Hunters and prey are a balance. One can not survive without the other. Sometimes there's a glitch, and occasionally, natural enemies become friends or even more. Lines that define us are crossed, and we lose ourselves in passion. It can bring us closer to death or change us completely.
The night wind was calm as it brushed past my skin. The sand slipped between my toes. Checking one last time, I confirmed I was alone. In one swift movement, my legs were fully submerged in the water. With a crack, my legs transfigured into a tail. I was back in my natural home. A swim through the ocean was the easiest way to relax my mermaid soul. But I didn't have long to take comfort in the fact that I could be free once again. I was running out of time, and I had to get back home.
It was past midnight when my legs returned, completely dry. The beach was still empty, the moon high in the sky. This was the last night of summer. My freedom was gone. It was back to acting like I was allergic to water so that no one would ever find out my secret. The risk of getting caught by a mermaid hunter was too high. Dillon Yusei, one of the more well-known guys at Seaside High School, came from a long line of mermaid hunters. The trident tattoo on his left shoulder was proof enough that he inherited those particular genes. Tomorrow would be the start of my senior year. One hundred and eighty days left for me to go undetected. After that, I was free to live in the ocean full-time if I wanted to.
The crowded hallway consumed me as I searched for my new homeroom; room 216 was down the left corridor, also referred to as the senior hallway. The floors were barely scuffed up, the air was fresh, and the windows were open every few feet. Underclassmen weren't allowed here, but every year one of them tried anyway. Thankfully this area of the school was less crowded due to a large number of people in our class that dropped out or moved.
I found room 216 with a minute to spare. I walked in only to find the trident tattoo staring back at me. Silently I drew in a sharp breath but kept walking. If Dillon realized I reacted to his tattoo in any negative way, I would be one of his suspects. In the four years since I met him, I managed to stay under his radar.
When I first saw Dillon, I was charmed by his dark brown wavy hair, blue eyes, and muscular build. It didn't help that I had just reached my mermaid's maturity, meaning I could transform now, and a sea shell tattoo appeared on my hip. Pointing him out to my friends, I learned his name for the first time, Dillon Yusei. I knew I couldn't be with him; the Yusei's were well-known mermaid hunters. But I still dreamt of him and hoped that it wasn't true. A year and a half later, I had my first glimpse at his tattoo. I knew my fantasy couldn't continue; he had reached maturity and could start hunting at any time. Neither of us got a choice in our tattoos, but only one of us got to proudly show it off.
I couldn't stop my heart from racing, seeing him up close for the first time in three years. He had grown since freshman year, putting on muscle and losing his baby face. As I headed towards my seat, I noticed Dillon turn his head and smile in my direction. I couldn't help the smile that took over my face. All I could do was control it from spreading too wide. I didn't want him to think I was interested. I needed to seem polite and unaffected by him but keep my distance.
I sat down as he stood up, dismissing his friends to walk towards me. Pretending to be interested in my nails, I peered at him through my lashes. I watched as he took the seat next to me. I could feel my cheeks heat up without my consent. Waiting until he spoke before looking at him. His voice was deeper than I expected and laced with a seductive quality. I could barely conceal the shivers running down my spine. Was it fear I was feeling or just lust? It was just a simple 'I'm Dillon, you are?' but it was the moment I had been dreaming of for four years.
"I'm Kye," I replied, coolly watching his eyes wander my face. I nervously fixed the end of my tank top, making sure my seashell tattoo was covered entirely. I fiddled with the ends of my shorts after just to keep my hands occupied. I didn't want him to notice how they shook. I didn't think that was a normal reaction to have over a hot guy, but I could be wrong.
He gave me a once over and opened his mouth to say more when the bell rang, and the teacher called the class to attention. Dillon turned in his seat slightly so his body was facing forwards, his eyes still turned towards me.
"Welcome to your senior year. I'm Mr. Anderson, your homeroom advisor. Take a look around the room. These are the people you will see for seven minutes every morning for the rest of the school year. So make friends because I will not tolerate drama. Now attendance, raise your hand when I call your name. Amber Calvin. Trinity Morrison. Kye Aphrodite. Dillon Yusei. Trent Parker. Jack Roberts. All here? Well, that's a good start. Hopefully, it stays that way. You are free to talk until the bell."
Mr. Anderson sat back down, effectively dismissing us. Everyone seemed to resume their prior conversation. I brought my attention back to my nails, hoping Dillon would take the hint that our conversation was over. I couldn't help but peek at him out of the corner of my eye when I heard him clear his throat.
"So Kye, what classes do you have? Maybe we'll have another black together." Dillon asked.
"I have Creative first with Mr. Hood, America in Crisis with Ms. Campbell, a free block, and then Home Economics with Mr. Robin. You?"
"I guess we won't have another block together then. I have Gym with Mrs. Keifer, free block, Economics with Mr. Smith, and College Composition with Mr. Hood. Can I walk you to your next class?" he asked sweetly.
