Beyond the Sea (7 page)

“Weren’t you scared when you took this?” he asked, pointing at a shark.

“Nope.”

“Were you in one of those cages?”

“No.” She quickly tried to think of a lie that would sound believable. “If the sharks come to you it’s ok.”

“It is?”

“Uh, it was with this one.” She quickly clicked on the next photo. For the next hour, they looked through all of Melia’s photographs. She had quite the collection; most were from the Pacific Ocean off of California, but she had others too, from all over the world. There were pictures of jelly fish, squid, sea turtles, all kinds of fish, many Peter had never seen or heard of, whales, sharks, dolphins, eels, corals and urchins and even some of a shipwreck.

“I’ve only been scuba diving twice,” Peter stated. “Maybe we can go sometime.”

“Uh, yea.” The idea of strapping into gear and pretending to need it to breathe underwater sickened Melia. After fascinating Peter with pictures of weedy sea dragons, Melia closed the computer and set it on the nightstand. She twisted to face Peter and leaned back, sinking into the plush pillows.

“What about you?”

“What about me?” he asked, smiling sleepily at her.

“What do you like to do?”

“Surf, play football, video games, hang with friends. Normal stuff I guess.”

“I’ve seen you surfing.”

“I’m not that good.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Why do you want to be on the water? Why not be in it?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ve never really thought about it that way. It’s fun though. Have you ever surfed?”

Melia shook her head.

“So,” he said, shifting so he too was facing in and at Melia. “When you’re not taking pictures of the ocean, what do you like to do?”

“I like to be outside. Nature is fascinating. There’s so much magic in nature. I never realized that before…” Her gaze turned glossy. She shook herself back to reality. “I take Tae Bo lessons with Jamie.”

“Please don’t kick my ass!” Peter joked.

Melia didn’t always catch sarcasm. “Why would I kick your ass?” she asked, offended. Peter’s face went blank and it dawned on her. “Oh, you’re kidding!”

*

At nine fifty-five in the morning, Peter woke. Wolfy had joined them around dawn, forcing Melia closer to Peter. Not wanting to cross any boundaries, he had stayed uncovered. But he was cold, so he carefully stuck his legs under the comforter. The last time he looked at a clock it was after seven. They had stayed up late talking, mostly about completely random subjects.

 
Melia woke up just after Peter had fallen back asleep. She had never intended on sleeping in the same bed with Peter the first time he ever came over. Staying up all night talking was something that only happened in romantic movies. Melia never thought she could be entertained by words for so long, but she was.

There was more to Peter than he let on. He was deep, poetic at times, and worked hard to cover it up. Melia didn’t understand that. Why hide your personality? It was bad enough she had to hide who she really was. In the water or on land, she acted the same. Seeing that it was now after ten thirty, she quietly got out of bed, Wolfy jumping off the bed behind her, and went into the kitchen.

“Finally,” Charles sighed, overly dramatic. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d skip breakfast and go straight to lunch.”

“Sorry,” she laughed. “We were up late.”

“Up to no good I’m sure.” He winked.

“I was swimming.” She sat at the island counter.

“Even in the—never mind. I guess storms don’t bother you when you’re deep underwater. When did Jamie get a new car? It’s kind of sporty for her, don’t you think?”

“It’s not hers.” For some reason, Melia felt blood rush to her cheeks.

“Ohh, she stole her mom’s car?”

“Uh, no.” She bit her lip. “Jamie’s not here.”

“You made a new friend?” Charles asked, not meaning to sound so shocked.

“Yea.”

“That’s good. What will she want for breakfast?”

“Uh, I’m not sure what
he
will want.”

Charles froze. “You were up all night with a boy?”

“What does it matter?” Melia pouted.

“It’s just, it’s—.” He shook his head. “Melia, did he take advantage of you?”

“Not at all. I had to save him.”

Charles raised an eyebrow. “Come again?”

