~
The next week at school started uneventfully. It looked as though things were going to blow over with Shayla, but I knew it was only because she didn’t want to make Ethan angry with her. Nevertheless, I relaxed and stopped looking over my shoulder so much. I was getting used to the routine, and while my classes were for the most part boring, I enjoyed spending time with Megan and Cruz. Ethan was friendly with them, I enjoyed art class, and the mean girls avoided me. Maybe my dad was right about me needing to be here.
“Ethan’s a really nice guy when you get to know him,” Megan said. “I guess I just assumed that all surfers were jerks.”
“You know what happens when you assume …” Cruz added.
Ethan began joining us at lunch, and always escorted me to art class afterward. Our new-found camaraderie infuriated Shayla and her girl gang. If looks could kill I would have been in real trouble. I toned down my look a bit, but always included at least one truly flashy piece of designer wear in each outfit. I could see them check out each new handbag, jacket or pair of expensive shoes I wore with envy.
Eat your heart out, I thought. That’s what you get for being so mean.
I started attracting the attention of a new round of boys. They would try to sit with me in class or strike up conversations in the halls. It was a little disconcerting, but Evie would have loved it. I think it had something to do with the red hot sports car I drove to school each day, Cruz nervously coaching from the passenger seat.
Ethan often seemed to materialize by my side when they came lurking around, a protective presence that came as a welcome relief. When he was nearby I relaxed and let my guard down; he had a way of making me feel a little better about everything that was going on.
Every day after school I went down to the beach, hoping to find myself alone on the cement ship. Lorelei had proven to be unpredictable, so I never knew when I might happen upon her. I hadn’t seen any sea lions for quite a while and I was growing discouraged, starting to think I’d never get another chance to meet with her. By Thursday I was frustrated, but packed my bag and wandered down to the pier in the off chance that it might just be my lucky day.
It was cool breezy afternoon, and the beach hosted only a smattering of people. I lingered on the pier, waiting for the ship to clear off. Making my way down to the fence, I looked through with my fingers crossed. My heart sank when I saw no sign of the sea lions or Lorelei. Pressing my face to the fence, I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated.
“Lorelei!” I called, hoping I could summon her. “Sister!” I scanned the roiling sea around the deserted concrete slabs, sighing with resignation.
“Well if it isn’t our local freak!” Shayla’s voice rang out behind me. I turned to see Shayla and Heather approach me menacingly. Jamie hung back nervously, watching with a scared look on her face. There were three of them, and I wondered how badly they were planning on beating me. I considered jumping off into the water, but the wild surf and Ethan’s warnings about the pier stopped me.
I steeled myself for the worst.
“Leave me alone!” I hissed, and tried to walk boldly passed them. Shayla stepped up and shoved me hard. I stumbled backwards, falling to the pavement.
“Shayla, we should go …” Jamie said quaveringly, looking behind her. There was nobody there to call for help.
“Whersh your boyfriend now?” Shayla was taller than I remembered as she closed in on me. She lunged for me but I scrambled to my feet and backed up. “Little miss I’m so-o perfect and my parents are rish. Ethanz so stupid–he only likes you cuz-a your car.”
She was drunkenly ranting, and started cursing me out, calling me every vile thing she could think of. I recognized the pain in her voice and realized how much my petty games had really affected her.
I could hear Heather laughing hysterically as I dodged Shayla’s first punch. “Kick the crap out of her! Pull her hair out of her head.”
Shayla swung again and connected, splitting my lip against my teeth. I could taste blood in my mouth when I fell back down again. She bent over me, seething with rage.
“You think you’re so great but you’re just a stupid freak!” I could smell the alcohol on her breath, and her eyes were bleary and unfocused. I tried to crawl away, watching as Heather collapsed in stitches on the pavement. Shayla reached out and snatched my purse. She staggered to the side rail and dangled it over, a triumphant grimace on her face. She stumbled, and the weight of the bag combined with her height tipped her over the edge. Heather’s eyes swung open in shock.
We all ran to the side and looked down. At first we couldn’t see her but she finally surfaced, her face white with shock. Her head started bobbing in the churning foam. Jamie was frozen in fear and Heather started wailing and crying. We stood watching Shayla gasping for air and flailing as the currents sucked her down. I was pretty sure she was too drunk to swim.
