"Were you two out swimming?" Mimi asked exasperatedly. "Again?"
"I don't think that I need to answer that." Marcus said as he pulled himself out of the pool of Rita's grotto. He helped Ondina out of the pool again and grabbed a towel that was hanging on the edge of the stone bench and dried off his chest and head. "I mean… the answer is pretty evident."
"You didn't go to school again, did you?" Mimi asked disapprovingly. "You know Rita is going to be upset."
"Yeah." Marcus said at length. "I know. Worth it though."
"I agree." Ondina said happily when her legs returned. "We found some more of that seaweed that you love." She told Mimi.
"Where?" Mimi asked immediately, her previous annoyance completely gone.
"A few miles past Mako. Right under that cold water current that runs under the trench." Ondina told her. "I would have grabbed you some, but I thought that you would want to go by yourself."
"Thanks." Mimi said cheerfully. When Ondina and Marcus began to walk away she called, "Where are you two going?"
"The café, wanna go?" Marcus asked.
"Oh. No thanks. I think I will go visit Chris at the waterpark actually." Mimi said absentmindedly.
"Have fun with that." Ondina told her, winking.
They strode out of Rita's house hand in hand and walked into a very surprised looking Zach. "Oh. Marcus." He said, blinking in surprise. "I thought that you would be at school."
"Let me guess, you skipped too?" He chuckled. "What gives? A delinquent like myself can skip and no one bats an eye but you are a good kid."
"Yeah, well, tonight is the full moon." Zach said uncomfortably. "Just want to make sure we're ready."
"Nervous about something?" Ondina asked, tilting her head to one side. "You haven't been affected by the full moon in ages."
"I wasn't worried about me." Zach said delicately.
"Worried that the chamber might try something funny?" Marcus nodded. "That seems fair enough. I'll be with Ondina her tonight though, so don't worry. It will be easy to keep an eye on me."
It had been a month since the day Marcus had lost his memories and he had enjoyed every single day. It had taken him a little while to get used to, but he quickly figured out why they had been his friends before. He also knew why he had grown so fond of Ondina. She was, in a word, amazing. She was also infuriating beyond all capacity for rational thought.
"Are we really going to the café?" Ondina asked curiously. "I thought that we were going back to your house to watch a movie."
"Oh we are." Marcus assured her. "But I don't want Mimi to know that. People talk you know."
"Talk about what?" Ondina wondered.
Marcus fixed her with a suspicious look. "Are you intentionally asking that so I'm forced to explain something potentially embarrassing? Or do you truly not know?"
Ondina winked at him. "I do not know what you are talking about."
Marcus scowled and tried to pull his hand out of her, but she only tightened her grip in response. "I am trying to protect your virtue in the public image." He declared, pleased that he had thought of a way to circumvent her wicked schemes.
"Meaning you don't want them to think that we are going to go have sex at your house." Ondina observed.
Marcus turned a bright shade of crimson and Ondina laughed. "I'm not sure it's safe for me to be around a scoundrel such as yourself." He told her hotly.
Ondina appeared to consider that for a long moment. "Maybe not." She said after her consideration. "Although I do not know what your aversion to such topics are. We girls speak about such things-."
"I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW." Marcus said clearly, putting a hand firmly over her mouth. "No. Stop it. You might be celebrating our however many month anniversary but I-." He yowled in pain when Ondina bit the hand he had placed over her mouth.
"I was just teasing you." She told him, though her eyes were sparkling wickedly. "Sort of. You would be surprised at the conversations we have about you guys."
"No I really wouldn't. Not anymore at least." Marcus stepped lightly up his front porch and searched for the key in the plant. He found the item he had been searching for and unlocked his house, inviting Ondina inside with a broad sweeping gesture. She laughed and stepped inside and Marcus closed the door behind them. Ondina sauntered over to the couch and took a seat. Marcus grabbed the remote from where he had left it lying on the end table by the couch and fell onto the seat beside her. Ondina immediately kicked her legs up and leaned against his shoulder as he hit play on the movie. Marcus put his arm around her and chuckled when she looked at him accusingly. The title of the movie he had picked for them was Siren Song.
"I thought you would appreciate the irony." He told her, fighting hard not to laugh. "I mean it makes sense."
"That is not funny." Ondina scowled and poked him in the ribs. "A mermaid movie? Really?"
"Don't even start with me. We can make fun of it. Or you can at least." He added. "I think this might be educational for me. Some poor love-struck guy falls for a mermaid. He must not have been very bright."
"Or the mermaid is really something else." Ondina countered.
"Oh, she is. Beautiful, smart, but kind of full of herself." Marcus nodded. "Poor guy never had a chance."
"Well, even if he did have a chance mermaids have always had ways of getting what they want." Ondina said, shrugging. "If she really wanted him then she would have gotten him no matter what."
"You sound confident about that." Marcus remarked.
"I'm not confident. It's a statement of fact. Land boys will always fall for mermaid charm." Ondina turned her most dazzling smile on him and Marcus was forced to concede her point as his heartbeat skyrocketed.
"Is that a fact?" He murmured. He absentmindedly stroked her hair and noted that she smelled of the sea as always.
"You tell me." Ondina shrugged.
The movie wasn't very good at all. But they were barely watching as they continued to banter back and forth with another. Before they knew it the credits had finished rolling and they looked at the TV in surprise. "Oh." Marcus blinked.
"You kept me from watching the movie." Ondina said accusingly, standing up from the couch. She stretched and suddenly leaned over, quickly giving Marcus a kiss.
He smiled at her and raised an eyebrow as she sashayed away. Careful Marcus, He told himself as he followed her out his door. This one might give you some trouble.
But it just so happened that he loved trouble.