Chapter One: One of Us
"Darling, they'll be here in less than two hours!" my father calls from the other side of my bathroom door. "You've been in there for a long time... I know how it is with makeup these days, but you need to come out! Our guests, I'm sure, don't like to be kept waiting..."
"Dad, come on!" I call back. "I've only got a couple of weeks left before I start college! Can't a girl take a look in a mirror in peace once in a while?" I ask, looking in the mirror at the stress zit that wouldn't seem to go away. "Please, don't worry. I'll be ready for these friends of yours by six. I'm not the problem child when it comes to getting ready..."
His sigh comes through the door. "All right, sweetheart. Just be ready. They're Australian, you know..."
"Yeah, Dad, I heard you telling Mom!" I call back. "Several times," I mutter to myself as I hear his footsteps receding in the other direction, out of my bedroom, and down the hall.
I am thankful that I've gotten my washing out of the way for the day as I continue to peer at myself. My hair is in curlers, so that it will appear to look semi-presentable for that evening, per my father's wishes. Sighing, I decide to put some concealer on and hope for the best. I get to my feet and proceed over to the door, where I let myself out, wrapped in a towel, and slip into some undergarments and into my robe.
I sit before my vanity table in my bedroom and peer at my reflection in the second mirror. My alabaster skin was flushed from the warm bath water, giving it a rosy tinge. Pursing my full lips, I shake my head at the violet eyes with the flecks of gold close to their center stare back at me. The upturned nose doesn't really do anything either, and I keep my eyes down whilst lifting a section of my chocolate-brown hair and proceed to dry it expertly.
When five o'clock dawns, after I've brushed out my hair and put on a bit of makeup, I cross the room to my walk-in closet and peruse my dresses, wondering which one will be appropriate for that night. Choosing a dress with tulip sleeves and a flared skirt, I quickly slip on a pair of matching flats as well. Slipping the dress over my head, I make sure my hair is still in place before putting my silver locket with the engraved N on it, and studded with a blue aventurine. I peer in the mirror one last time before shrugging and heading off downstairs.
I hear my father speaking to my mother about my brother and about how he will probably be late for dinner again. My older brother, whom they're speaking of, is frequently late for functions that have nothing to do with his work. James was an investment banker for a big firm Downtown, and his wife, Helena, would almost always come to his rescue and stand-in for him for family dinners. Although we all adored Helena, we all wanted to see more of James.
"Did James call to cancel?" I ask, stepping into the room.
"We don't know yet—but don't go getting any ideas, young lady," my mother tells me firmly.
I throw up my arms. "Not going to happen—I want to meet this guy that's got Dad all hot-to-trot."
"What are you talking about?" my father asks, distracted as always, with his nose in his Blackberry.
"You love this Lewis McCartney guy so much that part of me thinks you're tempted to adopt him or something," I say, shaking my head and walking over to the couch. "Not that I mind—he seems really cool."
"And very committed to his girlfriend," my mother puts in.
I roll my eyes. "Mother, please," I say, unlocking my phone and pretending to text my non-existent group of social friends. "I am not desperate to be dating—at all. I would like some peers who didn't bug me about it. I'm eighteen-years-old and I start college in a matter of weeks. Jumping into a new relationship right now is not a good idea."
The doorbell rings then, and my father jumps out of his skin.
"They must be early!" he cries, running out of the living room, down the hallway, and into the main foyer.
"He's got it bad," I say to my mother, becoming engrossed in my cell phone again as she shakes her head to follow him.
"You, too, Nöelle," she says, and I roll my eyes but, nevertheless, move to follow her into the foyer.
"Did I miss it?" demands Edmund, my perpetually annoying fourteen-year-old brother as he runs from the kitchen.
"Not by a long-shot," I say, rolling my eyes; he is nearly six feet, and I know he will shoot up more and overtake my five-feet-five frame even more. "We should go," I say as I hear our father speaking to the people who have come into the house and Edmund and I move to enter the vicinity.
