The Golden Mermaid

𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆

Ollie's smile gets bigger, his black eyes creasing at the corners. "Oh, okay. Great. Um," he unlocks the back door and I open it a crack, shoving the dog away as it licks at my face. "Brutus, stop!" He yells at the dog, pulling it by its collar. "His breath stinks. Just slap his nose and he'll stop. I didn't want to bring him, but Mama kept on and on about how—"

"It's fine, really. He's okay." Brutus continues to lick at my face, his too-big paws digging in my thighs. I try to wiggle away from him, pushing at his fur, but he persist.

Ruby stares at me, amused. "You know," she says, a small smile crawling up her lips, "if you'd just pet him he'd stop. You got a problem with dogs?"

"No," I grunt. "I've never had one."

She turns back to face the road, but continues to speak. "Seems like you got a problem with dogs to me."

The car ride consist of Brutus's continuous licking and Ruby belting out just about every song on the radio. Ollie and I barely get a word in. He only ask me (very awkwardly) how my dad is doing.

"Fine, I guess." I reply, still trying to shove Brutus off.

His charcoal eyes glance at me through the mirror. "Is he still the dog catcher man?" He says, something we'd always called my dad when we were younger.

"Yes," I answer. "Or at least part-time. He works at the aquarium now, too."

Ruby holds up her hand, chewed fingernails covered in chipping black paint. "Hold up a minute." She turns back to look at me, pulling her big hair out of hazel eyes. "Your dad is a dog catcher? No wonder you don't like dogs. Your dad kills them."

"My dad doesn't—"

Ruby's voice chimes over my own, "What is your mom? A vet? She's fixes all your dad's mistakes?"

"No," I reply, my mouth filling with bile at the awkward situation.

"Rue—"

She continues even after Ollie's protest, "Well then what is she?"

A mermaid, I think to myself. I hadn't given my encounter with my mom—however it happened, much thought. I'd shoved it in the back of my mind, but now it was all rising to the surface.

"Simple question," Ruby shrugs and turns back around, unbothered. My cheeks are red with rage and embarrassment. I look out the window, watching as the trees turn into cattails and the cattails into sand dunes.

After about five minutes of silence (other than Brutus's licking and whimpering), Ollie finally speaks. "We're here," he pulls into a gravel drive. A huge sign sits to the right: LOTTSBURG COUNTY'S FAMOUS SEA GLASS BEACH. Underneath it swirly writing it says, LOOK, DON'T TOUCH.

"You aren't allowed to take any? What's the point, then?" Ruby unbuckles herself. Only four cars sit in the parking lot, unusual because this is a tourist hot spot.

Ollie steps out and opens the door opposite of me. Brutus rushes out and jumps all over him, wagging his nubby tail. Ollie kicks the dog down, ruffling his hair. "To look, Rue. Just look."

"That's stupid."

We make our way to the beach. Rays of heat burn through my clothes and onto my skin. I dig in my bag for sun lotion, smearing it over my nose and cheeks. I rub it on the back of my neck. I noticing Ollie staring and smile, handing it to him. "You want some?"

"No. I don't burn." He says. "I crisp."

I laugh, looking at his slightly browned skin and then at my own, freckles dotting my pale arms. "Yeah, sunscreen is my best friend. It's not so easy being a ginger." We both laugh and it's silent for a minute. "Your mom is Native American, right?"

"Yeah. She moved off the reserve when she married Dad. My grandmother is still there, though. We visit a lot." He explains.

"So, Ruby's part Native, too?" I question. She'd trudged ahead of his, her black hair crowning her face. Her skin is much darker than Ollie's, and her hair curly instead of straight. I'm guessing she has African American in her too.

"No, her mom was my dad's sister. I've never met her dad. He left before she was born."

"Oh, okay."

The beach is littered with glass—in a good way, not bad. Thousands of colors glint in the sun. Blue, green, clear, brown, and even red pieces cover the sand like a blanket. Ruby kicks off her worn flip flops, amazed at the sight.

"I suggest you keep on your shoes. Some of it might not be fully worn. It could cut." Ollie says and Ruby shoves her shoes back on her feet moodily.

"Okay, Dad." She says sarcastically, looking down at the glass as she trudges along the shore. "This is actually kinda cool." Her voice is quiet but I still hear it. Ollie looks at me and smiles triumphantly and I can't help but think he does kind of act like a father figure for her.

After a few moments of silent walking, Ollie huffs. "Do you have a hair tie? I can't see through this stuff."

I start digging through my bag, "I might. I don't really use them anymore."

All attention goes to my hair. It barely makes its way past my ears, even after months of growing. Ollie laughs, "I see that. Why did you cut it all off, anyway?"

I smile, readying myself to tell the story. "A few months ago Claire—you know, my friend who's quite the character?" He nods. "Well, she was taking cosmetology and she wanted to practice on me, so I let her dye my hair black." I snort a laugh. "And it turned out green, so I just shaved it all off." I run my finger through it, the short bangs falling into my face. It'd finally begun to curl back up, regaining its texture. "Oh, right. Hair tie." I start digging in the bag again, having completely forgotten. After a few minutes I come up with one and hand it to him. He pulls his dark hair into a bun.

"Ew, man bun alert!" Ruby yells, coming up from behind and yanking at his hair. "Liver, that is so unstylish." The statement reminds me of Claire and I laugh.

Ollie rolls his eyes and pulls the bun tighter. "Whatever. Hey, look. There's some over here." He walks closer to the water and I stay behind warily. Ruby follows, skipping. "You coming?" He says and I follow, moving briskly and keeping my eyes on the water.

What if there's a wave? What if it pulls me in? I push these thoughts to the back of my mind and close my eyes, trying to calm myself.

Ollie looks around worriedly, remembering something. "Hey, where's Brutus?"

I look only to find the dog barreling at me, tongue hanging out of its mouth and spit flying. My life flashes before my eyes and I think, "Yes, Ruby, I am scared of dogs. Dogs are terrifying." Just before he hits me. I go flying back, not even fully grasping whats happening before I'm falling into the water in slow motion. But something happens right before I make impact. As if I'd willed it to the water rushes back, forming a half circle around me. I watch in amazement before getting up and stepping away completely dry.

"Oh my God, Sydney! Are you okay? Bad boy, Brutus! Bad!" The dog grunts as Ollie knees his chest. Ollie wraps an arm around me protectively.

"Hey, why'd you do that, Ollie?" Ruby tugs the dog away, patting him on the head and cooing at him. "I'm sorry, BB. He's a rude boy, isn't he? You were just excited..." Brutus replies with a wag of his tail and a lick on her face. Ruby smiles, "Oh, good boy."

I look back at the water, which is now completely normal and unbothered. "I'm okay." I reply.

On the drive back Ruby screams to a rock song, and when she gets bored of that she switches to a country station and sings every lyric of each and every cowboy love song.

"Do you want to eat dinner with us?" Ollie suggest and I politely decline.

"I need to be home when Dad gets home. He doesn't want me staying out late." I leave out the part where he told me that hanging out with friends was probably a bad idea, with me being part mermaid and all.

"Okay, maybe next time."

He drops me off at the yellow house, saying goodbye and promising to text me later. I tell Ruby goodbye, to which she ignores. I wave one last time at the grey-blue car as it pulls out of my little neighborhood.