Seaweed (19 page)

I cleared my throat, and Samara and Becca turned sharply, both of them flushing an unpleasant red as they tried to compute what it was I might have heard.

I just marched past them to the hallway where a list told us whose homeroom we were in. Samara and Becca rushed in after me.

“Dori,” Becca said. “We didn’t
know
you were there.”

Obviously. “Since when are you guys buds with Tiffany.”

Samara folded her arms. “Well, it’s not like you’ve been a blast to hang with lately.”

Ouch. Painful but true.

“Look, I’m sorry,” I started, hoping the water works wouldn’t bubble up again. Even I was sick of them. “I’ve had a hard summer, but it’s not your fault. I’m really going to try to snap out of it. Please, just be patient with me.”

Samara unfolded her arms and Becca’s face softened into a smile. “Of course, Dori,” Becca said. “We’re here for you.”

Samara gave me a quick sideways hug and Becca sandwiched us together.

“Okay, enough of the love fest,” Samara said tossing her black braid. “The bell’s about to ring.”

“Seaweed!”

I turned to find Colby leaning against a locker, a crooked grin on his face. Samara and Becca snuck me curious looks just before I went to him.

“Hey, Colby.”

We’d held hands last night. Under the stars. Did he think it meant something more than I meant it to be?

“I’ll walk you to your home room.”

I couldn’t very well say no, but to be honest I didn’t want to. I liked Colby. I just didn’t want to hold his hand in public. At least not yet. I hoped he didn’t mind. I kept my arms tucked around my books.

I got my schedule in homeroom. First class? Earth science. Why was I taking this course again?

I took my usual seat at the front of the row. Now I was thankful I couldn’t easily see Tor’s old seat. Still, I couldn’t stop myself from turning around for a peek. I could see him easily in my mind, sitting casually, a relaxed smile on his face and a glint in his too green eyes. I remembered how Tiffany flirted and made a fool of herself, but also how he’d still treated her with respect.

A lump formed in my throat and I forced a swallow. If I was going to survive this class, I couldn’t keep doing that. Must get over Tor.

I turned to face the front of the room as Mr. Teaworthy walked in.

“Welcome to Earth Science 11,” he said. “Today we’re starting a study unit on the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast. How it happened, the environmental and economical consequences, and what, if anything, can be done to prevent it from happening again.”

Another oceanic natural disaster. I wondered if Tor had clan members down there, and if any of them had been caught in the sludge. Hopefully, they’d gotten away safely.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I’d survived the first morning of the first day of school. Now I just had to make it through the afternoon classes. I tried to keep my mind on the fact that Sidney was waiting for me to walk him to the park.

Samara and Becca were in another girl group huddle. The second one I’d caught them in, in one day. What was the deal with that? The happy buzz coming from them radiated in waves toward me, filling the hall.

“What’s up?” I said. Samara and Becca looked kind of stricken when they saw me. “What?”

“Well,” Samara started, “you know how they say lightening never strikes twice in the same place? It kinda did.”

What was with the riddle? I opened my eyes wider in question.

Becca blurted, “There’s another new guy!”

I gaped. “Okay. That is kind of weird, but not a miracle.”

Becca gave me an apologetic look. “I think he’s cute. I thought with what happened between you and…”

“That’s fine,” I cut her off before she mentioned Tor’s name. It hurt too much to hear it said aloud. “I mean that’s great. I’m not interested anyway.”

“And I’m happy with Mike,” Samara added. I’d forgotten that she and Mike had gotten together over the summer. I hadn’t even celebrated with her. I was such a loser friend.

Becca giggled like a little girl. I had yet to see this guy, so I wondered if she had a chance. I knew she was dying to get a boyfriend.

Suddenly a hush fell on the group.

Becca’s face was beat red and her smile stretched wide across her face. I guessed the new guy was heading down the hall. The group of girls divided like the Red Sea, their bodies pressed up against the lockers as he sauntered by.

He was a little above average height with broad shoulders, but a slim, fit build. A swimmer’s body? He had shaggy sandy-colored hair that almost touched his shoulders. And blue eyes. Almost too blue.

A shiver of nerves shot through my body.

It couldn’t be.

Could it?

He kept his face down, his shy stance even more appealing to his audience.

Until he saw me.

His eyes connected with mine, intense and unsmiling, like I was the only girl in the hall.

Then he flashed a smile, turning on his heels to keep eye contact with me before the flow of the crowd forced him to break it.

“What was
that
?” Becca snapped.

“I don’t know. I didn’t do anything.” My legs were shaking. “Like I said, I’m not interested and I mean it.”

Becca stomped away, barely concealing a glare.

“Well, it seems you got the knack,” Samara said before joining up with Mike and heading to her next class.

I didn’t know if I had the knack. I only knew I wasn’t happy with this new arrival.

In fact, I was a little scared.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

You never knew what kind of weather you were going to get in the Maritimes in the fall. Sometime the snow was falling by the end of September. Sometimes we got an Indian summer that gave us the warmth of spring until mid-October or longer.

It looked like we were in for a nice warm one this year. And because of this, we were sitting outside, eating lunch and hanging out while we waited for the next bell to ring. I sat beside Samara, who was snuggling close with Mike. It was weird to see them all ga-ga like that when they literally had known each other forever, and I’d only ever seen them as friends.

Becca sat across from me, her eyes darting around the school yard, looking, I bet, for you-know-who. Colby shuttled in beside me. He raised his eyebrows wildly at Samara and Mike’s ongoing PDA and I sent invisible vibes alerting him that he would have no such luck with me.

