Fins Are Forever
Page 35
“What do you mean?”
“I mean—” He shakes his head. “I’m sure this sounds crazy, Lily, but I think she’s the one.”
“The what?” I choke.
“I don’t know how to explain it, exactly. When I’m with Doe…” He looks me in the eye. “She feels like home.” And I can tel he means it.
If they weren’t separated by half of Seaview or had been bonded longer than a day and a half, I could blame his feelings on the magic, the mystical power that takes two beings and joins them closer than any others. I’d think his mind was muddied by the emotional and physical connection of the bond. But the feeling in his voice, in his eyes, is real.
I know, because I feel the same way about Quince.
“I—” This is definitely a twist I didn’t expect. “I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, wel .” He shrugs. “I didn’t either. Kind of ironic, huh?
I spend most of my life acting like a player. I final y find the girl of my dreams and being with her means being in the water forever. Everything is perfect, except it has to end before it’s even begun.”
“I—” Why can’t I seem to finish a sentence? I’m just so stunned by the sincerity of his emotion. The Brody I’ve known, the one I thought I loved for so long, has never been so serious about a girl. Too bad he fel for my squid-brained cousin. “If there were any other way—”
“But there is,” he says, turning his body to face me. “You don’t have to perform the separation.”
“I do.” I don’t want to break his heart, especial y when he’s being so open and vulnerable about his feelings, but I have to. “Doe is young and impulsive and doesn’t care about anyone but herself.” I take a steadying breath, knowing this next statement wil hurt. “She only kissed you so she’d be left alone with Quince. She thinks she can steal him away from me.”
Brody pushes to his feet. “You’re wrong.” He dusts the sand off his shorts. “She cares about me, just like I care about her.”
“Brody,” I begin, not sure how to make him realize the truth about Doe when he’s blinded by his feelings. I probably can’t, so I try another tact. “There are things you don’t know about merkind.”
“I don’t care.”
Oh, he wil . “You remember how Doe said I’m al ergic to chlorine?” When he shrugs, I continue. “Wel , it’s more than an al ergy. Chlorine is toxic to merfolk. It’s fatal—”
“I stil don’t care.”
I jump up to meet him face-to-face. I have to make him understand. “You don’t get it,” I almost shout. “Your swimming career would be over.”
“ N o , you don’t get it,” he says, shaking his head.
“Swimming is just a sport, a means to a col ege scholarship, at best. Doe is…” His face transforms into a sunny grin. “My future.”
How am I supposed to argue with that? I feel bad for Brody, I real y do. He doesn’t win in this situation, either way. I’m trying—in vain—to figure out something to say when I hear the rattle of Quince’s mom’s car approaching.
“Hurry up,” Quince shouts as the car squeals to a stop up the beach from our spot. “I don’t know how long your aunt can keep Doe and the seagul apart.”
Brody doesn’t hesitate, just stalks up the beach and climbs into the backseat, slamming the door shut behind him. I’ve barely got the passenger door closed before Quince is peeling out of the parking lot and racing for home. We’re halfway there by the time I get my seat belt clicked into place, and then we’re slamming to a stop at the end of our front walk and Quince is out and running for the door.
When I fol ow him inside a few seconds later, I’m greeting with a flurry of feathers, a lot of hissing and squawking, and Aunt Rachel, Dosinia, and Quince’s shouts.
“Corner it!”
“It’s heading for the stairs.”
“Stop her!”
“Herd it back into the kitchen.”
Brody and I rush toward the noise just in time to see Doe dive for Prithi while Aunt Rachel and Quince wave their arms to keep the wild seagul penned in between the sink and the refrigerator.
Unfortunately, Doe’s grab misses Prithi, who snakes between Quince’s biker boots and lunges for the bird. The terrified seagul makes a break for the doorway between the kitchen and the hal , which happens to be where Brody and I are standing.
“Duck!” I shout, pushing Brody aside as I leap for the seagul . It flies right between my hands and, just when I think it’s going to escape, I tighten my grip and feel the weight of its body between my palms.
“Got it!”
“Thank heavens,” Aunt Rachel gasps.
Quince, who turned his attention to Prithi when the gul escaped, says, “And I’ve got the cat.”
Not that Prithi is pleased to have been caught by a human when there’s a bird and two mermaids in the room. But at least the chaos is contained.
“Is this a messenger gul ?” I ask, tucking the bird close to my body.
“No,” Aunt Rachel says with a stern look at Doe. “It’s a seagul .”
“I’m sorry, al right?” Doe says, not sounding sorry in the least. “I didn’t know there were non–messenger seagul s.
