The Mermaid's Mirror - L. K. Madigan [45]
She crawled back in bed, glancing at her clock radio. 3:39. She could sleep another three or four hours, thank goodness. Magic's had beaten her up, and she needed rest.
Lena's breathing grew regular and her limbs relaxed. Images of the mermaid drifted through her dreams. "Come to me," sang the creature. "Heed my call."
I'm coming.
Lena dreamed she was slipping out of bed and opening her door. Halfway down the stairs, a small sound broke through her dreams, and she paused. Cole was crying.
Lena woke up.
She felt the oak banister under her hand and grabbed it to keep from falling down the stairs. She might have stood there a long time, trembling and telling herself, "I'm okay, I'm okay. I'm safe in the house," but she heard another cry from Cole's room.
She hurried back upstairs and eased open the door to his room. He sat up in bed, mumbling, "...can't have it," then lay back down. Lena watched him for a minute, but he was asleep. She closed his door very gently. She crossed the hall to her own room and went inside, closing her own door very gently, too.
***
The mermaid came as close to shore as she dared, and she rocked in the waves until dawn, waiting for the girl to appear. When the sky began to lighten, she uttered one lonely moan and slid beneath the surface.
CHAPTER 25
PemberLoca: How r u today? U didn't call.
Sea_girl: So so tired.
PemberLoca: No wonder! U got rinsed at magic's, huh?
Sea_girl: Plus the rents caught me so I'm grounded for life.
PemberLoca: !!!!
Sea_girl: Janni got worried n called them on their date. They were waiting for me when I got home.
PemberLoca: Gah! Were they rly rly mad?
Sea_girl: Yes n no.
Lena paused. It was so much more complicated than she could ever explain to Pem. How could she say, "Well, I told my mom I was surfing with my boyfriend, when in reality I'm obsessing about a mermaid who, it turns out, is real, and I can prove it, because she gave me a key, which must mean something, but what?! I'm not sure, and I'm trying to figure it out. Help!"
A feeling of loneliness washed over her.
Pem's world revolved around very human concerns like friends and school and Max. Lena's world had become a tangle of broken sleep and waking dreams ... voices in her head and mermaids in the water ... locks and keys and calls from the sea.
PemberLoca: U there?
Sea_girl: Yeah sorry. Just thinking. Thx for coming to the rescue. Max is a hero.
PemberLoca:
Sea_girl: I better get off since I'm grounded. Lets talk tomorrow.
PemberLoca: K bye.
Sea_girl: Bye.
***
Lena greeted her dad warily at breakfast. He was eating a bowl of oatmeal and staring down at his newspaper.
"Dad?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"I'm sorry."
"Thank you," he said. "I appreciate that."
It's time to tell him about the sleepwalking, thought Lena.
Her dad stood up and carried his bowl to the sink. "I have to go in to work today. I'll talk to you later."
"On a Sunday?"
"Yep. Problems with the server." He left the room.
Wow, she thought. He's really mad at me. He's never been that cold before.
***
Kaiborg: U didn't answer ur phone.
Sea_girl: Mom took it. Im grounded.
Kaiborg: ??
Sea_girl: Long story. I lied about where I was.
Kaiborg: Oh? Where were u?
Sea_girl: No big deal. Just surfing at magics.
Even though Lena hadn't planned to tell Kai, now that she'd been caught and had to tell him, it gave her a little thrill to talk about Magic's.
Kaiborg: Haha. Very funny.
Sea_girl: ...
Kaiborg: Leen??
Sea_girl: Its true.
Kaiborg: OMG.
Sea_girl: I know. Crazy. & amazing.
Kaiborg: But why?
Sea_girl: Just rly wanted to try it.
Kaiborg: I cant even...!
Sea_girl: Um theres one