Fins Are Forever
Page 21
Prithi meows at me from under the table, as if defending her new favorite fish girl from my wrath. Turntail. She can go home with Doe if she loves her that much.
Aunt Rachel’s gaze swings to Doe, who is pouting petulantly in her seat. “You didn’t,” she says sadly.
“I caught them.” I turn my scowl on Doe.
Brody clears his throat. “Mrs. Sanderson, I—”
“It’s Hale,” I spit at him. He’s magical y bonded to a mergirl, and he doesn’t even know her guardian’s name.
What was he thinking? Sure, the whole bond thing is not his fault, but he was an equal party in the kissing. He should know more about Doe than that she’s hot. He just slid down another two notches in my estimation, and he didn’t have too far to go before reaching the ocean floor. “Her name is Rachel Hale. Ms. Hale to you.”
“Now, Lily,” Aunt Rachel says, laying a hand on my forearm. “I know you’re upset, but anger is not going to help the situation.”
I flop back against my chair, jamming my arms across my chest. She’s right, I know, but that doesn’t mean I can magical y send my anger away. That would take more bath salts than there are fish in the sea.
“What has the boy been told?” she asks me.
“Nothing,” Doe says. “Lily hasn’t let us—”
“I said, Shut. Up.” I jump to my feet and start pacing. “For the love of Poseidon, you’ve done enough damage for one day.”
“I know what we did was disrespectful,” Brody says, coming to Doe’s aid. I begrudgingly give him points—one point—for that. “But it’s not like we actual y… you know.”
“No,” I say as I suck in a deep breath. “What you did was worse.”
“You’re being a little melodramatic, Lily,” Aunt Rachel chides. “You know there is a solution to this problem.” I pace my way over to the kitchen sink, gazing out at the faded gray house across the driveway and wishing Quince didn’t have to work so many late hours at the lumberyard. If he were here, then everything would be easier.
He and I went through this very thing just a few weeks ago
—although, at the time, I’d thought it was Brody kissing me.
I’d been in the throes of a three-year crush, so I shouldn’t be held accountable for my actions. It was one big screwup from start to finish, but it worked out okay in the end. Quince is always far more levelheaded in crises—case in point, the earthquake. He’d know what to do, how to say it. Like a true princess. Prince. Whatever.
He isn’t here, though. I’m on my own. I’l have to pul on my big-girl finkini and deal with the problem.
Putting it off wil only make things worse.
Turning away from the sink, I lean back against the counter and face the table. Deep breath.
“There are a few things I need to explain to you, Brody,” I say, hands gripping the edge of the counter behind me for support. “Are you ready for some earth-shattering news?” Turning in his chair to face me, he looks confused.
This won’t be easy. Until that kiss Quince and I shared a month ago, I’d never told a single human about my magical secret identity. Aunt Rachel already knew when I’d come to live with her three years ago, and everyone else… wel , protecting my kingdom was far more important than sharing a juicy secret.
Now, once again, the revelation is unavoidable.
“First of al ,” I explain, clutching the counter tighter as if that wil give me courage, “Doe and I are not exactly average human
girls.
We’re”—I
squeeze
my
eyes
shut
—“mermaids.”
Silence washes through the room. I can’t even hear anyone breathing. No movement, not even a meow from Prithi. Final y, when I can’t stand it any longer, I force one eye open.
Brody hasn’t moved. Even the expression on his face is stil one of complete confusion. Clearly, he’s in shock.
“Mermaids,” I repeat. “We live in the ocean and can breathe wa—”
“I know.” He shakes his head. “I mean, I know what mermaids are, but… I think I already knew that’s what you are.” After a quick glance from me to Doe and back again, he smiles. “Not about Doe, you know, but somehow I knew about you, Lily. I mean, I didn’t know, but as soon as you said it, I felt like I already knew.” He smiles wryly. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Actual y, it kind of does.
When the whole thing was going down with Quince a couple weeks ago, I decided to tel Shannen the truth. She is my best human friend, after al , and if I can trust anyone with my secret, it’s her. Brody overheard the confession, and in that instant I realized I didn’t want him to know. I didn’t real y love him.
So I performed a mindwashing to make him forget. It was my first—and, I hoped, my last—so maybe I didn’t entirely erase his memory.
For a second I consider tel ing Brody about the mindwashing. No, maybe not. It’s nothing bad, of course, but he might not be too happy about the fact that I’d messed with his memories. Who would be?
Not that it matters, because I’l just have to do it again as soon as he and Doe are separated. Nothing’s changed in the last two weeks to make me trust him with the safety of my kingdom. Which brings me to part two of the revelation.
