looks, but mostly because he was always just there, too close and too fast.
Later, I was proud of myself when I figured out what he was, and, after that, repulsed when he told me what he did. I had to work hard to keep my face composed. It wasn’t easy repressing my disgust for his hunting past, just so he’d keep talking and feeding me the information I so desperately wanted—information that would explain my family’s history and put my father’s shame to rest.
So, okay, I used him at first. But after learning how hard Calder worked against his nature, after really coming to understand him, and now, after all we’d been through … What did I feel for him now? Respect, maybe? Longing? Fascination?
Whatever it was, it wasn’t as mundane as what Jules was suggesting.
“Well, if he’s not going to call you,” Jules said, “have you thought about—”
“I can’t call him. He’s got a new number. The one I have doesn’t work anymore.”
Jules crinkled her nose at me. “That’s a bad sign. Is it possible that maybe he just wasn’t that into you?”
I nodded. I had already considered that. Making the reality of his silence sync with the fantasy of my memories was like trying to fit square pegs into round holes. I’d given up after only a few painful attempts.
“Don’t be sad,” Jules said. “It’s not like he’s the only fish in the sea. I’m sure if you put yourself out there again, the guys will be lining up.”
“Heh.” Hilarious. “Yeah. I could do that.”
“Sure you could. We both could. We’ve got a whole summer ahead of us before everyone splits up for college. The last hurrah, right? Let’s get out there and break some hearts.”
I didn’t answer, so Jules wisely changed the subject and asked, “When are your mom and dad getting in?”
“Supposedly tomorrow, but I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Oh, shut up. It’s not that far of a drive. There’s no way they’re missing your graduation.”
“I don’t mean they don’t want to come. I just don’t know if they can.” I’d been calling home every day to talk to Mom and subtly keep tabs on Dad. After what had happened in the lake, I wasn’t surprised when Mom said he’d been on edge.
She, of course, had no idea about the mermaids, and Dad still didn’t know the truth about himself, but it was only natural that plunging into his birth waters would set something in motion.
“My dad hasn’t been feeling well,” I said. I wished Jules hadn’t brought it up. What if the urge to swim got too strong for my dad? What if he jumped in? I couldn’t help obsessing over where and when and how he’d learn the truth for himself.
I’d hoped things would be better now that he was no longer the target of a mermaid assassination plot, but I was afraid my attempt at heroics had only made things worse. A part of me wished I’d told him right away, but how do you tell your father he’s a merman? Particularly with our family history for crazy.
Instead, I’d tried to limit my worry to something else: If Dad was a merman, what did that make me? My eyes went automatically to MY SCRIBBLINGS, half buried under the flurry of paper. Recently I’d scribbled the cover of my poetry notebook with my answer:
Mutt, MUTANT, Mixed-breed
At least I finally had an explanation for my abnormal ability to endure the freezing lake temperatures. I wasn’t normal. Not by a long shot.
“Your parents will be here,” Jules said. “Don’t worry. Hey, what’s with the paper chain?” She swirled her finger through one of the blue links.
“It’s nothing.”
My phone went off again. Same website link again. Damn spammers.
“Lily, quit saying that. Give me something to work with.”
“I guess I’m just nervous about graduation tomorrow.”
“You mean with Phillip’s thing? No one’s going to get in trouble. Every grad class has some stupid prank. It’ll be easy. When you go up onstage to shake Principal Landsem’s hand, just drop a penny into his palm. It’ll be funny. By the time he gets to the N’s, he’ll have collected about three hundred. His pockets will be bulging.”
“Couldn’t we just go with a streaker?” I asked. “Or maybe a flasher? It’s been a few years since a class did that. I bet Mikey’d be up for it.”
“No doubt. Which is why no one asked him. Have you ever seen that guy naked?”
“No. Have you?”
“Kelly Moeller’s pool party last year. My