I could feel Dad's steely gaze on me as he pulled away from the curb. "Are you mad at me?" I asked hesitantly after a rather uncomfortable silence.
"No," he sighed. "No, I just have a lot to think about. And don't pretend you're off the hook about the fight at school."
"It wasn't my fault," I said automatically.
"I never said it was."
We turned the corner, and Luke's little blue house vanished from sight. "Madeleine had it in for me," I declared. "There were rumors going around school that she was going to beat me up."
"But that's not what happened, is it?"
I paused. I'd been prepared for another argument, but Dad didn't look angry in the slightest. "What's wrong?" I asked as his face grew redder and redder. He was clearly trying to hold in his laughter. "Dad?"
He suddenly laughed so hard that the car swerved just a bit into the other lane. "The school counselor called me a few days ago," he explained as soon as he caught his breath. "She said you had beat up Madeleine Hansen. The first words that came to my mind were, 'What? My daughter beat up another girl?' Then your swim Coach called me a short time later and said you had attacked her. Attacked her."
I was now thoroughly confused. "But that's a lie. I was only acting in self-defense."
He laughed again.
"Dad, how is this funny?" I cried, frustrated.
"I just think the whole thing is ironic! I mean, the bully who picked a fight with you ended up losing," he chuckled. "Madeleine didn't know what she signed up for."
"So you're proud of me?" I asked hesitantly.
He gave me a warm smile. "How could I not be proud of a daughter who stood her ground at school and risked her life in the ocean? You're beautiful, you're strong, you're—" He reached over and tweaked my nose. "You're just like your mother."
I smiled. Just a few moments later, we pulled into the school parking lot.
"It's been a crazy few days," Dad sighed.
"Try a crazy few months. This all started when we moved back to Shady Cove, remember?"
He nodded thoughtfully. "Are you glad we made the move?"
"Not at all," I said immediately. Upon seeing Dad's surprised expression, I added, "In the beginning. But now..."
I looked out the window at the students walking to their classes. Somewhere, beyond the buildings of the school, lay the Shady Cove Café...the pier...the ocean.
"Now I can't imagine myself living anywhere else," I said honestly.
"Not even if we moved back to Newland?"
I immediately thought of Kimmie, but she seemed like someone whom I had known ages ago. My life was filled with new, more intimate, relationships.
"I guess it doesn't matter where we go," I said finally. "As long as our family sticks together, I don't care where we move."
Dad smiled gratefully. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. I don't think we'll be moving for a long while."
Happiness welled up within me. Shady Cove had been my childhood home, and now it was my home to stay.
"Well," he said, unlocking the car doors, "I guess you better head off to class. Have a good day at school, honey."
I pushed open the door, but Dad stopped me with one last reminder. "And don't pull another fast one on your swim coach," he warned.
"What do you mean?"
He gave me a stern look. "The school said that you quit the swim team."
"Oh." I suddenly felt like a deer in headlights. "Yeah, about that..."
"I don't blame you one bit, Rayne," he reassured me. "But your mother reminded me that only saltwater causes a transformation. You don't have to fear growing a tail unless you're in the ocean."
Hope bubbled up within me. "Really?"
"Really," he confirmed. "You might have to straighten things out with Coach Hansen, but I'll be right by your side."
I grinned. After everything I had been through, another conversation with Coach seemed no more daunting than winning a swim race. "Thanks, Dad," I said.
He gave me another tweak on the nose as I scooted out the door. "Have a great day."
Once my feet hit the pavement, Dad pulled away, leaving me standing with an amused smile on my face. I couldn't wait to tell Sage and Marley that I was still on the swim team—and that Luke and I were back together, closer than before. My heart was content.
"Rayne!" a voice called as soon as I stepped into the school hallway.
I turned around and saw Sage barreling towards me with Marley right on her heels. "You're back!" she shrieked.
"Of course I'm back." I chuckled as Sage slammed into me, trapping me in a tight hug. Marley wrapped her long arms around both of us, and we all laughed.
