It was 2:45 when Beth remembered that her brother was supposed to be home at 3:00. She meant to go back to the house and get dried off at 2:00 but she had been having so much fun with Charlie that she lost track of time.
"Crap!" She cursed. "If Alastor comes home to find me soaking wet he'll know I've been swimming."
"Don't panic." Charlie said. "Just dry yourself off."
"There's not enough time. At least not to dry my hair to the point of where he won't notice and- Aw man there's also the smell of salt water on me. What am I going to do?"
"Would he believe that you were bathing?"
"Bathing? Bathing! Of course! I'll get in the shower and he'll never suspect a thing. Thanks for the idea."
"You're welcome. But remember Beth, you can't tell anyone about me. Not a soul."
"Don't worry." Beth said. "I've seen enough movies to know what happens when people find out about the supernatural."
"Movies? What are movies?"
"I'll tell you about them another day but for now I really have to go. Wait! Can I see you again?"
"As long as you don't tell anyone about me."
"What about my brother? Can't he know?"
"Absolutely not."
"But I tell my brother everything. We've never kept secrets from each other."
"It's too risky."
"He won't tell anyone."
"How can I trust him? I don't even know him and do you honestly believe that he would have a good reaction to finding out a being like me exists?"
Beth wanted to say yes but she wasn't entirely sure. Alastor had always been a logical man. One who didn't find fantasy and the paranormal very appealing. In some instances he even looked down on the notions, finding them to be frivolous, something that the world would be better off without. People with that mindset didn't really respond well when discovering what they didn't believe in was actually real.
"Okay you have a point. I won't tell him anything."
"Good."
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Charlie swam away and Beth went back to the house. She quickly changed out of her swimsuit, got into the shower, and washed herself until she no longer smelled like salt water or had any sand left on her. By the time she had finished and was dressed again Alastor had stepped right through the door.
"Hi Al." She said drying her hair off with a towel.
"What have you been doing all day?" He asked her.
"Not much." She fibbed. "Just reading, watching TV, I ran myself a bath a few minutes ago. But really nothing eventful happened today. How did the audition go?"
"I got the job and I start tomorrow night."
"That's great. I knew you would do fantastic."
"Thank you but I want to apologize."
"For what?"
"For leaving you alone all day with nothing to do and your first day of vacation no less."
"It's fine. You getting that job was way more important."
"Still I don't want it to be like this the whole time we're here. You sitting alone all day while I go to work. I only took this job so you wouldn't have to spend the Summer doing that. Which is why on my way back to the house I saw where they're doing that class you wanna take, I talked to the instructor, he seemed like a responsible fellow so I signed you up for the class."
"Thanks Al."
"You have to be there at 9:00 am and it lasts til 2:00 pm. I should be able to drop you off and pick you up."
"What about your job?"
"I don't have to be there til 6:00 pm."
"Okay."
Beth had been so excited about meeting Charlie that she had forgotten all about the marine biology classes. Hell, she didn't even really need them if she hung out with Charlie. But Alastor knew her and if she declined the classes in favor of supposedly staying at the house everyday then he'd know something was up. So when he was taking his shower, she wrote a message to Charlie explaining that she would meet her tomorrow at 3:00 pm, put the message in a bottle, and quickly ran out to the beach to leave it by the shore.
The next morning Alastor made Beth eggs and bacon for breakfast, packed her a suitable lunch, and drove her down Justin Haskett's Intro to Marine Biology.
"When classes are over you meet me right here." Alastor told her sternly when he parked on the side. "Don't go anywhere else and don't go with anyone. Is that clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. I'll see you this afternoon, try to stay out of trouble."
"I'll do my best."
She hugged her brother goodbye and excitedly made her way into the classroom. Once inside, she wasn't sure where to sit because most of the students had left their desks and were gathered around one student in particular. A very pretty girl with shiny black hair, smooth and perfectly unblemished skin like creamy coffee, expensive looking yet extremely fashionable clothes, she was even wearing wearing make-up.
"After the Summer we're going to New York to see a real Broadway show." The girl said. "We do so every year and afterward we go shopping at all the most expensive stores so my parents can buy me new clothes."
"Your parents sure do have a lot of money Yvonne." One girl said.
"And they sure do like to buy you clothes." Another girl said.
"It's because I'm beautiful and they want the whole world to know it." Yvonne said. "My mom was a beauty queen and when I get older I'm going to be one too."
