Sequel: Released into the Air
Status: Finished

Submerged in Water

Calm

I caught Layla in the halls before school that morning and decided to talk to her.

"Layla!" I shouted.

"Oh Hey Emele, what's going on? Sorry I haven't been on skype."

I shook my head. "It's okay, I haven't been on much anyway. What about you? What's going on in your life?"

She shrugged while slamming her locker shut and putting the lock on it. "The usual. Not much to report but hey, I heard you've been talking to Rune again. How's that going?"

I shrugged, seeming bored. "Not much to report, we were talking about why he was out in the woods in the morning that day and that was it. Turns out he just lives close to where I am and was taking a morning stroll with his uncle."

"Ah, I see."

"So, I've decided I'm going to join the swim team." I told her.

She smiled at me as she leaned against the locker. "Wow! I'm so happy for you. I know how much you like swimming."

"I know, I can't wait." I said truthfully.

From down the hall, I noticed Aubrey and Scott kissing again before class but this time it didn't bother me. It felt like it was happening on another planet. After what I had shared with Rune and what I was going through, Aubrey and Scott's relationship was the farthest thing from my mind. It was strange since a week ago I would've done anything to trade places with Aubrey but I don't think I wanted to anymore.

"You seem... different." She noticed.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good. New therapy technique." I explained.

"Ah, what is it?"

"Seaweed wraps." I lied.

She giggled. "Figures."

I still hadn't told Aubrey about my meeting with Rune, but I figured I should confide in someone and it seemed like the only one I could trust was Aubrey or maybe my parents but I knew that Aubrey would take it all in stride where as my parents would probably freak out and ship me off to another planet to try to make me normal and to keep me away from Rune.

When Layla and I started walking towards our first class, I noticed that people were staring at me. I tried looking at myself and seeing if I had a stain on my shirt or something but I seemed perfectly normal.
Layla laughed at me. "What are you doing?"

"Why are people staring at me?" I whispered in her ear.

She looked around at the people staring. "It's not people Emele, it's boys..." She explained.

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh. Why?"

"Have you not looked in the mirror recently?" She asked, surprised.

"I did this morning..."

"This might come as a shock to you, Emele, but you've been looking different lately. You look hot, like a exotic model with your blue-purple eyes and hair so black that it's almost blue. I've never seen anyone change so much so quickly." She shook her head while pursing her lips.

"Oh."

"Everyday I see you, it's like something's different about you. Today it's your skin, it's absolutely glowing."

"Is it?" I felt myself start to blush and I touched my cheek to feel my skin.

"You just look good and you know what? You deserve to know. You're like the nicest, sweetest person I've met at this school and you don't deserve the crap you have to deal with sometimes." Layla looked like she was about to tear up. "I'm so glad that you're getting better, Emele, I really mean that."
"Oh, Layla." I came in to hug her. "That means a lot to me."

She hugged back. "Good." She cleared her throat. "I'm glad."

I wondered if Layla would feel differently if she knew I was a Kamille. I knew Layla was one of the Oro but I still looked at her as if she was Layla. The same girl I've known ever since I started coming to school. The same outcast girl that spent most of her time in the library reading books about romance and playing video games at home. It seemed so out of place to imagine her secretly hating a race of mythological water humans. Maybe I was just thinking about it too much.

When lunch rolled around, I was about to go hide out in the pool room and eat my lunch like I usually do since having lunch with Rune was out of the picture but Layla came up to me before I could make my escape.

"Do you wanna have lunch with me?"

I hesitated a moment. "Uh... yeah sure. Where to?"

"Let's go to the Cafe."

"Kay."

When we got there, without a word, she walked over to the small table where Rune, Talon and Robyn were sitting. I was a little nervous to sit down since Rune said not to talk to him that much to avoid suspicion but since it was Layla's idea I couldn't really object that would make it seem even more suspicious.

"Hey guys." Layla greeted them while jumping over the circular bench to sit down at the table.

The only seat left was next to Rune, so I followed suit and sat down at the table next to him. "Hey." I added.

"Hey, what's going on?" Robyn asked us.

"Oh not much, science is such a bore." Layla began.

And then it happened. The five of us, Layla, Talon, Robyn, Rune and I formed our own little group. We talked all lunch, even after everyone was done eating and when we split up, it felt like nobody wanted to leave but instead sit here and talk all day.

It was strange because when I imagined being a clique or a group at school, I always thought it would be with the swim team or Aubrey's group. I never imagined in a million years that I would somehow find my way into my own group and become a part of something rather than just an annoying add-on to a group or that weird sister that has a medical condition.

It was so strange not having to try to be normal.

We all mutually agreed to meet up the next day for lunch again.

When we were leaving, I asked Layla, "why did we have lunch with them?"

"Talon suggested it." She told me simply.

It seemed slightly suspicious to me but they didn't ask any weird questions but everything seemed natural, even Rune seemed at ease... or maybe it was just an act. I, on the other hand, was tense the whole time because I was scared I might say something that would reveal me as a Kamille.

"I'll talk to you on skype after school."

I nodded. "Okay."
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So I'm going to post two chapters in one blow for you guys! I love all the comments I've been getting to reward you all, you're getting a double dose! (Since this chapter was sorta filler-ish anyway.)