It was a nightmare when I first saw it. It was some kind of a cage made out of glass. Where were we? I never seen anything like this. It felt pretty homesick missing my dad and my brother back at the big wide ocean instead of feeling claustrophobic here. My best friend Mark dosen't even know what that kind of thing he called it "long word" was it. If you students don't know what that means, it means that you have a fear of being closed in a small non-spacable room. My older brother Pablo was there when we got capture.

All that Mark did that he went near the boat and Pablo warned him not to go near it, but since he's a selfish fish like my unattentioned student, Milo, He went near it anyways. Then, a mysterious monster came out and was about to capture him. I yelled out his name in panic and swam over there to save him while my older brother call out my name to come back here, but I couldn't just sit and watch the only friend I've ever had be gone forever and it'll never be the same without him. But right when I got there, the monster both capture us and I tried to struggle out some kind of invisible trap and Mark did the same thing as Pablo screamed in panic and tried to get me. I would never see the sight of my dark green brother again.

That was back on 1986 when my life change forever and for goodness sake i'll never forget. As i gave up breaking ourselves free from this cage while the pink searhorse watch in worried, I growled in anger and barge up to him arguing,
"What in the name of clam sake have you done to us?"
"What did i done?" he narrowed confused
I pointed at him, "well thanks to you, now were far away from the coral reef and got into this dungeon we call it 'home' for now on!"

We kept arguing from ten to fifteen minutes until a gray middle-aged seaurchin saw us in confusion and walked up to us asking,
"whats with all the fuss about?"
We stared at him for two seconds and I shove Mark away from me a little and swam up to him.
"Well were pretty stuck here and we don't know how to get out of here,"
"Out of here?" He blurted out and burst out into a laugh.
I didn't know whats so funny about that when we are yearning for a way to get the heck out of here and see my brother's face again.
As he stopped laughing he replied,
"There's no way you can get out of the fish tank. You two are stuck in here forever!"

My heart sank as the word "forever" echoed in my mind, but what confused me the most was what a fish tank is.
After pausing which felt like "forever" I ask anxiously,
"What...what's a fish tank?"
"I thought of a same thing to," I flinched and forgotten Mark was still here as he swam next to me glaring at the seaurchin too, "What IS a fish tank?"
If you readers thought that i was the one who is the most curious one, well your wrong. Mark is always asking question, even when we were in the same class together. , our teacher, would always get tired of him blabbering questions for a long time and ask him to sit down. He sometimes get detention when he is not listening the whole time.

To tell the truth, even if he is the selfish student in class, he will always be my only best friend. Since I was the smartest student in class, will always assign me to work with Mark after school and helping him is the toughest part and same thing he does back at the classroom. The reason he's my best friend is that he makes up really good games and second of all, he's the only one that understand my intelligent.
"A fish tank is a place your in now. You must the be newcomers, aren't you?"
Mark and i glance at each other and he replied,
"I-I...guess so. We have no where to go."
The seaurchin made a "hmm" sound and rubbed his chin with his thorn.
"How old are you guys?"

"Well, we were born in 1981," I answered "So I will say were five years old."
The seaurchins eyes widenend and then turn to stare at me.
"You are one smart kid," he murmured,
"Well I actually take mainstream up to third grade and Mark takes kindergarden so-"
"Thats pretty amazing," The seaurchin replied astonished,
"ummm...thank...you?" I smiled a little
I felt a little flattered actually. Nobody ever praised me about my intelligent or when i talk about it. They will call me "Nerdy Brain" or "Big Brain" and i get really get uncomfortable by what they call me . My real name is Marlo Baldwin, but most people call me Baldwin because they think its a funny last name. I would have loved it if people could just call me Marlo cause thats how my parents named me even before i was born. The only ones who says my first name is my family and Mark.