“The other thing,” I say, bouncing nervously back against the counter, “is that a mermaid kiss isn’t just a kiss.”
Aunt Rachel’s gaze swings to Doe, who is pouting petulantly in her seat. “You didn’t,” she says sadly.
“I caught them.” I turn my scowl on Doe.
Brody clears his throat. “Mrs. Sanderson, I—”
“It’s Hale,” I spit at him. He’s magical y bonded to a mergirl, and he doesn’t even know her guardian’s name.
What was he thinking? Sure, the whole bond thing is not his fault, but he was an equal party in the kissing. He should know more about Doe than that she’s hot. He just slid down another two notches in my estimation, and he didn’t have too far to go before reaching the ocean floor. “Her name is Rachel Hale. Ms. Hale to you.”
“Now, Lily,” Aunt Rachel says, laying a hand on my forearm. “I know you’re upset, but anger is not going to help the situation.”
I flop back against my chair, jamming my arms across my chest. She’s right, I know, but that doesn’t mean I can magical y send my anger away. That would take more bath salts than there are fish in the sea.
“What has the boy been told?” she asks me.
“Nothing,” Doe says. “Lily hasn’t let us—”
“I said, Shut. Up.” I jump to my feet and start pacing. “For the love of Poseidon, you’ve done enough damage for one day.”
“I know what we did was disrespectful,” Brody says, coming to Doe’s aid. I begrudgingly give him points—one point—for that. “But it’s not like we actual y… you know.”
“No,” I say as I suck in a deep breath. “What you did was worse.”
“You’re being a little melodramatic, Lily,” Aunt Rachel chides. “You know there is a solution to this problem.” I pace my way over to the kitchen sink, gazing out at the faded gray house across the driveway and wishing Quince didn’t have to work so many late hours at the lumberyard. If he were here, then everything would be easier.
He and I went through this very thing just a few weeks ago
—although, at the time, I’d thought it was Brody kissing me.
I’d been in the throes of a three-year crush, so I shouldn’t be held accountable for my actions. It was one big screwup from start to finish, but it worked out okay in the end. Quince is always far more levelheaded in crises—case in point, the earthquake. He’d know what to do, how to say it. Like a true princess. Prince. Whatever.
He isn’t here, though. I’m on my own. I’l have to pul on my big-girl finkini and deal with the problem.
Putting it off wil only make things worse.
Turning away from the sink, I lean back against the counter and face the table. Deep breath.
“There are a few things I need to explain to you, Brody,” I say, hands gripping the edge of the counter behind me for support. “Are you ready for some earth-shattering news?” Turning in his chair to face me, he looks confused.
This won’t be easy. Until that kiss Quince and I shared a month ago, I’d never told a single human about my magical secret identity. Aunt Rachel already knew when I’d come to live with her three years ago, and everyone else… wel , protecting my kingdom was far more important than sharing a juicy secret.
Now, once again, the revelation is unavoidable.
“First of al ,” I explain, clutching the counter tighter as if that wil give me courage, “Doe and I are not exactly average human
girls.
We’re”—I
squeeze
my
eyes
shut
—“mermaids.”
Silence washes through the room. I can’t even hear anyone breathing. No movement, not even a meow from Prithi. Final y, when I can’t stand it any longer, I force one eye open.
Brody hasn’t moved. Even the expression on his face is stil one of complete confusion. Clearly, he’s in shock.
“Mermaids,” I repeat. “We live in the ocean and can breathe wa—”
“I know.” He shakes his head. “I mean, I know what mermaids are, but… I think I already knew that’s what you are.” After a quick glance from me to Doe and back again, he smiles. “Not about Doe, you know, but somehow I knew about you, Lily. I mean, I didn’t know, but as soon as you said it, I felt like I already knew.” He smiles wryly. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Actual y, it kind of does.
When the whole thing was going down with Quince a couple weeks ago, I decided to tel Shannen the truth. She is my best human friend, after al , and if I can trust anyone with my secret, it’s her. Brody overheard the confession, and in that instant I realized I didn’t want him to know. I didn’t real y love him.
So I performed a mindwashing to make him forget. It was my first—and, I hoped, my last—so maybe I didn’t entirely erase his memory.
For a second I consider tel ing Brody about the mindwashing. No, maybe not. It’s nothing bad, of course, but he might not be too happy about the fact that I’d messed with his memories. Who would be?
Not that it matters, because I’l just have to do it again as soon as he and Doe are separated. Nothing’s changed in the last two weeks to make me trust him with the safety of my kingdom. Which brings me to part two of the revelation.
“The other thing,” I say, bouncing nervously back against the counter, “is that a mermaid kiss isn’t just a kiss.”
