Mer Tales 01 - Everblue

figured out another plan.” She fanned out a set of tickets in her hand.
    I looked closer and let out a groan. “The bus?”
    “ Yup. We’ll leave tomorrow at seven and get to San Francisco by five. It’s perfect.”
    “ Perfect?” I ripped the tags off my new clothes. “If you say so.”
    She smiled. “Once we find Dad, we’ll be able to come back to Tahoe and I’ll smooth everything over with Ash. Then we’ll all go to college and no one will need to turn anyone into a mermaid.”
    “ And you’ll stay a mermaid?”
    “ Mom said I could go to college.”
    “ In Tahoe.”
    “ She’ll change her mind once I tell her about the scholarship.”
    I laughed under my breath at her “happily ever after story,” unwilling to argue. “If you say so.”
    “ I know so. This is going to work!”

38
ASH

    A large pile of school books, notes from each teacher, and a card signed by the entire swim team lay in front of me on the bed, courtesy of Georgia. Mom had suggested I start on my homework but I could barely concentrate to read the mystery novel she’d picked up from the library yesterday. How could I fathom school work?
    “ Everyone is asking how you’re doing,” Georgia said while sitting on the nearby chair. Her leg was propped over her knee and bounced to some unheard beat.
    “ I’m healing.” Sort of.
    The bitter ache of Fin’s visit and realization I’d lost my best friend kept me on the rocky precipice of tears. All I needed was one good reason and they’d fall from behind the paper thin dam.
    “ Well, good because we really need you to come back and swim in the finals.”
    I gulped. Finals. I hadn’t told her I wouldn’t be able to swim at all and even if a miracle happened, I wouldn’t be as fast. Once Florida Atlantic University found out about my injury, I was sure they’d pull my swim scholarship.
    “ Where are you going to college?” I asked abruptly, my conversation filter a little off its axis.
    “ UCLA. Where else?” She laughed. “How about you?”
    “ I don’t know for sure anymore. This accident has changed everything.”
    My somber mood made Georgia unusually antsy. Normally, her upbeat spirit and spunk would lighten any room, but my crappy attitude smothered everything. All I wanted was for her to leave so I could curl up in bed and watch soaps.
    “ Did Callahan visit?”
    My stomach clenched. We’d talked a few times on the phone and he asked to come by but I kept making excuses why he couldn’t. I didn’t need anyone else feeling sorry for me, nor did I have the energy to entertain.
    “ No. My mom wants me to rest. I think you’re allowed ’cause you were bringing me my homework.”
    “ Oh,” she said and chewed on her fingernail. “Did you hear Brooke and Kylie were suspended?”
    “ No. Why?”
    “ No one knows. Something happened at the dance apparently.”
    “ Senior Ball Queen gets suspended . That would make for good school PR.” I faked a smile.
    The dance seemed like ages ago, back when my problems were laughable.
    “ It reeks of conspiracy, don’t you think? Remember how everyone reacted when the vote was announced? And the mix up with the tables? Well, maybe they’ll crown someone new.”
    “ Better not be me,” I laughed caustically. “I think I’ve had enough attention for the time being. It’s all a huge joke anyway.”
    “ Aw,” she said in disappointment, pouting her lip, “it’s not.”
    I swallowed down two more pain pills with some water and pulled the covers up to my chin. “Life is a big pu pu platter for me right now and the last thing I’m worried about is some stupid popularity contest. I’ll be lucky if I can keep up my grades at this rate. My mom thinks I can take pain pills and do homework when I can barely concentrate on a TV show.”
    “ I think someone needs a sash and a crown right about now.”
    “ Have you been listening to me? I’m going to lose my scholarship. I don’t know when I can go back to school. I’m going to be so far behind, I might not even graduate!”
    Georgia clammed up and pressed her lips together.
    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “Sorry. I’m just super frustrated.”
    “ I was just trying to cheer you up.”
    “ I know. So what else is going on at school?”
    At the invitation, Georgia shrugged off what I’d just said and prattled on. I lay back into the pillows and listened with half-lidded eyes. The distraction was appreciated, though Fin kept barging into my