"Ah, and here are our two younger children," our father says as we enter the place, just after he's introduced our mother. "This is Nöelle—she's eighteen and will be starting at the university in a couple of weeks. And this is Edmund—he's fourteen and starting his freshman year at the local private high school."
"Our older son, James, should be along shortly, with his wife, Helena," our mother puts in, always awkward when it comes to meeting new people. She tucks a strand of blonde hair behind her ear—which James had inherited, while Edmund and I had our father's hair—and looks from one of the four faces of the new people in our house to the next. "Have you seen the guest house yet?"
"No, we came straight here," says the shorter of the two males, and I judge from his close proximity to my father that this is Lewis McCartney. "Cleo said that we should come up to the house first."
"I said it would be polite," Cleo says, flashing a smile to Lewis.
"Why doesn't Nöelle show you around?" my father asks, walking up behind me and taking ahold of my shoulders. "You four will be in a lot of her classes anyhow and I know Lewis mainly knows the biology lab," he says, slipping the guest house key into my hand.
"Sounds great," the second girl says—she's blonde, and just as pretty as Cleo is, and seems more outgoing as well.
"Lewis, why don't you and Will come with me?" asks my father. "We can go over some marine biology and deep diving information. Edmund here is an Olympic hopeful for diving..."
"Sure," Will says—his accent makes his muscles seem sexier—but he quickly kisses Bella goodbye and my first thought is, Of course.
"Sounds great," Lewis says, kissing Cleo goodbye and walking off with Will and my father, Edmund trailing behind.
"I'll just check on dinner while you girls bond," my mother says, flashing us all a smile before leaving the foyer.
"So...I'm Nöelle," I say, smiling.
"Cleo," Cleo replies.
"Bella," says the final girl.
"Nice to meet you both," I tell them. "We can leave out this door," I say, and open it so as the light summer breeze catches us momentarily off-guard. "Come on," I say, flashing them both a smile and leading them outside. "Shall we get your bags first?" I ask.
"Good idea," Cleo says, walking to the halfway open trunk. She and Bella make quick work of getting their suitcases out of the back, and I raise my eyebrows—I guess they all four were moving in for a while.
"Need any help?" I ask, stepping forward.
Bella turns. "Thanks," she says, handing me a small duffel bag.
We walk around the side of the house and past the yard and the orchard, before making our way across the cobblestone yard and towards the lovely guest house that had been constructed around eight years ago. "Hasn't been lived in since my aunt and uncle bought a house," I say, unlocking the front door and stepping inside.
"Where are they now?" Cleo asks as we all step inside. To our left is the bottom-floor living room with first bedroom beyond that, while to the right is the laundry room which is complete with a washer and dryer, sink, and ironing board essentials, along with a bathroom in the back. As we go up the stairs, which are dead ahead, we reach the kitchen—not as grand as the one in the big house, but still very nice —along with a small breakfast nook and a formal eating area beyond. Past the nook is a second living room, and the second bedroom is beyond that. Past the kitchen is where a third bedroom is, all of which have en suite bathrooms.
"They were staying here for a few weeks after they moved to town," I reply as we walk upstairs. "My uncle is a doctor and he changed hospitals because he wanted to be closer to family," I say as I begin showing them around upstairs. "He and my aunt also tried having a baby but it wasn't working out so well, but then it finally happened and he got a job Downtown at the big hospital and they've got twin boys and things are great."
"Great story," Bella says, smiling. "I have a weird question—Cleo and I love taking baths..."
I raise my eyebrows again, and something passes between me and Bella then, but I say nothing of it. "Oh, I understand. So do I," I reply, and Cleo turns to look at me briefly. "All bathrooms have a separated bath and shower unit. I was only ten when the house was being built, but I loved baths starting from...I'd say twelve or something," I say, laughing. "My father hired contractors and everything to change the bathrooms on my say-so. I just like people having the option, you know?"