"Alright class take your seats." Mr. Haskett said walking in. "Today we have a new student joining us today. She just arrived here two days ago, please welcome Elisabeth Boudreaux."
Mr. Haskett ushered Beth to introduce herself to everyone. She made her way to the front of the class and put on her best smile.
"Hello everyone." Beth said. "It's very nice to meet you and you all can just call me Beth."
"Tell us a little about yourself Beth." Mr. Haskett said. "Have you been to Chant de la Mer before?"
"No. This is my first time but my mother and my older brother used to live here for sometime. Maybe you've heard of my mother? She used to be a singer at the Claire de Lune."
"Do you mean Daisy Lee Boudreaux?"
"Yes. She was my mom."
"Oh I used to be a huge fan of hers when I was a teenager."
"So you're mom was like a celebrity or something?" A boy asked Beth.
"Well I wouldn't say a celebrity but I'm told that she was pretty famous around here." Beth said. "I've heard people say that she was the best singer in all of Chant de la Mer."
All the kids looked at her in an impressed manner. All except Yvonne.
"That's amazing." A girl asked. "What was it like having a mother who was a famous singer?"
"Actually I don't remember what it was like." Beth said. "My mom died when I was very little. I don't really have any memories of her."
"Okay I think that's enough introductions for now." Mr. Haskett said not wanting his students to bring up a potentially sensitive subject. "Beth you may take your seat between Yvonne and Roger."
Beth sat in fifth desk of the third isle. With Yvonne in the back and Rodger in the front.
"Now can anyone tell me the name of a small toothed sea mammal with a low triangle fin and a blunt rounded snout?"
Yvonne's hand shot up first and he called her.
"Dolphin." She stated as a matter of fact.
"Not quite Yvonne but good guess. Anyone else?"
Only Beth raised her hand again.
"A porpoise." She answered when he called on her.
"That's right." Mr. Haskett said.
"Also porpoises are more akin to whales than dolphins."
"Looks like you know a great deal of marine biology already." Her teacher smiled impressed.
But Yvonne wasn't impressed at all. In fact she was very mad. Later at lunch she approached Beth at one of tables. She was sitting alone because she had yet to make a friend and didn't want to make anyone feel awkward by sitting next to them when they didn't even know her. But when she saw Yvonne she hoped that they would become friends.
"Hi Yvonne."
"Hi Betty." Yvonne purposely mispronounced with a fake smile.
"It's Beth."
"Oh right. Sorry."
"No problem. Listen I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in class today." Beth said. "My brother says that sometimes I can come off as a know it all. But really there's nothing to be embarrassed about when it comes to mixing up dolphins and porpoises. Lots of people do it. It's because they look so similar."
"Oh I'm not offended." Yvonne said. "In fact I think it's really great that a girl like you is so smart."
"Thank you. I- Wait a minute what do you mean a girl like me?"
"Oh nothing. It's just that…When one person lacks one good quality they usually have another to make up for it."
"I don't understand."
"Well I don't want to be mean to you, especially on your first day and all but I guess it's better you hear the more gentle truth from me than the brutal truth from someone else."
"Truth about what?"
"No offense but at first glance you're not anything special. I mean the scrawny body, wacky red hair, the freckles, the crooked teeth, not exactly what most people would consider pretty."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh don't take it too hard. I mean yes you're not a looker but your brain makes up for that. That's how most ugly people are."
"I'm ugly?"
"Technically you said it not me. But good for you for accepting the truth so quickly."
"Hey! I'm know that I'm no supermodel but I am not ugly!"
"Allow me to repeat myself for clarification. Scrawny body, wacky red hair, freckles, crooked teeth, not exactly what most people would consider pretty."
"How would you know?"
"Because my mom has won countless beauty pageants. She's knows what's beautiful and what's not, and she taught me what's beautiful and what's not. And I hate to tell you this Bonnie but you're not beautiful."
"It's Beth!"
"No need to get angry. I'm just telling you the truth. You should be grateful for that. Most people are too scared to tell ugly people the truth about their appearance, and they just let them go through life humiliating themselves by acting like they're pretty. Don't worry a thanks isn't necessary."
"You're definitely right about that." Beth said.
"Well I think I've delayed my appetite long enough. I better go eat before lunch is over." She turned to her heal boots and walked away. "See you around Billy."
"Beth!" She tried not to lose her patience. "Oh what does she know? Sounds like there's not much of a brain in that pretty little head of hers."
But despite her words she couldn't help but pick up her spoon and gaze at her reflection while feeling insecure.
"Am I really ugly?"