Chapter X
Date: August 22nd, 1992; Time: 11:30am; Location: San Francisco Beach;
"Don't you dumb babies know anything?"
Angelica was towering over Tommy and Dil with her face burrowed in her palm as she shook her head in disappointment.
"Well," Tommy sighed, "I guess not, Angelica."
"Is it true?" asked Dil. He had grown to be just as gullible as the rest of the gang.
"Of course it's true, Drooly," lied Angelica, "everyone knows that!"
Tommy looked out at the ocean, and then back at Dil. Was he thinking the same thing?
"So," said Angelica, "are you guys gonna go for it?"
"Go for what?" Dil asked her.
"For your wish, dummy, everyone knows mermaids can grant wishes," she then sighed and walked away, mumbling something about "hopeless dumb babies."
Tommy got up. He knew what he had to do.
"Come on, Dilly," Tommy said to his brother, "Let's go find that mermaid!"
"Watcha' gonna wish for?"
"For things to be back to normal again," replied Tommy, with determination in his eyes. He was thinking about everything that had happened in the past few months, the good and the bad. The clowns, the hair, the eggs, his dad going temporarily British. He couldn't stand it anymore. Too many things in his life were changing, and much too soon.
They snuck past their parents (who had both fallen asleep while tanning), and headed for the water. Once they got there, Tommy made the first step into the ocean, holding Dil's hand along the way since neither of them were used to walking in water. They went in farther and farther until...
"Whoa, hold on there, sprouts," Lou had pulled them out of the water just in time, "You need to be careful there, don't wanna drown, do ya?"
Tommy and Dil looked at each other, both puzzled. Drown? What could that mean? Whatever it was, though, it sounded pretty bad. His mind filled with curiosity, Tommy looked around him, in search of Angelica. He needed answers.
"Maybe it's time we headed back to the hotel," said Lou to his grandsons, "Everyone else did, anyway.