Mer Tales 01 - Everblue

just what I needed. Well, a peek at TV might have been nice.”
    I laughed and looked around the room—very untypical of a mer. An oil painting of a ship at sea hung over a simulated fireplace, one that could never be lit. On the mantle were more sparring trophies, a spyglass, and some empty bottles. On the other wall was a wooden plaque that said Sea Queen that hung on a chain from rusty nails. Next to it was a ship helm and a Celtic cross inlayed with green stones.
    “ From me ship. I was a fisherman before my Sandy came along.”
    “ Was that your ship?” I pointed to the painting.
    “ Aye,” Badge nodded his head. “The Sea Queen was a beauty before she sank.”
    “ Is that how you got here? Did Sandy save you from drowning?”
    “ Well, now. That wasn’t entirely my doing,” A sweet voice filtered into the room as Sandy emerged from underwater through the porthole doorway in the floor. She pulled herself onto the ledge and slipped behind the dressing curtain dangling next to the doorway. After phasing into legs, she walked in the room and arranged a bunch of algae sprigs and sea anemones on the table.
    “ Ah, I was a miserable bloke before the mer, fightin’ and drinkin’ away me regrets. Me first wife died of the influenza while I was off tryin’ to conquer the sea. I couldn’t forgive meself and wanted the sea to end me pain. But Sandy here, she looked past me mean exterior and saw me hurtin’ heart. She says she only found me that day, but I know different. I saw her flirting a few other times before, but that day she became my angel. The promise does a world of good on a poor man’s bleedin’ heart, let me tell ya.”
    “ That it does.” She winked at me before she walked over, her glass beaded skirt tinkling as she moved. Their eyes sparkled at one another before she planted a kiss on his lips.
    “ You’re one fine merwoman.” He spanked her on her backside. “And look what I won ya, doll.”
    “ Oi, man.” Sandy slapped his hand away, flitting an embarrassed glance my way. Her cheeks were as red as the rubies. “Lovely, Badger, thank you,” she said and hurried off to the kitchen.
    I looked away. This was nothing new to me. My parents did the same thing all the time.
    Badger’s grin parted his beard. He cupped his hand to his mouth and leaned in. “Now listen to me. You be sure to get yerself a lass with some gold in her tail, ya hear me?”
    “ Bairtliméad!” Sandy barked from the other room. “Don’t you be filling this boy with nonsense. I won’t have it in my house.”
    “ Oh quiet, woman! Let me talk—you stick to cookin’.”
    “ You better not speak to me like that! I’m not your mermaid!”
    I cringed, expecting a fight to erupt when a ruckus of laughter poured from both rooms. I wrinkled my forehead, unsure what was so funny.
    Badger winked. “Get it? She’s not me ‘mer’ maid? What a sense of humor she’s got.”
    “ Oh,” I said, then forced out a laugh. “Yeah, hilarious.”
    I heard something slam shut and the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the small space. She came out with the hearty loaf and a tray of cheese and butter. “Mind your manners, or only the boy is getting this treat.”
    “ Oh you, vixen. Where’d you manage this gift?”
    “ You know I have my ways.” She cast off a wicked smile. “Now sit at the table and eat.”
    I didn’t dare comment.

7
ASH

    As soon as practice was over, I went directly to the dance chairman and asked to be removed from the ballot. With a puzzled expression, he informed me voting had already begun. My time to decline needed to have happened when nominations took place in homeroom earlier in the week.
    I’d been late to class Monday. Georgia insisted we talk to Coach Madsen after practice because someone stole her swimsuit out of her locker over the weekend—which she later found at home. The vote must have taken place then.
    Colorful signs requesting support for Brooke and other candidates littered the halls and mocked me as I left his office. Whoever nominated me had played the worst joke ever and when I found out who, they’d get a piece of my mind. Even still, I wasn’t attending.
    Shivering from my wet hair, I jumped into Mom’s car in the student parking lot and cranked on the heater. Work duties prevented her from picking me up as usual.
    I zipped through town, anxious to talk to Tatchi. With a screech, I parked on the pier and briskly walked across the wooden railroad ties of the