OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) (44 page)

“That’s true. Great way to look at it. That’s my girl.” After a brief pause full of artificial nods and plastered smiles, Mom said, “Still sucks.”

“Oh, it totally blows.”

Laughing, Mom started taking pictures, and I did what any single girl in a prom dress would do when crying wasn’t a viable option—I hammed it up for the camera. “Well, it can’t be any worse than my prom. My date let me fall into a ditch. I was wearing white. That’s all I’m saying. You know, I think we should get some with you and Spritz.”

Yep. What’d I tell you?

After ten minutes of picture-taking—and me trying to learn more about her prom disaster—the doorbell rang.

“Polly! Maile! Come on in here, gorgeous girls!” said Mom, happily snapping candid photos.

“I don’t have a date. Not even my obvious beauty can alleviate the piss off,” said Polly.

“Mom’s right, though. Y’all look amazing. Maile, I swear, you could dress all of Hollywood.” Polly had on a flirty pink number with periwinkle butterfly appliqués on the shoulder straps, and Maile’s slate gray, one-shoulder gown with a crystal and lace overlay was something Cinderella would break her glass slippers to own.

“You look nice, too, Marina. Very princess-like,” said Polly. “With the hair, you really only match one of the singing, shrilly-voiced, impossibly perfect animated princesses. The finned one. Ironic isn’t it?”

“Yeah, thanks. Where’s Gully?”

“Benji asked her at the last minute,” said Maile, scratching Spritz’s little head.

“Should be a fun night for him when Gully starts dancing with herself,” Polly huffed.

“I have a feeling Benji will have his eyes full of Ophelia all night,” I said.

“You know Irving didn’t even pick her up? He sent an ugly purple limo for her,” said Polly.

Shaking her head, Mom said, “Hopefully, she’ll wake up before he breaks her heart. Be there for her, if he does…that’s all you can do.”

Polly shrugged. “I’ve already been there for her. I even had the decency to tell her the up-do she chose for tonight made her head look like an alien and Irving would laugh.”

“Uh, well, that was honestly blunt of you, Polly,” said Mom, widening her eyes at me. “Let’s get a few more pictures before we get y’all on your way.”

“How has business been, Mrs. Valentine?” Maile asked as we posed for pictures.

“Booming since the last match. I’m actually supplying all the baked goodies for tonight’s prom. Unfortunately, I’m too tired to go. Mrs. Waterberry hired some pixies to keep an eye on everything for me.”

“Good choice,” offered Polly. “No threat of them eating too much.”

Once Mom was finally done snapping her fingers sore, we hopped in Doctor Tenly’s limousine and headed for the prom.

The limousine dropped us off in an empty lot next to Sprinkles, where a large cloud-shaped structure now stood emitting tiny puffs of stardust…the very same Troy bottled for me in Peppermint’s Forest. And just like that, my heart did the whole achy-longing thing I’ve been trying to avoid.

“Let’s get this over with,” Polly growled.

Maile, Polly, and I trudged into the building, only to be accosted by the prom photographer.

“Say ‘cheese’ for a night to remember!” he sang, aiming his old-fashioned camera at us.

Polly clamped her hand over the lens. “This is not a night to remember for everyone. Kindly give consideration to the dateless.”

“Honestly, it’s just like card companies at Vomit Day—not everyone is part of a couple,” I groaned.

“Ask before taking someone’s picture, 'kay? Good.” Polly stormed ahead.

“Sorry,” I said to the man, his face contorting like he had just eaten a sour candy.

“W-would you like your picture taken?” he asked gingerly.

“Not actually, no,” I said. “Sorry. Again.” Poor man will never shoot a picture without asking ever again.

The oval room twinkled with floating pixie dust, and the high ceiling resembled an endless starry sky. Low-lying fog covered the floor as Mom’s enchanted tables of delectable goodies circled the room.

“Whoa. What is up with Katrina’s ensemble?” asked Maile.

“Looks like a slutty and drab attempt at Marie Antoinette,” said Polly.

“We can hope her head comes off by the end of the night,” I said, the vision of which wasn’t at all unappealing. Should I be disturbed by my mind? “Kinda curious about her date. Could be wrong, but didn’t the hooded cloak look fall under fashion victim after the Medieval era?”

“Certainly not the most flattering look. You can’t even see his face,” said Maile. “Although, doesn’t the Zale clan wear purple robes and stuff?”

“Wouldn’t surprise me if daddy Zale forced her date to dress the part in order to escort his precious princess to the prom. Try saying that five times fast,” I said.

