FINNED (The Merworld Water Wars) (14 page)

“Oh, no. No, no, no.”

I lost the necklace Troy gave me for Christmas. It must have fallen off in the cave somewhere. Heck, it probably washed out to sea by now. Shoot.

“What if…no, I couldn’t have,” I muttered, shaking off the passing thought that I may have lost the necklace in the private library room. “I couldn’t have because that would be very, very bad luck.”

Very bad luck.

Chapter Ten

The Cave & the Man

The cave has been my home for the last couple of weeks. I’ve returned every afternoon under the guise of researching in the library. I hated lying to my mom, but since we were hardly speaking, I thought it best to spend as little time around our cramped quarters as possible. My mom has always been my best friend, but lately she has been more like a stranger to me. She doesn’t even care about me walking alone to and from the library—before she grew closer to Mr. Anderson, she would never have allowed such a thing.

Without my mom to talk to, my mind felt a bazillion times fuller. Meikle was still in critical condition, with no new developments on what might have caused her allergic reaction, and Trey was still M.I.I. (missing in inaction). I honestly couldn’t feel more alone if I tried.

Friday afternoon
. I was anxious to get to my cave. Yes, my cave, for I have claimed it. Truthfully, it was the only place where I felt mentally and physically peaceful. In town, and lately in my own house, I’m the outsider, the lone Normal with nacho cheese hair. When I’m in my cave, I’m not an outsider or an insider…I’m just me.

Having skillfully mastered gliding over the slippery path to my heavenly little perch, I headed inside, only to find someone sitting stiffly in my spot.

“What are
you
doing here?” I asked.

“Good to see you, too,” Troy said.

“Sorry, it’s just…well…what
are
you doing here?”

“Last I checked, this was a public cave,” he quipped.

No, it’s mine, fish prince. “Guess it is,” I said. “I discovered it the day you dropped me off at the library. It’s kind of my friend.”

“You talk about it like it’s alive,” he snorted.

“It is, in a way. It sings to me. Yeah, I know, I’m sounding nutty again.”

Troy didn’t smile or crack a joke. Instead, he frowned. “You can hear them?”

“Uh, sure. But, who is
them
?”

“Come sit with me, if it’s not offensive to you,” he said, dropping his eyes.

Offensive
was the last word I would use to describe sitting next to him. I couldn’t say that to him, of course. “It’s not offensive to me,” I muttered, taking a seat on the soft grass beside him.

“We call this cave The Serenading Soldier. It’s our belief that those who have fallen at sea—those we could not save—leave their souls for us to put to rest. Instead of burying their bodies under the ocean’s floor, we house their souls here, inside the pāua shells as a place of honor. It’s their song you hear,” he said, studying my face.

“How incredibly kind,” I whispered.

“What?”

“That you and the merps would do such a thing for mere Normals,” I said, glancing at the pāua shells.

“Not all merps participate. Wait, how did you know about
merps
? Only Merpeople call each other by that name,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Working to keep the heat from rising to my cheeks, I simply replied, “You told me the night you saved me.” Please believe it…please believe it.

He eyed me for a minute. “I don’t remember ever saying that.”

Dang. “Well, you did.” If this keeps going, Santa can forget Rudolph—my cheeks will guide his sleigh.

“Hmm, maybe I did.”

Hurray! “So, why did you give me the horror-movie-face when I told you I could hear them?”

He thought for a moment. “Only those who helped saved them can hear their song.”

“Am I weird or something?” Wrong question. “Could you laugh any harder?”

He fell backward, grabbing his stomach. “Well, you like to sniff books, you’re afraid of school libraries because they make fun of you, you like to write poems about your butt, so…” For a few minutes we laughed—funny, how something so simple can be so freeing. “Seriously, though, why do you like it here so much?” he asked.

“It’s the only place I feel comfortable as myself.”

He nodded, smiled, and then took my hand, caressing it between his own. This time, I didn’t pull away.

“Your hands are soft,” he murmured.

“It’s just hand lotion,” I said, squirming around on the usually comfy grass. “You looked upset when I first got here. Even now, I can see something is bothering you.”

“You could tell that?”

