Part of Your World

Chapter One

An Escape

Blaine

It was a slow day at the fish market. It was always a slow day at the fish market. Today, I seated myself on the counter, my feet swinging over the edge, gazing out the foggy windows. Not a soul. I rolled my eyes, and leaned back, popping the register open. There was hardly any money in there; I flipped through the bigger bills, and again wondered how my father kept the store open.

We lived along the California shore where fishing and boating were popular. I'd constantly tell him how having a fish store located right were fisherman fished was the stupidest idea ever. He never listened. He'd huff off my advice about opening up a surf shop, grab his pole, and head for the shore.

"Need to catch 'em fresh!" he'd always say before leaving.

I knew, however, that he didn't like being around me for too long; I aggravated him easily. We were so different. He liked my best friend Rachel far more, even though she was awful at her portion of the job. Fish grossed her out, and she didn't like to touch them. My dad would hand her over the store long before he'd let me have it though. I was such a disappointment.

"Is it my fault I don't like the ocean? Is it so wrong that as soon as I'm out of high school, I'm picking up and moving inward to college? Far, far away from the sea? Does he want me to grow up and sell fish forever? Like him?" I ranted at Rachel a few days ago while we were stocking the display with ice.

Rachel pulled her hands out, cupped them, and blew her warm breath into her palms. She gazed up at me.

"Blaine, he's never going to get used to the fact that you don't want this life," she said matter-of-factly.

"But am I crazy? Please, help me see the light here," I said desperately.

"You're not crazy for disliking this place. You are crazy to just want to pick up and leave. People would kill their siblings to move into a house alongside the beach."

I pulled a handful of ice out of the cooler and slipped a few small pieces into my mouth. Crunching, leaning my body forward on the counter, I said, "This was never for me. I want to live in New York, a huge city, where it rains and snows at the same time, and there's people trotting along to work with their suitcases and high heals. Where there are cars and buildings everywhere! Not tourists with their boogie boards and flip-flops. I hate waking up to the same ocean everyday."

"You wouldn't miss the sand? The sun? The pretty girls in bikinis?"

I just shook my head, especially at that last statement. Rachel doesn't know I'm gay. No one does. I don't want to tell her because she's all I have, and I'm all she has. We accept each other's crazy. And if I told my father, I'd be even more of a disappointment. So, I figured, I'd wait till college to come out; it'll be like a second change. I wouldn't have to hurt anyone either.

One more year. The summer was coming to a close and senior year was ahead of Rachel and I. I couldn't wait.

"Can you take these before I barf?"

Snapping back into the present, I pulled my legs back onto the counted, crossing them, as I looked over my shoulder at Rachel. She was holding two very large fish which were wrapped in paper in her arms. If I said noand refused to take them, she'd topple over; that's the human to fish ratio. Smiling, I bent down and pulled them into my lap.

"It's weird to think there are bigger fish in the sea," I said, looking down at the things.

Rachel propped beside me, her legs against mine. "Not to mention mermaids."

"Yes, those slippery little creatures. Though, I see them as no match for a hungry shark," I joked.

Rachel smiled. She kicked her foot against mine. She then said, "Well, I'm going to head home."

I tipped the fish up, replying, "I'll store these and call it a day too."

"Should I wait?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. I'll text you."

She smiled sweetly, spun and was out the door. It only takes about ten minutes to close shop: take the money from the register, transfer it to the safe, seal up all the fish, and toss the ones that'll rot by morning. I flicked off the lights and locked up the store. If my dad needed to get in with his catch, he had a key. I was most likely in trouble for closing early, but I really didn't care.

My car was parked in the small lot next to the store. I always got yelled at for driving to work because we lived so close. Everyday around six, when the sun started to shift colors, I'd pull my guitar from the backseat and walked to the dock where the small boats came in. No one was ever there.

I hated the beach, but I loved this spot. When I was younger, when I started to get into multiple fights with my father, I'd run out and sit on the dock for hours. When I started to work at the store a few years back, I saved up my money and bought my guitar. I'd learn to play there, and almost everyday, it was the same routine.

I trenched through the deep sand, guitar case in one hand, sandals in the other. I climbed onto the peer. When I reached the end, I sat on the edge and dripped my feet into the water. The sea salt was so strong; it irritated my nose. I dipped my hand into the ocean, and then pushed my wet hand through my curly hair. It wasn't too hot out, but the water helped.

Part of me just wanted to sit here. Forever. I'd never have to confront all the feelings I've been subsiding. All the worries I have; about leaving for college, about being stuck here forever. Then there was a part of me that wanted to jump in and swim away. Run away, the ocean way. I wasn't an amazing swimmer though, and I wouldn't get anywhere. Just to the middle of the sea. I sucked in a breath. The salt was almost sickening to me.

I pushed the latches of my guitar case up, slipped my hand in, and took out my guitar. Sometimes I'd write. Sometimes I'd just strum a nothing tune. Sometimes I just held my guitar. It felt like the only concrete thing in my life; it'd never pick up and leave me. So I held, not playing, not doing anything, actually. About ten minutes passed.

There was always one song I had in my back pocket, the first song I learned how to play. It was "Part Of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. I know it's silly. That's why Rachel always joked about mermaids. I started plucking at the strings and humming along. It wasn't until mid-chorus that I started singing.

"Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun. Wanderin' free, wish I could be…OH MY GOD!"

I wrenched my feet out of the water and stood up on the dock, my guitar flipping out of my arms and splashing into the ocean in the process. My whole body went numb. I was frozen, staring into huge blue eyes, peering through the water. I slapped my palm over my lips to prevent my shrieks from coming out.

