Must Be Something In The Water

"You have a problem." Keith said to me.

I reached over and took the ketchup from another table and then squirted them on my fries. We were at the Surf and Turf. The same fast food restaurant Keith's brother Kevin worked. He was off today but we get free tacos on Wednesday because of his brother's discounts.

"What problem?" I asked him picking up a fry and popping it into my mouth.

"Ever since we left lake Alki you've just been..." he stopped and watched me as I sucked down my glass of water.

I put it down.

"What?" I asked him.

"Like you're dependent on water." he said to me.

"Everyone's dependent on water seventy-five percent of our body is water." I said.

"Right but you're going over that limit." he said to me.

"You make it sound like I'm drinking alcohol." I said.

"Might as well be the way you're always drinking. Every time I see you. You have water in your hand or you're in water." he said.

"Are you stalking me?" I asked and laughed.

"I just want to know why the sudden change to water. You would much rather have a soda than drink water." he said to me.

I picked up my fish taco and shrugged.

"I like water so what, it's not hurting anyone." I said to him biting into my taco.

"True." he said and then he picked up his taco and bit into it.

Just then I looked up passed him and gasped.

"What?" Keith asked me.

"Don't look now but I think that's the guy from the lake." I said to him.

"What guy?" Keith asked turning around and I saw him drop his taco back on its tray.

A man wearing a black suit and black sunglasses walked up to a guy behind the counter.

"It's the guy from the lake!" Keith said.

"Yeah, don't say anything just act natural." I said to him.

"Okay maybe he doesn't recognize us it was dark." he said to me.

The man walked to the booth right next to us and took a seat there.

"Crap." We muttered.

"Oh forgot my ketchup. Hey kid could I use that ketchup?" he asked me.

I looked at Keith and he looked at me and nodded slightly.

"Sure." I said handing it to him quickly.

Keith got up and I followed his lead. Just then I heard a beep and then I saw the man look at his cell phone and then up at Keith and I. We were out of the Surf and Turf in a heartbeat and unlocking our bikes.

"He didn't seem to notice us." Keith said to me.

"Yeah, I don't think he did either." I said hopping onto my bike and pulling out of the rack.

"Hey kid!" someone yelled.

It was the guy in the black suit who yelled at us.

Keith and I looked back. Fear coursed through my skin.

"He knows." Keith said hopping on his bike and pedaling like hell with me right behind him.

"Wait!" he yelled.

"That was a close one." Keith said as we walked up to his garage. He kicked his bike onto the side and I rested mine next to his.

"Too close, what was that about do you really think he recognized us?" I asked Keith.

"I hope not, do you want to watch TV or something?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"I guess so." I said to him.

We sat on his couch watching the Discovery Channel one of his favorite shows Mythbusters was on. There was a knock at the door and Keith's dad went to answer it.

"Okay, well you can hand it to him." was the last few words his dad said.

"Who is it dad?" Keith asked looking back.

I took my eyes off the TV and saw the man in the black suit this time he didn't have his jacket on or his sunglasses.

"How does he know where you live?" I asked Keith.

"I don't know." he said quietly jumping up.

"Keith, Mr. Blue said that you left your wallet back at Surf and Turf." his father said.

I glared at Keith.

"Oh thanks." Keith said taking the wallet back from the guy.

I jumped up and stood behind Keith.

"I saw you two kids speeding off didn't even get a chance to give it back." he said and smiled.

"I told you. You should be more careful with that wallet." his father said crossing his arms.

"Boys will be boys. So you're Keith and is this your girlfriend?" he asked.

I turned red probably redder than Keith.

"No, I'm just his friend, Alexis." I said to him.

He laughed and held his hand to me.

"Nice to meet you I'm Mr. Blue but you can just call me Blue." he said.

I grasped his hand and then I heard a loud beeping coming from his pocket. I snatched my hand away.

"Sorry, that's just my pager." he said digging into his pocket and then looking at it and looking back at me.

"Would you like something to drink or anything?" Keith's dad asked.

"Sure, do you have Coke?" he asked.

"I have Coke." his dad said walking away with Blue.

"Nice going he knows where you live!" I whispered to Keith.

"He doesn't know we were at the lake though." Keith whispered to me.

"I hope not. Or I'll be in major trouble." I whispered to him.

"You kids want Coke?" Keith's dad asked.

"No thanks dad." Keith said.

"Can I have water?" I asked walking to the kitchen.

Keith followed behind me as Mr. Blue sipped on a soda.

"Haven't seen you before." Keith's father said.

"I'm working as clean up crew for the lake." Blue said.

"Oh yeah, isn't it strange with everything going on? I'm glad I have no daughters." Keith's dad said and laughed.

Blue looked over at me.

"Have you been by the lake?" he asked.

I swallowed hard my throat felt dry.

"Her, never. I mean besides the summer before." Keith said frantically.

"Keith let Alexis answer." his father said handing me a water bottle.

"I've been by the lake but not after what happened." I lied.

"Smart girl." he said and then took a sip of his soda.

I looked over at Keith and uncapped my water and began drinking it. Just then I heard a loud beep coming from Blue's pager. He took it out again and stared at it and then back at me as I finished my water.

"Do you need a phone to answer that?" Keith's dad asked.

"No, it's just my wife know how that is." Blue said laughing and then getting up leaving half a glass full of coke.

"You leaving now?" his dad asked.