Polly cocked her head to one side, staring at Katrina’s date. “Maybe he didn’t want to look at her all night. Face it, the only thing she has going for her is a decent rack and passable buttocks. The hood affords him a sort of target-only vision. That way, he can eliminate her face altogether. Smart guy. I’m off to sulk. Don’t join me.”

Watching Polly walk away, I turned to Maile. “Well, should we perch and cheer ourselves up with gossip about all the weird pairings, ugly dresses, and hideous dancing?”

“Actually, I’m just going to stand in the corner, alone,” she said, staring at the floor.

Studying the intense look on her face, I wondered if she was really a wallflower by choice. “Maile, apart from wishing your boyfriend could be at these balls, is there a reason you always stand alone? You can tell me.”

Maile bit her lip, her forehead lined with worry crinkles. “Sometimes…I can see Odette, Ophelia’s sister…I can see through her eyes, see what she sees. I even try to show her what I see. I’m only able to connect when Katrina is in the vicinity.”

“My God, Maile. Have you told any of this to Doctor Tenly?”

“No, and I don’t want to, not yet. When I show her what I see, especially when Ophelia is in the picture, I think it alleviates a little pressure from having all those feelings pumped into her. Please, don’t tell anyone. I have my reasons.”

Hesitantly, I agreed. “For now, okay. But this is huge, Maile. Thinking way big picture here, but this may help us free the Normals from Zale’s network, or destroy it. Maybe both.”

“Which is part of the reason no one can know. I need you to trust me.”

One look into Maile’s eyes and the non-verbal couldn’t be any louder. “Total trust.”

Nodding with a relieved smile, Maile headed to a quiet corner of the room. Sighing, I decided to study the room of outwardly cheerful people. My tolerance of the happy-happy couples was wearing thin when I noticed a crack in the façade, revealing an underlying reality: handsome faces tarnished by internal ugliness; peaceful countenances disturbed by anger and fear boiling beneath the skin; lonely eyes unmasking longing hearts. Life really was full of voices leaving the unsaid, unspoken.

“Doing okay, there?” Doctor Tenly looked surprisingly dapper, despite the unkempt beard and hair of his Principal Jeepers persona.

“Eh, I’d say half a hunky and less than a quarter of the dory.”

“Ah, well, at least your disappointment hasn’t affected the Marina-speak I’ve come to appreciate, my utter brain confusion notwithstanding. Speaking of brain boggling…Meikle and Bobby. Who’d have thought it?”

“Hardly a soul. Your pride must be brimming tonight, though. Trey’s the good kind.”

Doctor Tenly beamed. “Exceedingly proud, and we had a moment this evening when Airi brought him an aqua bow tie to match her dress.”

“And Trey doesn’t do the match-y, match-y.”

“No, he doesn’t, and he came to me for advice.”

“Since he’s sporting the aqua accessory, I’m guessing you told him it would make his girlfriend happy and that’s what boyfriends should do.”

“Naw, I told him he looked like a fool in love already, so a ridiculously bright bow tie hardly mattered. It was our first father-son talk, without the son knowing, of course.”

“And you’re such a natural,” I said, smirking.

“Yes, I was strangely surprised by my natural dad ability.”

“Even you in all your brilliance can shock yourself,” I mused.

Gazing over my shoulder, Doctor Tenly said, “And sometimes it’s the conflicted semi-beings who bring the shocks.”

I followed his gaze to find a tuxedo-wearing, featherless angel moving through dancing couples, looking like he flew right out of a magazine.

Bowing his head, Jex said, “Savior. Looking lovely tonight.”

“No wings?”

“Yeah, well, when I described the prom plight of a certain Savior to the angel authority, they gave me the night feather-free. Know I can’t make the perfect prom for you, but I thought may—”

“It’s perfect enough,” I said, taking his hand. “Thank you.”

“I can be surprisingly thoughtful and gentlemanly. May I escort you to the dance floor?”

“You’re the very definition of gentlemanly,” I teased as we headed into slow dance land.

Pulling me close, he whispered, “Remember when you asked me if there was anything I hadn’t done?”

I nodded. “You said ‘no.’ Didn’t stun me.”

“I might’ve lied. There is one thing I’ve never done before.”

“Amaze me.”

Staring into my eyes, he said, “Fallen in love.”

I smiled and rested my head against his chest. “Amazement accomplished. Maybe love is yet to come.”

“The coming part sounds hopeful.”

