Dinner was quiet, except for in my head. I've never had something more than opihi or oysters. It's actually really filling. But this, this pizza was amazing. I couldn't eat anymore after two slices. My stomach felt like it was going to explode.
After listening to Travis complain he was full after his third, we went back up stairs.
"Wait, mom?" Travis called from the second step.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Can Evanjaline stay for the night? It's dark and she's new to the area so she's lost."
I didn't tell him that.
"Of course, stay as long as you'd like, Evanjaline." Jennifer answers.
I smiled at her. "Thank you."
"Will you be staying in Travis' room?"
I looked up at him and he nodded to her. He was very tall. I've never noticed before.
"Okay." Jennifer used a slightly teasing voice.
I caught him giving his mom a wide eyed look after she smiled and winked at him. He shook his head when we reached the stairs.
"Are you alright?" I ask him quietly.
"Uh, yeah. Mom just thinks that we're gonna hook up."
"Hook up?" Like, a fish on a line? Why would we do that? It'd be painful.
"Like, become boyfriend and girlfriend. No offense, you're very pretty," He turned on the top step to face me, looking down at me being as I'm a few steps behind. "Very pretty. But I only just met you and I recently got out of a bad relationship."
"Did you not love one another?"
"I loved her. I guess it just wasn't enough." He turned back around and, at the top of the spiral stair case, he pushed his room door open.
"What happened?" I ask.
He moved to sit at a small white desk and he flipped on a lamp.
"She cheated on me with my best friend. It went on for months while we were still together."
"Did you know all along?" I stood behind his right shoulder, staring at the back of his head. He kept his eyes out of my line of vision.
"I did, but I didn't want to believe it." He rested one of his arms on his desk top and he pulled in air to un-stuff his nose. I gently placed my hand on his shoulder, waiting for him to turn around. He didn't.
"She was a fool, Travis. She shouldn't have pushed away the person who loved her... but one day she'll realize that she lost the moon while counting the stars. And you'll be someone else's moon and you'll be happy again."
"You like the moon?"
"Yes." I smiled proudly.
"I like the sun. I'd like to be someone's sun. Not moon."
"Everyone wants to be someone else's sun. Would you like to know what I would be?" I asked, smiling softly.
"A moon?"
"Yes. So I could shine on the person I love, in their darkest hours."
He finally twisted in his chair and his eyes found mine. "You're very wise, you know that?"
"So I've been told." I touched his cheek and a smile pulled up the corners of his lips. "Now, on to a lighter topic, what-"
"Where are you from?" He cut me off.
"I moved around a lot." It wasn't a lie.
"So you're not from around here? You have no accent."
"I travel."
"Where have you been?"
"New Zealand, Hawaii, California, Florida, Fiji-"
"You've been to Fiji?!" I giggle and nod at his outburst. "That's so cool. Your family must be rich."
"No-"
"Business trips?"
"No, we-"
"Vacation? Only rich people take vocations."
"We just travel."
"But-"
"Travis." I gave him a exhausted look.
"Sorry." He chuckled. "I'm just very curious. But, since you're staying for tonight, lets get to know each other. I'd hate to share my room with a pretty stranger." He winked and made his way to the comfortable sleeping square I haven't remembered the name of yet.
The wind blew in just then, through the open window and though it was cold, the smell of the ocean pulled me to the benched windowsill. I sat down, watching parts of the ocean that I could see.
I could see that the water moved roughly, though it was dark, lights bounced off of the mad water. I knew it wouldn't be as terrible under the surface, but no matter what, you could always tell when the water on top was thrashing.
I didn't notice Travis behind me until his voice brought me back. "There was supposed to be a storm this afternoon. Guess it got here late."
"What are storms like?" I asked quietly, not tearing my eyes away from the waves.
"You've bounced around to different places so much that you've avoided storms your whole life?" He chuckled at his own words.
"I've just never seen one. I know that the sky lights up and sounds can be heard, but...." I thought about it, what was I gonna say? "I've never really been around for one. When I do hear it, it sounds like I'm hundreds of feet underwater and the light is faint."
"You're very strange."
"It's not bad to be different."
He seated himself on the other end of the bench and watched my face. I peeked at him and he averted his eyes and shifted them out the window to the menacing water.
"Why are you so proper?" Travis asks me.
"What do you mean?"
"You speak as if you're royalty."
I smiled, looking at him. He turned his face in my direction.
"Is it so terrible to have proper grammar?"
"Are you royalty?"
I shook my head. "I am just..... Evanjaline."
"How tall are you?"
"Six foot." I answered automatically. It was the measurement of me as a mermaid. I shrunk since I've gotten my legs and I met my hand to my forehead.
I should think before I talk.
"You are not. I'm six foot. Your more like five foot, five inches."
"I.... Was only joking." I said as a cover, then smiled.
He jumped into another question. "What's your last name?"
"What's with all the questions?"
"Curious. And you know mine. You also know where I live."
"I do not have one." I whisper.
"Pardon?" He asked, but I'm sure he heard me.
"I have no last name."
"Were you adopted?"
"No."
"Then how-?"
"I just don't know it." I say quickly. And I don't. We don't have last names. We have no need for them. As long as you could be identified by your first, you're good to go.
"How's about we make one up for you? You kinda need one."
I look at him in confusion and he shrugged.
"What will be my last name?"
"How's about..." Just then, a part of the moon peeked through the clouds, it's light catching on the water and drawing our attention to it. Seconds later, it was gone. "... Moon? Evanjaline Moon."
I giggled. It sounded ridiculous, but I liked it. "Evanjaline Moon." I tried.
"Like it?"
"I do."
