Thursday, April 18, 2013

THE MAGIC MERMAID #One (Storm) by Summer Day



The Magic Mermaid by Summer Day

As Storm Sunshine opened her locker, hair dripping wet, she noticed Jack Hunter from the corner of her eye. He’d arrived early and was going to the gym to practice shooting hoops. He was talking to his girlfriend Sara Bright. They were hunched in a corner discussing whatever. Everyone talked about them. Not only was Sara good looking and brilliant, but, in a school of unusually mismatched couples, Jack was too. Plus, he was the star of the basketball team and an awesome swimmer.
   Storm was the new girl. She always seemed to be the new girl. Storm wished she’d made more of an effort to make friends but she was always the last person to class, hair soaking, a pool of water staining the small of her back from her shoulder length hair. The tiny gills at the base of her neck were only on display underwater. They left a mark during the day but this was always covered with a thin but fashionable scarf, just in case anyone noticed.
    Queen Bee, Lavinia Snow, once taunted Storm. Lavinia asked her underlings, “Don’t you just love the smell of chlorine?” as if she didn’t.
    Storm could have played her bluff and agreed with her, since she didn’t find the smell of chlorine offensive; but Storm had been swimming in salt water so she knew Lavinia was lying. The school pool, the one she’d soon be forced to submerge herself in, was too heavily chlorinated, it was true. If she wanted to fit in and be ready for class, she’d have to go swimming there instead of the ocean pool nearer home. It was the only time she really became herself - in water. Storm lived for those moments; and to see Jack Hunter’s face again.   
    Storm checked her schedule. Her foster mom had been pretty nice about making sure she had all the right things, even packed her lunch with those tuna sushi rolls Storm craved; but Storm missed her real family more every day. She missed their beautiful home made out of forgotten treasure; its winding mote and secret tunnels, the natural wave pool with its lace like fence, decorated with shells and illuminated at night in fluorescence. The view of the ocean was as incomparable as her true family’s laughter. The night stars and the sound of her sister’s conversation warmed her on chilly evenings.
    It was true, the world she came from had only one season – wet – but still, they felt the changes from above. Storm ached from being kept apart from her siblings, but she’d made her choice and she was determined to stand by it. The great change had all happened only days ago.