The Merworld Water Wars - Finned Part 2

"Subject change approaching. What's their story?" I asked, pointing at Troy and the grouchy girl.

Polly straightened the pink sweater around her shoulders. "Troy Tombolo is king of the school. He's also the leader of the Fairhairs. Katrina Zale heads up the Ravenflames. She's such a big time b.i.t.c.h."

"What they say or do is what everyone says and does. Mostly, I just want to set Katrina's fingernails on fire," said Meikle.

"Okay, but why are they sitting together if their respective groups hate each other?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

"Aside from them basically being the dictators of our school, they are stupidly in love with each other," said Trey, flipping off Troy Tombolo.

I carefully studied Troy and Katrina. I'm not sure what love looked like, but if that was love...yeah, I'm not impressed.

"So, there are only four so-called Normals at this school?" I asked, indulging in my last bites of chicken fried steak.

"Now there are only four, but there were three more last year," Meikle clarified, adding some black eye liner to her already cat-like eyes. "They were boring. Claimed to be from Oklahoma's Walla Panpette Inst.i.tute for Wicca Ways. Ha! I have more ability in a single nose hair."

"Did they graduate or something?" I asked, fighting the urge to lick the gravy off my plate.

"Nope. They moved," supplied Polly. "No warning, nothing. Very bad etiquette. They really should've thrown a going away party for us to enjoy. May I use that spoon?"

"Wait, Polls. They can't just move. This is a designated banishment location. There are barriers," I said, handing her my spoon. Polly disinfected the spoon with hand sanitizer. "What, do I have germs?"

"Possibly, yes," she said, rubbing her hands raw. "They moved, end of. We can't, of course, but they did."

"That makes zero sense."

"Tell me about it," said Trey, leaning back in his chair. "I'm guessing there's a loophole. I was p.i.s.sed. Earl, my best buddy, must've discovered something. Would've been nice if he had told me. His girlfriend, Ophelia, and her twin sister, Odette, took off about two months later."

"Couldn't you have just asked Ophelia how Earl managed to escape?" I asked. "I would think he'd tell his girlfriend."

They looked at each other strangely before Polly answered. "She didn't know. He left in the middle of the night. She seemed really hurt and incredibly clueless...of course that could have been due to her ma.s.sive brain cell shortage."

"The strange thing is," said Trey, "Ophelia and Odette also took off in the dead of the night. So, either they held out on us, or-"

"Or something happened to them," I added.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Polly. "They weren't exactly the friendliest people. Even Earl was a jerk to Trey from time to time, mainly because of Ophelia's l.u.s.t for our boy, here. And they hated Meikle."

"Not my fault they were welterweight witches," said Meikle. "Marina, read the cards. You could probably find the loophole...maybe even see where they went."

"Um, yeah, I can't. I hit a little snag during the hearing."

"Did you mouth off?" asked Trey, smirking.

"Well, does accusing The Hoodoo Council of practicing their crafts count as mouthing off?"

Polly huffed and stomped her foot. "Really smart, Marina. Do you know how dangerous that was? You could've been labeled a rogue! I mean, you were already skating on imp-fractured ice, seeing as it took you five friggin' appearances before they banished you." Polly's blue eyes turned black as oil, and her voice dropped to the kind of growl you never want to hear. "Urrvol ev-indestraff!" She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "Ugh, sorry, y'all. Temper flash means demon-takeover moment. Now, I'm guessing the b.i.t.c.h enacted the blocking guard on you?"

I nodded. "At least you guys still have your powers. Me, I have an expiration date. It's not as bad as milk, but nowhere near as good as a chili cheese corn chip."

"Wow, can you possibly cryptic that up a little more for me?" said Trey.

"Sorry. Before the hearing, I did one last reading. I was just trying to see the outcome. Instead, it got all death-y again...my death. I'm set to spoil this New Year's Eve." For a moment, my friends were quiet.

Finally, Polly slammed her hands flat against the table, breaking the sad silence. "Well, we just won't let it happen. In the meantime, we'll throw you a going-to-die party. That's polite, right?"

"You can't stop a reading, you know that. I'm okay with this, really. Heck, I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend my last months-free, with family and friends."

"Shut up. We're not losing you. We'll figure it out. If we have to consult a magic eight ball, wave a wand, or unearth some illusive force, we'll find a way." Meikle grabbed my hand, looking at Polly to join.

"Fine," Polly sighed, adding her hand to ours, "but I'm still p.i.s.sed at you for losing your power."

"Kind of beyond that now, Polls," said Meikle. "Trey?"

Trey wouldn't add his hand. Instead, he leaned in, looked me in the eye, and said, "You're still a reader with potent friends. That sure as h.e.l.l isn't in death's handbook."

Chapter Three.

b.u.t.t of the Joke.

Two dreadfully dull cla.s.ses later-plus one rather unfortunate mishap with a racquetball in the always useless gym cla.s.s-and it was finally ninth period. The last cla.s.s of the day was English, my favorite. Of course, getting there might prove difficult.

Why were there so many twists and turns in this school? And what's with all the freakin' fish tanks! Ugh. I've had to carry my books around with me all afternoon because my locker was a complete jack-wipe and refused to open. Ew. I just caught a glimpse of my reflection in a fish tank.

After three more wrong turns and two dead ends, I finally stumbled upon the right hallway.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! Took a left at the wrong fish tank," I said, flying into room three hundred and ninety-four.

