Paradise

By: Mew Ami

Beta Reader: Miakemi

Chapter Three: Adjusting

Gabriel

He carried her all the way back to the beach house. Silence filled the air as he walked. Gabriel was lost in his own thoughts. He tried not to look at her eyes. They matched the ones he saw earlier, but that couldn't be. She just washed up on shore. Or so she claimed. Her story really bothered him, and he wasn't sure why.

They finally got to his house and he unlocked the back door. Gabriel took her upstairs and sat her down on a bed in the guest room. He watched her look around her room. There was excitement in her eyes for some reason. Gabriel ignored it.

"You can stay here," he said.

"Thank you so much," she said and looked back at him. "This is a lovely room. Very beachy."

"The whole house has a beach theme. It is a vacation house after all."

"Oh, so you don't live here full time?"

"No. My family comes here every summer. Well, I come here every summer..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," said Gabriel. He didn't feel like giving her any more details. "Well, goodnight." He turned around and, before he left, Gabriel caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Iris was still wearing his shirt. She needed clothes. He looked back at her. "I'll be right back."

"Okay?" She looked confused.

Gabriel left the room and walked down the hallway into the master bedroom. His mother always kept a full wardrobe here. He could lend Iris some of her clothes until he could buy her some. Gabriel opened the closet and put together an outfit for her to wear tomorrow. For some reason, he found himself being selective. When he was able to put one together, he grabbed something for her to sleep in (and underwear) and went back to her room.

"Here," he said, placing the clothes on the bed next to Iris. She looked down at them with an awed expression on her face. Why was she acting like a curious child? "They belong to my mother. Tomorrow we'll go into town and buy you your own wardrobe."

Iris looked up at him shocked. "Are you sure? Won't that cost a lot of money?"

"We're rich," he said with a shrug. "My parents don't care how I spend my money." Actually, Gabriel was frugal with his money unlike his parents.

"Oh. Well, thank you. I'll try to repay you someday."

He waved his hand. "No need. Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said with a smile.

Gabriel stared at her eyes briefly. He then left the room. He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked to his room. There was no way she was watching him earlier today. It didn't add up with her story. He went inside his room and went straight to bed.

The next morning, Gabriel woke up and sat up in bed. He reached for his glasses and put them on. It took him a moment to remember the events from yesterday. His parents abandoned him and now he was living with a mysterious girl. He got out of bed and got dressed. For once he was glad his parents were gone. If they were here, he wasn't sure how they would react to Iris. Would they take her in as well or turn her away? Oh well. That didn't matter. It was actually a blessing to have Iris here. He had someone to talk to, and she didn't come off as annoying.

Gabriel left his room and went downstairs. He decided to make breakfast before they headed out for the day. He turned on the TV on the way to the kitchen. The room was open so he could see the TV while cooking. The weather man was on, explaining that it would be hot and sunny all day. Great. Then he brought up tomorrow had a chance for storms.

Gabriel stared at the TV. He then thought about Iris's story. A storm caused the shipwreck. But this was the first time this week he heard about storms. Clearly, the ship wasn't too far out from sea because how else would she be able to make it to land? Then again, she could have been lost at sea for days. But she didn't get hurt and didn't look malnourished. And where were the other people? Surely, she wasn't by herself. She looked too young. She was probably the same age as him. He shook his head and turned his attention to the fridge. He shouldn't be suspicious. There was nothing wrong with her story.

He opened the fridge door and saw a note taped to the carton of milk. Gabriel recognized his mother's hand writing. He sighed. Why couldn't his mother be a normal person and place the note on the fridge door? He grabbed the note and read that they would be back the last week of August.

He glanced at the calendar. It was the middle of July. Because he went to a rich private school, they had a longer summer vacation compared to other schools in Paris. They started their summer break in the middle of July and went back to school the first week of September. So they'd be gone for about a month and a half. That gave Iris enough time to get her act together. Gabriel then grabbed the carton of eggs and other food items for breakfast.