I said yes before I could stop myself. He seemed so normal, so not dangerous, but I suppose that was the point.
The bell thrilled, and we started heading down the hall. We talked about the first day of senior year, and it was hard to believe that this was our last year in high school.
"Well, I'll see you later, I suppose," I said as I drew close to the door. Dillon nodded his head, smiled at me then continued down the hallway. I entered Creative Writing with a sigh. I had just put myself on danger's radar, and based on the light pink tint my cheeks had taken and the speeding of my heart, I knew I was in trouble. Apparently, danger was what attracted me.
Creative Writing passed in a blur. The introduction of what we were supposed to learn senior year and a summary of what was supposed to be covered last year. It was really a waste of the hour and a half that we were given, but given the fact, all I could think about was Dillon and how I was going to get out of this. By the time the bell rang, I just wanted to be back in the ocean, swimming my problems away. I sprang out of my seat and went to hurry down the hallway when I caught sight of dark brown hair just down the hall.
"Hey, Kye," Dillon called with a smile.
"Hey," I replied, smiling back before heading on my way down the hall. I barely spared him a glance over my shoulder. I needed to get my head on straight. No matter how cute he was, I had to resist getting close to him because I knew how dangerous getting to know him would be. I couldn't bring that kind of danger near my family or me. I had to focus on the plan of one hundred and eighty school days until I could move, whether it was to go to college or take some time in the ocean.
Knowing what you should do and doing it are two different things. This is how it continued for the rest of the day. Dillon either greeted me or smiled at me every time we crossed paths. Even my friends picked up on it. If only they knew the whole story. They were content with the fact that Dillon was 'flirting' with me. I figured he was just friendly, even if a part of me wanted him to be flirting with me just a little bit.
By the end of the day, I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in the waves of the ocean, but I knew it was way too risky. I had already flirted with danger. I didn't need to make it any worse for myself.
I managed to make it out of the school and down the street without running into Dillon. Even thinking about him and what happened today was enough to make me blush. I couldn't help but try and relive the day. In my imagination, he wasn't a mermaid hunter; he was just a boy, and I was just a girl. I imagined all the different ways I could have flirted with him and all the ways he might have responded. I even imagined that he offered me a ride home.
I barely greeted my father on his way out when I got home. I just smiled at him and kept walking up to my room. I spent the rest of the afternoon daydreaming, only leaving my room to eat.
The night didn't continue so blissfully.
Dillion's eyes stared down at me, but there was something different about them. They seemed darker than usual, full of negativity. I had never seen him give someone a look like that before.
I was on the ground; I could hear the ocean behind me. I tried to get to my feet before I realized they had fused together.
I was in my mermaid form.
My eyes started to water, knowing what was going to happen next. Dillon picked up the trident and plunged it toward my heart. All I could do was scream.
The scream was enough to wake me up; turning my head and muffled my fear in my pillow. There was cold sweat running down my neck. Taking a few calming breaths, I managed to sit up, grabbing a hair tie and throwing my hair in a bun.
Somehow my Dad managed to sleep through all of that, or he was off in the ocean. Either way, I was glad for his absence. I didn't want to explain my nightmare to him.
It took a few hours, but by three, I managed to fall into a light sleep. I wasn't even surprised when my alarm went off. Dragging myself out of bed, I took a quick shower leaving my wet hair to wave before putting a slight amount of makeup over my dark circles.
Skipping breakfast, I made my way toward the school, more than ready for this day to be over.
I walked by my friends, barely managing to smile at them. If they tried to follow me or get me to join their conversation, I didn't notice. I let my feet guide me to homeroom, plopping myself in the first seat. I put my head on the desk and tried to block everything out. The nightmare was still playing in my head, and my lack of sleep was weighing down on me.
My eyes remained closed until the bell rang. I could feel eyes on me, but I didn't bother turning my head. I barely managed to contain a yawn during roll call.
This was probably going to be the worst seven minutes of my life. I could feel Dillon near me, but I was too scared to look over at him. His aura from my nightmare was still too vivid, too real. My heart was pounding in a completely different way from yesterday. Even though I had barely slept, I felt adrenaline rushing through me. My flight or fight response was in full force, and I wanted nothing more than to leave this room behind.
I could vaguely hear everyone else chat, but I was more focused on the footsteps moving closer to me. I watched as Dillon pushed a chair in front of my eyes, intensely studying my face.
"Are you feeling okay? You look pretty pale?" He finally asked.
"I'm fine. I just had trouble sleeping, that's all."
His eyes seemed to scan mine, searching for any sign I was lying.
Technically I wasn't. I was just emitting the truth.
Dillon nodded, at last, seeming satisfied with the answer I had.
"Maybe you should stop partying on a school night."
I could hear the playfulness in his voice. I couldn't help but smile at him. It was hard to see him here, acting like a normal seventeen-year-old boy and not as the cold-blooded hunter from my nightmare.
I knew I had to keep talking to him not only because I seemed unable to control myself around him but to keep him from getting suspicious. Maybe there was something to keeping your enemies close, and I would remain off his hunting radar by being his friend.