"You don't?" Cleo demands, bluntly, and Bella gives her a look.
I shrug, giving her an awkward smile. "Not important," I reply. "Now, what colors do you like? Each room has a neutral pallet..."
"Blues are nice," Bella says softly.
"I enjoy pink," Cleo tells me.
"Our room back there is salmon-colored," I say, nodding to the room off the kitchen and Cleo moves for it. "And the room over by the living room is a lovely shade of aqua."
"Thanks," Bella says, motioning for me to follow her as we make our way down to her new room. "What color is the room downstairs?"
"I think the paint was called 'kelp'," I reply. "I assume Lewis will be bunking with Cleo and Will with you?" I ask, and Bella turns to regard me for a moment. "I don't care—just curious."
"Probably," Bella says. "I mean, I know Cleo and Lewis will be sharing a room but for all I know, Will'll want the room downstairs to himself."
"New romance?" I ask casually, putting Bella's duffel on her bed.
"We became official right before graduation," she replies.
"That's sweet," I reply.
"It was your version of prom night, actually. Except it was a beach party with all of the other graduates."
"Do you call it a prom?" I ask.
"No, we call it a formal," Bella tells me. She turns and looks out at the impressive view, and looks first down in the yard below. "You have a pool?"
"Yeah," I reply. "I don't go into it unless I'm alone, though."
Bella immediately turns to look at me. "Why?"
Immediately, I flush and look away. "I don't like people seeing me," I say, and Bella nods, seemingly understanding.
She turns and continues to look out at our vast property line. "You own the woods?" she asks.
I nod. "Yeah—the house has been in the family for generations. It's more of an island than anything else. The water is incredible..."
"Water?" Bella asks.
I nod, sharing in her smile. "Yeah, out Cleo's window, you can see the ocean, of which we own a good chunk..."
"Saltwater or freshwater?"
"Saltwater," I reply. "I like going out there sometimes because it's quiet and nobody is allowed over there... I have to sneak over, because my parents think it's dangerous..." I shrug. "I make it work."
"Are you an Olympic hopeful?" Bella asks.
I shake my head. "No—too busy."
"Doing what?"
"Doing a little bit of this, and a little bit of that," I reply, raising and lowering my voice in order to demonstrate to Bella that I'm a singer.
Her eyes widen. "You, too?"
"What?!" Cleo demands, suddenly appearing in Bella's doorway and looking fearful. "What is she?!"
"A singer," Bella says, giving Cleo a Calm down! sort of look.
"Oh," Cleo says, relief cleansing her features. "Cool. Well, the boys should be along shortly."
"Oh. I'll leave you to get settled," I say, feeling as if Cleo didn't like me as I left the room. I walked through the living room, but not before catching the tail end of their conversation.
"Bella, remember—be careful."
"What are you talking about, Cleo?"
"We can't ruin this for Lewis—or for Will! Do you realize how difficult it would've been to find a place where we can be ourselves, plus a place for Will to practice his dives in peace?"
"You're right," Bella says. "I know you're right."
"This opportunity just fell into our laps. I know it was easy to apply to this university because Lewis is on good terms with the dean and everything. And it was very generous of him to let us all stay here—rent-free—while we're attending his university..."
"I know, Cleo. I'll watch myself..."
"Good—I know you're very trusting," Cleo says, "but things like us can't afford to be so trusting. What if Nöelle or someone from her family saw us? We'd be sold to the circus!"
"We're still people, Cleo..."
"No, Bella. We're not. Not anymore," Cleo says, and I force my ears to stop listening as I head downstairs.
As dinner went on later that night, all I could think about was escaping the midst of these Australian invaders and getting to the ocean. Well, that might sound a little mean—so far neither Lewis or Will had done anything negative towards me. And Bella seemed nice enough; maybe she or I would be able to sing together at some point in the future. And then there was Cleo, who, for some reason, seemed to hate my guts.
