When Life Gives You Fins, Elaina H [good e books to read txt] 📗

at a button on the inside of the bed, “You click this when you need to get out.”

            With that she closes the lid on me, I close my eyes, and fall asleep without a problem.

           

            Not long after I fall asleep, I here a loud knock at the door. I ‘shoot’ up out of bed and hit my head so hard on the top of the bed I see stars.

            I feel around for the button and fall out of the bed when I find it.

            I swim over to the door grumbling all the way. When I open the door I’m looking at Haden. “Hi,” it comes out a jumbled mess of sleepy words, “what are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

            He laughs at me, “It’s only 8:25, CJ.”

            “Oh.”

            “Yeah, well, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go to the point and watch with me?”

            “The Point? Is that like a…a bar or something?”

            “A bar? Why would I run you into a bar?” he has the confused little boy look on his face.

            I laugh at him, “Never mind, sure I’ll go with you. One minute,” I run into the room and throw my hair back in a ponytail. “Let’s go!”

            Haden grabs my hand while we swim down the back hallways. When we get to the foyer he drops my hand, he steps up to the guards, who let us out.

            When we leave the palace he grasps my hand again, and starts pulling me toward the right side of town. This side of Brunswick is all cliffs.

            He starts swimming faster and faster until we’re going as fast as we did when he took me here.

            I’m laughing and twirling in the water, I look at Haden and he has a smile on his face.

            When he starts slowing down, I do as well. I follow him up to a point on a cliff. He sits down and starts staring out toward the city. I sit next to him and wait, looking at the city along with him. When I guess it’s about nine lights inside homes start turning off.

            I lean on Haden‘s shoulder and decide to ask him a question, “Haden, how do you have light down here?”

            “Easy, there are many different rocks and corals that you guys don’t even know about. These rocks and corals glow in the dark and…,” his voice trails off as I start to fall asleep.

           

            Next thing I know I hear another loud knock and I shoot up out of bed. I hit my head on the top of my bed again.

            I search for the button and find it, as I hit it I fall onto the floor, again.

            I mumble under my breath again as I go to the door. I open the door and there stands Prince Zak. I groan and swim away holding my head in my left hand.

            “What is up with all the knocking in the middle of the night?”

            “First of all,” Prince Zak starts, “it is not the middle of the night. But it was, like, the middle of the night when Haden took you…well, I’m not sure where he took you, but it wasn’t here.”

            “Ha! Don’t make me laugh. I just went to the point, I think that’s what it’s called? Anyways why does it matter, I was back before it mattered. I wasn’t out in the middle of the night it was only 9:00,” I say with a wave of my hand.

            “It doesn’t make a difference when, the point is that not every body here loves you. There are crazy people here too. They want you,” he tosses the word around in his head I know he’s going to say, “dead.”

            “And let me guess, you,” I jab a finger into his chest, and three guards I hadn’t seen early almost jumped me, “think I can’t protect myself, or for that matter have Haden protect me. So let me ask you this, who is good enough to protect me?” I cross my arms and lean to one side, daring him to mess with me.

            When I think I’ve finally gotten what I wanted, “At least two guards with accompany you at all times.”

            And he’s gone.

            And like any mature young adult I stomp around my room, slamming things into a bag, mumbling about how I’ll find somewhere else to stay.

            After about five minutes of this I realize it’s pointless, and I sit.

           

           

 

 

 

 

           

           

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the Story Goes…

 

            Seeing that today is my last freebee day, I decide to go out alone. Well, except the two guards I have to have, but you get the point.

            Anyways I have absolutely no Clams left. So I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but I go anyways, I can window shop, right?

            As I get deeper into the market the crowd gets thicker. My guards, in an effort to keep up with me, pull out badges to make a path to me.

            I pull of to the side, I stand in front of the same fabric ship I was at yesterday. I see the salesperson and smile. The salesperson looks at me and asks, “So how much you willing to pay, sweety?” he asks.

            “Uhhh, nothing, actually. I haven’t any money to give you.”

            He rolls his eyes and turns away from me. I turn back around and ram into something/someone rock solid.

            “Hello there.”

            “Hi,” I look up at his face, “Prince Zak…?”             “Hello, I’m here on certified business though. My father’s ‘right hand man’ needs you. He says he has to go over some debriefing,” as he talks his posture goes from plank to loose.

            “Okay, like, right now?”

            “Like now, yes,” he smirks at me as he mocks my improper speech.

            “Ha ha very funny,” we start swimming back towards the palace.

            “Yeah, I’ve been told I’m very humorous.”

            “Yes, quit humorous,” I look at my, uh, fins and smile to myself.

            “What were you doing out here? Did you find some more money?”

            “No, I was window shopping. I spent my money on that fabric. Which reminds me, I have to take that to the seamstress soon!”             “How about this, I’ll take your fabric to the seamstress and you go figure out what my father want?” he looks serious, surprisingly.

