The Maidening Ceremony

Chapter Nineteen - Scene 2

At the Southern Chamber, Finley paced from one end to another. His fellow classmates were passing the time with a game of shells.

"Finley, are you sure you do not want to play?" Japhet asked. "All that moving around is making me nervous."

"The Ceremony does not make you nervous, but my swimming does?"

"The Ceremony is what it is. We have been expecting this our entire lives. How can you be so nervous about it? What do you think is going to happen?"

Finley ignored him and kept pacing. Every so often, he would press his ear against the shared wall to the arena, but the stone was solid and he could not hear anything. Not that he really expected to.

"Can I ask you guys a question?" he suddenly said, swimming down to their level and leaning both elbows on the rock they were using as a table.

Japhet raised an eyebrow but did not object.

"Have you ever kissed a mermaid?"

"What is 'kissed?'"

"It is like pressing your lips and mouths together."

"Sounds gross and unhygienic."

Finley was disappointed,though he knew he should not be. He hadnot known what it was before Arilya told him about it. He had basically thought the same thing whenshe had. So why did he hope these mermenwould understand?