When everyone had seemed to finish their Cornish game hens, our glass dessert cups of vanilla pudding and raspberries were brought out for a grand finale by our very own cook. After thanking her with the rest of my family, I lifted the silver spoon and proceeded to eat slowly, not wanting to draw attention to myself. After this was all over, I would make like I was going to my room before leaving out the side door and heading directly around the bend of the guest house and hurrying through the woods and towards the lake.
"So, Lewis, you're into marine biology," my father says, "Will's a diver, Bella's a singer... And how about you, Cleo? What are you majoring in?"
"Mythology," she replies.
My mother looks intrigued. "So, will you be a writer, then?"
"I want to teach it, actually," she replies, smiling at my mother. "I adore children and truly believe they are our future, Mrs. Parker."
Damn, I think to myself, she's good. She was even nice to Edmund. Why in the hell doesn't she like me?! I think to myself inwardly.
"Oh, call me Larissa, dear," my mother says to her.
I could've gagged.
"Well, I already know that when Lewis reaches just third year of university, he'll be the marine biology teaching assistant for Mr. Petrov."
"Really?" Lewis asks, shocked.
"Of course—James Petrov is my closest friend."
"So that's why you named James after him!" Edmund says with his mouth full of raspberries and pudding, earning him a dirty look from my mother before he averts his eyes, ashamed.
"Petrov and I have spoken at length about you and your research, Lewis," my father informs him. "Petrov says that he's had his eye on you since the summer, and, if all goes according to plan and you succeed as much as he thinks you will, you will be hand-chosen as his successor, or he'll simply write you the best recommendation to any top-research facility in the world."
"Thank you, sir," Lewis says.
"Call me Demetri," my father replies.
"Thank you, Demetri," Lewis says, grinning.
The rest of the meal goes by smoothly, apart from Cleo's rather suspicious looks whenever Bella and I discuss our singing. Finally, we say goodnight to Bella, Cleo, Lewis, and Will, and they all troop to the guest house while Edmund heads to his miniature man cave in the basement to call his girlfriend, Nathalie. My father heads to his study to work on some upcoming announcements for the next school year, and my mother goes to her office on the opposite end of the house where she is making costumes for the fall play our school is putting on.
I am shocked when I am about to head upstairs when Bella makes an appearance in the kitchen, where I am poised by the staircase. I motion for her to come inside and she does, giving me a kind smile. We each remain silent for a moment, almost as if we're wondering who would like to speak first.
"Don't mind Cleo," she says after a moment.
I cross my arms, leaning against the banister of the staircase. "She seems to develop opinions quickly," I say quietly.
Bella sighs. "She means well," she assures me.
I shrug. "I guess I shouldn't just jump to conclusions like that. We all only just met and I can't expect her to just like me immediately."
"We don't have to talk about Cleo..."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Well, let's hear your voice," Bella offers.
I smile. "Come on," I say, motioning for her to follow me down the hallway from the kitchen and into the basement.
When James, Edmund, and I were kids, the massive basement was divided up into three sections—one for each of us. Each held a flat screen, a high-tech computer system, but that's where the similarities ended. James's was a workroom/game room, while Edmund's was devoted entirely to his love of video games. Plus, after dating Nathalie, it became every teenage boys' dream of a pre-love nest, and he believed he was a total chick magnet because of it.
Since James had moved out and married Helena, the basement had changed ever so slightly. Now, the two walls dividing the third room off from my space and Edmund's space had been knocked down. The room had then been measured by a top-of-the-line contractor, and the basement had been divided in half to ensure equality between my younger brother and me.
My own section of the basement housed the typical flat screen and high-tech, desktop computer station, while my personal laptop was kept in my bedroom. It also housed a karaoke station by the flat screen, and a sound booth, where me and my high school band, Aquatic Mayhem, had performed. The band had fallen to pieces just six weeks before graduation—on prom night, no less—when my boyfriend of three years, John Carew, had been caught in a compromising position with popular cheerleader type, Lucinda Merriweather.