            “Okay, I guess, but I don’t want something ugly or bulky, wait, or un-modest.”

            He looks at the green-seaweed top I’m wearing and smiles, “Okay, fair enough.”

            “It’s in my room on my vanity. Remember,” I point my finger at him, “my rules.”

            He waves me off, “Don’t boss me around. Meet my father’s friend in the library in section A, row 2.”             “Bye!”

            He turns around and leaves me alone, except the guards, I swim up to the gates and the guards let us in.

            As the guards lead me down the hallway I cross my fingers and say a little prayer that Prince Zak has a great sense of style.

            “Hello.” The voice is very dry and old. His voice sounds like you could saw wood with it.

            “Hello. Do I need to sit?”             “Yes.”             “Ooookaaaay.”

            “So, you are getting some important information today about what you’ll be exactly be doing here.”             “Yeah, that sound great.”             “A comment wasn’t needed, but moving on. So first you’ll be talking to Mr. Haleron. He is your educator; he’ll teach you mer-history. You will meet him at 7:00 sharp, and be there till 8:00, give or take.

            “At 3:00 you will go to the castle and do one of these jobs.”

            The man hands me a list: seamstress, cooking, cleaning, or working with the children in the nursery.

            “Okay, I guess I’ll work with the children,” I answer.

            “Yes, that job goes from 3:00 to 5:30. It is one of the shorter jobs on the list.

            That is all I need to tell you for now. You will start this procedure tomorrow. I will send a housemaid to prepare you for your days work at 6:00 sharp. Make sure you eat breakfast,” after the man finishes he stands leaves.

            “See you later.”             I exit the room with a paper that gives me an hour by hour by report for the next five weeks.

            I swim past a servant, “Good day, mamm.”             “Thank you.”

            “Hello.”

            “Hello, Haden.”

            “I can’t surprise you anymore can I?” he asks with a laugh.

            “No, sorry,” I toss a quick look over my shoulder.

            “Ahh, oh well, at least you remember my name.”             “Yes, at least. So what are you doing here anyways? I thought you worked as a delivery boy?”

            “Yeah well that job is a one time thing.” He looks up at me a smiles. “I have to go, but I’ll talk to you later okay?”

            “Yeah, I’ll see you later.”

            “Good-bye, CJ.”

            Haden goes away and I continue on the long trek back to my room. As I continue, I here many ladies talking about a ball and how the Prince has yet to pick a date, with the ball so close.

            I roll my eyes and hope the ladies have more of a life than this.

            I swim down the hallway and go into my room, the bed is made and the room is clean.

            I go to my bag and pull out the globe my father got me. I set it on my vanity and straighten up the little bit of stuff I own.

            I hear a knock on the door, I open the door and see no one at first, until I look down. Destin’s here, at my door looking into an old book.

            “Hello?” I say.

            “Hi,” he mumbles as he swims into my room, not even glancing up. “So I went to the library and found this book on this old legend. And it kind of related to what happened at the market.”

            “Destin, what happened at the market was probably a one time thing, okay?”

            “Sure,” he lifts his hand and throws a coin at my face. I stop it in mid-water again and glare at him. “I knew you’d say that, so I had to prove it to you that you can do some pretty cool stuff.”

            His dark eyes stare into my mine, begging me to understand. “Fine,” I throw up my hands in defeat, “what’s the ‘legend’?”

            “Well, it’s really simple. First, the legend is that a half-half girl came from land 3,000 years ago. Anyways, she was different and she had the power to manipulate water.”

            “Good, we know it’s not me!” I yell.

            “Well, actually, this makes more sense. Because the coin stops in mid-water, not because you’re stopping the coin, you’re controlling the water,” he smiles and raises his eyebrows at me.

            “What’s going on in here?”

            “Hi Zak,” Destin says, even happier.

            “Hey, what are you guys doing in here?”

            “Oh, Destin’s trying to tell me that I have ‘powers.’ Can you believe it?”             He looks at Destin, “Nice, what kind of powers?”

            “What!? I have no powers. What I did at the market all mermaids can do, right?”

            “Well, uh, yeah, actually,” he scratches the back of his neck, “no.”             “You’ve got to be kidding, right.”             “No, listen I don’t know what’s going on, but, Destin, why don’t you get a full story then convince her.” Destin swims off mumbling to himself.

            “Does this kid do this to every guest? Or am I just special?” I humph and sit on a stool.

            “Just you and Adrianne, my sister, but she literally flips out on him,” he gives a shy smile and laughs.

            “I haven’t met Adrianne yet, I’m sure she’s very nice,” I lie through my teeth.

            “I thought you were the honest one!”

            “I am, I’m sure she’s nice to her friends.”             He chuckles do himself, and mumbles, “You have no