Status: This is a novel in progress, so let me know what I need to change :)
A Mermaid's Tail
Chapter One
The feeling of water on my skin was exhilarating. I loved the crystal clear view when I dove my head under, and the colorful fish that swam and danced around me. My laughter turned into bubbles, then floated to the surface. The cool water enveloped my skin, sending a warm tingle throughout my body. I let myself relax, the full moon's light reflecting off of the shimmering reddish-green tail that was a part of me. So easily that I fell in love with the emerald sea where I drifted...
<<<<<>>>>>
“Scarlet! Wake up! Jake will be here in thirty minutes!”
I rolled over groggily and stared at the alarm clock. Seven o'clock.
I was so not a morning person.
I pulled my yellow and purple polka-dot comforters over my head. Why did I have to go to school? I figured I knew enough already. One plus one is two, so what? Of course, that's not all that I know. But you get the general idea.
“Scarlet! If you're not down here in fifteen minutes...” Suggestions didn't work with me.
“...or I'm going to send your sisters up there!” Threats did.
“I'll be down soon!” I slid out of bed and into the bathroom. Normally I take a bath before school, but I was in a rush because my alarm didn't go off soon enough, so I didn't get the chance.
After a quick shower I had a pair of shorts and a white tee, along with my usual sneakers. I jumped down the stairs two at a time, into the kitchen and plopped down at the table. Elizabeth and Elena, my four year old sisters (identical twins), were at the table, along with my eighteen year old brother, Josh. I reached for the plate of waffles in the middle of the table, but Josh beat me there. He grabbed the plate, and I wasn't in the mood to wait; I was well known for having an enormous appetite – everyone wondered how I ate so much and stayed so slim (I knew why, but that was for me to know, and no one to find out). I snatched the plate out of his hand before he even had time to blink. I took three waffles for me, then grabbed two more for Elizabeth and Elena. Handing them their waffles, I shoved the plate back into the middle.
“Well, I'm leaving.” Josh stood up and took his backpack off the chair.
“See ya,” I mumbled into my plate, not looking up.
“See you there, Scarlet.” I ignored him and concentrated on scarfing down my food before Jake showed up. As Josh was slipping on his shoes in the hallway, an impatient honk sounded from outside.
“Scarlet, your boyfriend is here!”
“He's NOT my boyfriend!” I yelled, sliding my chair out from the table, then stomped to the front door with a box of PopTarts in my hand.
“Sure he isn't...” I heard Josh say from the other room.
“You're just jealous,” I rolled my eyes and strode out the door. The sun was blinding already and it was only seven thirty. A sleek black Mercedes was in the driveway; I ran over to the passenger door and slid in.
“Hey,” Jake said, and I turned to look at him.
“Hey,” I retorted. He backed out of the driveway; I turned to my mom to wave. I rolled down my window. “'Bye, Mom!” She stood on the porch and waved back to me.
“Have fun at school! Don't forget to be home by seven!”
I rolled up the window and looked at Jake. He seemed happier than usual. “What's with you?”
“Nuthin.”
“You seem...perkier.”
“Really?”
“If you weren't, I wouldn't have commented. Well, maybe I would have, just to see your reaction. But, yes, really.”
“Hmmmm.”
The car pulled to a stop in the school parking lot. There were students and teachers everywhere.
“It's busy today,” I commented.
“Ya think?” Jake said, getting out of the car. I sighed and stepped out as well. We walked into the building just as the five minute bell rang.
“Right on time,” Jake said, glancing at the watch on his wrist. We took our seats in the classroom; our first class was Oceanography. Personally my favorite subject, since it was the one I knew absolutely everything about.
“So.” Jake took out his textbook and dropped it on the table. “What're you doing this weekend?”
“Just hanging around the house, doing nothing as usual.”
“Oh. Do you want to spend the night?”
“Sure. I'd rather not stay at my house with Josh and his friends. They're such losers.”
“Harsh.”
I whacked him on the shoulder. “You know it's true,” I accused.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You know so.”
“So?”
Mr. Myners clapped his hands, calling attention to the front of the classroom. Jake and I purposely chose all the same classes. I had to force him to take Oceanography with me, though. Not his best subject. He had told me if I insisted that he takes the class, I have take the notes, he reads them and aces the tests, so he doesn't look like an idiot. I guess that's fair. Not that I need to take notes, period.
Jake has been my best friend since before I was born. Our moms were friends since junior high, and never lost touch; they moved next door to each other as soon as possible. They both had babies (Jake and I) on the same day, but a year apart – Jake is older – so Jake and I have the same birthday, August 21st.
Coincidental, huh?
So they brought us to play dates every day, and enrolled us in the same schools. Jake and I have always been close, but in a friend-like way. Our moms have obviously been waiting for it to turn into something more serious, and every time I sense that they're hinting, I crack up. But of course, everyone looks at me like I'm crazy. Then I stop laughing and Jake laughs, and that makes me laugh, and then it's a mess of giggles. Totally ridiculous, in my opinion. It's like we can read each others' minds; that's how close we are. Weird.