"You've got a sound booth?" Bella asks, clearly impressed.
I nod. "Yeah. I had a band senior year."
"Really? What was it called?"
"Aquatic Mayhem," I reply, and Bella stares at me for a moment before I open the door and let her inside.
"This is really amazing," she says, stepping forward to the controls and gently running her hands along them. "Man, I'd kill for a set-up like this..."
I shrug. "Well, it is nice to have, I suppose, but I haven't sung since my prom night, to be honest. We were the booked band that night..."
Bella turns to look at me. "What happened?"
"Well, I was with this guy named John for three years. We'd planned on going to my dad's university in the fall together, and Dad said that he could move in here with me when we were eighteen. He also promised that if our grades were good and when I turned twenty-one, he'd buy us our first apartment..."
"And so?" Bella asks.
"Well, on prom night, I found him with another girl," I reply.
Bella raises her eyebrows. "Funny how some guys'll throw away a perfectly good relationship," she says.
I laugh at that. "You obviously think you're a good judge of character."
She smiles. "I have that gift, I guess." She wanders into the recording room itself and looks over the microphones. "Two?" she asks, looking up.
I nod. "Yeah—in case I ever want to jam with a friend."
Bella nods and walks over to the music stand where a half-written song is still waiting to be completed. "Something you wrote?"
"I wrote ninety-percent of our songs—the lyrics, anyway" I reply, remembering all the wonderful jamming sessions we, as a band, would end up having. "I was the lead singer and head lyric writer."
"And the other ten-percent?"
"Bobby Matthews, our lead guitarist would write the music and other lyrics."
"Where's Bobby now?" Bella asks.
"Bobby moved to New York to go to Julliard," I reply. "I respected his choice, because you can't turn that down."
"And your other band members?"
"Travis Harrison, our drummer, went to California—to UCLA—to study business because that was the only way he could go to college," I reply. "He had to get a degree his dad would approve of..."
"Is that everyone?"
"No, there was also Chastity Stevenson, our keyboard player, but she to study painting in Paris," I reply. "Chastity was my best friend, but after her mom got sick and passed away, she became really withdrawn. She and I were actually writing that song together before she left for Paris," I say, softly, picking up the piece of paper and humming the melody we came up with. "I think Bobby actually wrote the music out for me as a favor before he left. Should be saved in the hard-drive on the sound board..."
"I could turn it on, if you want," Bella says.
I nod. "Sure. We could sing it together, if you want," I say, nodding to the second overhead microphone.
"Will Chastity mind?"
I smile. "No, I doubt it."
"All right," Bella says. She crosses to shut the glass door of the whole sound booth so that we won't disturb anyone and crosses to the sound board. "How do I access the hard-drive?" she asks.
"Press the red button to turn it on and turn the dial right next to it to select your options," I reply, having taken many people through the system before. "You'll find hard-drive in the options. Then, when you do, press the green button. You'll see the titles and dates as options to sort by, and click date by pressing the same green button. Then, once you sort by date—newest first—it should be the first thing to pop up."
"Is it 'Pearls Beneath the Sea'?" Bella asks, reading the title.
I nod. "That's the one. We can record it, if you want. Just press the red button again after selecting the son."
She selects both buttons I've mentioned and a hard rock beat begins before she crosses back to the second microphone and puts the headphones on. We can mutually hear it in our ears, and I move the music stand in between us so as we can both read the words. I hold up my fingers, counting to three, and then pointing to her to start singing. "And when we lay awake at night, we always know where to look for you," we begin. "I never thought there's be a white knight for me, but I do know something true... You changed my life, just like water changed me. I'm changing through all the strife, just like pearls beneath the sea..."
"I thought the world was different, but then you came to call," I sing.
"And I thought my life would change, but you didn't change at all," Bella sang back to me.
