Chapter Three
Clique Clash
All Atlanteans have water names. Maris was actually Marisabel meaning “of the beautiful sea.” Her two half-sisters were Perlagia meaning “dweller by the sea” and Cordelia meaning “of the sea.” Gill was self-explanatory.
I glanced at Scylla sitting next to me in AP Bio.
Coincidence?
Scylla went by Sky, meaning the blue airy stuff above. Nothing to do with the ocean. Right?
The teacher droned on about the semester’s labs and assignments.
I leaned in closer to Sky. “So, is Scylla a Greek name?”
“Don’t tell me you’re a language expert.” She puffed air out of her mouth moving her bangs. “I can only take so much nerdism.”
Her sarcastic comment hit harder than Ashtyn’s. The pain zinged from my cortex down my spine and landed in my gut. “I’m not a nerd.”
Okay, I was a nerd, but only a few people knew that about me. At Ocean View High I had a rep to uphold. I might take advanced classes, but I kept that on the down-low. The kids at school thought I was fun, flirty, and fab.
Sky seemed to be a geek, too. She was in all my advanced classes. The principal wouldn’t have placed her there if she was stupid.
I wanted her to know that I was more than smart. “I took fifth place in the State swim championships.”
“Jock?” Sky added a touch of disgust to her tone.
Another clique she disliked. Another clique I belonged to. What did she do?
“Do you swim?” Or dive? Or breathe underwater?
Suspicions swam in my mind creating a whirlpool of confusion. The meaning of Scylla’s full name sounded like an Atlantean name. Although who would name their daughter Sea Monster?
“You’re kidding, right?” She slouched further back in her chair. Her nose scrunched in disgust. “I despise the water.” The hatred in her voice cut like a lab scalpel. Too brutal sounding not to be true.
“Why?”
Her lips curled into a snarl. Her gaze slitted. “My mom died because of the ocean.”
Her loss struck a chord of sympathy inside. “I’m sorry.”
Both my parents had always been there for me. And Maris’s mom and dad were like a second set.
“Any questions?” The teacher asked.
Sky let the front two legs of her chair drop to the ground. She picked up the syllabus from the lab table. “It says here we’re going to dissect lamb hearts.”
“In AP Biology we are learning about the biology of the body.” The teacher glanced at her grade book. “Do you have a problem with dissection, Miss Smith?”
A few of the guys laughed, obviously making fun of the squeamish girl afraid to cut open an animal. I’d hated dissection the first time I’d done it, but we were doing it for the greater good. If we wanted to become scientists or doctors or surgeons we had to know how different systems worked.
Sky didn’t turn red or mumble. She was tough. Confident. Like I pretended to be.
“If we’re studying human biology why aren’t we dissecting human hearts?” Her voice was hard like steel.
Shivers scraped my skin like a knife blade. She couldn’t be serious. While I understood the necessity for dissection I was still learning. I’d leave human dissection until college.
Silence filled the room. Long, drawn-out, uncomfortable silence. Everyone stared at Sky. And me because I sat next to her. Their looks intense.
My body heated. In advanced classes I never called attention to myself. Preferred to stay under the radar so I didn’t expose my giggly-nitwit act. I squirmed in my seat.
Sky appeared cool and unflustered. Her face wasn’t red. She didn’t fidget in her chair.
“Advanced Placement Biology is not for jokesters.” The teacher waved her hand. “We are serious about the study of science.”
The bell rang minimizing the tension.
“Class dismissed.” The teacher took off her reading glasses and glared at Sky as if recognizing a problem student.
“Human hearts?” My stomach roiled. “You were kidding, right?”
“Of course.” Sky picked up her backpack and flashed a short, snitchy smile.
Was she joking?
I liked that Sky was smart and cool. I liked how she dressed. And I’d love to find a friend I could be myself around. But something about her was unusual.
She turned right and headed for the cafeteria seeming to know her way around the school. “Are you eating lunch with your boyfriend?”
“Gill is not my boyfriend. And hey,” I had to jog to keep up with her. “How do you know about Gill? You disappeared before I could introduce you.” My curiosity meter was going off full blast.
“I don’t like watching the making out scene.”
I wish. No, I don’t. I couldn’t like Gill. Not after the way he’d treated me.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” At one time I’d hoped, but now I knew it was impossible.
She arched her finely-drawn brow like a sarcastic question mark. Sky didn’t need words.
“I don’t even know what he was doing here this morning.” Which was the truth.
“Obviously looking for you.”
Which was true, but not for the reasons Sky thought.
“He wanted to talk to me about…something, but I had to get to class.”
He shouldn’t have shown up at school. Who else wondered what he was to me? And how was I going to explain him?
