Between the Land and the Sea - By Derrolyn Anderson Page 0,48
said to Ethan, “It’s a classic.”
“Thanks,” he replied, explaining how he’d rescued it from a junkyard and restored it. Cruz knew a surprising amount about engines and they talked about the work Ethan had done as we drove along. I was happy they were friendly and I sat between them silently, my mind elsewhere.
“You’re quiet today,” said Ethan, casting a sideways glance at me.
“Uh huh,” I said.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I was surprised he noticed, because I was feeling particularly edgy. I knew those boys in art class were running off at the mouth about me, and as much as I pretended it didn’t matter it really did. I expected I’d be treated to another round of stares and whispers all day long, making me waste all my energy acting like I didn’t notice. At the moment, I wanted to be anywhere but school.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, but I really wasn’t.
I think he could tell, because we pulled up and he turned to me, “Don’t worry so much,” he said as he parked the truck.
As much as I was dreading what lay ahead of me I was even more focused on what had happened last night. I couldn’t stop thinking about the prophetic vision I spoke in the mermaid’s strange language. I was anxious and fretful, wondering how I’d find Lorelei, formulating questions I’d ask her, determined to know the truth. I was unsure how I’d manage to get through a whole day of school.
We thanked Ethan for the ride and parted ways.
“Are you gonna be alright?” Cruz asked me, a concerned look in his eyes.
“I’m fine,” I said, “I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Well,” Cruz said, “You looked amazing yesterday. I wish we thought to take a picture.
Where did you learn to do such awesome makeup?”
I told him about some of the runway shows that Evie had taken me to, describing how we sometimes got go backstage to watch the creative chaos unfold. Cruz got a dreamy look in his eye as I painted a picture of the frantic stylists, manic dressers and crazed makeup artists putting everything they had into a few short minutes of frenzied artistic expression. Like most of life, fashion shows looked totally different depending on your perspective.
“I can’t wait to move to San Francisco,” he sighed.
“Hang in there,” I said, “We’ll be there before you know it.” I thought about how much fun it would be to show Cruz around the city and my spirits begin to lift a little.
The first half of the day dragged on, and by the time we met for lunch I was back to feeling agitated. The weather was clear and sunny so Cruz and I grabbed Megan and we went to eat on the benches outside. I let my guard down a little, relieved to avoid the stares and jabbering gossip in the cafeteria. From the looks I’d been getting, I was pretty sure the guys in art class had embellished the tale of my mermaid drawing considerably.
Cruz and Megan started back in on me about my plans.
“Marina, I can see why you want to meet with Lorelei,” said Megan. “But it would be stupid to put yourself in that kind of danger again.”
“I have a wetsuit now– I’ll be fine! If I can speak mermaid there’s so much more I must know.”
“Can’t you just talk to her from the cement ship?” asked Cruz.
“I can try, but she always disappears when someone comes along. Plus, there’s no guarantee she won’t just drag me into the water again.” I remembered how swiftly she had snatched me off the cement slab.
“How about from behind the fence,” Megan said pointedly.
“I’ve been thinking… if I can find her early, when there’s nobody around... I could change into my wetsuit real fast and you guys could wait for me and–”
“Hold on Marina,” said Cruz, “I’m not agreeing to anything.”
“Me neither,” said Megan.
“I’ll be fine,” I said firmly, “I know she won’t hurt me.”
“Not on purpose,” Megan intoned ominously. The bell rang.
Cruz got up. “We’ll talk about your insane plans after school,” he said.
Megan offered us a ride home and we accepted. I headed towards art class, and passing the girl’s bathroom I ducked in, suddenly feeling dizzy and nauseous. I splashed some water on my face and neck and went into a stall, sitting with my head in my hands. I heard a flurry of footsteps on the tiles and drew up my knees, afraid Megan was checking up on