any social media sites.”

“I don’t like school libraries,” I said flatly. My weirdness exceeded even my expectations.

“Oh, you gotta tell me why,” he said keenly.

“Well, they’re intimidating, aren’t they? It’s like the books mock me because
they
know
I
know
they
hold all the information
I
need to know, you know?” What the hell did I just say? “As for the Internet—”

“Let me guess, you can’t smell the Internet?”

“That’s what you think,” I countered playfully.

“You’re never dull. Well, here we are, Saxet Shores Public Library,” he said, pulling up to the elegant front doors.

“Thanks again…I really appreciate it,” I said, stealing a sideways glance.

“No problem,” he whispered huskily.

Okay. Apparently, it was long-stare-and-awkward-moment time. “Well,” I said, clearing my throat, “have fun at school.”

“Thanks to my bizarre addiction to old, late night sitcoms, I now strive to let the bell save me. Hell, I even have the blond hair for it. So, yeah, I’ll have fun,” he said. “Hey, Rubylocks? I’m glad you’re wearing the necklace I gave you…and I’m really glad you got yourself banished.”

“Yeah, me too…on all counts. Well, except if we’re talking about old school ways to cruise through classroom hell. I would prefer to go the Ferris route, maybe even add a twist and a shout while atop a float. But that’s just me. See ya.” I could feel his eyes following me until I disappeared inside the library.

Quaint this library was not. The mammoth possessor of books mimicked the aquatic atmosphere of our school, only it was much brighter. Everything looked brand new, but for the books—they still had the classic crackle-covers and comforting musty scent.

“May I help you, dear?” said a small elderly woman wearing a shockingly tulip-yellow wool suit. Her gray hair had hints of red and black remaining. Ravenflame.

“Oh, um, well, I’m not sure what I’m looking for, really,” I said, wringing my hands.

She placed a hand on my forearm and whispered, “I’m not a mean one. In fact, I’m only a parter. I’m Maryweather Fontaine, the head librarian.”

Wondering what she meant by “parter,” I said, “Thank you Mrs.—”

“Please, call me Maryweather. Since you’re new, maybe you’d like to learn a little about Saxet Shores and…other things,” she said, guiding me to a secluded back corner of the main floor. “Here now, I think you will find some very informative publications in this section,” she said, pointing to a blank wall.

“Erm, it’s a blank wall.” Maybe Maryweather was a little wacky.

“For now,” she whispered, snapping her fingers.

I watched in utter disbelief as the wall melted away. In its place, a coral archway and sign appeared. Scrawled in delicate gold script were the words,
Saxet Shores Mythology
.

I slowly started under the archway, down the sandy stairs, and into the most glorious room imaginable. Pink coral bookcases situated like private coves housed bejeweled books behind curtains of blue gel. Bubbles issued from the tops of shell-laden chairs, floated around my head, and then quietly popped, leaving a delicate tune in my ear. The crystal floor beneath my feet let me spy on a lively coral reef, while the ceiling above showed me the underbellies of stingrays, sharks, and ships passing overhead.

Somehow, I was in another world—Troy’s world. Before I could take another step, Maryweather darted around me and clasped my hands in hers. Her swift movements startled me, particularly for someone of her age.

“Listen closely, Marina Valentine. You have limited time in this nook. Make use of it. Follow your instinct to answer your questions. Do not remove anything from this room. Make sure everything returns to its proper place—the room will assist you. When you get my signal, leave immediately. Exit the way you entered, skirt along the back of the common library. Should anyone see you, do not act out of the norm. Tell no one you were in here. Do you understand?” Her eyes were wild with terror.

“Yes, of course.” I winced as the box-shaped charm on her bracelet pinched my wrist.

“Good. Now, the wall will seal itself when I leave. Use your hands to exit. Simply point and snap, as I did. The imprint I am transferring to your palms this second will enable you to reopen the room. I shall leave you to your work. Remember, use your time wisely.”

She disappeared behind the archway in under a millisecond, and the wall sealed itself behind her. Not wasting any time, I shoved the wonder of the room to a dusty corner of my mind and quickly moved through each tiny cove-like bookcase, looking for something, anything.

Elaborate signs labeled each coral bookcase-cove:
Lost at Sea
,
True
Fairy Tales of the Sea
,
Legendary Merpeople, Hurricane Creation, Merpeople Games
. Though all enticed me, only one sign truly drew me in:
History of Saxet Shores, Texas
. Granted, it was by far the most boring sign in the room, but my gut told me I would find something worthwhile in there.

Once inside the bookcase-cove, I started scanning book titles—
Maps of Early Saxet Shores
,
Founder Notes, Guide to Downtown
.

“Come on, come on!” I growled. “There must be something that will tell me what’s going on in this town.”

As soon as I spoke, two books glowed, shook, and slid through the gel curtain. Both slowly floated forward and landed softly in my waiting hands. I quickly took a seat and began pouring over
The Truth About Saxet Shores, Texas
and
Merworld Water Wars
. Flipping through the pages, I noticed something odd. Above each new section were two rectangular boxes—one read,
Read in Silence
, the other,
Read Aloud
. Curious, I instinctively brushed my fingers over the
Read Aloud
box above section IV. Merpeople of the Gulf.