“He’s not going to be hanging around you all the time?” Sky’s questions seemed to rise with hope.
Like she didn’t want Gill hanging around or she didn’t like him. Which was silly. “No. Why?”
“I just thought…two single girls could hang as long as you don’t have a boyfriend.”
“No, BF.” Or BFF. My chest squeezed tight trying to hold in the pain. This wasn’t about replacing Maris. This was about opening the real me to new people.
Sky was new and had no one to hang out with. She was cool and smart. This situation was going to work for both of us.
Sky flicked her hair. “So, we’re good?”
“Golden.”
After finding space at a table, unwrapping my sandwich, peeling my banana, and sharing my brownie—Sky forgot to bring lunch—I felt more comfortable. The Populars I hadn’t seen yet, stopped by my table to say hi. The guy I’d crushed on last year asked how my summer went. The swim coach reminded me about practice after school.
“I like your shirt.” Sky touched the fringe hanging off my top.
“Thanks. I like your outfit, too.” I snapped my fingers in front of my face. “It’s got a flash of fresh.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“Much better than those mall showcase girls.” I glared across the cafeteria at Ashtyn. Her outfits were always meant to attract attention from the guys. “Lots of girls go Jonesing for that look, but I don’t like all the uniformity or the major make-up. Way too much effort for school.” Especially when you had to swim laps afterwards.
Sky stared at the empty spot in front of her with a glazed-over expression. Had I gone overboard on the fashion report?
“We should exchange numbers.” I pulled out my cell phone.
“I don’t have a cell.” Her green gaze pinned me down, challenging me not to ask questions.
What teen doesn’t have a cell? All parents bought their kids one even if they thought it was all about the security.
Sky still stared at me. The chatter all around us emphasized our silence. I had to save this awkward conversation.
“Going gadgetless. Very Boho chic.”
“Grounded.” She ground the word out. “No cell phone or computer.”
“Bummerita.” That explains the no phone. She must’ve done something major. “For how long?”
She lifted her shoulders and let them drop. The motion appeared like practiced carelessness. “Don’t know.”
“What did you do?”
Ashtyn flounced over to our table, her brown curls bouncing. “You must be the new girl, Scylla.”
“Sky.” Her hard-edged tone should’ve cut Ashtyn’s confidence, but it didn’t.
“I’m Ashtyn. Since you’re new, I’ll give you some advice.” She beamed a fake-welcoming smile like a cheerleader who didn’t care if the team won or lost as long as she received attention. “Tori might appear totally together, but she’s not. Her best friend dropped out of school and she won’t tell us why.”
Ashtyn’s smirk dug deep into my gut reminding me of the unpopular girl I used to be. Reminding me I had a rep to uphold. “You’re just diggin’ for deets. Well, there’s no gossip-worthy drama here.”
I wanted to wipe the snarky smile off her face, but I couldn’t explain the reason for Maris’s absence. I had other friends. Okay, acquaintances mostly. People I talked to in the hall, danced with at parties. Not friends I could count on. Not people who knew the real me.
Pushing my trembling lips together, I fought for control. I couldn’t let Ashtyn’s remarks hurt. Maybe with Maris gone it was time to open myself to other people.
“What’re you trying to do, Tori? Collect all the new kids trying to make them your friends?” Her sickly-sweet tone didn’t fool me. She wasn’t through insulting me all while wearing a smile. “Who was that gorge guy by your locker this morning?”
“What guy?” Play dumb. It was something I was good at.
Gill hadn’t enrolled in school and he didn’t want everyone to know what he was doing. He’d tried to blend in this morning. Guess that didn’t work.
“The ginger. He had that charming Prince Harry look going on. Attractive, but fun-loving.”
“Gill.” Sky gave up his name like a wimpy spy. She didn’t know I was trying to protect his identity.
“No other new kids registered.” Ashtyn swirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Don’t tell me he’s your boyfriend.”
“No, he’s…” My gaze darted to Sky and then back to Ashtyn. I’d told Sky he didn’t mean anything to me, but she knows I know him. I remembered the excuse I gave the cops. “He’s my cousin. Visiting. From Arkansas.”
Ashtyn flipped her hair. “Then you won’t mind if I make a play for him.”
***
Mind?
Would I mind if Ashtyn made a play for Gill? As in trying to date him.
A pang like a dull arrow went through the center of my heart. The thudding pain spread in concentric circles. I shook with jealousy and anger. Anger that Ashtyn would ask and jealousy because I didn’t want her anywhere near Gill. I received bonus pain because I had no right to feel either.
Gill meant nothing to me and I meant nothing to him. If I had, he wouldn’t have used me this summer. He wouldn’t have left with no explanation or goodbye. He wouldn’t have snuck into Maris’s house—twice—without letting me know.
