Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret - Liz Kessler [6]
“Emily, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! That’s what I’m so upset about — we’re going back to Shiprock!”
I gaped at Shona. “You’re going back? But —”
“Archie dropped off a letter for us from my auntie Corella. She says that there’s been a disturbance of some sort. I don’t know what it is exactly, but she’s really worried about her home. She says they all are. Mom says we have to go back. Oh, Em, I’m going to miss you so much!”
I grinned. “No you’re not!” I said.
“What d’you mean? How can you say that?”
I flicked my tail and swam a full circle around her. Then, grabbing her hands, I burst out laughing. “Because we’re going, too!”
Shona stared at me. “Really?” she asked. “You’re not pulling my tail?”
“Promise!”
Shona squeezed my hands. “Emily, that’s sooooooo swishy!” she said, swimming up and down in a bouncy dance. “I’m so happy! Are you?”
“Totally!” I said. And I almost completely meant it. There was only one problem now, only one thing stopping me from being as happy as Shona was about her news. I still had to leave Aaron behind.
“Dad says we should be ready to leave by the end of the week.”
Aaron and I were sitting out on our front deck in the sunshine. Dad was out with Archie and Mr. Beeston getting our travel plans finalized. Mom and Aaron’s mom had become really good friends since we’d all been back here, and they’d gone out for a walk on the beach.
I stole a quick glance at Aaron. He was looking out to sea and hadn’t responded yet.
“Which means that by next week we’ll be gone,” I went on. Still no response. “For good,” I added, in case he hadn’t quite gotten what I was telling him: that from next week on, we’d probably never see each other again.
He turned to me and smiled. “OK,” he said.
OK? That was it? So he had understood what I was saying — he just wasn’t bothered.
Fine, then. Neither was I.
“So maybe I’ll see you again before then, and maybe I won’t,” I said casually. “Anyway, have a nice life, if not,” I added, getting up to go. I’m not sure where I thought I was going. I think I was hoping he’d call me back before I had to worry about that.
Which, thankfully, he did.
“Emily!” Aaron grinned up at me and patted the deck beside him. “Sit down.”
I sat down and folded my arms.
“I was just teasing you,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Acting like I’m not bothered about you leaving.”
I shrugged.
“I mean, to tell the truth, I’m not bothered,” he went on.
I rolled my eyes and shrugged again. “Me neither,” I said. “I was only letting you know to be polite.”
Aaron burst out laughing. “Emily! Don’t you get it? The reason I’m not bothered is because we’re coming too!”
I stared at him, forcing my face not to register any response in case he was teasing me again.
“Honestly,” he said, reading my mind in that way that usually only Shona does.
I unfolded my arms, unshrugged my shoulders, and realized I was smiling. “How come?” I asked.
“Your mom came over last night and told us your plans, and Mom and I decided on the spot that we’re coming with you.”
“But why?” I asked. “Aren’t you happy here?”
“Of course we are!” Aaron said. “How could anyone not be happy here? Just —” He stopped. His pale cheeks showed a hint of pink.
“Just what?” I asked.
“Well, you know . . .” he said, turning away to pick at a loose bit of wood on the deck. “After everything you’ve done for us. For my mom, really. She’d be lost without your mom.”
“Oh,” I said. So it was only his mom who wanted to come with us.
“And anyway,” he mumbled, “it wouldn’t be the same here without you.”
I grinned. “Really?”
He looked up and grinned back. “Really!”
I got up from the deck and skipped over to the jetty. “Come on,” I said, stepping into the sea. My toes tingled instantly, tickling all the way up my legs as my tail started to spring into life. “Let’s go tell Shona!”
“Make sure you visit soon, won’t you?” Mom said, gulping back a tear. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
Millie blew her nose loudly into a huge hankie, then stuffed it back into her pocket. She’d decided