He placed the items on the counter and grabbed a bowl. Right when he cracked opened the first egg, Gabriel heard a loud thud. He frowned. It sounded like it was coming from upstairs. He went back to cracking eggs. It was probably nothing. He then heard it again. Maybe Iris tripped over something? When he started to whisk the eggs, Gabriel heard it for a third time. He sighed. What the hell was she doing up there? Gabriel left the kitchen and went upstairs to her room. He knocked on the door.

"Come in," Iris said.

Gabriel opened the door and entered the room. He looked around and everything seemed to be in order. He looked at Iris who was standing on the other side of the bed. She was still in her nightgown. "Everything alright?"

"Yes!" She seemed jumpy for some reason.

"But I heard loud noises."

"I fell out of bed."

"Three times?"

"I'm clumsy!"

He just stared at her. Iris was lying to him. Gabriel could see it in her eyes. He turned around. He decided not to question her. He stopped at the doorway and looked back at her. "I'm making breakfast. Then we'll go shopping."

"Alright," Iris said. For some reason she looked determined.

"Take your time getting ready. There's no rush." He then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Gabriel slowly walked down the stairs. Why was she lying to him? Then he thought about her story again. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs. How did she survive being lost at sea? He looked back up the stairs. He should just let it go and watch things unfold. Gabriel walked down the last step and returned to the kitchen.

Iris

Iris breathed in relief after he left. Great. He was observant. She needed to be more careful around him. Iris looked down at her feet. This morning she fell out of bed because she forgot humans needed to stand up to get out of bed. She was so used to floating around. Then Iris tried to walk and ended up falling over two times. At least she mastered standing last night before going to bed. She took a deep breath. She could do this!

She reached out for the corner of the bed frame. Iris then pulled herself to it. She swung her body around and was standing in front of the bed. She placed her left hand on the bed frame and moved her right leg forward. She then moved the left leg. Iris felt her body shaking. She took a few more steps. Using the bed frame allowed her to get used to the motion of walking. It felt so strange. She switched her body around so now her right hand was on the bed frame. She took some more steps and switch back to the left. She did this a few more times until she felt confident enough to let go of the bed frame.

Iris slowly moved her hand away from the bed frame. She took a step forward and didn't fall over. Iris took two more steps and she was still standing. She then walked around the whole room. Iris was delighted that she was able to walk. However, she walked like a one-year-old. She figured over time she would get better. Hopefully no one would notice her terrible coordination. Iris got dressed and left the room. She then came to a complete stop when she approached the stairs.

Iris sighed in relief when she saw a railing. She grabbed a hold of the railing with both hands and slowly made her way down the stairs. Iris felt her knees shaking. If it wasn't for the railing she would have fallen down the stairs. When she got to the second to last step, Iris let go of the railing. She slowly stepped down to make it appear that she had no issues walking. She remembered that bottom floor had an open floor plan. Gabriel could easily see her.

She slowly made her way over to the kitchen. Luckily Gabriel's back was turn so she gradually climbed on a stool at the breakfast bar. Iris smiled at the smell of his cooking. Whatever it was it smelled good. Being a mermaid, she only ate raw fish and shellfish. So she was always envious that humans had a bigger diet. Gabriel turned back to her. She smiled at him. "What's for breakfast? It smells delicious."

"Quiche," he answered.

Iris stared blankly at him. What the hell was quiche?

"Do you not like quiche?"

"Uh, I've never had it," she replied trying not sound nervous. It was possible for a human to have never tried certain foods, right? Despite having a limited diet, there were certain fish Iris has never had before.

"Do you like eggs?"

Fish eggs? Humans eat fish eggs as well? "Yes."

"Then you'll probably like quiche."

Iris just smiled.

Gabriel then turned his attention to the coffee maker. The coffee pot was full. Nice and hot. He pulled the pot out and pour himself a cup. Gabriel turned his attention back to Iris. "Like some coffee?"

"Uh," she said. "Never tried it."

"Would you like to try it?"

"Sure."

Gabriel pour her some coffee into a smaller cup. He gave her just enough to sample it. Gabriel handed her the cup.

Iris stared down at it. She had forgotten that humans drank other liquids. The coffee smelled good. She took a sip of it and almost spit it out. "Ow!" Her tongue was burning.