He’d return to Atlantis soon. Leaving me, and Ashtyn behind.
Ashtyn draped herself over Gill at the edge of the pool. Other kids walked around, ignoring them.
He’d waited for me after school, still hauling the nautilus around in a backpack, not realizing I had swim practice. What was so important we needed to talk now when he’d avoided me for weeks?
What was so important he’d chosen to wait for me? He’d taken a seat on the bleachers to watch.
An Atlantean watching humans swim. My body flushed from my nose to my toes. Bet he’d get a good laugh out of our sloppy form and our slow speed and every breath we had to take.
Ashtyn had noticed him and invited him down to the pool. I’d tried to signal Gill to ignore her, but he ignored me instead.
Typical.
I firmed my lips into a grim line.
Coach blew the whistle for warm-ups.
I slipped on my swim cap shoving all my hair underneath the stretchy rubber. Settling my goggles on my face, I glared at Ashtyn continuing her full-on flirt mode.
She angled her head as if practicing for a kiss. She touched his shoulder and laughed—a trill noise that hurt my ears. She tugged the edge of her bathing suit emphasizing her boobs. She didn’t put on the ugly cap or the tight goggles. She didn’t look like a myopic turtle.
Gill stood there through it all, not encouraging but not discouraging either. It was like he didn’t know what to make of Ashtyn.
Teammates took their places on the blocks. Ashtyn kept batting her eyes and twirling her hair. The first squads started their laps with all the yelling and whistling and splashing. She didn’t even glance in the pool’s direction.
She wanted to beat me in races, take Maris’s place as the best female swimmer on the team. Gill had become a distraction for her. A good teammate would help her. I needed to help her.
Help her in.
An evil green rumble filled my chest. I wanted to rub my hands together feeling like a villain.
Sauntering toward them, niggles of doubt poked my over-inflated lungs. I shouldn’t.
Just as I reached them, Ashtyn leaned forward and kissed Gill on the cheek. I placed my hand on her right shoulder and shoved.
“Tori!” Ashtyn scrambled trying to regain her footing.
Lost cause. She hit the pool with a splash just missing a teammate.
Ashtyn came up splashing. “I’m going to tell coach.”
“It’s just warm-up laps, not serious practice time. Coach won’t care.” Probably not true, but maybe Ashtyn wouldn’t snitch on me.
She swam toward the blocks.
“Tori, why’d you do that?” Gill shot daggers and his mouth twisted. He was disgusted with me.
The puffed up feeling of satisfaction punctured, whizzing out, leaving me flat and deflated and guilty. I shouldn’t have pushed her. Pushing Ashtyn had been a jealousy-induced prank.
“It was just a joke.” My eyes rolled up, then down, then sideways. I sighted anywhere but at him. My gaze caught on Sky leaning against the locker room door laughing. At least someone thought what I did was funny.
Did he think my actions were caused by jealousy? I couldn’t let him think that. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. “Why are you here, Gill?”
“I told you, we need to talk. I’ve been ordered not to go into the ocean with the nautilus.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “People are watching.”
“What people?”
“Separatists. Other enemies.”
“But why are you here? At my school? Following me around?”
“You didn’t have time to talk this morning.”
“Like you didn’t have time for me this summer.” The words blasted out and I wanted to grab them and pull them back.
His face blanched. His gaze analyzed me like I was a specimen in a lab. “I thought I could count on you, but after what you did to that poor girl—”
“That poor girl was drooling all over you.”
“Drooling?” He shook his head not caring enough to get the definition. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “It doesn’t matter. You realized the nautilus was a cipher. Now we have to figure out what it means.” His gaze shifted up and then connected with mine. The lines on his face smoothed out as if he’d made a decision. “I…I need your help.”
He tossed the request between us and it hung there. Water splashed, kids yelled, whistles blew.
Gill’s tone didn’t beg, but the note of request caught me off guard. Hooked me in like dangling a worm on a hook.
Now I was using fish analogies thanks to the influence of Maris and Gill.
His serious expression made my bones go soft. His look said more than his always-cryptic words. The big, independent, secretive Royal Guard was asking a mere mortal for help.
But Gill wanted my brain, not me.
Without answering, I walked past him and dove into a free lane in the pool. Taking my laps, indecision gnawed with every breath I took. Working with Gill would be…dangerous.
For me and my heart.
I flipped around at the end of the pool and headed back in the other direction. Just like my thoughts flipped.
This past summer I’d kept my intelligence a secret. Played the role I’d been playing since I was a freshman and had made a new start. Sure, I took advanced classes but no one ever saw me open a book. No one ever heard about my grades or my test results. I kept my scholastic accomplishments a secret.
