Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. However, I do own a purple waffle plant. All OCs are my own creation.
Chapter 3: Dillon
I woke up in all of my clothes, completely exhausted from the monsoon of emotions that rocked me the night before.
I looked in the mirror, a decision I instantly regretted. Dried mascara was caked in streaks down my cheeks and my dark brownish-black eyes were bloodshot.
I took a shower and let the hot water flow down my body, soothing the pain in both my muscles and fatigued mind.
I put on some jean shorts and an oversized t-shirt, made myself a cup of coffee, and headed down to the front porch.
The house is on stilts and the large front porch that stretches the width of the home overlooks the neighborhood. If you look carefully, you can see a sliver of the water between two houses.
I eased myself into one of the rockers, took a sip of my coffee, and closed my eyes.
"Did you just go for a swim?"
My eyes shot open. The boy was in the front lawn with his push-mower, calling up to me.
He had light blonde hair and bright blue eyes, so bright that I could see them all the way up on the porch. His skin was relatively tan in relation to his light hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only a pair of worn athletic shorts and tennis shoes. He was muscular, not in the way that looked like he went to the gym every day, but one could tell that he was definitely active. He was handsome, but not in an intimidating way. His features were natural and a result of a lot of time spent outdoors.
"What?" I replied, not because I hadn't heard him, but because I was in shock.
He laughed and started to come up the stairs. Startling me even more. My ability to interact with new people is an area that needs improvement. I am a loyal and outgoing individual after I have the opportunity to get to know someone and open up to them. Meeting people for the first time, on the other hand, turns me into a stuttering mess.
"You must be Merissa." He said, walking across the porch towards my rocker.
I looked up at him, he was about my height, which was tall. His light hair and blue eyes sparkled in the morning sunlight.
"You would be correct." I said, wondering where this newfound confidence came from.
Something about him put me at ease. He had a warm presence and something about him seemed familiar, like an old friend.
He chuckled and flashed a radiant smile.
"Well, Merissa, I'm Dillon. I just moved in next door for the summer." He said, taking my hand and shaking it firmly. "Your uncle has told me a lot about you."
"Of course he has." I said, pulling my hand away and looking down.
I found my face turning hot and red. I couldn't possibly be developing feelings for this stranger, but something about him made my heart melt a little bit.
"I promise he has only said wonderful things." He said, catching my gaze with his.
"I thought it would be nice having someone to spend time with this summer." He said, his face growing more serious. "I don't have that many friends here and I thought it would be great if we could hang out."
"I would love that." I said, without really thinking.
I don't know why I told him that I would love to spend time with him. My head was telling me to stay reserved. This summer was supposed to be about self-restoration, not spending time with a boy that I had just met.
My heart, on the other hand, was telling me to open up to him. He seemed trusting and kind. Most intriguingly, he seemed incredibly familiar.
He smiled that radiant smile again, taking my hand one last time and shaking it.
"Wonderful, I will start making plans." He said before turning to head back down the stairs.
All of a sudden he turned back.
"You never answered my question." He said, laughing.
"What?" I asked, mostly because I was genuinely confused.
"Did you go for a swim this morning?" He asked, approaching me and looking at my still-wet hair.
"Oh, no, I didn't. I just took a shower this morning." I said, suddenly growing self-conscious. "I'm not exactly fond of swimming…I mean… I can swim… I just don't like to… you know… swim."
Yes, the stuttering had returned.
Despite my unfortunate rambling, he simply smiled and said, "I understand. I will see you around."
I ran back inside as he walked down the stairs, wondering what happened and why my head felt like it was full of water. I couldn't dictate the emotions that I was feeling, but, for the first time in more than a year, I started to feel whole again.
Thanks again for reading! I know the first two chapter were pretty short, but they are getting longer! I hope you like the story so far!
-Crispin Robb