"Rayne, you were gone for three days! Everyone's been wondering where you went!" Marley exclaimed as soon as we pulled apart. "You left right after punching Madeleine's guts out—which was pretty awesome, I might add."
"Well, thanks...but the strangest thing happened to me." As Marley and Sage listened with wide eyes, I told them the fictitious story about how I had found Luke lying unconscious on the beach. "Once my dad got home," I continued, "he helped treat Luke for his concussion, and then we brought him to his parents."
"No way," Sage gushed once I'd finished. "I'm so glad you found Luke! When I heard he was the person who had been kidnapped, I just couldn't stop thinking about him."
"Yeah, while the rest of the school couldn't stop thinking about you," Marley added. "Everyone was shocked when you beat up Madeleine. We thought for sure you would get suspended, or even expelled."
Sage grinned, and I knew she had something juicy she wanted to tell me. "But guess what happened?" she said. Without waiting for an answer, she blurted, "Madeleine's track record finally caught up with her, and she got expelled!"
"You're practically a legend now," Marley added. "The whole school thinks you're a black belt in karate."
"Karate?" I rolled my eyes. "Come on, all I did was throw a few punches."
"Plus an awesome ninja kick to the stomach," she pointed out.
The three of us laughed. It felt good to finally be back with my friends. We slowly made our way towards our classes, chattering excitedly the whole way.
"So are you and Luke back on good terms now?" Sage asked. "I mean, he should have forgiven you after you saved his life."
"Yeah." I smiled at the memory.
Sage gave me a knowing look. "And...?"
"And what? There's nothing more to say."
"Sage is the ultimate matchmaker," Marley teased. "I wouldn't question her judgment."
"I bet he's planning to ask you out," Sage declared. "He already tried once, and he's going to try again! Just watch."
"Not a chance," I said, heading into my first class.
"Rayne..."
"See you at lunch!"
"This conversation is not over yet, Rayne!" Sage called.
I merely ducked my head, slipped into my seat, and tried to hide the pleasant blush that had blossomed on my cheeks.
_ _ _ _ _
Time flew by quickly. I was thankful that Dad was picking me up today so I didn't have to ride my bike. Though my body was still sore and bruised from the past few days, my heart was practically overflowing with happiness. School had passed like normal, aside from teachers and classmates wondering where I had been. A few students even congratulated me on beating up Madeleine. It was weird, and not to mention a little awkward, but I quickly got used to the unwanted attention.
Meanwhile, Dad spent every waking moment with Mom. They were practically inseparable. The love between them was more tangible than any other emotion I had ever experienced. Dad seemed to be a whole different person now—more patient, understanding, and definitely more energetic. He and Mom would stay up late at night just talking about whatever was on their minds.
Though the ocean continued to call to me, inviting me back in, I knew I had to fight the urge. It simply wasn't safe to go swimming in the sea, not with a horde of merpeople out for our blood. Mom and Mara especially struggled with this desire. We all wanted to lose ourselves in the water and feel free again. Dad, in an effort to satiate our desire, promised to drive us up the coast so we could swim in one of the nearby lakes. It wouldn't be anything close to swimming in the ocean, especially since we wouldn't have our tails, but at least we could get wet. We were all looking forward to it.
As soon as I got home from school, I tossed my backpack onto my bed and peeked over into my sister's room.
"Hey," I said softly.
Mara glanced up from where she was flipping through a magazine. Mom, like the ingenious woman she was, had taught Mara how to read and write while they lived in the underwater cave. She had passed on as much of her knowledge as she could to the young girl. But even before that, Dad was the one who taught Mom how to read and write in English.
"Hey," Mara chirped. She patted the empty space next to her on the bed, and I gratefully took a seat.
"How are your exercises going?" I asked, referring to Mara's daily routine of practicing walking. She was definitely getting better, but she wasn't quite up to skipping or jogging yet.
"I'm doing good. Mother even says I might be enrolled in school next week."
"What? Already?"