“You just had to go and ruin it, didn’t you?”

“What can I say? I can’t shed the me in me.”

“That’s one confusing, yet strangely simple way of putting it. Here’s another theory: you’re afraid of falling in love, so you use wit to keep your mind from that deep, dark well called the heart.”

He squinted at the ceiling. “Perhaps. Mainly I just like being the wisest smartass in the room.”

With Jex, the night was full of witty wordplay and lots of laughter. The time ticked on without my notice. Before long, Muriel Yoots was on stage to announce the prom king and queen.

“This year’s royal couple is…Airianna Hail and Trey Campbell!” Muriel proclaimed.

“Oh my gosh! Airi!” Tears stung my eyes—yes, I’m an emotional water bucket—watching Muriel crown Airianna as the majority of merfolk applauded and cheered.

“Don’t get down, Savior. The crown isn’t worth the pout—it’s just plastic with rhinestones.”

“I’m not down. I’m so the opposite of down.”

“Didn’t you daydream about you and your breathing inner tube bearing the prom sashes?”

“Okay, that was a momentary brainless blip not to be mentioned again. How could I be anything but elated? The merps chose a mermaid and a Normal to represent their class. This has history book potential…for Saxet Shores and the underwater library anyway.” What made this even more remarkable? Not a soul in this school (apart from Airianna and Meikle) knew about Trey’s true identity as a merperson; for them, he was simply a Normal, an outsider.

“Please join our prom king and queen as they lead us in the final set of the night. Make those last dances count,” said Muriel.

“Aw, I should’ve known,” Jex groaned.

“Known what?”

“Being the king and queen of the prom isn’t nearly as record-breaking as being a prince and Savior princess.” Jex gently spun me around.

With a tender melody sweeping the room like a wisp of magic, my soul soared, for through the doors the other half of my heart appeared. Troy. He slowly moved towards me, a corsage in his hands.

“And now it’s perfect,” said Jex, shoving his hands in his pockets, turning to leave.

“Jex…it was already perfect. And, there’s a certain demon-housing girl who would be very happy you’re sans feathers tonight. Just saying.”

Jex grinned and nodded. “Go on, Savior. You deserve that prom movie moment.”

“Thank you…for everything.”

I turned back around to find Troy; our eyes locked instantly. We walked towards each other, never breaking eye contact.

“May I?” he said, holding a daisy corsage. I nodded, and he slipped the pretty daisy on my wrist.

“You’re here,” I said.

“I’m here. Just me. No threat of a demon breakout.”

“The Sandtalians came through?”

“Only after two very good friends worked some magic and did a little demon diving to disconnect the trigger.”

“Meeks and Polls?! What? How?”

“You know the bracelet and charm Santa gave Polly?”

Thinking, I said, “
To reach the unreachable
…that’s what he told Polly the charm could do.”

“That’s right, and coupled with a spell from Meikle, they were able to kill Zale’s trigger. They’ve been working on this since March.”

I quickly looked around the room for Meikle and Polly. When my eyes found them, both were already happily watching me with Troy; I smiled and mouthed a ‘thank you,’ though they deserve far more than words.

“And the Sandtalians?” I inquired.

“Came back with their findings less than an hour ago. I’m not The Dealer. Turns out, my soul isn’t as bad as I thought. It’s just somewhat infested and in need of an extermination.”

“It’s what I knew all along,” I said, kissing him. “And look! Jex is asking Polly to dance. Now everyone is in the realm of happy.”

“Marina, I realized something while we were apart—you are my gravity. I’ve got nothing to hold onto without you. And I wanted to know if I could…hold you.”

“On one condition: don’t let go.”

“Oh, I think I can handle that one,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. “For eternity.”

And a flawed Savior danced the night with her prince-merman-demon holding her tight, proving that, once again, the prom movie magic was alive and well. The end…

…or, you know, until the next disaster strikes with its claws and poison and evil.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Warped Graduation

May: Spring? Summer? Huh?

Monthly Life Caption: Sunny With a Chance of Seasons

Mood: Confused determination

Eating: Don’t recall…really

Music: No idea

Over our very last month of high school, Normals saw a greater acceptance among Merpeople: we were invited to parties, engaged in hallway conversation between classes, received numerous head nods and ‘hellos’ around town, and even ended the year with a full-to-capacity lunch table. Granted, the numbers were definitely skewed in favor of the Fairhairs, but by graduation day, Normals had finally surpassed hateful tolerance and reached the level of acceptance, cordiality, and friendship.