“Like I said, last night, I was swimming. The storm had just started, and I saw this shape moving toward the water. I knew it was a human, so I went to investigate. He went into the water, which is really dumb for someone who can’t breathe in it to do with the strong tide. Anyway, the waves hit him against a rock. I pulled him to safety,” she said proudly. “Though, I think he would have been ok even if I wasn’t there. He didn’t get knocked out when he hit the rock. That’s what would have happened in a movie, I’m sure of it.”

“So you brought him home?”
“Yea, he seemed sad.”

“Boys are not puppies. You don’t take them home just because they
seem sad
.” He sat next to Melia. “Does he know?”

She shook her head. “I think he’s very confused about the whole thing. Being a human, you know how it goes; the more you don’t know the less you remember.”

“True.” He drummed his fingers on the counter. “Still, Melia, it doesn’t look good to bring a boy home with you and let him stay the night without actually dating him. It gives the impression that you’re easy.”

“As opposed to being hard?” she asked, not understanding the saying.

“I’m gonna let Jamie explain that one to you.” He stood up. “Now, how does Belgian waffles sound?”

Melia stayed in the kitchen with Charles, helping him cook and talking. Charles had been the cook on the yacht at the time Edward fell over. He knew from the start Melia and her mother’s true nature and just accepted them as equals. He told them about the stories his grandmother used to tell him (fairy tales, she called them) and how he always knew, deep down, that they were real.

Melia carefully carried a very full tray. She set it on the table on the balcony, thinking about what Charles had said. ‘Being easy’ didn’t sound like a good thing.

“Are you hungry?” she asked after Peter once he woke up.

“Starving.”

The storm had come and gone, leaving the morning with a freshness to it. The sun was bright already. They sat on the balcony, eating in silence. It wasn’t an awkward silence, though.

“Did you finish your chem homework?” Peter asked, looking at the plants and flowers that lined the balcony. He put a large forkful of waffle into his mouth; he couldn’t remember the last time he had had such a good breakfast.

“Yes. Did you?”

“No. I put it off.”

“Jamie’s a good lab partner. She’s very smart, even if she doesn’t think so.”

“Lucky. My partner sucks.”

Melia finished her orange juice. “Jamie said Janet is a ‘stupid whore’.”

Peter laughed. “She is.”

“Do you think I’m easy?” Melia asked casually.

Assuming Melia was implying that because he dated Janet he had a type, and that type was girls who gave it up quickly, he said, “No! Not at all, nor I was expecting anything last night. I’m not really like that, I-I don’t know what I was thinking, going out with someone like Janet.” Why did he feel the need to explain the truth to Melia? It had to be her eyes. Peter couldn’t look away.

“Ok good, because I don’t think I’m easy either.” She smiled. “Want to take Wolfy down to the shore with me?”

“Sure.”

Wolfy raced ahead of them as soon as he heard the word ‘beach’. Melia and Peter walked slowly behind, both enjoying the other’s company. Melia threw a tennis ball and Wolf took off, leaping through the water.

“Today is wonderful!” she said, closing her eyes and lifting her face to the sun. “Not like the tenebrous night!”

“Uh, yea,” Peter agreed, not fully knowing what she meant. Before they set out, Melia had changed into a light purple dress. It was short, ending mid thigh, and low cut. Her wavy brown hair blew in the ocean breeze. Peter’s breath caught in his chest. She practically floated into the ocean, the hem of her dress soaking up water. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was gorgeous.

*

“Where the hell were you?” Connor asked Monday morning.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Peter responded, barely able to keep the smile off his face.

“Your mom called.”

Peter shoved his bag in his locker. “Why?”

“Why else? For some of my sweet lovin’.”

“Funny. Really, why?”

“Trying to find you. I said you were over ‘cuz I knew you needed cover. Now you owe me. Where were you? Banging some hot chick, I hope.”

Down the hall, Jamie spoke in whispers to Melia.