"Oh, I'm not talking about public school," Mara said with a small smile. "Mom has been thinking of homeschooling me. I still have a lot to learn now that I'm going to live mostly out of water."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Homeschooling is a great idea."
"Thanks. I'm glad you think so." She smiled up at me with her wide blue eyes. "You know, ever since Mother told me that I had an older sister, it was hard to imagine what she would be like. But when I finally met you, it made sense."
I blushed. "Does that mean I've met your expectations?"
Mara laughed. "Yes, yes, yes! You're the best older sister a mermaid—I mean, a girl—could ever have."
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and hugged her close. "And you are the best little sister a girl could have," I replied.
For the next few minutes, Mara and I chatted with a casualness I hadn't even known existed between us. It was like we had sealed the final bond between us, and we were officially sisters now.
"Do you want to play in the game room?" she suggested. "I can climb the stairs pretty well now."
"Sure." I grinned and followed her out the door, guiding her upstairs with my hand on the small of her back. She walked slowly, concentrating on each step, but never once stumbled or fell. As soon as we reached the top of the stairs, she headed in the direction of the game room.
"Hey, I'll meet you in there in a second," I told her, my gaze flitting over to a familiar light blue door.
"Alright," she said, heading around the corner.
Once she had disappeared, I took a deep breath and approached the light blue door. After twisting the old, dusty knob, I pushed the door open and entered my old bedroom.
It was still the same as I had left it. In a way, I was glad Mom and Dad hadn't moved anything. As I walked inside and traced my fingers over the wallpaper, I realized the room no longer brought any feelings of sadness. Though it reminded me of Mom, I no longer had any reason to grieve because she was now alive. If I listened carefully I could hear her talking with Dad downstairs. It was almost as if she had never disappeared—she had been with me the whole time, living in my memories until I finally had the chance to see her face-to-face again.
I smiled as I pushed aside the faded curtains and peered out the window. The ocean was just as beautiful as ever. I felt a tug at my heart, immediately wishing I could be out there diving under the waves, but I quickly pushed the urge away. For now, I was content with being with my family.
Suddenly, my ringtone blasted through the room, and my fingers fumbled to slide my phone out of my back pocket. I didn't even glance at the caller ID as I whipped the device up to my ear. "Hello?"
"Rayne!"
I was taken aback for a second. At first I thought it was Sage or Marley, but then I realized the voice was too high-pitched to be either of them. "I'm sorry, who is this?" I asked hesitantly.
"Rayne, it's me." After another awkward silence, the person on the other end of the line sighed and added, "Kimmie."
"Kimmie! Oh, gosh, I'm sorry!"
"No problem," she laughed. "So how's it going?"
I paused, but after a moment, I realized maybe this was Kimmie's way of trying to restore connection between us. I smiled and dove into an explanation of everything that had happened since we'd last met—minus the whole mermaid scenario, of course. I was surprised at how casually our conversation flowed. After visiting her in Newland last week, I was sure that our friendship was headed downhill, but Kimmie seemed to pick up on our relationship as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, we should totally get together soon," she said at the end of the phone call, after—thankfully—making only a few comments about Zach. "Are you able to hang out this weekend?"
"Of course," I replied quickly. "That would be great. We have a lot of catching up to do." I immediately thought of Mom, Mara, and my new status with Luke. We were still trying to come up with a believable explanation for Mom and Mara's sudden appearance, but as for Luke, that plan had already been settled.
"Awesome!" Kimmie gushed. "How about I come to your house this time? I've never been to Shady Cove before."
I swallowed. Yep, we would definitely need to come up with something fast. "Sure, that would probably be fine," I said vaguely. "I just need to ask my par—uh, my Dad first."
Kimmie and I talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. Just as I was about to slide my phone into my back pocket, a new text popped up on the screen. My heart did a little skip when I realized it was from Luke.
Lunch at the Café tomorrow?
My fingers flew across the screen. Of course, I replied. Then, on second thought, I added, And this time I won't forget!
