Call of the Water (COMPLETE)

44. DISBELIEF

"No!" Professor Cyan exclaimed when I mentioned Ardea's father. "I will not be talking to any doctor!" It appeared she knew what his profession was.

She allowed her gloved hands to rest on the table before her. Taking in deep breaths, she tried to regain control of herself. 

"I really think he might be able to help you get what you want," I said in attempt to influence her reason.

"Haven't you been listening to me? No one can give me what I want," Professor Cyan replied.

My friends hadn't joined the conversation. I noticed that Mathias was tense. His stare was glued to me, making me feel uncomfortable. I opened the subject that was not to his liking, and his demeanor reflected it.

Opal was all ears. She got lots of new information on that afternoon and she was hungry for more. Ardea's curiosity was less obvious, but I knew she was eager to learn more about the whole thing.

I felt Ms. Cyan wouldn't be open to discussion with them in the same room, so I did the only thing I could think of. "We've overstayed our welcome," I said as my gaze met my friends. "I think we should leave and maybe continue this conversation at another time."

Reluctantly, they headed towards the door. Mathias allowed himself to look at Ardea's eyes. It was enough to ease some of the tension within him. I walked behind them, while our Professor remained standing behind the oval table in her classroom.

As we reached the door and all three of my friends exited, I shut the door behind them and locked it from the inside. The plan was born in my mind the moment I noticed the key in the keyhole. I knew that my feisty friends might be mad at me because of my actions, but it was a risk I was willing to take.

"Professor Cyan, I really think you should hear me out. I've already spoken to him about that topic and..."

"You already spoke to him?" she cut me off. Her narrowed eyes told me I just made her angrier. "You told him about me?"

"No! I haven't mentioned you at all!" I said to ease her mind. "It was a hypothetical conversation. No names have been mentioned. Just allow me to explain."

She gave me two minutes to speak. It took me ten to tell her what I wanted to say.

°   °   °   °   °    °   ° 

Time flies when you're having fun, they say. If that is so, then time stands still when you're awaiting something.

The weeks that followed my conversation with Ms. Cyan were full of anxiety. Every day I would hang out in the hallways much longer than it was necessary and wouldn't rest until I'd see the teacher that came from the same kingdom as I. After speaking to her, I too spent a lot of time thinking about our underwater home.

If I went back after decades of absence, would anyone remember me? I thought to myself. Probably not. I was one of the forgotten ones. Unnoticed and unimportant. Ms. Cyan was a princess.

Opal's discovery that Professor Cyan was an Aquantien Princess caused a flood of questions from my dwarf friend. Mathias did get mad at me because I kicked them out of the classroom so I could have some privacy to talk to the Professor he was so fond of. I felt like Ardea was the only one who understood me. She didn't ask any questions, but her eyes were like scanners with the power to read my deepest thoughts.

She called her father on the same day and he did promise he would come, but he wasn't able to say exactly when. Day after day I waited. A week went by, another one followed. He still hadn't come. Three weeks passed before Ardea received a phone call from him. He was to arrive the following Saturday.