Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret - Liz Kessler [72]
Millie squeezed in between Mom and Shona. “Well, you’re not starting a new world without me,” she said, taking a hand of each of theirs in hers. Mandy squashed in between Millie and Shona and her parents, and Aaron’s mom joined the line next to Mom. Aaron squeezed in next to me and took my hand in his. For a moment, I thought perhaps Neptune had given us our powers back. My whole body tingled as I felt his fingers curl around mine.
“Yes,” he said with a shy smile. “I can feel it too.” Then he leaned close to whisper in my ear. “But I don’t think it has anything to do with Neptune.”
Then Mandy nodded toward the auditorium. “Look,” she said. I looked up — and I could hardly believe what was happening.
People were getting up from their seats in droves. Not to leave — but to join us on the stage. Rows and rows of people holding hands, joining us, introducing themselves to each other, coming up to shake Melody’s hand, to congratulate her, talk to my dad, and then join the ever-growing line of people holding hands. Soon it was impossible to tell where the stage ended and the auditorium began.
“We did it,” Aaron whispered in my ear. “We really did it.”
Just then I heard splashing behind me. I turned to see some people in the water.
“It’s folks from Shiprock!” Shona gasped. “They’re joining us!”
A line of them, stretching out as far as you could see, were swimming toward us. And then I recognized a face among them. Sharp-featured, swimming briskly, and followed by a line of pupils from Shiprock School — Mrs. Sharktail! Even she was joining us! That was when I truly knew we’d done it.
I couldn’t trust myself to speak. I didn’t know if any words would be able to get past the tears in my throat, so instead, I just squeezed Aaron’s hand as hard as I could. I shut my eyes and, for what felt like the first time since we’d been back in Brightport, I let out a long, slow breath.
“Come on,” Aaron whispered. “Let’s get out of here.” He glanced over at Mandy and Shona. “You coming?”
“We’ll follow you in a bit,” Mandy replied.
We sneaked through the crowds, ducking to get past people, slipping through gaps, edging along the sides until we were out in the cool evening air.
Brightport was completely deserted as we walked to the pier, talking at high speed about everything that had happened, laughing and repeating it all to each other.
We walked along in silence, our fingers still linked, watching the waves brushing the sand, listening to the jangle of the pebbles as they were swept out again.
At the end of the pier, Aaron turned to face me. He smiled.
“What a perfect night,” I said. A sliver of moon shone down on the water, one little star standing guard above it.
Aaron was staring at me. “I agree,” he said. “It is.” He cleared his throat and swallowed hard. “But there’s one thing that would make it even more perfect,” he said, so softly I barely heard him.
“What’s that?” I asked, holding my breath while I waited for his reply.
Then he leaned even closer, so I could feel his breath against my skin as he replied. “This.” And then he put a hand to my cheek, stroked a hair away from my face — and kissed me.
“Hey, lovebirds!” It was Mandy. Aaron laughed and pulled away. He kept holding my hand, though. I never wanted him to let go of it again.
Someone was in the water below us, too. I looked down. “It’s me!” Shona called up, splashing us with her tail. “Come on, get in!”
“What about Mandy?” I asked.
Mandy pulled off her jacket and clambered to the edge of the pier. “I can swim, can’t I?” she said. And then she dived in, just like that.
Farther down the beach, Mom and Dad had left the crowds behind as well. Dad was swimming at the edge of the water, Mom was walking in the shallows beside him, her long skirt wet and clinging to her legs. Millie was behind her, her gown hitched up around her knees, shoes over her shoulder, talking to Aaron’s mom as they walked. Nan and Granddad were walking along beside Mom. They wouldn’t miss us for an hour