There's only one thing he doesn't know about me: my secret. I don't tell him because I don't think he should know, at least not until I'm ready to tell him. That's going to be weird, I can guarantee that.
I pulled out my notebook and sighed.
<<<<<>>>>>
“Scarlet! Wake up! Jake will be here in thirty minutes!”
I rolled over groggily and stared at the alarm clock. Seven o'clock.
I was so not a morning person.
I pulled my yellow and purple polka-dot comforters over my head. Why did I have to go to school? I figured I knew enough already. One plus one is two, so what? Of course, that's not all that I know. But you get the general idea.
“Scarlet! If you're not down here in fifteen minutes...” Suggestions didn't work with me.
“...or I'm going to send your sisters up there!” Threats did.
“I'll be down soon!” I slid out of bed and into the bathroom. Normally I take a bath before school, but I was in a rush because my alarm didn't go off soon enough, so I didn't get the chance.
After a quick shower I had a pair of shorts and a white tee, along with my usual sneakers. I jumped down the stairs two at a time, into the kitchen and plopped down at the table. Elizabeth and Elena, my four year old sisters (identical twins), were at the table, along with my eighteen year old brother, Josh. I reached for the plate of waffles in the middle of the table, but Josh beat me there. He grabbed the plate, and I wasn't in the mood to wait; I was well known for having an enormous appetite – everyone wondered how I ate so much and stayed so slim (I knew why, but that was for me to know, and no one to find out). I snatched the plate out of his hand before he even had time to blink. I took three waffles for me, then grabbed two more for Elizabeth and Elena. Handing them their waffles, I shoved the plate back into the middle.
“Well, I'm leaving.” Josh stood up and took his backpack off the chair.
“See ya,” I mumbled into my plate, not looking up.
“See you there, Scarlet.” I ignored him and concentrated on scarfing down my food before Jake showed up. As Josh was slipping on his shoes in the hallway, an impatient honk sounded from outside.
“Scarlet, your boyfriend is here!”
“He's NOT my boyfriend!” I yelled, sliding my chair out from the table, then stomped to the front door with a box of PopTarts in my hand.
“Sure he isn't...” I heard Josh say from the other room.
“You're just jealous,” I rolled my eyes and strode out the door. The sun was blinding already and it was only seven thirty. A sleek black Mercedes was in the driveway; I ran over to the passenger door and slid in.
“Hey,” Jake said, and I turned to look at him.
“Hey,” I retorted. He backed out of the driveway; I turned to my mom to wave. I rolled down my window. “'Bye, Mom!” She stood on the porch and waved back to me.
“Have fun at school! Don't forget to be home by seven!”
I rolled up the window and looked at Jake. He seemed happier than usual. “What's with you?”
“Nuthin.”
“You seem...perkier.”
“Really?”
“If you weren't, I wouldn't have commented. Well, maybe I would have, just to see your reaction. But, yes, really.”
“Hmmmm.”
The car pulled to a stop in the school parking lot. There were students and teachers everywhere.
“It's busy today,” I commented.
“Ya think?” Jake said, getting out of the car. I sighed and stepped out as well. We walked into the building just as the five minute bell rang.
“Right on time,” Jake said, glancing at the watch on his wrist. We took our seats in the classroom; our first class was Oceanography. Personally my favorite subject, since it was the one I knew absolutely everything about.
“So.” Jake took out his textbook and dropped it on the table. “What're you doing this weekend?”
“Just hanging around the house, doing nothing as usual.”
“Oh. Do you want to spend the night?”
“Sure. I'd rather not stay at my house with Josh and his friends. They're such losers.”
“Harsh.”
I whacked him on the shoulder. “You know it's true,” I accused.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You know so.”
“So?”
Mr. Myners clapped his hands, calling attention to the front of the classroom. Jake and I purposely chose all the same classes. I had to force him to take Oceanography with me, though. Not his best subject. He had told me if I insisted that he takes the class, I have take the notes, he reads them and aces the tests, so he doesn't look like an idiot. I guess that's fair. Not that I need to take notes, period.
Jake has been my best friend since before I was born. Our moms were friends since junior high, and never lost touch; they moved next door to each other as soon as possible. They both had babies (Jake and I) on the same day, but a year apart – Jake is older – so Jake and I have the same birthday, August 21st.
Coincidental, huh?
So they brought us to play dates every day, and enrolled us in the same schools. Jake and I have always been close, but in a friend-like way. Our moms have obviously been waiting for it to turn into something more serious, and every time I sense that they're hinting, I crack up. But of course, everyone looks at me like I'm crazy. Then I stop laughing and Jake laughs, and that makes me laugh, and then it's a mess of giggles. Totally ridiculous, in my opinion. It's like we can read each others' minds; that's how close we are. Weird.
There's only one thing he doesn't know about me: my secret. I don't tell him because I don't think he should know, at least not until I'm ready to tell him. That's going to be weird, I can guarantee that.
I pulled out my notebook and sighed.