When I glanced up from my phone, my gaze automatically locked onto the picture hanging on the wall next to the window. I moved closer, studying it carefully, sweeping my gaze over the figures captured within the frame: the beautiful woman and the smiling girl with bright blue eyes and long, black tresses.
The last time I had entered my old bedroom, the picture had brought back memories so painful that I fled. But that seemed so long ago. Things were vastly different now. Though the picture still brought back tender memories, I knew I was no longer the little girl who had lost her mother. I was the girl who had unlocked the secrets of the ocean and rescued her mother.
From the hallway, I suddenly heard Mom and Dad clatter up the stairs and past the bedroom. Mara called their names, and they plodded into the game room.
As my family chatted away, I took one last look at the picture. "I love you, Mom," I whispered, but my gaze had drifted from her face in the photo to the open doorway only a few yards away. I quickly darted out of the room and into the hallway.
Laughter erupted from the game room, and I smiled. "What's all the racket?" I called upon entering.
Mom, Dad, and Mara simultaneously glanced up at me with wide smiles. "It's a really fun game! Come play with us," Mara urged, patting the seat next to her.
I obediently plopped down on the couch. Mom immediately draped an arm over my shoulders. "You should see this game they're playing," she said. "I think it's called Wii."
"Dad and I are racing! We're off-roading," Mara interjected, proud of the new word she had learned.
Though my eyes were fixed on the TV, my thoughts were elsewhere. I was thinking about Mara's smiling face and Dad's booming laugh from behind me. I was thinking about the way Mom had drawn close to me, her warm breath tickling my cheek. But most importantly, I was thinking about how wonderful it was to finally be with my family.
_ _ _ _ _
The sun streamed down from a cloudless blue sky. I smiled as I soaked in the warm rays and dangled my feet in the cool water. The empty lane stretched before me in all its sparkling, refreshing blueness. All around me, the pool deck thrummed with activity. People weaved in and out of the crowd, cheering swimmers on while the announcer called out names through his microphone.
As soon as my heat was announced, I quickly hopped to my feet and made my way over to the starting blocks. I spotted Luke seated next to my family in the bleachers. As soon as they heard my name called, they started yelling and waving.
On the opposite side of the pool, I saw Sage and Marley jumping up and down, screaming my name. Behind them was the rest of the Shady Cove High swim team, cheering me on as well.
This was it. No, I wasn't about to swim in the qualifying rounds for the Junior Olympics. It was just another school swim meet, but to me and my friends, it was equally important.
As soon as it was time to step onto the starting blocks, I reached up and adjusted my goggles, making sure they were secured around my skin-tight swim cap. Then, wiggling my toes against the rough, grooved surface of the starting block, I mentally prepared myself for the all-consuming race.
"Swimmers, take your marks."
I bent over and gripped the starting block with both hands, fingering the bottom like an outlaw would finger his gun in a showdown.
I can do this.
Narrowing my eyes, I focused on the translucent turquoise water below. The thick black line on the bottom of the pool was visible as a fluctuating geometric design.
Bring it on.
Just before the buzzer sounded, Mom's words from this morning flashed through my mind: "Don't worry about anyone else. Focus on yourself and your swimming. When you leave this pool you should have no regrets. Just do your mermaid thing and win like you always do."
I closed my eyes and smiled. Though I didn't have my tail, I still had my speed. Mom was right—I would just have to do my mermaid thing.
I pushed off the starting block and flew through the air. Within milliseconds, I hit the water and dove beneath the surface, my legs automatically breaking out into a dolphin kick.
The race was on.
Thank you so much for reading, voting, and commenting! I hope you enjoyed the story, tagging along with Rayne on her adventures, puzzling over the mystery of her tail, and rooting for her during her swim meets.
Here's another big thank-you to all my dedicated readers! I couldn't have done it without you!
God bless,
Summer
SEQUEL: I'm sorry, but I do not have any plans for a sequel at the moment. Feel free to check out my other completed novels instead!