Barely Breathing (Just Breathe) (3 page)

As I walk out from the building, I spot her. She is sitting on a bench reading. Her hair has fallen across her face so half is shadowed. My breath catches just looking at her. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on. She glances up and spots me. A smile spreads across her full pink lips. I smirk and start walking toward her.

"Hi, um Sara right?"

She nods and pushes her hair behind her ear.

"James, I wanted you to know that I'm here watching over you, Jaspen's orders."

My heart falls.

"Jaspen sent you?"

She nods, "Yes, he was very concerned that you just disappeared suddenly."

I sink to the bench beside her, "So you are...a...um..."

"A mermaid, yes. You seem surprised."

I shrug my shoulders, "I just...uh...never mind. What does this mean?"

She ignores my question, "Did you leave the sea on purpose?"

I look down, "No, I mean I went to sleep in the caves and woke up in my bedroom. I don't know how I got there."

"You probably' traveled' there while you were sleeping."

She raises her eyebrows," Wow, that's pretty powerful."

I look at her quizzically, "Traveled, what is that?"

"Jaspen never told you about traveling? He was probably afraid this would happen."

She laughs, "James, you can go anywhere you want in the blink of an eye, if you just 'will' it."

I look at her incredulously, "Really?"

She chuckles, "Yes, why don't we try it?"

She gets up and grabs my hand pulling me to stand up. My heart sputters. She looks around to make sure no one is near, then up at me and tells me, "Okay, ready? Just focus on a place you want to go."

Her hand tightens in mine.

I brace myself, close my eyes and focus on the park across the street from the school. I hope no one is there. When I open my eyes, we are standing under the giant sycamore tree in the center of the park.

She lets go of my hand and a smile spreads across her face, "See I told you."

I look around still in shock that I brought us here with just my thoughts.
Okay, so maybe this mer-man thing isn't so bad after all.

She turns around in circles and says, "I never get tired of that."

I ask, "Can you um...travel?"

She stops and her eyes meet mine, she looks so sad, "No, that is not one of my abilities."

I don't even know this girl and I just want to gather her in my arms and take any sadness she is feeling away. I hold back and try to think of something to say but I can't come up with anything.
What is wrong with me?

She fills the silence, "Anyway, I guess I will be around for a little while. Jaspen thought you could finish the year out and train on land."

I ask surprised, "He is okay with me being here, when a battle could break out anytime?"

She shakes her head, "I guess it could be anytime, but I think he knows more than he's letting on."

I agree clueless, "Yeah probably."

I change the subject, "About finishing the year, I'm in pretty deep trouble right now with the parents so I really need to get home before they realize I'm not there, you know come straight home, do not pass go..."

She smiles, "Sure, how do you think we can work out the training thing then?"

I shift uncomfortably not liking the only answer to this question that I can come up with, "It will probably need to be at my house when they aren't home, that way they at least know I'm there."

"Sounds good, give me your address and I will see you tomorrow after school."

I give her the address and we part. I have a really uneasy feeling about this arrangement. At least I know now that I didn't 'will' her to talk to me. In reality Jaspen did, even worse.

Chapter 6

Ever

I couldn't catch my breath. When we walked into the gym, all the Lior wouldn't stop staring at us. Alex realized how uncomfortable I was and emptied the room. He yelled, "Clear Out" and they all scattered out the door. As I glance around the room my breath is still coming in short bursts. This whole fight thing makes me really uncomfortable.

Alex grabs my hand and pulls me in the direction of the bows and arrows. I stop and pull my hand away shaking my head, "Alex, I can't."

He turns to face me lifting my chin with his finger. My eyes meet his, I am terrified and if I don't calm down we all know about my frequency of fainting.

He asks sincerely, "Ever would you feel a little more comfortable if we were in air instead of water?"

I shrug my shoulders glancing away, "I don't know if it will make a difference."

He moves into my line of sight, "I'm going to let the water go, are you ready?"

I nod taking a deep water breath.

As the water drains away, I will my legs as he does the same. It's been awhile and my legs feel awkward and weak. I stumble forward but Alex catches me before I can fall. My hand rests on his bare chest. A tiny flutter floats through my stomach, which makes me really uncomfortable along with the fact that I am wearing just my bikini and he is dressed only in a pair of shorts. I push him away and stumble back the other way ending up falling backward on my butt. He looks down at me with the biggest grin.

I glare up at him, "What?"

He offers his hand but I refuse and stand back up trying to recover from my bruised ego.

He shakes his head and turns toward the bows and grabs one from the wall along with a quiver of arrows. He brings them over to me and shows me how to place the arrows around me. He hands me the bow which feels completely foreign in my hands.

He walks away again and comes back with a set for himself and instructs, "Okay we are going to aim for the target on the far wall." I glance over and see the shape of a mer-person on the wall with a bulls- eye pattern on the head and on the chest. Nausea rises in my stomach and I grimace.

Alex looks at me concerned, "Ever, are you alright?" I push it back down.
I have to do this... Get over it Ever.

"Yes, just, just go on."

"Alright, hold the bow like this."