"It's still hot," said Gabriel.

Another thing she forgot. Humans used heat in their cooking. She set the cup down and laughed. "I was excited."

He nodded his head. "Did you like it?"

"Yes!"

"It's a light roast. I don't like the dark stuff."

She just nodded her head pretending she understood him. She then looked down at the cup. Iris couldn't help but smile to herself. She was happy that she ran away. Iris placed her hand around the cup. Being with him was nice. A slight blush spread across her face. She had no idea why she was feeling flustered.

When the quiche was ready, Gabriel pulled it out of the oven. He let it cool before serving it to Iris. He then joined her at the breakfast bar.

Iris stared at the quiche. It looked nothing like fish eggs. It was yellow with strange colored things poking out. Did humans eat other kinds of animal eggs? She really needed to do more research about the human world.

"Something wrong?" he asked her.

She quickly shook her head. "No! Just admiring it!"

Gabriel raised his eyebrow.

Iris quickly took a bite. The egg pie melted into her mouth. She has never tasted something so heavenly before! She took another bite. "This is delicious."

"Thank you."

"You're a good cook."

"Thanks. Do you cook?"

"I uhh.." Despite being under the sea, they did have chefs. They would prepare food in a special way. But she couldn't tell him she could cook. He might expect her to make some of the meals. She didn't want to risk messing with heat.

"Don't remember?"

She shook her head.

"What do you remember exactly?"

"Just my name and the wreck."

"Were you by yourself?"

"I... I don't remember."

Gabriel just took another bite out of his food. "I'm sure you'll remember in time."

Iris nodded her head. She went back to her food. As she was eating, Iris noticed a note on the counter. She couldn't help but read it. "Your parents are gone until August?"

Gabriel leaned over and snatched the note.

"Sorry.. I shouldn't have read it."

"It's fine," he mumbled.

"Where did they go?"

"New York. Then they're going to Hawaii."

Iris nodded her head. She'd heard of Hawaii. Her father had the king from the Pacific Ocean visit once. His kingdom was by those islands. She wasn't sure about New York. "They went without you?"

Gabriel just ate his food.

Iris mentally slapped herself. "Sorry! I shouldn't be prying." she went back to her food.

He sighed. "My father is a top fashion designer. They went to New York for his work. Then they're going to Hawaii for fun."

She frowned. "That's awful."

"I guess..." he mumbled again. He cut himself another piece of the egg pie.

"Well, we'll just have to have our own fun! Mer's beach is just as beautiful as Hawaii!"

Gabriel stared at her. If you looked close enough, he was blushing.

Iris smiled at him.

"I do like it here," he said and slightly coughed to clear his throat.

"From what I've seen, it looks lovely. I can't wait to explore the town." She cut herself another piece of the quiche. She was in love with it.

"The town is nice too, but it's overly crowded right now. "

"I don't mind."

Gabriel said nothing and drank his coffee.

After breakfast, Iris sat on the couch while Gabriel cleaned up the kitchen. She was amazed by the TV. She wondered how it worked. Iris glanced over at Gabriel. Would it be strange to ask him? Probably. She sighed. Should she just tell him the truth? He seemed trustworthy...

"Ready?" Gabriel said as he walked over to her.

His question pulled her out of her thoughts. Iris stood up. "Yes!" Excitement filled her eyes.

"Alright, let's go." He walked over to the front door and opened it. Gabriel stood there until Iris walked out the door. He closed it behind them and they made their way into the town.

It wasn't a far walk into town. Iris gazed at the all the house they walked passed. She loved how they looked so different from each other. One similarity between humans and mermaids. Architecture. Mermaids built variety of buildings as well. Then suddenly a boy on a bike passed them with a girl following right behind him. She was shouting at him to slow down. Iris had fear in her eyes. She had seen humans ride bikes on the beach. She prayed Gabriel would never make her ride one.

"You okay?" Gabriel asked her.

"Huh?" she looked at him trying not sound jumpy.

"You look afraid."

"I'm fine!"

"If you say so.."

"So how big is this town?" Iris asked quickly changing the subject.