“I still can’t believe you asked him if he thought you were easy!” she laughed. “All I can hope is he took it as you telling him you’re not.” The look on Melia’s face when she had explained what ‘easy’ meant was priceless. Jamie had spent most of Sunday evening teasing her about it. “Oh, there he is! You should go talk to him!”

“Charles thinks I should make him come to me. He said that I made the first move so Peter should make the second. But I don’t get what we are moving.”

“It’s dating lingo. I guess that makes—wait, do you want to date him?”

Melia shrugged. “I don’t really care. I mean, I enjoy his company, and I guess I can see why everyone thinks he’s so good looking.”

“Oh my gosh, just admit it! And I can totally tell you’re trying not to smile!”

“Ok, fine. I like being with him.” She smiled. “There’s one thing I don’t get. When I’m around him I have this weird feeling right here.” She put her hands over her stomach.

“’Butterflies in the stomach’ is what we call it. You feel it when you’re nervous, but in a good way. It means you like him.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I don’t
not
like him, but…he’s a human.”

“So am I.” Jamie grabbed her books and closed her locker.

“You’re more than that. You can see into the Otherworld. You’re better than human.”

“Well, thanks, but it’s not like I can breathe underwater or have pet sharks or anything.” She looked at Melia. “You look too hot today. It makes me sick.”

Melia stuck out her tongue. The first time Jamie dropped that line she apologized, thinking she really had made her friend ill. Jamie laughed so hard before explaining it. “It’s just a normal dress!” Melia protested.

“Well, then it’s your super mermaid powers again!”

The dress was simple. It was white, with an empire waist and a scoop neckline. Jamie was sure Melia would get scolded by a teacher for showing so much cleavage today. If she leaned over, Jamie was sure, something might pop out. Lana’s necklace was the only piece of jewelry Melia wore today. Maybe it was the way her hair looked, like she had just stepped off the beach, or the way her makeup brought out her already captivating eyes that made Melia look like she belonged on the set of a Victoria’s Secret photo shoot.

Peter turned, caught Melia’s eye and smiled. “I have his clothes,” Melia told Jamie and pulled a neatly folded stack of laundry from inside her designer bag. “I’m gonna give them to him.”

Connor nudged Peter’s elbow. “Hottie alert. Check out her tits in that dress!”

Anger boiled through Peter’s veins. He had the urge to punch Connor in the stomach. He didn’t want anyone talking about Melia like she was a piece of meat. All that melted away when he locked eyes with her. Janet, who was standing near Peter talking to Kaitlin, shut up immediately when she saw Melia next to Peter.

“Melia, hey.”

“Hi Peter.”

It caught Peter off guard to feel so happy just to speak to her. And Connor was right; Melia filled out her dress perfectly. “You look pretty today.”

“Thanks.” She held up the clothes. “You left these.”

“Oh.” Peter took them from her. His boxers were front and center. “Thanks.”

“Are you gonna be at the beach tonight?” she asked, her voice more alluring than ever.

“Yes.” Peter didn’t care if he was grounded. He’d snuck out before. The first bell rang.

“Maybe I’ll see you then.” Looking into Peter’s eyes was more pleasing than Melia thought it could ever be. The color reminded her of a clear sky. There was so much hidden behind them. She smiled once more before turning to rejoin Jamie.

Connor punched Peter’s arm. “No way.”

Peter nodded.

“Seriously?” He looked down at Peter’s clothes and narrowed his eyes. “I can’t believe it! Who would have thought that you’d—”

“Shut up!”

Connor lowered his voice. “So tell me this at least, why’d you take off your clothes at her house?”

“Long story.” He grabbed his books.

“That has a happy ending!” Connor teased.

“Don’t even think about saying anything! I’ll tell you later.”

“If you don’t, I’ll beat it out of you!” He picked his books off the ground and went in the opposite direction. Peter jogged to catch up with Melia and Jamie.