“I’m pretty good at reading people. So, cough it up like a wad of phlegm.”

“Ever the eloquent speaker.”

“Don’t knock my slang. My grandmother used to say it. Now, up with it.”

“Have you ever wanted something so bad, you were willing to risk everything to get it?”

“My freedom from the institution. Why?”

He continued gently playing with the tips of my fingers. “Lately, I’ve been going against everything. I really shouldn’t talk about it with—”

“With a Normal,” I supplied.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I know my place,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“It’s getting close to dinner time for you. Want a ride home?” he asked hopefully.

“Well, um, how-did-you-get-here-exactly?”

“Do you think I’d throw you on my back and take you for a swim?” he asked, laughing. “I drove, silly.”

Blushing, I agreed to leave with him. He helped me through the cave, obsessively watching my feet. “I won’t touch the water. I’m a water-skirting sand crab,” I teased.

“Yeah, but I’m the king crab,” he said, lifting me onto his shoulder as though I weighed no more than a sand dollar.

“Is this necessary?” I asked

“It’s the only way I know you won’t touch the water.”

“Control freak,” I whispered in his ear.

“Takes one to know one,” he said, carrying me all the way to his truck. Setting me down in the passenger seat, he asked, “Want to drive through town? I think you might want to see it.”

“Sure.”

After a few minutes, we reached the main street, which has been renamed Love Lane—the name change should have prepared me because, Dear Mother of God, I have entered hell. It looked like some freaking fat cupid ate one too many cream puffs and barfed pink, red, and white hearts, bows, arrows, doves, and all sorts of lovey-dovey crap all over the town.

“Nice, huh?” he said.

“Mmm.” No, it wasn’t nice. It was cruel and inhumane to those of us who were perpetually without a boyfriend. It’s a crap day, in a crap month, designed to feed crap to stupid girls. “Surprised they get started so early.”

“Valentine’s Day is even bigger than Christmas here,” he said, proudly pointing out various decorative feats.

Fabulous. So, we’ll just add Valentine-loving town to the growing list of things Saxet Shores was doing to make my life suck.

“Are there any holidays you don’t celebrate?”

“A few, like Independence Day. And we don’t acknowledge birthdays or anniversaries. It’s probably why we overcompensate during the bigger holidays.”

“Seriously?! No Fourth of July fireworks fun or birthday cakes and presents? And I can’t imagine the married mermaids are very happy getting zero, zilch, nada for their anniversary,” I said.

“Every year, someone from a nearby town fires off some pretty big fireworks on Independence Day, but other than that, we don’t partake. It’s not really something we can relate to, I guess. As for birthdays and anniversaries, they’ve never been a part of our culture.”

“Reckon it’s not such a bad thing. You never have to worry about ticking off your significant other by forgetting their birthday or anniversary. Little bummed about the lack of red, white, and blue patriotic pride, though.”

“Why’s that? Are you a Yankee Doodle sweetheart?”

I laughed. “Well, it’s kind of my birthright. I was born on Independence Day.”

“That’s right! You’re a July Fourth baby! It really explains so much.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, nudging him.

“If you don’t know by now, then I’m sure as hell not sticking my foot in it,” he said, chuckling.

I playfully punched him in the arm. “Ooh, you are such a giant butthead.”

“Stick around.”

We teased each other the rest of the way through a downtown that was clearly in the process of overdosing on paper hearts.

After far too long in cupid’s belly, we finally pulled up to my house. “So, are you doing anything tomorrow?” I asked.

“I have a…meeting,” he said slowly.

“Ah, you mean under the sea.” Must stop the urge to sing.

He nodded. “You really want to channel a little red Jamaican crab, don’t you?”

“Huh? What? Huh? Yeah, I should get inside.”

“Can read you like a book, Rubylocks. Hey, Marina?” He took my hand, keeping me in the truck. “Thank you for listening to me. It’s nice to have somebody to talk to—somebody on the outside with everyone else in town, but on the inside to me.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Troy. It’s not like you tell me very much.”

“I’ve let you in further than anyone I’ve ever known,” he said.

“Well, then, you’re welcome,” I breathed. “Good luck with your meeting.”

“Night,” he said, releasing my hand.