I looked up. “Go get help!” I bellowed at Jamie.
Heather was squatting on the ground, sobbing incomprehensibly. I looked down into Shayla’s terrified eyes and remembered how it felt to know that you were going to die. Without thinking, I kicked off my shoes and dove in. The familiar shock of cold water cleared my head. If I could just get a hold of her I planned to drag her away from the treacherous currents and swim in for shore away from the pier.
I groped in the foamy surf until I found an arm and started to try and swim away from the shipwreck. Desperate hands clawed at my clothes and grabbed me by the shoulders. I could feel her weight force me under as she tried to pull herself up on me. I remembered reading about how drowning people often go into a panic, taking their would-be rescuers down with them.
Nice job, I thought to myself, as I struggled to get free from her drowning grip. I kicked furiously, not ready to die. All I could think about was Ethan, and I fought even harder. I managed to break the surface and catch a breath.
Then I saw her face, and I was overcome with relief as Lorelei plucked me away from Shayla and swam a short distance away.
“Thanks!” I gasped, catching my breath as she held my body up, looking into my eyes searchingly. “I came to see you! I need to talk–”
She looked at my bleeding lip with alarm and started to swim away, taking me with her.
“No!” I cried. “We need to take that girl to shore!” I hoped she would listen to me this time. She nodded, holding me by the waist we flew through the foam. She grabbed Shayla’s wrist and pulled her along. I thought fast as she powered us to shore.
“Lorelei–meet me here tomorrow. I have a wet suit now, I can stay in the water longer!” She looked confused. “Tomorrow? What is tomorrow?”
It occurred on me that she had no concept of time. I tried to think of how to explain it to her.
I pointed up. “The next time the sun comes, all right?” she nodded, her eyes lighting up.
“One sleep!” she said with a brilliant smile, and dropped us off at the water’s edge. I scrambled to my feet, looking around for witnesses. “See you tomorrow.”
I dragged Shayla by the arms as far up the beach as I could and collapsed in the sand. I looked back to see Lorelei had disappeared.
Shayla’s eyes were rolling in her head. I turned her onto her side and pounded on her back. She began spewing salt water with alcohol fumes. I looked up to see Jamie frantically rushing up to us with a couple of the surfer boys in tow. I recognized Long from the farmer’s market.
Shayla started retching and coughing violently, but at least she was breathing. Jamie started telling them what had happened, and they both looked at me in awe. Heather staggered to the beach behind them, fell to her knees and began to vomit.
I was cold, wet and barefoot as I stood up and straightened my clothes. I touched my lip and saw fresh blood on my hand. No one said a word as I turned on my heel and walked over the sand to the stairs. I got myself home as fast as I could on bare feet. Relieved to see Abby was still at work, I knocked on the door to be let in, dripping and cold.
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Based on Cruz’s shocked expression, I must have looked pretty bad. He wrapped me in a beach towel as I explained what had happened.
“This is all because of your insane obsession with that mermaid. You’ve got to stop going out to see her,” he begged me.
“She had nothing to do with it!” I insisted. “She saved my life again, and I’m going to meet her tomorrow after school.” I looked at him sternly. “Either with or without you.”
At that moment Abby walked in, singing to herself. She stopped in her tracks when she laid eyes on me, and rushed over to my side, her face filled with horror.
“You should see the other guy,” I joked. Even Cruz didn’t laugh at that one.
I held an ice pack to the side of my face as I recounted the whole story of what happened, with just a little judicious editing. Abby was outraged and wanted to call the police, but I calmed her down.
“Karma is a powerful thing,” she fumed. “I suppose that girl will get what’s coming to her eventually.”
I thought about my role in goading her and felt a flush of shame.
“I’ll be fine, Aunt Abby. All I want right now is a hot shower.” I took my towel and headed to the bathroom.
I took a good long look at my face in the mirror. My swollen lip had stopped bleeding and it looked like the cut would close up pretty well. It hurt when I ran my tongue along the inside my mouth where it had gotten mashed. I was going to have a good sized bruise along my cheekbone. I would live, and I was going to get a chance to find out the truth. It hurt to smile but I did, because I was finally going to have a talk with Lorelei in privacy.
It was worth it.