"And whats your name?" He asked again
"Well, my name is Marlo Baldwin, but my friends call me Baldwin," I shook hands with him.
"And my name is Mark Reef," my friend dip his head "and you are..."
"My name is Keef Stickler, but you can call me principal Stickler."
"You work at a school?" my eyes widenend intrested in this moment,
"Of course," he smiled "There's a high school call Freshwater High. I have son who is older than you who is willing to go to that school when he finishes elementry. His name Sticky Stickler and he is intrested in cleaning stuff and quite smart too."

STICKY Stickler? Well thats a strange name to give to a child. If I were him, I would have call him Stanley for some wierd reason, but i think Stanley would make a cute name.
"If you like, you'll live with me till you get to high school," He replied.
Mark swam up to him and smile,"Its not that bad at all,I think thats a-"
I didn't trust this stranger yet, so i pulled him away and turned to Keef,
"Hold on just a second."
I took a few inches away from him and turn to my friend who is giving the ugly look.
"Whats claming you up,Marlo?" He whispered loudly
"Shush," I whispered back "He's gonna hear us,"
"And whats the problem with you?"

This was feeling ridiculous and silly to have this conversation, but its the only way we can do to survive this unforgiven tank.
"Listen," I sighed frustrated and continued "I don't think this is gonna work like this when we meet someone who just came out of nowhere and ask us to live with him for almost the next ten years or so.
Mark then made a That's-all look. This seahorse will never understand me if he just stands there not paying a single attention to me.
"MARK, LISTEN TO ME!" Those words slip out of me by accident and glance at the stranger. He froze staring at me.

He then nodded which might have mean to continue the conversation.
I turned to him with my eyes closed and made a huge sigh of relief. Never in my life have i ever been embarrased since i came to this small place.
"Listen Marlo, no need to be that rude, but what do you mean by that?"
"I MEAN he's a stranger. Didn't your dad tell you about what happens if you meet strangers?"
Mark sighed,
"Yes, i know, but this guy is the only one who might help us. If we didn't accept him, what will we do next? theres no where else to go but here."
After thinking about that one, Mark is right. Theres no wheres to go but being raised by a seaurchin. WE would die if we stay abandoned out here and nowhere else to go.

We finally accepted.

We started school at 1987 in Seawater Junior high, which is a place for elementry AND middle school students. I study lots of social studies and science to get to know our new home. Our new assignment is WAY different and a bit easy than back in Coral Reef. Since this place is so small, we can go wherever we want to go without being late for school. as years went by, I wasn't homesick anymore, but i still worry about my dad and Pablo back at the reef. They must think I'm dead right now and gave up searching for me. Well, unless I still have Mark with me and that makes me feel better when we hang out.

In June 1996, I graduated Junior high and me and Mark then move to Freshwater High. The building was pretty bigger then the last one. I thought going to high school for the first time was going to be fun and well... At first, it didn't go well at all. On our first day, Mark and I were chatting about what high school was gonna be like when we get there. As the bus stop at the school, Mark got out first running out the bus excited. As I went next trying to get out of the bus, the students were screaming like crazy land animals.

I felt myself being push down by the floor as everybody stepped passed me running out the bus. I tried to yell at them to get off of me, but they didn't hear me from the scream. It felt like I was invisible and nobody even glance even once at me. After that, I first notice that my glasses cracked badly and now it was hard to see with it. I sigh sadly and tried to get up, but my body felt really sore. I was going to tell the driver that I was hurt, but instead he yelled at a student in the back to pick up her stuff after she accidently spilled it.

"Come on, Shellie," The driver shouted not even looking at me as he honk the bus, "Hurry up! I need to get home and take a nap before my back kills me!"
"I'm going," she repeated twice sounded embarassed as she passed by me. I thought she would ignore me, but she frozed all of a sudden. I thought she spilled one supply again, but instead...she turn to me. That "she" was a blue seahorse. She had white ponytail and huge round eyes with glittering eyes and a yellow shirt. She didn't have the sense of style, but looking at those heavenly eyes made me so speechless, i didn't know my jaws were drop open a little.
"Oh my goodness," she looked shocked when she saw me wounded on the floor
"Are you ok, young sir?"
I didn't reply except i just stand there shy as she took my hand and help up.
"You seem to be hurt. You want me to take you to the nurse-"
"No,no,no," I retorted shooking my head head and pause as she stared at me awkwardly.
I blushed a little, "I-I-I mean...no thank you, I-I'm good...sorry, that slipped out of my mouth."
She smiled and started giggle.