"Was it the distance?" I continue.
"Was it the space?" Bella sings.
"Our life is all over the place!" we sing together.
"I thought you would rescue me, but it was all a lie," I continue onto the next verse of the piece.
"And I thought I'd be saved, but you didn't even try," Bella continues.
"But you came to me, all through the pain," I say, quieter now.
"You came back to me, under the cover of rain," Bella says, moving to mimic my quieter voice.
"I remember that we once spoke of pearls, and how they changed, even beneath the sea," I say.
"And I remember that we once spoke of the water, and how it always flows, and how you're changing me," Bella says.
"And when we lay awake at night, we always know where to look for you," we begin. "I never thought there's be a white knight for me, but I do know something true... You changed my life, just like water changed me. I'm changing through all the strife, just like pearls beneath the sea..." Bella and I finish together, just as the guitar solo overtakes the final thirty seconds, and we promptly hang up our headphones and move to listen to the song.
We walk carefully out of the sound booth and switch off the recording button, and I know full well that if this goes anywhere, I'll have to edit out the little bits of us walking at the end. I press the button to hear us sing, and our voices gently and melodiously mold together as the song goes on. The door opens behind us and Will and Lewis look shocked at the sounds coming from the sound board, and Cleo comes up behind them.
Oh, great, I think to myself. Trouble.
"What was that?" Cleo asks softly, as soon as our voices die down and fade into the guitar solo, followed by silence as the sound board switched off automatically before producing a disc for me to edit.
"A song that Nöelle wrote," Bella replies, smiling at me.
Cleo looks horrified, before pulling Bella to her side. "Bella, you're overtired—we should probably go to sleep now," she says, and hauls her out of there.
"Sorry," Lewis says, taking off after them.
"Goodnight," Will says awkwardly, before following Lewis. That did it—I officially couldn't take Cleo and her attitude anymore! I had to get out of there, and fast... I head up to my bedroom and change out of my dress and flats before putting on a pair of sandals, shorts, and a tank top. Then, I make my way out onto my balcony where I slip down the ladder I always had hidden nearby and jump to the ground before taking off. Running was second to the lake when it came to de-stressing methods for me, and I savored every step, using a small flashlight I almost always carried to see every rock or tree branch in my path as I hurried along the dirt-covered ground.
The late summer air was still warm, but there was a nip to it that hadn't been there only a few weeks ago. I nearly toppled to my feet as I ran, but couldn't take the distance anymore and broke into a full-fledged sprint. I made my way to the last clearing, just to where the trees parted and made way to the stone path which led down the short cliff and into the water. Just as I was about to break through there and get to the path, I heard a scream from below.
The sun was just beginning to set, and once you've cleared the woods, the light source arrived on site again, so I was able to see more clearly. I stepped to the edge of the cliff, where I saw a water tentacle wrapped around Cleo and Bella, but that was not the most shocking thing of the night. The thing that was would have to be how their golden tails caught the last of the light of day. My mouth drops open then, and I find I cannot speak, for half a moment.
"Bella! Cleo!" I shout.
Their eyes lock onto me, and fear is apparent.
"Forget it!" Cleo shouts, trying to struggle. "Forget about us and go home!"
"No, wait!" Bella begs. "The boys got distracted by video games... Please, Nöelle, help us!"
"Of course I'll help!" I shout back, and then, in that moment, I do what I think is the right thing to do.
I jump.
The transformation is instantaneous, and my own dark gold tail sprouts from my pair of legs faster than you can say, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" if you're so inclined. As soon as I manage to resurface, Cleo and Bella's eyes are wide with a combination of fear and shock. Immediately, I manipulate the water so that the tentacle disperses and I then turn it into fog so as any passing ships will be unable to see three mermaids in the water. Once Bella and Cleo are free, they proceed to move to the edge of the water, but I stop them.