It was a dead body, his eyes looking into mine. I wanted to run. I should have ran, went to get help, but I was transfixed on the eyes.

"Oh my God!" I mumbled again, my heart pounding in my ears.

Suddenly, as if seeing this person floating to the surface wasn't horrific enough, the eyes…blinked. Then again. He was alive. Something just came over me. I run for the edge of the dock and dived into the sea. Surfacing within seconds, I swam to the boy.

He wasn't there though.

I extended my arms, splashing through the water. I felt nothing. I dove back under, opening my eyes. Despite the sting, I stared all around me. Nothing. Was I hallucinating? I pulled up for air. I looked once more, with no success, and pulled myself onto the dock.

My rickety breath didn't want to settle. So I just lay on my back, breathing deeply. I saw a person under the water. I saw him. I'm not crazy! What happened to him? Dead bodies don't just swim away. It took me a bit to gain my composure. When I sat up, I realized my guitar must be somewhere under the water. Angrily, I slammed my fist into the wood beneath me. I just buried my face in my palms.

Something hard nudged against my dangling foot. I jumped, almost back into the water but gripped around me to prevent that. I looked down. It was my guitar.

I should have been happy it landed on its back, but I quickly realized that it didn't magically float back to me. A pale white hand slipped off the neck and back into the water. I swallowed a lot of air before I pulled my guitar out of the sea, expecting to see the face again, underneath.

Nothing was there.

I packed my guitar away and ran. I'm never coming back; I think I'm going crazy.

Kurt

I waited every single day. Right along the rocks just to see his silhouette from above the water. He came everyday as the sun began to set, casting an orange hue on the shore and on this nameless figure.

When I'd slip away from home when I was younger, when my mother first died and I couldn't stay at home for too long, I'd swim up to the dock. She'd take me here sometimes; show me the foreigners as they caught small fish who were stupid enough to catch onto their bait. Sometimes we'd scare the fish in their direction, as a nice gesture to the humans.

My mom said they couldn't see us. Not here. Other places, yes, but it was forbidden to make human contact. Usually, coming this close to the surface was taboo, but seeing who my father is, it was okay if mom and I snuck up once in a while. When she died, I snuck up a lot. This place was the only one that took my mind off of her and of my dad and of my home, far under the sea. It was almost like swimming away, something childish Mer's would do to get away from the Undersea, from their homes, only to realize that the ocean isn't the safest place to go unattended. So, yes, it was my attempt at swimming away, the shore way.

Their lives were so simple. I wanted to be up there, living a simple life too. The thought made me shutter though. Of course I couldn't surface. The dark tales of Mer's who broke free of the water made me want to swim away from the land forever. I didn't though. I waited. For him.

He was the boy with the music device, who sang so beautifully, unlike any other voice I've ever heard, even through it was muffled. If I could just pierce my ear through the water…no. That was crazy.

Today was one of his days where he'd just sit on the dock. He came early; I always come early, just in case. Now we had more time. He just held his device, not moving, just staring into the water. Maybe if I aligned our eyes… KURT! I have to stop. This is forbidden: these thoughts, of surfacing, of actually letting the boy see me… I was crazy; this wasn't normal Mer behavior.

I flipped my tailfin, letting bubbles rush over me. I missed her though. I missed my old life. And this boy…he was permanent. For ten years, he's come to the shore, everyday. At least he was unchanging.

Suddenly, I heard it. He was playing the device, softly making music with his mouth. I swam closer. And then swam even closer. I had never chanced going this close before. He was beautiful. I never thought a human could look so…perfect.

He started to sing. I could hear clearer now. I wanted to join, but he would hear. So I just gazed and listened.

"Wanderin' free, wish I could be…OH MY GOD!"

Suddenly, he wrenched his body from the water, his devise flying into the sea. He saw me. HE SAW ME. I was panicking inside, but my tailfin wouldn't flutter. I was frozen, holding his gaze. I could tell his was frightened; I was frightened the first time I saw a human.

My instincts wanted to pull him under. I wanted to reach up and drag him in, and if it was any other human, I would have done so. Mer-people aren't allowed near the surface for more reasons than just our safety but for the safely of the foreigners. Our instincts told us to kill the humans, to pull them in before they pulled us out.

He was so beautiful. I wanted to pull him in, but not to kill him, to keep him forever. I blinked the salt from my eyes, and in the next moment, there was a large splash from beside me. He jumped in.

My instincts were too strong. Humans above the surface are to be dragged under. Humans among us knew their territory, and unless they strike, we stay away. I swam to the shadow of rocks, hiding away. I just wanted to be close. My body ached with my decision.

He remained under for a few moments, before lifting out of the water. I swam closer to the dock. I wanted to see him before he left, and I was sure he had run off, but I then saw his foot dangling over the edge. My heart pounded. I stared for the longest time, waiting for him to pick his body up so I could see his face, wet with water.

A large object cast a shadow over my head. I looked up, ready to pounce, only to see it was his music device. I slipped my hand around the long thin part that was dipped in the water, pulling it down. I never thought I'd be able to touch this. For a brief second, I didn't think I'd return it, but the human needed it more than I. I swam to his side, nudging the device into his foot. Letting go, I swam deeper into the sea, so that I could see him but he couldn't see me.

He pulled his device from the water, looking straight in my direction. My heart pumped blood fiercely through my body. I sucked in a deep breath of water, letting myself think of tomorrow, when he'd be back. Maybe we'd interact again.

Author's Note: I apologize for the inevitable errors that I missed while proofreading.