"It's a decent size," he said with a shrug. "I've never really paid attention. I only go into town when we eat out."

"What do you normally do?"

"I'm usually on the beach drawing."

"Oh, an artist. I would love to see your work." She couldn't help but give him a wink. If he only knew the truth.

He just stared at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said. His cheeks were slightly red.

When they finally made it to town, Iris's eyes widened. There were so many people walking up and down the sidewalks. There were buildings on both side of the streets which were full of shops, cafes, and restaurants. There were apartments too.

As they kept walking, Iris could tell there was more to the town past the shopping area. She wondered if they locals lived around there. Suddenly, Gabriel grabbed her arm. She looked at him startled and then glanced forward. A car drove past them. They were at a crosswalk.

"Watch it," he said.

Iris laughed sheepishly. "Sorry I wasn't paying attention."

"Clearly."

She frowned at him. That was rude. Iris returned her attention to the road. She now noticed more people were driving cars. Of course she didn't know what they were called. Iris was starting to feel frustrated. There had to be a way to learn more about the human world. Mermaids were only required to do so much research. In fact, no one had studied humans in centuries! She was stuck with writings from when humans were aware of mermaids.

When Gabriel walked across the sidewalk, Iris quickly followed him. She glanced at the windows they walked past and eventually came to a stop. A smiled appeared on her face. Inside of the window she was looking at was a bookstore! The answer to her problems! Mermaids had books too!

"Like to read?" he asked her.

She looked at him. "I believe so."

"Iris, what do you remember?" asking her once again. He looked at her suspiciously.

"I've told you just my name and the wreck."

"So you don't remember your hobbies? Or your home life?"

She shook her head. Iris noticed he looked frustrated. "Maybe reading books will help jog something!

"Perhaps," Gabriel said and glanced back at the shop. "My father has a study filled with books." He looked back at her. "You're welcome to borrow them."

"Great!" Iris played with her hair slightly. "But, um.. Can we look at these books as well?"

"Sure. We'll come back after we buy you some clothes."

Iris beamed.

They continued walking down the street until they entered a woman's clothing store. Iris was in awe when she saw all the clothes. It amazed her that humans were able to design such beautiful things. Mermaids didn't have any clothes besides the bras. Heck, most mermaids didn't wear them. They were more like accessories than clothing.

She took a few minutes of just wandering around the store to observe. In the back of the room she noticed a door. Above it was a sign that said fitting room. A woman walked past her holding a dress and went through the door. She guessed that humans tried on clothes before buying, which made sense.

In the corner of her eye, Iris noticed something. It was a dress. Iris walked over to it and touched it with her fingers. The fabric felt soft and light. The dress had a very pretty flower design. Perfect for the beach. She looked at the tag inside and saw the name Gabriel Agreste. How funny! He shared a name with someone famous! Iris turned to show Gabriel, but he wasn't with her. She grabbed the dress off the rack and went off to find him.

"Gabriel," she said to him when she found him. He was looking at a display of shirts. "This guy has the same first name as you." Iris held up the dress.

He turned slightly red. "That's because it was designed by me.."

"It was!?" she looked at him with awe.

"I told you my father is a designer. He sometimes features my designs."

"You told me you were an artist."

Gabriel shrugged. "I am. I like to draw landscapes, and I design clothes."

"I'm going to try this on."

Gabriel grew more red. "You don't have to.."

"I want to," she said with a smile. "I think this dress is beautiful." She said and then walked off to go look at other clothes.

"Iris.." Gabriel called out to her and followed her. "You don't have to be nice.."

"I'm being honest." She stopped and turned to face him. "I love the choice of colors." The dress itself was a light blue with a small white flower pattern. "It's simple."

"Thanks," he mumbled.

Iris just walked off and walked around the store looking at the other clothes. She wasn't sure how much she should buy. Gabriel offered to pay for everything, but she didn't want to take advantage of him. Maybe a week's worth of clothes? She didn't mind wearing the same stuff over and over. After picking out a handful of clothes, Iris went to the fitting room.

Before she walked into a stall, Iris wondered where Gabriel went. He was right behind her. Iris walked out of the fitting room and found him sitting on a chair. He looked bored. She walked over to him.