I’d learned that I got invited to more parties if I acted not-so-smart. That guys tended to ask me out if they didn’t think they had a super IQ to compete against. I’d taken the same route with Gill this summer until the last night.
I pushed off the wall with my feet and went into the backstroke.
We’d spent several intense days together at the beginning of the summer. He’d pick me up at the pool where I was a lifeguard and we’d hang out at the beach. We’d go out for pizza or a movie. Things were deep. Developing rapidly. I felt closer to Gill than any other guy I’d dated.
And it had all been a farce.
Fresh pain assaulted every muscle in my body. My tendons tightened. My lungs squeezed like I had no oxygen. He’d used me. There’d been no connection this summer.
I flipped to my stomach for the free stroke. My pace increased with my hurt. I slapped my hands into the water losing all my champion swimmer finesse.
The one time I’d showed Gill my Einstein-like brain was one night when we’d been sitting on the beach. I thought we were on a romantic date viewing the stars, but really we were waiting for a sign from Cuda or Maris.
Gill had pointed out a constellation and given it a name I didn’t recognize.
“Really?” I’d plastered on my fake-you’re-so-smart smile. “Are you sure it’s not Orion?” I purposely didn’t pronounce the name correct.
His cheeks had flushed red. “Oh, I guess that’s right.”
Liking that he’d agreed with me, I’d relaxed. “What’s fascinating to me is that the pictures we see formed at night by the stars only represent two dimensions of the night sky.”
He’d grown silent, not responding.
I remembered his glower across the dark horizon of the ocean as if he was thinking of what to say. We’d been talking non-stop to each other for days with no awkward silences. Then, I show a smidgen of intelligence and he’s gawking.
My midsection had done a nervous tap dance. I’d realized my mistake and was about to say something stupid to catch his attention again when an explosion had rocked the ocean.
The sign he’d been waiting for.
We’d grabbed the Mermaid Beach rescue boat and headed out into the ocean where we’d rescued Maris and Cuda, and four others. There hadn’t been time to cover my lapse in un-stupidity.
He’d left the next day.
I found out later that Gill’s word for Orion was correct in the Atlantean legends. And I discovered it was because Maris no longer needed him to protect her that he’d left. She had Cuda.
Plus, I learned Gill was an Atlantean. He could breathe underwater and that’s where he lived.
But he could’ve said goodbye. I always wondered if I hadn’t shown Gill how smart I was if he would’ve stuck around longer.
My head hit the pool wall and shocked me out of the memory.
I slipped off my goggles and glared at Gill sitting on the bleachers with Ashtyn.
She must be on a break and was spending time with him. My blood boiled burning through my body. Even after my warning Ashtyn didn’t get the message. I didn’t want her near him. I wanted him to spend time with me even if the only reason was because we were working together on the cipher.
Plus, Maris needed me. This was important to her. I’d do whatever I could to assist her.
Gill had been brave enough to ask for my help and he didn’t need Ashtyn’s distractions. Besides, I could control my feelings for Gill. This time he was being honest. I think.
Yanking off my swim cap, I waved Gill over.
His eyes narrowed under questioning eyebrows. Had he assumed I’d say no? Then, he jumped up and jogged down the steps.
Satisfaction calmed my heated veins. He hurried to get to me. Not because he liked me, I reminded myself. He needed me. And so did Maris.
I pushed on my palms and jumped to a sitting position on the edge of the pool. “I’ll do it. I’ll help you.”
“That’s great.” His eyes warmed and so did my skin. “Can we start right away?”
“Let me get changed and we’ll take the nautilus back to my house.” I stood water dripping all over the pool deck.
His gaze traveled up and down my body. Sparks followed his glance as if he’d touched me. His face reddened matching his hair.
I watched him run back to the bleachers as the sparks exploded like fireworks on my skin. My nerve endings tingled.
Ashtyn was gone. An uncontrolled-relieved smile landed on my face. Maybe she realized Gill wasn’t the guy for her.
Gill lifted the backpack, almost toppling over with his haste. His eyes widened so much I could see the stretch marks on his skin. He gaped. His jaw dropped so low it hit his chest.
He yanked open the zipper and shoved his hand inside the backpack. His gaze darted inside the bag and to the ground nearby, and then back to the bag.
He dropped both arms to his sides, letting the backpack fall to the bench. The backpack made no heavy thud hitting the shiny metal bleachers.
“It’s gone.” His desolate tone stretched across the distance. “The nautilus is missing.”
The next chapter will be posted on Friday, August 23, 2013.
If you're enjoying Tori's story, you might like the rest of the Lost Daughters of Atlantis sereis, "Atlantis Riptide," "Atlantis Red Tide," and "Atlantis Rising Tide" which are available at Amazon, B&N, Kobo and IBooks.
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