They don’t exactly hang out in Thalassinia.”
“I mean—” He shakes his head. “I’m sure this sounds crazy, Lily, but I think she’s the one.”
“The what?” I choke.
“I don’t know how to explain it, exactly. When I’m with Doe…” He looks me in the eye. “She feels like home.” And I can tel he means it.
If they weren’t separated by half of Seaview or had been bonded longer than a day and a half, I could blame his feelings on the magic, the mystical power that takes two beings and joins them closer than any others. I’d think his mind was muddied by the emotional and physical connection of the bond. But the feeling in his voice, in his eyes, is real.
I know, because I feel the same way about Quince.
“I—” This is definitely a twist I didn’t expect. “I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, wel .” He shrugs. “I didn’t either. Kind of ironic, huh?
I spend most of my life acting like a player. I final y find the girl of my dreams and being with her means being in the water forever. Everything is perfect, except it has to end before it’s even begun.”
“I—” Why can’t I seem to finish a sentence? I’m just so stunned by the sincerity of his emotion. The Brody I’ve known, the one I thought I loved for so long, has never been so serious about a girl. Too bad he fel for my squid-brained cousin. “If there were any other way—”
“But there is,” he says, turning his body to face me. “You don’t have to perform the separation.”
“I do.” I don’t want to break his heart, especial y when he’s being so open and vulnerable about his feelings, but I have to. “Doe is young and impulsive and doesn’t care about anyone but herself.” I take a steadying breath, knowing this next statement wil hurt. “She only kissed you so she’d be left alone with Quince. She thinks she can steal him away from me.”
Brody pushes to his feet. “You’re wrong.” He dusts the sand off his shorts. “She cares about me, just like I care about her.”
“Brody,” I begin, not sure how to make him realize the truth about Doe when he’s blinded by his feelings. I probably can’t, so I try another tact. “There are things you don’t know about merkind.”
“I don’t care.”
Oh, he wil . “You remember how Doe said I’m al ergic to chlorine?” When he shrugs, I continue. “Wel , it’s more than an al ergy. Chlorine is toxic to merfolk. It’s fatal—”
“I stil don’t care.”
I jump up to meet him face-to-face. I have to make him understand. “You don’t get it,” I almost shout. “Your swimming career would be over.”
“ N o , you don’t get it,” he says, shaking his head.
“Swimming is just a sport, a means to a col ege scholarship, at best. Doe is…” His face transforms into a sunny grin. “My future.”
How am I supposed to argue with that? I feel bad for Brody, I real y do. He doesn’t win in this situation, either way. I’m trying—in vain—to figure out something to say when I hear the rattle of Quince’s mom’s car approaching.
“Hurry up,” Quince shouts as the car squeals to a stop up the beach from our spot. “I don’t know how long your aunt can keep Doe and the seagul apart.”
Brody doesn’t hesitate, just stalks up the beach and climbs into the backseat, slamming the door shut behind him. I’ve barely got the passenger door closed before Quince is peeling out of the parking lot and racing for home. We’re halfway there by the time I get my seat belt clicked into place, and then we’re slamming to a stop at the end of our front walk and Quince is out and running for the door.
When I fol ow him inside a few seconds later, I’m greeting with a flurry of feathers, a lot of hissing and squawking, and Aunt Rachel, Dosinia, and Quince’s shouts.
“Corner it!”
“It’s heading for the stairs.”
“Stop her!”
“Herd it back into the kitchen.”
Brody and I rush toward the noise just in time to see Doe dive for Prithi while Aunt Rachel and Quince wave their arms to keep the wild seagul penned in between the sink and the refrigerator.
Unfortunately, Doe’s grab misses Prithi, who snakes between Quince’s biker boots and lunges for the bird. The terrified seagul makes a break for the doorway between the kitchen and the hal , which happens to be where Brody and I are standing.
“Duck!” I shout, pushing Brody aside as I leap for the seagul . It flies right between my hands and, just when I think it’s going to escape, I tighten my grip and feel the weight of its body between my palms.
“Got it!”
“Thank heavens,” Aunt Rachel gasps.
Quince, who turned his attention to Prithi when the gul escaped, says, “And I’ve got the cat.”
Not that Prithi is pleased to have been caught by a human when there’s a bird and two mermaids in the room. But at least the chaos is contained.
“Is this a messenger gul ?” I ask, tucking the bird close to my body.
“No,” Aunt Rachel says with a stern look at Doe. “It’s a seagul .”
“I’m sorry, al right?” Doe says, not sounding sorry in the least. “I didn’t know there were non–messenger seagul s.
They don’t exactly hang out in Thalassinia.”