"Great." His smile was bright and lovely. He must be a real ladies man. I told him my thoughts and his cheeks turned red, but he didn't say anything.
"Am I wrong?"
"N-no. I mean, a lot of girls flirt. But they don't think I can be loyal boyfriend materiel because of my looks, so they never really stick around. I'm tired of getting my heart broken."
"Handsome guy meets pretty girl. Is love really that hard to find?" I ask.
"You have no idea."
I mentally started to beat myself up about this. I cannot believe that I came into this adventure to seek love, absolutely blind! How could I have been so stupid?! Of course love isn't easy to find!
Our attention went back out to the water and we stayed seated for what felt like many moon cycles.
Little soft noises started and I turned my attention to the slump body next to me.
Travis leaned his head against the window, his mouth only slightly agape, his eyes were closed also.
He's sleeping.
In the ocean, we float with seaweed tied around out waists, so we don't float away and get lost.
I thought humans slept on... I moved my eyes to the big comfortable square. I wished that I remembered what Xya called it!
He looked so peaceful.
I silently got to my feet and touched his arm.
"Travis." I whispered.
His eyes opened and he groaned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"Come lay in..." I trailed off. It's on the tip of my tongue!
"... Bed?" He chuckled, rubbing one of his eyes. "I have to shower."
Bed!! I felt like dancing!
"Okay."
"I'll make our beds when I get out." He said whilst he yawned. I nodded and he walked to his dresser and pulled out some clothes. "I'll be out soon."
"Take your time." I said and he closed the door.
I started to slowly walk around his room. Picking up a sea shell, I brought it to my ear and a hushing sound was heard. Father said that you are never too far away from the ocean if you have a sea shell with you.
I put it back in place and picked up a necklace with a shark tooth as its pendant.
I know what kind of shark tooth this is! It's a mako. The shark may be funny looking, but the teeth of it is beautiful. There are millions at the bottom of many seas, along with other shark teeth.
I looked around more and came across a case with a mermaid on it. It caught my attention and the title was called "The Little Mermaid", with a red crab, a yellow and blue fish, and a mermaid with flaming red hair and a emerald green tail.
I stood with this thin box in my hand, completely in a trance for a while.
"Evanjaline?"
I put the box down and turned on my heels to see Travis in comfortable looking black shorts. He was completely topless as he shuffled the towel through his damp hair. I have to say, it was an impressive sight.
"Hmmm?"
"Are you okay? What were you looking at?"
He moved closer to me and I could see drops of water running down his thick muscular chest. I took a step back, my movement going unnoticed by him.
"Ah, you like this movie?"
Movie? I didn't know what to say, so I nodded.
"Wanna watch it before we go to sleep? It's the weekend, I don't need to be up early."
Why does he need to be up early on weekdays?
"Okay." I said simply.
And with that, he grabbed something a little thick, square, and white off of his bedside table.
He sat on his bed and patted the space next to him.
I went around the opposite side and slid in bed to where he patted. His hair was reasonably dry, enough that in a few minutes, it'd be okay. But droplets still came down his thick shoulders and chest. The towel was at the end of his bed and I sighed in relief when it was dry at my touch.
"What are you-?" Travis asked, but he stopped when I dabbed the towel over the wet drops on his bare upper body.
This must be weird for a human because he stayed quiet and tense, his eyes watching my every move. I grew up around shameless creatures, my kind being completely comfortable with each other.
I hung the towel over the small railing at the end of his bed, then leaned against soft pillows.
"Ready?" He asked.
I nodded.
A flapping noise sounded and both of our heads snapped in the direction of where it came from.
The howling wind from outside was bringing in droplets of water. Not a lot came in before Travis pulled the glass window down.
"Wow, it's cold out there." He says. His body heat soon had the tiny rain drops that landed on him, disappear.
"Maybe someone should put a shirt on." I teased.
He laughed, "I like sleeping without a shirt."
"Speaking of shirts... What's a 'mutha fucka'?" I asked him, looking down at the shirt that adorned my upper body.
He laughed loudly, his head was thrown back. "Oh my-" He was cut off by another roar of laughter.
"What's so funny?"
"Hearing you swear!" I frowned at his answer while he continued to laugh. I swore? "And in your proper speaking ways!"
"Oh, well what is it?"
"It's a name to call someone you don't like." He said, still sounding amused and trying to catch his breath. His eyes even glistening a bit and his hand came up to wipe them. What was that?
"Oh."
"Now, let us watch that movie!" He tapped a button out of the many that was below the screen and words came on as the movie started to play.
For me, it was very interesting.
~~~~
About half way through, my eye lids started to get heavy. I was on the part where the red crab, Sebastian, was singing to tell the prince to kiss Ariel.
It was cute. Made me want to find a blue and yellow fish, make it my best friend, find a crab and disobey his every order, then find a prince and have everything work out.
Harry was my prince Eric.
I sighed quietly, feeling like I'm floating.
Travis taught me how to pause it and so I did. I put it back on its bed side table.
It's been raining since Travis got up to close the window. The hush of the droplets hitting the roof was soft and almost like a weird lullaby.
I scooted myself down and deeper into the blankets that Travis pulled over the both of us
His little sounds of sleep with the noise of the weather, it was peaceful.
And slowly, I drifted into my waking dreams.
(Hai! So, this story is very different, I know. But I always fascinated mermaids and pretended to be one on a daily basis since I was like 4 until I was about 14. Along with being an Elf. Weird and crazy, right? But I was always a fast swimmer and could hold my breath for a long time! As of now, I'm up to holding it for 4 minutes and 10 seconds ;)
Anyway! Keep reading <3 It excites me to no end when I see how much reads I get from day to day!
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