"Aren't you coming with me?" She asked him.

Gabriel fidgeted in his seat. His cheeks were turning slightly pink. "No."

"Aww, but why not? I need your opinion."

"I, uhh," Gabriel stuttered. "You can just come out here and model for me."

Iris stared at him puzzled. "But why? I saw a stall with two people in it."

"It's inappropriate for us.."

"Huh? Why?"

"We're not together.."

"But aren't we friends?"

"Yes, but we're not in a relationship."

"Oh," Iris said and blushed. She felt stupid. The other person in that stall was a man. "I'll just model for you then..."

He just nodded his head. Gabriel's cheeks were now a brighter shade of pink.

She walked into the dressing room and started to try on the clothes. If she was unsure about something she would go ask Gabriel's opinion. She was pleased that he was blunt with her. So far, most of the clothing was fitting her. Iris took off a pair of shorts and a shirt. She then grabbed Gabriel's dress and put it on. Iris smiled to herself. It looked good on her. She couldn't help but do a little twirl. She needed to go show Gabriel.

Iris left the dressing room and walked over to him. "Ta da!"

He just stared at her.

"I think it fits me quite nice. What do you think?" She gave him a big smile.

Again he was just staring at her.

"Gabriel?"

"Huh?" He blinked. "Oh, it looks good on you."

"You think so?" Iris's eyes lit up.

"Yes," he said and gave her a small smile.

Iris's returned his smile. She then looked away bashfully. For some reason she felt her heart fluttering.

"You almost done?" He asked her.

"Yes," she replied and looked back at him. "I have a few shirts left."

"Alright take your time."

Iris went back to the fitting room and entered her stall. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Her lips slowly curled into a smile. He liked the dress on her. Why did that make her happy? Could she be falling for him? She felt her heart skip a beat and she shook her head. No! Impossible! How could she be falling for someone she barely knew? Iris walked toward the clothes and finished trying on the remaining clothes.

Afterward, Iris rejoined Gabriel with all the clothes in her arms. She loved everything that fit her. She wanted to keep everything, but she didn't want to take advantage of his kindness. He stood up from his chair and grabbed all of the clothes.

"Are you finished or do you want to look around some more?"

"No," she said and then paused. "What is my limit?"

"I told you. I'm rich. You can buy whatever your want."

"But I don't want you to spend too much.."

"Don't worry about it. So, do you want all of these clothes?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Let's go," said Gabriel and he walked over to the register. Iris stood beside him and noticed sunglasses on displayed. She grabbed a pair and tried them on. He looked at her. "Do you want those?"

"Do they look good on me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Sure," she said and placed them on the pile of clothes.

The woman behind the register rung up all the items and Gabriel paid for them. She then handed Iris all of the bags and thanked them both.

"Thank you," said Iris when they stepped outside of the store. "Words can't describe how I feel right now."

"There's no need to thank me," said Gabriel as they walked down the sidewalk. "Do you still want to go to that bookstore?"

"Yes! If you don't mind."

When they entered the bookstore, Iris went off on her own. She had no intention of buying anything. There should be books that could answer simple questions. She walked toward the back and noticed a children's section. Perfect! Humans had picture books too!

Iris glanced around and saw no signs of Gabriel. She walked over to a bookshelf and started to go through books. She eventually came across a toddler book. It was a picture book that taught toddlers names of every day objects. Iris opened it and started to read it. The book had pictures of food, clothing, vehicles, and furniture. After going through it, Iris found another one, but with animals. She decided to read both books until she had the terms memorized. Every now and then she would make sure Gabriel wasn't around.

Once she felt confident enough, Iris put the books away. She then left the children's section. Iris walked around the store until she found a section with photography. She noticed that each book had a different subject. Animals, nature, places, cars, etc. She decided to go through them all. Luckily each book had captions for its pictures.

"Found anything?" asked Gabriel as he walked up to her.

Iris jumped and almost dropped the book. "No." She looked at him. "Just browsing. What about you?"

"No. Do you still want to look around?"

