Aquarina(mermaid graphic done by Jihan B. Jackson)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Slipping my sandals on, I headed downstairs to see what my family was up to and when breakfast will be served. Hopefully, I won't have to help make half of breakfast. For some strange reason, my family believes that since I can heat liquid, I'm amazing at cooking.

Skipping into the kitchen, I noticed Pearl sitting on a stool at the center island eating her favorite, Apple Jacks. I seriously don't understand her obsession with that stuff. "Hey Pearl" I said as I opened the cupboard to search for some decent cereal. After combing through every cereal we had, which was surprising a lot, I finally settled on eating Cheerios with honey. "Hey, Mommy and Daddy went to Home Depot to get the washer and dryer." she said looking bored. "Cool. So how do you like your room?" I asked her, wondering if she was as ecstatic about her room as I was. At the mention of room, her whole face brightened up, getting the reaction I predicted. "My room is so cool! I love this house!" I had to agree with her on that one. "My room is a pretty pink and I have a huge closet! I have a big chest to hold my toys and my bathroom is next to my room." her eyes were so bright you would think she had just met her blood companion. "What room did you pick?" she asked me, curiosity clear in her eyes. "My room has blue walls and it has the balcony."I smiled describing my room. "That is so you. Our rooms are perfect for us. Don't you think?" she questioned me. "Oh yes. But they should be good rooms to please us. It's the least we can get after this move, right?" I countered. She smiled deviously. "Definitely" Popping off her chair and placing her bowl next to the sink, she told me, "Before Mom and Dad left, Mom told me that our next door neighbors, the Navarro's, have invited us to a barbecue tonight at 6." "Alright" I replied sticking a spoonful of Cheerios into my mouth. Secretly, I was hoping that Alex was the neighbor inviting us to her house. But, there's only one way to figure out.

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Looking in the mirror, I took in my appearance. I have to admit, I'm pretty decent looking. I may not be beautiful in my eyes, my family might think so, but I do get compliments on a couple things. For example, my hair as thick as it is. As of right now, my hair was falling halfway down my back in chocolate waves, except for my front locks pinned back by two bobby pins. My brown eyes looked lighter towards the center and dark brown at the edges, framed by long lashes curling upward. My navy tank top showed off my tanned arms and my new white shorts, which I had gotten for my birthday in July, made my legs look long.

I smiled, revealing a faint dimple on the right side. "Hi, I'm your new neighbor and my name is Aqua. We moved from Florida, I'm going to be a junior at the high school." I rehearsed. To say that I was nervous was an understatement. I was worried about making a good impression for these people and wanted them to at least like me. "Aqua! Time to go! We're gonna be late!" I could hear my dad yell from downstairs. "Well, here goes nothing." I said to myself, taking one last quick look in the mirror before walking away.

Mom and Dad were fixing up their and each other's clothes, Pearl included. Dad wore a pair of dark blue jeans with a white button up collared shirt. Mom was wearing a pretty green summer dress with a woven white belt and sandals to match. She was wearing a little bit of blush, not that she needs it, and some mascara making her hazel eyes pop. Pearl was sporting a light purple skirt with a white shirt. Her hair was pushed back by a simple headband that held a white rose.

After making sure we were all ready to go, we headed off to see who our new neighbors are. Walking outside to see that the sun had started to set, we rounded to the right to walk to the next house. I took this short amount of time to examine the outside of the house. It was a two story building and with this view, you could see a little strip of a garden in the backyard. Through the window, anyone could see the huge fish tank with many fish inside like multiple colors skimming around a blue 3-D square. I took my time examining it. The fish looked so at peace it made me want to jump in there with them. Not a minute later, we reached the front door. Facing the mahogany door with a stained glass center, I pressed the doorbell and listened to the chorus of dings for about 30 seconds before an overly excited Alex opened the door. "Hi neighbors! I'm Alexandra. You can call me Alex. My parents are out back so if you would follow me please." She led us to the garden I had gotten a peek of earlier.