"No, don't," I say. "Come with me." I then dive beneath the surface of the water and turn to see them following me. I speed through the water then, diving down deep and, just a moment later, arriving at the rock formation I always found myself going to. I feel Bella and Cleo behind me, so I continue through the mouth of the cave, and pop up in the stone-edged pool.
Cleo pops up first. "Thanks," she says.
I nod. "No problem," I reply.
Bella soon follows Cleo. "Wow, that was amazing," she says. Then, she peers into my face. "So, how long have you been like this?"
I smile; I hadn't met anyone like me before, so it would be interesting to share this strange story. "I was twelve," I reply.
"Twelve?" Cleo demands.
"How old were you?" I ask her.
She sighs. "Fifteen," she replies.
"Nine," Bella tells me.
"So, what happened?" Cleo asked, finally being civil to me.
I decide to allow her earlier treatment of me to wash away with the tide. "My parents...they're complicated," I say quietly. "They're the kind of parents that think if you get your child an expensive toy, then they'll be so preoccupied with said toy that they'll never need time with you."
Cleo sighs. "I'm sorry."
"Really sorry," Bella says.
I shake my head. "I'm used to it. So, anyhow, I was twelve and my parents were having a really big Christmas party. My brother James eighteen and was being scouted for a job already from top-ranked investment banking firms all over the country—so that's why he wasn't here tonight for dinner, and his wife had to go with him. Anyhow, James was getting all the attention from the men, and Edmund was showing off some of his Olympic swimming training in the backyard. My dad was trying to impress some colleagues—he was only the associate dean of the university then—and told me to sing. I didn't have my band yet so it was just me, and I'd only had informal singing lessons at that point..."
"What happened?" Cleo asked, concerned.
"Well, I sang... Let's just say that it was talent-show level good. A talent-show where one of your parents threatened to sue the school if you weren't included in the production..."
"That bad?" Bella asks.
I nod. "Yeah, pretty much. So, I got offstage and people applauded me, albeit reluctantly, because of how bad I was. I went to the buffet table to get a snack or something and the current dean of the university saw what I was doing. I was twelve, mind you, and he smacked me on the butt and said that I should watch the weight, unless I wouldn't meet a man. And then he said, 'With that voice, and you packing on the pounds, you'll never get anywhere'. I remember looking to my mother or father for some guidance or support..."
"What did they do?" Cleo wants to know.
"My father threw his arm around the dean's shoulders and laughed with him, and my mother pretended not to hear any of it," I say quietly.
"So, what did you do?" Bella asks.
"I ran out," I replied. "Nobody followed me. I ran through the woods, wanting to put as much distance between me and the house as possible. My dad always told me not to go into the woods because there were wild animals in there—he's since had them cleared and the animals moved to a sanctuary upstate. Anyhow, I was running through the woods and stopped at the water. I was looking down into it and I just felt so...calm, for the first time in a long time. Just as I was about to think about jumping in, I heard a twig snap behind me, and it was a bear. Before I could even think, I jumped into the water as the bear tried to grab me, and I dove right in and I swam as fast as I could. I've always been good at holding my breath under the water and I found this cave." I smile, recalling the memory. "I knew my parents would think that I went up to my bedroom, and I also knew that their friends wouldn't be leaving for a while. So, I just went into the cave and intended to hide out here, but..."
"You changed?" Cleo asked.
I nodded. "I changed. I remember climbing out of the water and onto the side and I stayed so long, I dried out. I soon found out that the only way to get out of the cave was so dive back down. The moon rose and came through from up there," I say, pointing to the hole in the top of the cave, "so I knew once it rose, I should at least try to get home. So, I got back into the water, and that's when I changed fully for the first time," I say, lifting my tail from the water and splashing it gently against its surface. "I was so excited, but I knew it would be dangerous to tell anyone, so I never did..."
"Not even John?" asked Bella.
"Not even John," I reply, "which got complicated during family vacations, but I was happy on ones that didn't involve the beach or ski trips..."