"Don't you worry. This school is tough to maneuver. I'm Mr. Gibbs." Mr. Gibbs had a reserved laugh. He reminded me of a slightly manlier Charles Bingley from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, my mom's very favorite novel. "Oh my! Are you okay?" Aw, crud. He spotted my forehead.

I could feel my embarra.s.singly pale skin burning crimson. "I'm fine. Just a little gym cla.s.s accident," I muttered, moving my bangs over the giant red mark of pure idiocy.

"To tell you the truth, I've never been a big fan of gym," whispered Mr. Gibbs. "If you're sure you feel okay, Marina, then just go take the last desk behind Troy Tombolo."

Fabulous.

"Have a little surprise for y'all today," said Mr. Gibbs, rubbing his palms together. "Follow me, and don't forget your a.s.signments."

Before we could move, there was a faint knock on the door.

"So sorry for the interruption. I'm hoping you can help me. I'm trying to find room three hundred. Apparently, I took a right at the wrong fish tank." In walked my mom.

"Of course," said Mr. Gibbs, his mouth hanging open in a twisted, goofy grin. "Your daughter had the same problem. This is the toughest wing of the school." Turning back to the cla.s.s, he added, "Just be a minute."

Don't do it, Mom. No. Don't. Do. It.

"h.e.l.lo, sweetheart!"

She did it. And-Oh Dear G.o.d-she blew me a kiss. The snickering was too loud for me to ignore, so I shrugged, nodded, and laughed with them.

"Was that your Mom?" asked the Fairhair girl sitting next to me.

"Sure was," I said.

"What does your mom do?" she asked kindly.

"I think she's getting a job in admissions."

"Well, she's just lovely! You have her aqua eyes. I'm Airianna Hail, but everyone calls me Airi," she said, twirling her silky, platinum blond hair. She must be what angels look like in heaven. "And you're Marina Valentine. Do you have a nickname?"

Before I could answer, a boy sitting in front of Airianna contributed a nickname.

"Cheese Curl Head," he said.

"Benjamin, that's not nice," said Airianna. "Don't mind Benji. He's still upset they discontinued his favorite color depositing shampoo. What was it called, Benji? Honeysuckle blond or some such nonsense?" Benji's amber eyes filled with humiliation. "So, are you dating the Normal boy?"

"Trey? No, no we aren't. I'm not much of a dater."

"Why ever not?"

Because dating triggers my unfortunate gag reflex. "My last date was on the Fourth of July, which was also my sixteenth birthday. So heinous. The guy turned out to be a Snitch Demon, and I wound up getting thrown into solitary for reading. The whole dating-relationship-love thing kinda makes me wanna hurl." Poor Airianna. By the look on her face, you'd think I just told her Santa Claus wasn't real. "But I'm sure it's totally anti-hurl-ish for some very special people who truly believe in it."

She flashed a gorgeous smile and wistfully said, "Yes, believing makes all the difference. I see myself with a handsome Normal, basking in the sun on an exposed coral reef-"

"Lines. Crossing," said Troy, glancing over his shoulder.

"Anyway, I bet the love bug will bite you one of these days, and all your doubts will go right out the porthole," she said, waving her hand in the air.

"Big doubts on that one," I said truthfully.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's just, how can I want something I don't really believe in?"

"How can you want something that doesn't want you?" muttered Troy.

I glared at him. How dare he say something so nasty! Just because I don't want love, doesn't mean I don't want love to want me. Hmm. That might sound a tad shallow.

"Yeah, and you know what they say about fire heads, right? Who'd want to date that?" said Benji, looking back at Troy, who slyly smiled. I wanted to slap the grin right off his face.

"Well, I personally love your hair," said Airianna, placing her hands on her hips.

"Watch where you're stepping, Airi," said Troy.

I looked at him sideways. Seriously, why doesn't he mind his own business?

"I've always wanted to be a redhead," she said, staring dreamily towards the ceiling.

"Pushing, pushing," Troy muttered.

"Well, all it takes is a box of hair color," I said.

"Oh My Mother of Poseidon, I couldn't possibly!"

"Oh my...Poseidon...what?"

"Just something I say," said Airianna, blushing. "Anyway, I'm prohibited."

"It's not like you're kaleidoscope-ing your hair."

"I know, and I want to, but..."

"But what?"

"I have to do what I'm told. My mother wouldn't mind, but she must abide by my father's orders."

"You have got to be kidding me. Women earned the right to vote forever ago, you know. Tell ya what, you can grab a box of hair color, come by my house, and I'll color it for you."

Airianna seemed genuinely interested. "You're in the Southland beach house?"

"Yeah, right on the beach. Think the street is Sh.e.l.l Drive."

"It's a nice house. Did you know you live next door to-"

"Airi, you're at the corner of stop and think," said Troy, glaring dangerously at her. Airianna looked terrified.

"Next door to who? I haven't had the chance to be neighborly."

"Never mind. I can't come over. Sorry," she said, dropping her head.

"Good girl, Airi," said Troy.

I couldn't stand it any longer. "Okay, you are getting seriously extracurricular with the whole I am man, you are woman, Neanderthal vibe. Take a tip from those insurance cavemen guys-they graduated dragging-woman-by-hair a loooong time ago."

"Excuse me?" Troy seemed shocked that I, little-banished-weirdo Normal, had the gall to address him, the all mighty king of Saxet Sh.o.r.es High School.

"Maybe you're the gotta-be-cruel-to-be-kind type. Whatever it is, you've really honed your a.s.shat skills. Lay off Airi."

Turning around to face me, he said, "It's none of your business how we treat Airi, or any girl for that matter."

Them's fightin' words! "Hey, I'm looking out for a friend."