As I snap back to reality, I noticed that I was inches away from the ocean. Without thinking, I began to walk towards the water. "How could this have happened again?" I asked myself, "What did I do to deserve this all over again? He's my best friend! How could he do this to me after everything I've been through?" With a million thoughts running through my mind, I submerged myself underwater. Here, I feel safe. Sometimes when I'm going through stuff, I fill the bathtub up and submerge myself completely...but the ocean's different. Looking at the coral reef, I feel safer...as if I were at home in my bed. At that moment, my head began to throb. Immense pain rippled throughout my head. I closed my eyes and remember something from the party last year..."It's okay my child. I'll keep you safe. As long as you're submerged under any body of water, I will protect you at all times," I recalled the voice saying, echoing through my mind. I'm safe? Possibly. There could be a slim chance that everything will be alright. Who am I kidding…I can't let my inner conscience compel me to think that everything will be okay when, in reality, it's not. I mean, could I be a small exception? Why me? What makes me so special? "It's because you're unique in more ways than one your maj-, I mean Claire," said a loud voice. I shot my eyes open and looked around the reef. I saw nothing. I began to wonder what that was and how I was able to hear it so clearly underwater? God, what is happening to me? I began to swim ashore and realized the sun was setting. "Woah how long have I been gone?" I whispered to myself, "everyone must be worried about me." I began to head home, thinking about everything and why it was happening to me. I thought maybe someone could've slipped me something at that party last year causing the first incident and this time I could be hallucinating from the lack of oxygen in my brain trying to save that mermaid earlier. "Wait!" I shouted in realization. All of this didn't start up again until I came into contact with her. Maybe she's to key to all of this. As the sun was setting, I rushed home. I wanted to ask our new fish friend a few questions because I'm sure she's connected to all of this somehow. She must've been at the party last year too which would explain what happened then.
With a million and one thoughts in mind, I rushed home hoping to find the answers I've been searching for.
Finally, I make it home. I snuck around the side of the house instead of going through the house to the backyard. I knew my mom would be angry at me if I just waltzed through the door as if nothing happened when I'd been gone for hours. When I approached the fence on the side of the house, I hopped over the gate and quietly made my way to my room. I entered my room. It was completely dark inside with a little moon light shining in from the windows giving a faint bit of light just enough to notice outlines and figures. I looked to the left and noticed a figure similar to Andrew's was fast asleep on my bed. I noticed another figure with long wavy hair to the right side of my room fast asleep on the recliner. As I looked closer at the figures face, I realized that it was the mermaid we had saved earlier. I wondered what happened to her tail? If it was just like the shows and movies. In water she has a tail and on land she has legs. With those thoughts in mind, I had moment of realization. She was the naked girl from earlier. How can I be so stupid. Why did I have to be dramatic and escalate the situation before finding out the truth and clearing up a misunderstanding? Now, I feel like a complete idiot and who knows if Andrew was going to hold this over me for a while. Looking back at what I've been through, can I really be blamed for the pain and acting out? I knew I would have to apologize, but for now I just had to focus on the task at hand. Not getting grounded. I went to my desk to write my mom a note letting her know what happened so that she doesn't worry too much, or be so angry with me for staying out so late by myself. Once I finished, I grabbed some tape from the drawer and headed back out with the note in hand making sure not to wake them up. I made my way to the backdoor and taped the note to it, hoping she sees it in the morning when she comes out and drinks her coffee. "Hmm, maybe I should write Andrew a note too. It would save me from the embarrassment of having to talk to him face to face," I mumbled under my breath. After making sure the note was secure on the door, I made my way back to my room. When I opened the door, I was stopped by Andrew who seems to have woken up from all of the commotion I made and he seems very angry. "Andrew?! Why are you up? You-," he cut me off. "Shh! Your big mouth will end up waking the entire neighborhood," he exclaimed. He pushed me back outside, closed the door behind him, and gave me an earful, "do you have any idea what time it is?! Where have you been?! Everyone has been worried sick. "Look who's being loud now. If as in 'everyone' you mean you and my mom then you guys are fine. I'm sure you guys can manage without me if I was to disappear, especially you," I responded sarcastically. "What are you talking about Claire?" He asked.
"Nothing...look, I'm sorry about earlier, I wasn't thinking straight and I was confused which led to me blowing everything out of proportion," I replied, "I only acted that way because-" "Because you thought I was doing what Logan did to you last year and that upset you, right?" he interrupted.