"Who's John?" Cleo wanted to know.
"My ex-boyfriend," I reply. "Three years, really serious. Bella can catch you up if you want to know..."
Cleo sighs. "I'm sorry how I treated you this afternoon and tonight," she tells me, smiling at me in a moment of kindness. "I'm not usually like that, but I'm very protective of Bella. She's..."
"Trusting," I say, flashing her a smile back. "I caught a bit of your conversation in the guest house."
"Normally, I'd be upset at someone spying on me," Cleo says, "but in this one situation, I'll allow it."
"Do Lewis and Will know?" I ask.
"Yes," Bella replies.
"Lewis does our research," Cleo replies.
"Oh, that's cool," I say.
"You don't get it," Bella says, looking at Cleo.
Cleo smiles at Bella before turning to me. "Lewis will want to talk to you about all of this. How soon can we...?"
"No problem," I say, hoisting myself out of the water and onto the ledge just above the pool. "Come on up."
"But, you said that there wasn't a way out..." Cleo begins.
"When I was twelve," I reply. "When I was fourteen, I told John that we should go down here to be alone. However, things didn't escalate for another year but then it became a nice place to um..." I trail off, meeting their eyes with a smile. "I refused to ever go swimming in here, though, and always managed to get out of it around him. I guess I just didn't want him to know..."
"So, John knocked out a space to climb through?" Bella asks.
"Yeah, but he's not allowed on the property anyone, and he's the only one who knows about it, so it's not like anyone's going to find us," I say.
Satisfied, Cleo rises herself up from the pool, Bella following. After a few minutes of drying off via the airwaves that came through the doorway, we all find ourselves in sandals, tank tops, and shorts before heading to the door. Making our way around the bed and up the stone path, I find my dropped flashlight in the darkness and even spot the old wooden case we used to keep our beach supplies in as kids on the other side of the stone path. I grab a bucket and fill it with water as we head through the woods and back towards the house. We reach the guest house and head inside immediately, and Bella motions that she's going to tell Will to stay and Cleo says she's going to ask Lewis to meet us upstairs. However, Will ends up coming upstairs as well, but I find I don't mind one bit.
"I suppose that you two should be privy to this as well," I say, showing Lewis and Will the bucket of water.
"What?" Lewis and Will say together, immediately moving to shield Cleo and Bella respectively, trying and failing not to be obvious.
"It's okay," Cleo tells Lewis.
"She knows," Bella says.
"Why?!" Lewis and Will demand.
I smile then, setting the bucket on the living room so as they all four can see what I'm about to do. I reach out my hand then and extend all my fingers, splaying them appropriately before jerking my wrist to the right. The water comes up effortlessly from the bucket, and hovers there for a moment before I push my hand in its direction and then it promptly turns into fog. I raise my eyes up to Lewis and Will then, and Lewis looks amazed, while Will looks shocked.
"How did you...?" Will asks.
"I have a tail," I reply.
"When did you...?" Lewis asks.
"I was twelve," I reply.
"Amazing," Lewis says. "The man I admire most in the world... And his daughter is a mermaid!" he breathes.
"A singing mermaid," Bella puts in.
"But she's not a siren, is she?" Will asks.
"No... I don't think so," Cleo says, peering at me.
"I have no interest in luring men to their deaths," I confirm.
"Good," Cleo says, smiling at me.
"Maybe we should discuss it," Bella says, looking over at Cleo.
Cleo gets to her feet and puts out her hand. "Nöelle Parker, I apologize for misjudging you and your friendly behavior towards Bella. Will you accept my apology as well as our friendship, and invitation to be one of us?"
"One of you?" I ask, looking at Bella, who grins. "I think I have nearly six years on that one," I joke, putting my hand in hers. "I accept."
"Great," Lewis says, getting to his feet, "because I've got a lot of questions that need to be answered."
I smile at him. "Let the marine games begin," I reply.