For my own sanity—and safety—I knew I had to make my very first New Year’s resolution: I resolve not to kiss Troy Tombolo. A kiss always leads to deeper feelings—deeper feelings lead to complications—complications lead to love—and love leads to heartache. So, start with no kissing and all should be well. I think.

Saturday night
. My mom has hit an all-time high on the stupid meter. At this very moment, Mom was eagerly beautifying herself for a private dinner date…with Mr. Anderson.

“It’s just dinner, Marina. Grow up!”

“Grow up! Me? Why don’t
you
take the blinders off?”

“Don’t back talk, young lady! I’m going to his house strictly as a colleague, not that it’s any of your business,” she said, adding more blush to her already dolled-up cheeks.

“What about Mr. Gibbs? You were so happy whenever you went out with him. Your face would light up every time he called. You’re the Bennet to his Bingley.”

“He’s all right. But, Mr. Anderson is better connected with town aristocrats,” she said, sticking her nose high in the air.

“Are you possessed? I don’t even know you anymore!” I shouted, trying to fight away the tears.

“Well, maybe if you weren’t so blind, you would see I have always been like this.” She brushed her hand through my hair. “Too bad you’re not as pretty as I am.”

“What have they done to you? This is me, your daughter, Marina! Look at me!”

She turned to face me, but I saw no one behind her eyes.

“I have to get out of here.” I grabbed my coat and headed for the door, but Mom swept in front of me, blocking my path. “Please, just let me go! You go on your date with Mr. Anderson! Really live it up! I don’t care!”

“You’re not going anywhere.” She yanked my arm and spun me around.

“Let me go! You’re hurting me!”

She tossed me in my room, slammed the door, and locked it from the outside.

“If you had just been happy for me, you could have had dinner and watched a movie. Now, you leave me no choice.” Her voice sounded nothing like the woman who sang me to sleep as a child.

“You know what you are, Mom? You’re just like those cruel, needle-happy bitches at the institution!” It killed me to say it, but it came out before I could think.

For a minute, she didn’t say anything. “Marina? Darling, why are you crying?”

“Like you don’t know! I’m out of here,” I shouted, jumping out the window. I could faintly hear her crying after me, but I didn’t care. I had to get to my cave.

Once I reached the cave’s entrance, my body, riddled with sadness, quivered so badly, I didn’t know if I would make it safely inside without falling into the water. After several narrow escapes, I finally made it to my little spot amongst the souls of the sea. The sky looked black as ink, and the sea seemed unusually angry. Thunder and lightning signaled the start of a storm moving in.

For what felt like an eternity, I just sat there, watching the sea churn and the lightning strike. My heart ached for my mom—I had lost her to
them
. There was no one here for me, not a single soul. The tears pouring from my heart finally broke through my eyes. My body weakened with each sob.

Just when I thought I would stop breathing, I heard a strange splashing noise. I looked up in time to see a merperson leap out of the water and land in human form on the rocks in front of me.

“Who’s there?” I croaked.

With a flash of lightning illuminating his strong silhouette, I saw the only person I wanted to see, needed to see: Troy Tombolo.

Strings of words I couldn’t understand left his mouth like the delicate notes of a harp. As he spoke, the glowing shells sent colorful beams of light around the cave. There, in their incandescent rays, he gazed at me, looking both severe and gentle.

“Did you follow me?” I asked.

“I think I’ve been following your soul since before you arrived here,” he said, slowly moving closer.

“I don’t know what that means,” I said, wiping tears from my eyes.

“Me either. That’s what makes this so intriguing. You’re nothing like I expected you to be. You’re cynical and stubborn, curious to a fault. Your mouth refuses to listen to your mind before speaking, and you don’t believe in love!” He laughed and put his hands through his unkempt hair. “You are everything I have long stood against, yet everything I never knew I wanted. You have melted me to my core.

“I shouldn’t be saying any of this. They warned me. I mean, you’re a Normal and completely wrong for me. It’s not like I could show you any affection in public. But, Poseidon help me, my heart stops when I’m near you and bleeds when I’m away from you.”

I could feel the heat of his body as he neared. Without saying a word, he moved inside my personal space.