The danger of the situation I had gotten myself into seemed to increase tenfold overnight, but somehow I still got butterflies around him. I blushed when he asked to walk me to class again. Maybe my friends had a point yesterday about him flirting with me. My heart was still pounding during Creative Writing when I thought about him, and the feeling wasn't unpleasant.
Our writing prompt for the day was to explain the different feelings we had during the summer vs. the school year.
To me, summer meant freedom, travel, and exploration in the ocean, of course. The school year meant danger, restriction, and pretending—especially this year.
By the time Creative Writing ended, my head was pounding from lack of sleep and food. I almost considered leaving early, but it was only the second day. I couldn't afford to start skipping now. On my way to America in Crisis, I stopped by the nurse's office to get some ibuprofen for my headache and some crackers to eat since there was still an hour and a half until lunch.
By the time the day ended, my headache progressed to a migraine, and I could barely pick up my feet.
Dillon stopped me on the way out of school.
"How are you getting home?"
"I'm walking; why?"
"Let me walk you home just to make sure you don't fall."
I know I should have said no thanks, but I didn't have the strength to fight. Instead, I walked in silence, leading a mermaid hunter to my house. For all I know, he could have already figured me out and was just pretending to be kind to find out where I lived.
Dillon didn't seem to mind that I could be bothered to hold a conversation right now. Instead, he walked next to me, hands in his pockets. I could feel him looking at me through the corner of his eyes, making sure he was matching my slow pace and I was still steady on my feet.
Dillon walked me right to the front door and stayed there as I unlocked the front door.
"Try not to party too hard tonight."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"I'll try, but I'm not making any promises. You know how I am."
He gave me one last smile before heading back down the driveway. I watched him leave for a minute before turning and heading inside. I made it as far as the couch before crashing.
Once again, I was sitting on the beach; legs pulled to my chest. I could feel someone's presence beside me. Part of me was terrified that it was Dillon. The other half of me hoped for him to be there.
Glancing over, I saw Dillon's brown waves at the same moment the tides washed up, brushing against my feet.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the transformation to happen. I could feel my whole body tensing up, but no pain shooting down my legs.
"Kye, what's wrong? Why are you so tense?"
I couldn't form words. The waves kept hitting my legs, but nothing changed.
"I don't know."
I turned my head and looked down towards my hip. There was no tattoo. Turning, I glanced at Dillon's shoulder, but it was also bare.
My head started spinning, followed by me blacking out.
"Kye."
"Kye.."
"Kye, wake up."
My eyes peeked open only to see my Dad's face over mine. I couldn't stop my panic as I pushed past my Dad checking my hip. I didn't know if I would be relieved to find my tattoo or disappointed.
I couldn't stop the tears from falling. My Dad stared at me for a few moments before awkwardly wrapping his arms around me.
"Everything will be alright, Kye. Life has a way of making sure of it."
It took a while, but finally, the tears subsided, and my head cleared. I would never want to give up being a mermaid. It made me who I was.
"What's got you crying?"
"Just a nightmare, Dad. Honestly, I'm fine."
I was anything but honest, but I couldn't tell my Dad what was going on. I just wanted to get through this year. Without glancing back, I told my Dad I was going to work on homework. I didn't wait for his reply, taking the stairs two at a time, practically racing into my room. It took all my strength to close the door lightly.
After a few calming breaths, I decided to stick with my word and start my homework. I started off with my America in Crisis homework. Next, I decided to start working on my English project even though it wasn't due until next week. We had to write a poem in iambic pentameter, and it had to be at least sixteen lines long.
My brain was fried by the time my Dad called me down for supper. I was more than a little shocked when I realized the table was set. We hadn't eaten together since my mom. Sometimes I missed small things like this. Other times it was all too much. I knew nothing would bring my mom back, and it was okay to want her here, but I hated to be reminded of what had happened.
Even now, I could see the lingering sadness in my Dad's eyes as he watched me. He could tell I was struggling with how to react. I know in the past, I had some really awful overreactions.
The look in his eyes was enough to make me sit down. I could almost hear his sigh of relief. The atmosphere stayed tense throughout dinner. I was struggling to remain neutral about the whole thing. My Dad struggled to come up with stuff for us to talk about. My mom was the glue that held this family together. Without her, there was nothing left—two strangers who shared DNA.
"I'm heading back to work. Will you be alright here?"
"I'll manage. I always do," I told my Dad, struggling not to sound bitter.
Guilt flashed through Dad's eyes for a moment before he forced it away.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at some point"
I watched as he left the table, barely pausing to put his plate in the dishwasher before heading out the door. The sound reverberated through the house before silence took over.
I didn't even bother with my plate before racing up the stairs. I kept a box at the back of my closet full of my mom's stuff. In three years, I hadn't been able to look through it.
Today I would give anything to have my mom back. Just to be able to talk to her about Dillon would be great. I knew she would understand.