Why was she giggling? Did i say something stupid?
My face felt hotter now as she finished her giggling.
Her smiled brightenend, "You may look nerdy, but your a funniest dude i ever met."
The fear melted and smiled a little shy. I felt my heart beating faster all of a sudden and this time, it felt different that i never felt before. It felt very strange, but felt intresting and good.
She winked, "See you later, funny dude," And left off the bus and the old bus driver saw the whole scene.
He pointed at me with a very wrinkled eyes and a, "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhh?" Sound.

I narrowed at him trying to act normal,
"Just pretend you NEVER saw that!"
"I saw you flirting with her, I saw it!"
I rolled my eyes as i got out of the bus and everybody were staring at me and whispering to each other.
That felt very embarrasing for what happend, but Shellie was still stuck in my image. Its never came out of my mind three weeks pass and i told Mark why this is happening.

"I just can't stop thinking at her, Mark. Everytime i see her pass by, i start feeling strange but that comfortable feeling in my heart that just want me to do something."
"I KNEW IT," he blurted out smiling as he hugged me tightly that i almost couldn't breathe, "I knew this would happen someday, I just knew it!"
He released me as i took a deep breath and took a moment there. I look up at him curiously,
"knew what?"
his nose press onto my huge nose,
"Do you KNOW what THIS means?"
"No and now you're creeping me out."
He release me to the ground as i made a "oof!" sound.
"It MEANS you're in LOVE, bro!"

"what?" that shocked as i backed away from him, "But i made a decision i'll stay single for the rest of my life!"
Mark shrugged, "You can't just say that and it'll go away for good. You'll just have to live with it,"
"But theres have be SOME way i can snap out of it. I don't want people to think i'm wierd,"
"You're NOT wierd, Marlo," he narrowed, "kids just don't understand you. You're lucky to have me as a friend, Marlo, because i'm the only one who understand you completly."

"Well," i frowned curling up myself, "except Shellie..."
Mark eyes widenend astonish after the name,
"you mean that blue seahorse with white hair and white freckles?"
after pausing for a moment I nodded. This cause Mark to change his emotion.
"THATS the one you were talking about? Dude, she's like the most creepiest student in high school!"

I shrugged, "And whats wrong with her?"
"Marlo, have you even heard or seen a picture of her room? Her room is like a nursery filled with a crib, baby bottle, and music box that plays baby lullaby. She trying to make a lullaby for her future baby!"
My eyes widenend, "she's pregnant?"

"No," he crossed his arms seriously, "But she always had a dream that when she's married, she wants to have a daughter. I mean, her music are so boring, you can fall asleep in three seconds and i heard rumors from the students in class that she's even worst than you."
I kept my mouth closed speechless. Ofcourse thats not normal for that girl to do in that age, But saying bad things about her dosen't make anything better than i've gone through. It must be sad that someone has a dream and people just say to them that it was dumb and just forget about it and move to something else. Dad once told me to never give up on my dream, even if people say its not normal. I don't get why Mark's dad never told him that lesson and I just don't think this isn't right for him to say things like that even as a selfish fish.

Mark started leaving to the door and turned to me still seriously.
"Don't EVER hang out with THAT girl. She's has problem and you know it,"
Mark sighed frustrated, "Why can't people just be normal for once?"
He slammed the door and i just sat on the ground quietly. I still picture Shellie in my mind. I sighed and narrowed staring at my tail. It dosen't matter what Mark say about her. I'm going to talk to her.