Mermaid • Enoch O'Connor

fourteen

014 | ❝Enoch's a jerk.❞

•••

Enoch was sat at the dinning table his chin rested on his hand while his elbow balanced on the table. He had a bored look on his face as he watched everyone else engage in conversation it wasn't until Delphine entered the dining room that he looked up with interest. She had that beautiful smile on her face as she laughed looking behind her, the look of interest disappeared from Enoch's face when he saw Victor laughing along with her.

He felt jealous and he hated himself for that, he had told himself he would distance himself from her but it would be hard when she was so close all the time. She would be better off with Abraham a boy who actually knew how to express his feelings, someone who could give her what he needed him.

Enoch wasn't that type of person, since he was a kid he didn't know how to express himself. He always showed himself as an angry person but that was his guard, that was what kept him safe. Enoch kept his eyes trained on Delphine, and his heart ached a little because he could never have her even if she was all he wanted. "Enoch?" Delphine asked when she noticed Enoch looking at her, her cheeks turning a bright pink.

Enoch blinked twice and nodded his head towards her. "Are you ok?" She asked in a soft voice but Enoch didn't answer her, instead he got up out of his seat and walked away. Delphine turned to look at Emma who shrugged her shoulders.

•••

"Are you ignoring me?" Delphine asked walking into Enoch's room, he slowly looked up at her with a blank expression. "All day today, anytime I say something to you- you just act as if you didn't hear me or something!" She says angrily. All day he had been making good on his promise to distance himself from the girl but she was making it difficult.

"I don't know what your talking about." Enoch answered as he worked on a new master piece.

"Don't act Enoch!" Delphine yelled out standing in front of him the table being the only thing keeping the apart at the moment. She wasn't really angry though, she was more hurt. "I thought we were becoming friends." She then said and it was now that Enoch had noticed how her voice had cracked and he felt his heart ache.

Enoch inhaled and closed his eyes letting go of his work and as he breathed out he opened his eyes and looked at Delphine. "I don't want to be your friend." Enoch said, and it was true he didn't want to be just friends with her but he wasn't going to tell her that he wanted more. "Just leave me alone, I helped you- so what? That doesn't mean anything." Enoch said.

Delphine's eyes filled with tears and she sucked in her top lip to keep herself from crying in front of him. "You're a real jerk, you know that?" Delphine said before turning around and walking out of Enoch's room. Though Enoch wanted to go after her and apologize he kept himself planted to his spot. He was keeping good on his word and keeping his distance from the girl.

Delphine turned a corner getting ready to walk outside when she bumped into Abraham who looked down at her with worried eyes. Delphine let out a sniffle and looked away from him hoping that he hadn't caught her crying. He had, "Delphine, what's wrong?" he asked and Delphine didn't answer him instead she pulled him into a hug and cried on his shoulder.

She had fallen for Enoch and he wasn't there to pick up the pieces, he had let her fall and her heart had shattered into a million little pieces. The boy who worked with hearts day in and day out had shattered hers and she wasn't sure there was any way to fix it. She wished it was him holding her, with his earthy scent wafting her nostrils keeping her calm but it wasn't him, it was Abraham. "What happened?" Delphine heard the voice of her best friend and quickly let go of Abraham turning around and enveloping her friend in a hug. "What happened honey?" Emma asked again in a softer voice that made Delphine let out a sob as she cried harder.

Emma looked over at Abraham for an explanation but he just shrugged his shoulders. "Come on, I was just heading for a swim you can tell me what happened." Emma said pulling away from the hug and taking her friends hand leading her away from the worried looking boy.

Delphine's shoulders shook as she tried to calm herself but the tears kept coming and every once in a while she would let out a hiccup. When both of the girls got to the water Delphine had calmed down some, Emma readied the boat and helped Delphine in before she got in herself. "What happened?" Emma asked again rowing the boat to their destination.

"Enoch's a jerk." Delphine said. Emma looked at her with a questioning look waiting for her friend to explain. "I thought we were becoming friends, but-" Delphine paused a little feeling her throat tighten and more tears coming. She quickly wiped the tears away and sniffled, "I just- why does it hurt so much that he doesn't want to be my friend?" Delphine asked looking up at her friend this time not bothering to wipe away the stray tears.

"Because you like him." Emma said standing up when they got to their destination. "I could talk to Enoch if you'd like?" Emma then said as she and Delphine stripped down to their underwear. They both then jumped into the water where Delphine's blue and green mermaid tail appeared.

They both then began to swim towards the boat when they got to their spot Delphine prepared herself while Emma blew all the water out. Delphine then began to fry herself off and shook her head at Emma. "If he doesn't want to be my friend I'm not going to beg him. He can be a jerk all he wants but I'm done with him." Delphine said, but was it true? You can't just stop liking someone like that, sure he was a jerk but she still liked him, but still she wasn't going to do anything about it, Delphine was just going to try to get over the jerk known as Enoch O'Connor. "How long do you think I'd be able to stay under water?" Delphine then asked changing the conversation.

Emma shrugged letting out a smile, "I'll time you." she said.