Chapter 6

The No Show

The day of the concert had come and i woke up with a spring in my tail. As i lay in my hammock, i had dreamed that night of Ariel about to kiss me after she had performed her solo at the concert after i had presented her with a bunch of sea flowers. How is it that i do not get nervous in my dreams? I seem so much more confident in them. No blushing, no jitters, the Urchin in the dreams was a natural.

I sit up and my eyes go directly towards a photo of myself and Ariel together along with Flounder and Sebastian. As smile at it, a great idea pops into my head. Today is the day that i express my love for her "I'll wait to the end of the performance and present her with a bunch of sea flowers and confess. Yes! That's exactly what i'll do!" i say to myself proudly. I was was like i suddenly got a sudden confidence boost out of no where.

I quickly swim out of the hammock and look at myself in a mirror. Thankfully the redness from Sebastian's pinch the other day had almost faded. I was getting sick of being picked on by others for my red nose. As i gazed in the mirror, i practised "Ariel i love you!", "ARIEL i love you!", "ARIEL I LOVE", "Hello! Anyone home?" i suddenly hear a voice coming from the front entrance of my cave.

Swimming towards the entrance i notice a female mermaid with a pink tail and a blue octopus accompanying her, I hoped Ollie didn't hear what i was saying!. It was Gabriella and her interpreter Ollie. Gabriella is a deaf mermaid and speaks using sign language while Ollie assists her in communicating to others using speech. I met them at one of Ariel's parties and we have become good friends. Gabriella even has been teaching me some sign language. Its a lot harder then reading and writing with all the hand and arm movements but i hope to get good at it someday.

Gabriella makes some movements with her hands and Ollie begins to speak "Good Morning Urchin, how are you today?", i reply completely forgetting to try and do sign language "Good Morning Gabriella, Good Morning Ollie, i am well and how are you?". Both of them laugh, i then ask "What brings you here to my cave?". Again Gabriella does sign language and Ollie speaks "We wondered if you would like to go to the concert together to watch Ariel?".

I liked the idea "Sure that would great! How about i meet you guys there, i've got something to do first!" i informed them, Ollie then speaks on his behalf "We better get there early so we can get a good seat!". Gabriella agreed with him by nodding "Yeah a seat in the front row!" i say in a dreamy voice "Perfect, then it will be easy for me to read all the performers lips!" says Gabriella in sign.

I forgot that Gabriella could read lips and it was easy for her to do that if she was closer to fish foke and merpeople. I just wanted to be in front row so could get a good view of Ariel. "We will see you later then?" Ollie asks me, in which i agreed too and promised that i would meet them outside the palace concert hall at least and hour before the concert starts so we can get a good seat.

I waved goodbye as they swam away. Now i had to really get my fins on as there was work to be done. I had to find a big bunch of sea flowers for Ariel to give to her at the end of the concert. Swimming towards my money jar, i opened the lid to see if i had enough money to go and buy a bunch. However, only a couple of single sea coins were present in the jar. I didn't have enough "Great, looks like i'm gonna have to go sea flower hunting myself!" i say to myself. Frustrating!.

A few hours later, i managed to successfully find some wild sea flowers. It took some hard searching but i found some. My tail had never felt so sore. I made my way towards the palace and met Gabriella and Ollie. We arrived and thankfully snapped up 3 seats along the front row as planned. I wondered where Flounder was going to watch from as i hadn't seen him yet.

"I cannot wait to see Ariel and her sisters perform!" Gabriella says in sign through Ollie, "Me too!" i say agreeing with her "Esspecially Ariel!". Gabriella smiles at me "Is that who the flowers are for?" she asks in sign with a smile. I blushed but managed to confess that "Yes they are for her".

Minutes passed and all the guests had arrived. The orchestra begins to start warming up when we see the kings royal announcer the seashorse Herald appear who begins by introducing the arrival of King Triton in his chariot. We all applaued and cheer as he places himself in the royal box. I was too far away to wave to him. His entrance music stops and The Seahorse Herald soon announces the arrival of Sebastian the conductor. He receives a much quieter applause.

Everyone in the room goes slient and Sebastian gets into his place. He begins to tap on the music stand and ques the orchestra to start playing. Bubbles that were acting as a certain began to open and three clam shells appear revealing in each two princesses. They all begin to sing to the music and start to introduce themselves as daughters of Triton.

After they each said their name a fourth calm appears "Bet you Ariel's in that clam ready to make her debut!" i cry. The clam begins to open slowly but soon to our shock horror, Ariel was not inside! She was a no show!.

The music stops. All her sisters were shocked, Sebastian was shocked, myself, Gabriella & Ollie were shocked but no one was more shocked and angry then the King himself. The king yells out "ARIEL!" in anger. The room had gone slient. You do not want to mess with the King when he is angry!.

King Triton then yells out Sebastian's name telling him to met him in the throne room. Sebastian embarrassed, called everyone in the room to attention by tapping on the music stand once again to inform everyone that the concert will no longer continue much to everyones dismay.

Everyone began to swim off. Gabriella and Ollie began to leave and asked me to join them but i wanted to remain. I still had Ariel's flowers in my hands and i didn't want to leave without giving them to her "Ooohhh Ariel where on earth have you got to?".