Fireflies- H.Rj

Be Honest With Me

I'm sitting still on my bed looking at my mom's contact in my phone. My mind is blank and I'm debating wether I should call her or not.

"Fuck it." I whisper under my breath and I dial her number.

The phone rings about 4 times before she picks up.

"Jaeun? Why are you calling?"

"Mom, I need you to be honest. What is our family history, what are we?"

"I've told you this multiple times, Chinese, Korean and your father is Japanese, Puerto Rican."

"No, mom. I know you know that's not what I mean."

"Jaeun you're being ridiculous what do you mean?"

"I mean on a magic spectrum, on a mythical spectrum."

"That shit isn't real you're old enough to know this."

"Stop lying to me! What are we?!"

"Human! Is that what you want me to say?! It's not real!"

"Mom! I know you're lying!"

"Moon Jaeun don't you raise your voice at me! That shit isn't real!"

"Then why have people told me I'm a Valkyrie?! It's real mom!"

"It's not real this is bullshit!"

"I know the truth but I want to hear it from you. Don't lie to me. I know what we are!"

"Don't you dare bring this up anymore! You don't know any of it! I'm trying to keep you safe!"

"Then tell me!"

"No, you're being ridiculous. Call me back when you're mature enough to reason with."

She hangs us the phone leaving my blood boiling. I get up put on shoes and leave my house.

•

•

•

I've ended up at the side of the train tracks that lead from Watergate Station to Bentwood Station. I kick the gravel from under my feet. I've been walking for an hour or so. My mind has wandered miles from my body and I am now just flesh and bones lifelessly walking.

I've turned off my phone, though I don't think many people will be calling me. Part of me thinks it's childish to have left my house and abandon all society, but my mother got under my skin. I can't believe she would lie to me.

She's being the childish one.

After a while of walking down the gravel path on the side of the tracks I get to a small lake. I've been here multiple times before and I've just sat down taking in the scenery around me. This time I sat down and payed attention to only one thing. It was someone in the water about 20 feet from me. It wasn't unusual for people to swim over here but it was unusual for people to swim in 9°c weather. It's too damn cold for swimming.

As I'm watching them I notice they come closer and closer to me by the time they're up to me I can see them clearly.

"Hi." The angelic voice belongs to a girl in her early 20s with brown hair and beautiful dark brown eyes.

"What are you doing? It's so cold!"

She lifts what would normally be legs in the air revealing a beautiful dark blue tail.

My eyebrows raise and my mouth gapes open. "You're a mermaid?!"

"Nooo that tail is fake." I laugh and she laughs with me. "I'm Tzuyu." She says. "Nice to meet you Tzuyu, I'm Jaeun."

"I see you here pretty often. It's pretty isn't?"

"Yeah it is. Question."

"I have an answer."

"So I haven't really done my research on mermaids but can you go on land?"

"Yeah. It's not like those crap shows where once they touch water they turn into a mermaid we actually she'd our tails. Everytime we go on land our tails are shedded and if we lose them we're stuck on land forever. My sister's and I have a house on the coast for that purpose."

"Wow that's really cool!"

"So I have a question for you now."

"Go for it."

"Most people wouldn't believe in mermaids and all that stuff so why do you."

"I've experienced it first hand. Witches, elves... Valkyries..." My voice drifts off at the last part.

"Oh really?! I've always wanted to meet a Valkyrie!"

"Well you can scratch that off your bucket list."

Her eyes widen and she becomes giddy with excitement. "Are you?!"

"Yeah. I don't know much about it though."

We continue to talk for a long time and I notice the sun starting to go down.

"Hey the sun is setting so I have to go. Can I have your number?"

"Sure! I can put it in."

I remember my phone is turned off so I turn it on and it starts going crazy with notifications.

"Wow you sound popular." Tzuyu jokes as the notifications keep coming.

"I'll be popular on the news for my dead body being in a ditch!" I sigh and slap my forehead with the palm of my hand. I hand her my phone quickly and she puts in her number.

We bid each other goodbye and I as I start walking back I check my notifications.

32 missed calls from ☀️mi

43 missed calls from Junnie 💜

120 missed messages from ☀️mi

300 missed messages from Junnie 💜

700 missed messages from Neon Crackhead Tales

Incoming call Junnie 💜
Accept
Yes|No

Yes

"Hello?! Jae?"

"That's my name."

"Oh my god! Where are you? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Renjun, calm down I'm fine."

"Jesus Christ! You scared the fuck out of me! Where are you?"

"I'm walking near some train tracks by my house. I'm fine I just turned off my phone for a while."

"For a while?! I tried calling you at 12 and thought maybe your phone died so I called again at 1 and you still didn't answer. Oh god you scared me so much."

"I promise I'm fine. I had an argument with my mom and just needed to be alone for some time."

"You need to tell someone that next time! We're all out looking for you. I was so fucking scared."

"I'm really fine. I was in good hands."

"Good hands?! Who were you with?"

"A girl I met."

"Now isn't the time for bluntness. Do you know how worried we were?!"

"I'm coming back to my house now. Meet me there. Only you."

"Fine. Okay. Be careful."