"Hmm," said Iris as she was thinking. "No." She put the book back. They could come back another time. She could tell he wanted to leave.

"You hungry?"

"Yes. Is it lunch time already?"

"Just about. It's been three hours. Come on I know a good restaurant around here."

"You're taking me out?"

"Of course. We're not done shopping. There are a few more things we need to get you." He then walked off. Iris followed right behind him.

They left store and took a left and then right. They were heading toward the sea. Gabriel and Iris stopped in front of a restaurant. It had outdoor seating and they were allowed to seat themselves. They picked a table that had a great view of the sea. Iris placed her shopping bags in the empty seat next to her. She then dug out her sunglasses and put them on.

"I love these," she said.

"They look good on you," he said.

Iris smiled. The waiter came by and handed them their menus. He then just walked away. Iris opened hers and flipped through the pages. She looked up at Gabriel. It was quiet between them.

"Not much of a talker are ya?"

"Yep," he replied as he flipped through his menu.

Iris frowned. She wanted to get to know him better. But what should they talk about? A topic popped up in her mind. "So..."

"Gabby!" shouted a voice. They turned their heads and saw Charlotte coming toward them. Gabriel cringed when Charlotte threw her arms around him.

"Stop calling me that!" He said angrily and pushed her off.

"I only will if you call me Lotte."

"Never."

"Oh, come on!"

"Go away, Charlotte."

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm having lunch with a friend."

Charlotte finally noticed Iris sitting across from them. She glared at her which sent a shiver down Iris's spine. Charlotte glanced back at Gabriel. "I didn't know you had friends."

"Wow, rude much?" Iris spoke up. This girl's behavior was making her mad.

"Buzz off," Charlotte said as she moved her back and forth.

"No. Gabriel and I are hanging out and clearly he doesn't want you here."

Charlotte stared her down, but it didn't phase Iris. "Of course he does."

"No I don't," Gabriel spoke up. "Now leave."

"But, Gabby!"

"Go." Gabriel then shift his body toward the view.

Charlotte turned her attention back to Iris and leaned over the table toward her. "What's your name?"

"Iris," she replied.

"Well, Iris, he's mine. You understand? So you better watch it."

"I'm no love expert, but I believe both sides have to agree to being in a relationship," said Iris with a smirk.

Charlotte glared at her again before storming off. When she was gone, Gabriel faced Iris.

"Sorry about that," he said and looked embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," said Iris as she waved her hand.

"She thinks we're a couple because we knew each other since we were little. I wish I could get rid of her, but our fathers are friends.

"That sucks."

"Tell me about it." He placed his hand on his cheek.

"So what do you like to design?" She said finally asking her question.

He stared at her for a moment before answering. "Dresses." He looked grateful that she changed the topic.

"Why?"

Gabriel shrugged. "You can do a lot with them."

"Do you sketch your designs?"

"Of course."

"Can I see them?" She asked with a smile.

Gabriel blushed. "If you want." He then looked away.

Iris giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"You."

"I'm glad I'm amusing," he mumbled. Iris giggled some more. His cheeks were now a bright pink.

The waiter finally came by and took their orders. Iris just picked something randomly. She had no idea what she was eating. She could have ordered seafood, but that was silly. She didn't want to try human seafood until she experienced their other types of food first. It was quiet for the rest of lunch.

After lunch Iris and Gabriel continued their shopping. He bought her a swimsuit. Iris didn't want one seeing how she'd never be able to go into the water around him. But she couldn't argue. Then their final stop was a women's underwear store.

"Here," he said and handed her his credit card. He then took her bags from her. "I'll wait out here."

"But why?"

"Because I want to."

"Alright," she said and just walked inside. Iris had no idea what his issue was. It was just undergarments. He was odd.

An hour went by and Iris returned to Gabriel. She successfully bought herself underwear and sleepwear. They then made their way back home.

Once they returned home, Iris went up to her room. She crashed on her bed. Iris felt exhausted. What a day! All that walking wore her out. Her feet were killing her. She let out a yawn. Well, at least she was getting better at walking! She was less wobbly. She closed her eyes and ended up falling asleep.