He holds it out in front of his body and explains, "The middle part here is the grip, this is where you grasp it with your left hand and take your aim. The sight right above the grip will help you hit your target."

At this point my stomach is turning around and around.
How can I aim this death weapon at anyone? How did it all come to this?

He continues, "This is the bowstring, the force for the arrow, this is pulled back across your body with your right hand. The further back you pull, the further the arrow will travel. You got it so far?"

I nod looking at the parts of my own bow.

"Here let's practice a little before we get to the arrows." He places his bow on the floor and comes around behind me. He places his left hand over mine and his right hand rests softly over my right arm grasping the bowstring. I can feel his bare chest glance my back. That flutter is back in my stomach. I tell myself...
Just ignore it, just ignore it
...

"Ever, are you ready?" I nod swallowing a knot in my throat.

He pulls the bowstring back and moves with me as we release it.
Okay I can't take it, this is too close for my comfort.
I slide out of his grasp leaving him to hold the bow. He has a hurt look on his face but doesn't say anything.

I pick up the bow on the floor and state, "Okay got that down, let's get to the arrow part."

He recovers and pulls out an arrow from his quiver, "The arrow has four parts, the shaft is the main part here." He points to the middle of the arrow.

"The head is here." He grasps the point.

"And the last two are on the back, the fletching which causes the arrow to spin and the notch where you hook it to your bowstring."

I take an arrow out of my quiver and feel all of the parts taking a deep breath.

"Okay Alex, let's do this."

He nods smiling. "Hook the notch into the bowstring and pull back like I showed you."

I do as he says, everything feeling very awkward.

I focus on the point he told me, right above the grip, pull back the bowstring and release the arrow. It sails through the air landing to the right of the mer-person I was aiming for.

I lower the bow and tell him uneasily, "Maybe this isn't for me."

He shakes his head, "Ever, you can't just expect to pick up a bow and arrow and hit your target right off. That's why we practice. Try again."

I glance at the target and back at him stalling, "Why don't you go?"

He moves his bow up into position, pulls the bowstring back and releases. The arrow hits the target dead center in the head. He looks over smiling, "Your turn." My eyes linger on his muscular arms as they lower, a moment too long. I look up when I feel his eyes on mine. A slow smile spreads across his lips. I look away quickly.

My stomach turns, realizing that it's my turn. I slowly raise my bow, place an arrow in the notch and pull back. I release and close my eyes afraid to look. Suddenly I hear an intake of breath and open one eye to see how bad it was. I hit the chest just to the left of the center. I look up at Alex. He has a sloppy grin staring at me in awe and I notice a tiny dimple in his right cheek, my heart skips a beat. My own cheeks start to burn so I look away and do the only logical thing, I take out another arrow and aim. This time my arrow sails to the center of the chest. Maybe bows and arrows aren't so bad after all.

Chapter 7

James

The next day drones on until my third class of the day. I know it's a bad idea to even look forward to that class because of Sara. In fact, everything in me says don't even think about it. But I'm a guy and I guess I just can't help it.

My social life hasn't been lacking in any way this year. In fact joining the band was probably the best boost I could get. The girls, they came from everywhere once they knew I was in a band. I didn't really get serious with any though. That's really not what I wanted or what they wanted. I was just the flavor of the month because of my newly acquired status. It was mutual with whoever I happened to hook up with. Well, I guess that will change again now that my parents have stepped in. No more band so no more girls. Suddenly I don't really care though. Maybe this whole sea thing has put things into perspective.

She takes the seat next to me just as she did yesterday and glances over with that beautiful smile. She's dressed in a short blue dress, a little too summery for this fifty degree winter day. She shrugs out of her white jacket, staring at me.
My heart just stopped at the sight of her, I'm sure of it.

She reaches out and waves her hand in front of my face, "Hey James, are we still on for today after school?" I break my trance and nod slow then faster. God, what is this girl doing to me? I look forward and pull my hoodie up, hoping to block her out. Yeah, like that's gonna happen, the girl is coming to my house after school.

***

When my last class is over I head to the lot to meet Garrett and catch a ride home. As I walk out the door I notice he has beat me to the car. I chuckle at his luck. He inherited his mom's old station wagon. It's definitely a beater in the true sense of the word. But I'm really one to talk, I don't even have a car to my name. I turn the volume up on my IPOD and look down as I head toward him. I haven't made it three feet before I see golden sandles, attached to legs that go on forever, standing right in front of me. I look up and meet Sara's eyes. She is talking to me but I can't hear her. I fumble with the ear buds in my ears, pushing my hood back.

"I was just asking if you need a ride home," She says with impatience.

I glance over at Garrett who has a questioning look on his face. I'm guessing because of my current company. I look back at her smiling, "Um yeah, let me just go tell my friend I don't need a ride."

She turns away, glancing back over her shoulder, pointing, "I'm the white car over there."

I look over spotting a white Cabriolet the next row over, "See you in a minute."

As I approach Garrett he punches me in the arm, "Dude, who is that? You have to introduce me."

H
umph, like that's gonna happen.

We both glance back over as she climbs into the driver's seat of her car. I avert my eyes to tell Garrett about the ride and his mouth is hanging open, "Come on man, you're drooling."