Kelp

I had a sunburn. That's what Nick said. My skin was bright red and hurt to be touched. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, just my arms and legs with a bit of my face. Zak slathered on some gross green stuff that helped ease the pain. I didn't say anything, but the others didn't really talk to me. There were glances I caught between Nick and Aaron, a few even directed at Zak, but there were no questions and the talk that Zak had mentioned didn't happen. After my goo dried and left an annoying, dry film to my skin, I excused myself to go take a bath. Nick looked like he was going to say something, but didn't.

After I had stripped, the cool water I had drawn called to me. Making sure a towel was near by, in case one of them decided I needed to covered while bathing, I slid in and sighed in relief. The water wasn't exactly the ocean, but it made me feel more comfortable with the moist familiarity. Not to mention the sun burn felt so much better under the water. Instead of getting lost in my thoughts like I had been, I let my mind go blank. Just closed my eyes and go to a place I felt comfortable.

Adrift in a mindless fog, I barely noticed a knock on the door. It took a second knock before I realized that someone was at the door. “Come in,” I called, draping the towel over myself. I thought it would be Zak, but Aaron's bald head poked through. His hand was over his eyes though.

“I know this is slightly hypocritical, me coming into a room while you're naked after I said you shouldn't be naked around us, but I'd like to talk to you,” he said.

“I have a towel over me so you don't have to cover your eyes,” I said. He peeked through his fingers a moment before letting his hand fall with an exaggerated sigh of relief.

“Okay,” he said, taking a seat in the floor next to the tub. “How are you feeling? Like not just physically. Are you sad, glad, mad?” Aaron was odd, a funny odd. The way he was quick witted and kidded easily in a serious situation.

“I don't know what I feel,” I said. “It's been an overload of things since this morning. I don't know how to feel right now.”

“Well you seemed pretty home sick earlier, did that change or do you still wanna go home?” He asked.

“I don't know how I feel. I'm tired of feeling and I'm tired of everything,” I snapped. “If I was home I'd go back to school to be whatever it is that I'm told to be with no friends and be lonely. If I stay here then I'd have to-to-to-”

“To what?” Aaron prompted.

“I don't know! All I know is that I'm not treated like a person that has a name from a play that was read to her when she was little or like I have feelings or am some stupid child that knows nothing!” I huffed.

“I don't think you're stupid,” Aaron said calmly. “And I think you're mad because deep down you know exactly what is what.”

“I want friends! I want people to want me around instead of seeing me as some kid that's in the way. I'm and adult, but because I'm the only daughter that came from my mother before she died. I'm babied and kept out of harms way. No one care how I feel or what I want and what I want is a friend who still listen to me!” Aaron and I sat in silence as I calmed down. I was always the baby sister or the trouble maker or a bother and I had gotten tired of it. The trip had been fun, but I was still held back.

“Welp,” Aaron said break the silence. “I'll be your friend and treat you like an adult even if you're a teen, but you gotta act like an adult. You're so used to being coddled, you don't even know you're acting like a kid. An adult wouldn't have walked out and run off. Well. . . Some would have, but we'll shoot for mature adult here.” Gods, he was right. I was acting like a five year old. “So, you wanna try to get home still?” I couldn't stay on land, I didn't have anything or anyone. Except I did. Aaron said he would be my friend.

“Yes,” I said. “I want to try to get home still.”

“Alright then. Nicking making food so when you're done, you have dinner waiting for you,” he smiled. I liked his smile. It was different to see a man with facial hair. Only my father had it among my people. Aaron looked handsome with it.

“I'll finish up quickly then,” I said. Aaron went to get up, but stopped his mouth scrunched up as he looked at me. “What?”

“Zak's a good guy, but he's. . . He's a bit old for you,” he said. This must have been the talk Zak had wanted. Either he wasn't going to have it with me or Aaron was doing it for him.

“He's not that much older than me,” I said, cocking my head to the side.

“You're fifteen, kiddo. He's thirty-five,” Aaron chuckled. “Mer-people might not care, but humans do.”

“Oh,” I said, a giggle bubbled out of me. “I'm fifteen as a mermaid. Out time is measured slower than human time because we live so long.”

“Makes sense,” Aaron nodded. “So how old are you in human years?”

“Well, we have a year for every two human years. So that makes me thirty in human years,” I said, doing the math for him. Aaron didn't answer, he just sat there grinning. “What?”

“You're thirty years old and look like you're twelve,” he snickered, making me giggle.

“It's not funny! Do you know how hard it was to get into places?” I said, splashing him with water.

“You probably couldn't get into Celin Dion,” Aaron cackled, ignoring the water.

“I don't know who that is, but probably not,” I chuckled.

“She's a singer that Zak loves. I'll let you listen to her later. Right now though, dinner then probably a trip to Wal-Mart for clothes,” Aaron smirked. “Feel better about how you're feeling?”

“Yes, thank you,” I said, smiling at him.

“If you wanna talk or are confused or just got stuck in chocolate feel free to hit me up,” he said, holding out his fist to me. “Because we're friends, right?”

“Right. Friends,” I grinned before staring at his fist. “Why are you holding out your hand?”

“Fist bump. To officiate our friendship, I'm teaching you how to fist bump,” Aaron said. “hold up your fist and tap your fist against mine.” I held mine up like his and connected our fists with a tap. “Alright, I think Nick is done with the cheesy bread, so I'll go snag us some before he and Zak eat it all.”

“Is that the bread with the cheese on top of bread with garlic and herbs?” I asked eagerly. My single most favorite food of humans would have to be the bread smothered in hot, gooey cheese. I gave myself a stomach ache the first time I ate it.

“It is indeed. Do you like it?” Aaron asked.

“I LOVE cheesy bread,” I grinned, getting excited.

“Better hurry up then,” Aaron sang as he stood up and walked out the door. When the door was closed, I clambered out of the tub and dried off before getting dressed. My feet were still sore, but the delicious odor wafted up into the bathroom making it hard to be too careful as I walked.

~::~::~::~

Aaron came to the table where Nick had made spaghetti and cheese bread while Zak worked on the salad. He had a grin on his face that had the other two men giving him looks. “What's with the smile?” Nick asked. “You look like the cat that ate the canary.”

“I made a friend,” Aaron said as he grabbed a plate and started to fill it with food.

“A little bit more explanation please,” Nick said as Zak leaned against the counter with his large arms crossed over his chest.

“Viola was a bit lost in herself and needed someone to talk to She's a cool chick and just needs help channeling her feelings and directing herself,” Aaron said before chomping down on a piece of bread.

“So she's fine now?” Zak asked.

“You could ask her yourself and stop acting like she's a spirit and not a person,” Aaron said.

“She's not human though,” Zak said.

“So? That makes her less of a person? I think maybe during the shopping trip after dinner we try to figure out how to get ourselves back on track, Viola included. We're out of sorts because this is different and we're out of our element, but it's a learning experience. It's our first non-spirit case and we should get the most out of this experience, even if it means we make a new friend or girlfriend or whatever,” Aaron said.

“Okay,” Zak sighed and Nick nodded. “I just feel kinda bad because she might think there's something more between us because of last night.” Aaron started to cackled. A throw your head back, evil villain cackle that left both men confused as Viola came down the stairs.