He got the hint and left a good six inches between us.

Tiffany sat at the next table where Sawyer was making an effort to get her attention and affections. I’d say his efforts were hugely wasted.

Where was the new guy? Not that I cared, but I was curious.

“What’s his name?” I said in Becca’s direction.

“Uh, oh, who?” she said, like it wasn’t obvious that her radar was on full alert for him. I tilted my head.

“Oh, him. His name is Ky.”

“That new kid?” Colby said.

And just then, like mentioning his name produced him out of mid air, Ky strolled up and settled in beside Becca. Her whole body stiffened with excitement; her smile stretched broadly across her face.

Tone it down, girl.

“Hey,” he said to us all. “I’m Ky Larson.”

A round of “heys” went around the table. Ky sat with his shoulders back, his jaw relaxed and his eyelids light, like he hadn’t a care in the world.

I didn’t believe it for a minute. This was a guy on a mission.

“So, Ky,” I said leaning forward across the table. “What brings you to Eastcove?”

He leaned forward, too, mimicking my stance, his eyes sparkling with flirtation. “Would you believe me if I said you?”

Becca and Colby choked on their sodas at the same time. If that wasn’t brazen, I didn’t know what was.

The thing was, I believed him.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you come to Eastcove?”
I know who you are, buddy
. Or more like, what he was. But why was he here? Didn’t he have some underwater battle to fight? I wished he’d take his jacket off so I could see his arms, check for telltale tattoos.

“Is there something wrong with Eastcove?” His eyes were really, really blue. He leaned in a little more, like we were the only two people at the table. “I’ve only heard great things about it.”

From who? Tor?

“Where are you living?” He better not be in Dex and Tor’s cave.

He licked his lips evilly. “Why? Would you like to come over?”

“Hold on, here,” Becca said. “Do you guys know each other?”

The whole table had stopped chatting. Colby threw me a questioning look.

“You guys
are
being kind of intense,” Samara said.

“No,” I said, when Ky didn’t. “We don’t know each other.”

I turned to Colby. “Let’s go.”

He jumped up to follow me inside. When we got out of earshot he said sharply, “What was that about?”

I shook my head. It wasn’t like I could tell him. It wasn’t like I could tell anyone.

The rest of the afternoon crawled by at a snail’s pace. My legs jumped with nervous energy as I watched the excruciating second hand of the clock tick throughout the last class.

I climbed into the front seat of the Rotten Apple in record time. Come on Luke! I just needed to get out of here. To get away from
him
. I’d manage to avoid another Ky sighting, and I didn’t want to ruin my objective now.

I spotted Luke with Jolene, over by the playing field. His hands gestured, and his expression was animated in such a way I could tell he was in the middle of some story. I’d get home faster if I walked.

So, I did.

Sidney waited on the front steps.

“Hi, boy.” I scrubbed his ears letting out a long breath. After I grabbed an apple, we headed out to the park.

I was glad that Colby had swim club because I wanted to be alone. I really needed to think.

If Ky was merfolk, what was he doing here? And why did he come alone? Or the bigger question, why didn’t Tor come back, too?

Ky reminded me of Tor in his sleek look, flawless skin and too beautiful eyes. But in other ways, they were nothing alike. Tor never came on to me or anyone when he first arrived. Tor seemed to bring a sense of calm with him, where as Ky stirred up agitation.

I jogged the last bit of the distance to give Sidney a bit of a work out. He’d gotten a little chubby since my boycott of the beaches. I headed for the swings and fitted my butt into one, pushing my weight off the ground with my feet, falling into an easy rhythm.

Across the field was a sand pit. A couple young moms sat on a bench nearby, visiting as their little boys played. My mind went unbidden to the sand sculpture competition. I could see Tor’s expression clearly; his brow furrowed in concentration as he formed my image. That was back in another lifetime when I wasn’t yet a mermaid, when I didn’t know about the clans, and when I didn’t know what it felt like to fall in love.

Or to be crushed by rejection.

I’d only known Tor for a month. One measly month. That was all it took to wreck my life.

“Hello.”

I jumped at the sound of his voice, bringing my swing to a stop. “Ky?”

“Small world.”

Yeah, too small.

Sidney started whimpering and rushed to my side. I scratched his ears, feeling déjà vu, remembering the first time Sidney and I came across Tor. Except that Tor had been singing in a way that drove canines crazy.

“Nice dog.” Ky sat in the swing beside me. He waited a few seconds before continuing, “You know, I thought Eastcovers would be friendlier.”

“We’re friendly.”

“Maybe I just hit a bad day.”

I contemplated walking away, but then I’d just prove his point. And really, what did I have to gain by being a total jerk.

“Sorry, I know I was rude to you today. So, um, welcome to Eastcove.”

“Thanks.”

I couldn’t help but dig. “I’m surprised we haven’t heard anything about your family moving to town, because Eastcove is small. News like that usually gets around.”

“My parents likes to cruise. We sail from port to port. We don’t usually stay anywhere long enough to get to know people.”

“And yet you came to school?”

“Homeschooling all the time can be very lonely. I like to meet people, even if I know I’m not staying long.”

Did I read this guy wrong? Maybe I’d jumped to conclusions, just because he was new and good looking.

I watched him out of the corner of my eye. The sun was setting, casting a comforting warm glow. In this light Ky didn’t look menacing at all. He looked like a normal guy. A normal
human
guy.