"Actually...yea I did think that at first, but after coming back I realized that you were just helping the mermaid and I'm sorry for freaking out. I didn't recognize her…I only recognized the situation and was blinded to everything else. I didn't mean any of the stuff I had said to you and I will never forgive myself for saying it. I'm sorry. I don't really think those things…I was just upset," I explained frantically. "It's okay Claire. I know you didn't mean any of it. At the end of the day, it was just a misunderstanding and we've finally cleared up," he replied. He put his hand on my head and began to pet me. A familiar, comforting thing he used to do when we were younger. "You know I would never do anything to hurt you, right?" He asked seeking confirmation from me. My heart began to race. Why do I always feel like this whenever he is so soft with me? I can feel my face getting hot, so I quickly turned away. I don't know if I'm blushing, but i definitely don't want him to see if I am.Thank God it's nighttime right now. "I- I know you wouldn't," I responded with a slight stutter. Still flustered from the head pat. "Great!" He shouted while taking his hand away, "now, can you tell me where you were all day?" And there it goes. I fell for the trap that he clearly set up. Andrew is sweet a md reassures me a lot, but I believe he knows that his head pats always gets him want he wants. Right now, it's the abswer to where I've been…and I always crack. "Okay…this might sound crazy, but I was in the ocean all day," I responded. "Oh, you were at the beach?" He asked. "No, Andrew…I was in the ocean. I've been underwater apparently all day without scuba gear. I don't know what it is, but ever since the mermaid and I came into contact with each other, I've been having weird visions, I'm able to hold my breath a lot longer, and my perception of time is all over the place especially when I'm in the water. Honestly, I'm scared Andrew, and I don't know what I should do," I explained while beginning to cry. I look at my reflection in the glass staring back at me. I should be seeing myself, but right now, all I see is a monster.
Andrew began to comfort me. "Don't cry Claire," he said, "I can tell how scared you are right now, but I just want you to know that I will always be here for you no matter what kind of hardships you end up going through. And I will definitely help you figure out what's going on with you if it's the last thing I do." Andrew leaned in and gave me the biggest loving, warm hug any girl would kill to have at times like this. His hugs make me feel safe and it give me a peaceful feeling that he will always be by my side. "Wait," I said pulling back from the hug, " you believe me?" "Of course I believe you. I mean, there's a mermaid asleep in your room right now. I would say anything is possible at this point regardless of how ridiculous it may sound," he said back. I nodded my head in agreement. "Touché," I replied. "Now that that's settled," he continued, "you said this started when you came into contact with her? You mean when we were rescuing her?" "No," I replied, "I felt like this last year at the party for a very brief moment after I was pushed into the pool." "I think you meant when those assholes tried to kill you," he corrected me. "Yea…granted I don't think that was the end goal. I'm sure it was just to humiliate me in front of everyone," I said. "Same difference," he added under his breath, "anyways, you think she was there at the party last year?" "Yes, I do," I replied, "I mean it wouldn't be a thought to toss aside. With everything that's happened to me between last year and today, I believe she has something to do with it all. I mean mermaids are magical creatures in story books. Maybe she did something to me when she saw that I was in danger. Honestly, I really don't know and won't know until I can talk to her myself. I'm seriously scared Andrew." Tears began to flow down my face once more. He looked at me as if he didn't know what to do or say. He grabbed my hand and guided me back into my room quietly. He looked me in the eye as we sat on my bed and whispered into my ear ever so lightly, "Everything is going to be okay Claire, I promise. I'm going to be by your side all the way and I don't plan on going anywhere even if it does turn out to be something really messed up, so stop crying, okay? We'll figure this out together no matter what." At that moment the tears stopped and my heart skipped another beat. I stared at Andrew, lost for words. I looked away because I could feel myself blushing starting to blush. I don't know why, but I was expecting something else to happen at that moment as well. "It'll be alright Claire," he said, "get some rest and we'll figure it out in the morning. Starting with who she is." He pointed at the mermaid. "Okay," I replied. Andrew got up and positioned himself at the foot of the bed preparing to go back to sleep. "Hey Andrew," I whispered out loud, "goodnight, and thank you for everything like always." "No problem," he replied, "anything for you. Goodnight." And with that being said, we went to bed curious about what tomorrow might bring us.
The next morning came, and I was awoken by a huge thud on my head. "OWW!" I screamed out loud, "What was that?! Jesus Christ can I just catch a break, for once?!" I looked and was met with a shoe on my pillow. I searched the room and found the mermaid tossing and throwing things all over the place. I see Andrew trying to calm her down, but it isn't working. I jumped out of bed to try to help him. "Woah! Woah! Woah! Let's all just calm down for a second and we can figure out what the hell is going on here and why I just had a shoe thrown at me," I said out loud. "Who are you and what am I doing here?" asked the mermaid with curiosity. "You were in danger and injured, so we brought you back to my house. My name is Claire, and this is Andrew. He's the one who let you throw a shoe at my head while I was sleeping," I answered while glaring at him. "No!" she yelled with so much fear in her voice, "I need to get back to the ocean and search before it's too late."
"Okay, just calm down and tell us why you're so eager to leave after getting hurt like that," I said while pointing at all her obvious wounds. "You wouldn't understand," she replied. "Well help us understand by first telling us your name then follow it with why you're here and what you're searching for," I said to her. Hopefully I can find out more about what happened last year. Like, why did it happen to me? Why could I breathe under water? Why did so much time pass by when it only felt like a few minutes to me? All of the answers to my many questions has to lie with this girl.