"Yeah got to get back on the job thanks for the soda. And nice meeting you." he said to Keith's father shaking his hand.

He reached out to shake Keith's had. Keith shook it.

"Keep that wallet safe." he said.

"I-I will sir." Keith said nodding nervously.

"And nice meeting you too." he said holding his hand out to me again.

I took it and shook his pager went off again. He held my hand longer then expected and when he let go. The beeping stopped. We let himself out of the house. After Keith's dad left the room. Keith and I looked at each other.

"Did you notice that?" Keith asked me.

"Notice what?" I asked.

"Every time you shook his hand his beeper went off?" he asked.

"Well yeah I guess." I said to him shoving my hand in my front pocket.

"And did you notice how he was looking at you? As if you were something of interest?" Keith asked.

"I don't know, I just can't believe you left your wallet!" I said to him.

"I panicked." Keith said to me.

"And now he knows where you live. Look I got to get home. I'll see you tomorrow. Okay?" I asked.

"Okay, later." he said to me.

"Bye." I said to him.

I walked out of his house and he waited for me to hop onto my bike before waving one last time. I waved back and rode away. I was halfway home minding my own business when I noticed an unmarked black car following me.

I tried to look back without looking suspicious but it seemed to stay at least one block away from me. I tried pedaling a little slower so that the driver could speed up but the car seemed to slow down with me. I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable what if there was a sexual predator stalking me from the car. I decided to pedal faster but not go to my house. Actually, I passed my house and kept pedaling the car following me keeping up with me.

I tried a new approach. I rode through a couple random people's yards and then went down the alley. I was sure I lost the car. I eventually rode back to my house hopped off my bike and locked it to the side of my house away from the street and then ran onto my front porch. Just to have a black car drive past my house.

I stared at the car for a long time before it sped away. My stomach did flip flops and I opened the door and walked in.

"Oh my god you're home!" my mom cried to me.

"What? What's going on?" I asked.

"We thought you went to the lake!" my sister said from the couch.

"What are you talking about, I told you I was with Keith today." I said.

"Alexis, you promised me you wouldn't go to the lake." my mom said.

"I didn't go to the lake." I said.

"Don't lie to me Allison told me everything." my mom said.

I glared at her.

"You told?" I asked her.

"I thought you were at the lake. They said that some girl went missing at the lake. We thought it was you!" my sister said getting up and hugging me.

I could feel weird movement coming from her stomach and I pushed her away.

"Alexis, don't you ever do that to me again!" My mom cried and hugged me.

"I was just getting fish tacos today and what girl went into the lake?" I asked.

"It happened this afternoon. Some girl went missing she never came out of the water. I thought it was you." she said.

"Why would you think that?" I asked her.

She just shrugged and crossed her arms.

"I'm glad you're okay but you're grounded." my mom said to me.

"For what?" I asked.

"For breaking your promise to me, for lying, and for scaring me half to death." she said.

"But..." I started.

"No buts get ready for bed." she said pointing to the stairs.

I was speechless and then I glared at the snitch of a sister.

I sat in the bath tub and stared at the water as it fell from the tap. I heard a knock at the door.

"I'm taking a bath." I said.

My sister opened the door and peeked in. I glared at her and then looked back at the water.

"What?" I asked her.

"I didn't mean to tell." she said.

"You mean snitch?" I asked.

"No, you've just been acting so weird ever since you went into the lake." she said.

"You should be talking." I said to her.

She sighed.

"I'm being serious now Alexis." she said walking in and then closing the door to the bathroom.

I didn't take my eyes off the water. I even slipped my hand under it to get it's touch.

"Okay. what do you want then?" I asked her.

"Why aren't you like me?" she asked.

I looked at her.

"I'm an individual." I said.

"No, I mean why aren't you..." she pointed at my stomach.

"I don't know maybe the parasite didn't attack me." I said to her.

"I don't think it's parasites." she said to me.

"Then what do you think they are?" I asked dipping my hand into the water and swirling it around.

"I think they're individual babies." she said.

I nearly fell into the tub and looked back at her.

"You didn't have sex did you?" I asked her.

"No, even if I did do you think it would've happened this fast. I mean it's like I'm really pregnant and not infected with parasites." she said.

"What's the difference?" I asked.

She looked at the ceiling.

"I think the difference is that I don't see them as disgusting parasites I want to kill. But as individuals inside of me that have a heartbeat and separate lives like me and you." she said.

"Yeah, well there separate lives and heartbeats are freaking out a lot of people." I said to her.

"You know that's funny because I really don't care what people say about me anymore." she said.

I looked at her.

"You seriously don't care?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I can't explain it but it's like in a strange way. I like what's happened to me. Like I feel like a better person that it's happened to me." she said.

"Oh." I said.

The water came all the way up to my elbow now.

"I'm going to let you take your bath." she said getting back up.

I wondered if I should ask this next question.

"Um Aly." I said to her.

She stopped and looked back at me.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Did you... see a glowing fish in the water the night when you got sick?" I asked her.

Her eyes grew large and then she looked at me and nodded.

"Yeah." she said.

"That's all." I said and turned off my water.

She stepped out of the bathroom closing the door behind her. I climbed out of my clothes and slid into the bath tub. The water nearly over flown. It was warm and comforting like a second bed to me. I slowly slid my body down into the water. I kept eyes closed. Once my head was fully submerged I thought about everything that happened today and inhaled water. My eyes flew open and I stared up out of the water onto the ceiling and relaxed.