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An Eon of Holidays
The enticing smell of eggs and sausages rouses Mark from his slumber. After a long week of finals, the sound of someone else cooking is more than welcome. He slips on his sweats and sneakers and saunters out into the kitchen. There, he finds his mother flipping omelets and French toast in front of the stove.
"Good morning, honey!" Mrs. Hollenvale walks up and kisses her son on the cheek. "I made breakfast for you before you go on your morning run."
"Thanks, Mom!" Mark nibbles on a bit of toast from the bread basket on the dinner table. "Where's Dad?"
Mrs. Hollenvale puts a couple slices of French toast and an omelet on her son's plate. "He's still at work. He wants to take you out later tonight in celebration of your excellent grades."
"Hey, Mom? I met someone at school. A girl."
"Hm?" Mrs. Hollenvale leans towards her son. "I hope she's better than the past girls you've brought home, Mark. Can I meet her?"
"She's coming over on Christmas. You can meet her then, Mom. Kara's her name, by the way. Kara DuRochelle." Mark finishes up his breakfast and hustles out the door. "I'm going out running with Ashe. See you later!"
A cloudless, sunny sky soars high above while Mark jogs to Ashelyn's place. The early birds chirp to the music of his footsteps. When he knocks on the door, her father opens it up still sipping his coffee.
"Good morning, Mr. Kasaccio."
"Good morning, Mark. Ashelyn's still getting ready. Come in! Come in!" He leads Mark to the living room. "You ought to go check on her. She hasn't been in much of a talking mood since coming home."
Mr. Kasaccio sits comfortably in a recliner while Mark goes into the hallway and slowly creaks Ashelyn's door open. "Ashe... Ashe! It's me. Are you in here?"
She is not, but Mark immediately knows the next place to check. He goes to the end of the hallway. To Logan's old room.
Inside, Ashelyn sits on her brother's bed holding a picture. She gazes at it lovingly before putting it down on the nightstand. "Oh... Hi, Mark. I'm just about ready."
Mark sits down next to her. "Miss Logan already, Ashe?"
"I feel stupid about it, but yeah. It doesn't really feel like a vacation when only part of the family is here."
"Rairi said they're coming by in two weeks to visit. Now that we have these breathing necklaces, we can finally sleep over at his place." Mark pats her on the back.
Ashelyn grins. "Kara's from that village. You must be itching to see her..."
"You have no idea. Hey! You think Zy wants to join us?"
"She's probably asleep. All that work over the semester is finally catching up with her."
Mark gets up. "Oh well. Let's get going. I have plans for lunch. Well, that and the smell of this room is starting to get to me."
The ocean calls out through her window. Zy whisks herself to her feet to stare out the glass at the laughing waves. Even if there is no one under the surface, the thought of a nice swim makes her blood rush.
After a quick change into her cute purple bikini, Zy runs onto the beach with its warm sand between her toes and salt air blowing through her obsidian hair. She dives into the water with hardly a splash to feel the cool embrace of her second home. The currents take her to the surface just as the stars begin to blossom in the sunset sky.
"Zy! Zy!"
Zy lifts her head and sees a familiar face on the beach with his hands excitedly waving up and down. A young man with brown messy hair and horn-rimmed glasses jumps up and down, trying to get her attention. He takes a few steps into the receding sea foam while she floats close enough to get to her feet.
"Hey, Oliver!" She runs up to her friend and gives him a big hug, drenching his lime-green polo and khaki slacks. "Oh, damn! I'm sorry about that, Oliver..."
"No, no, it's fine, Zy. It's really great to see you!"
"That it is... It's great seeing you, too. Hey! You've gotten taller in the past few months! How have you been holding up?"
"I've been well. High school sucks, as usual. But at least it's my final year. Grades have been up, so my parents are happy."
"How about your girlfriend, Nina?"
"She's fantastic." Oliver turns away his reddening face. "I... uh... I heard you refused Mark a few weeks before leaving for school. Have you two been getting along since I hear you dorm together?"
Zy skips a stone over a coming wave. "Yeah. We get along. He's even moved on and found himself a girlfriend! And... I'm entrenched in work and studies."
"Just like high school?"
"Just like high school. Only... even more fun."
"Nice. Though I haven't heard much from you during the semester. What's it like at Southern Seas University? Are there hot women everywhere? That's what all my friends say."
"You could say that." Zy watches the sun dip into the ocean. "Actually, you know what? I just uploaded the pics from my camera. We can go check them out if you like."
"I would like that, but I have volunteer work at the hospital tomorrow morning. We're training newbies right now. I'll check out those pics later." Oliver waves good-bye and heads back next door.
Zy is about to jump back into the waves when she feels a presence in the water. "Oh, hey! How long have you been waiting?"
"I'd still never guess anyone went fishing like this!" exclaims Logan. "Here, let me help pull that." He and Rairi lift the tuna off the sand and carry it towards the village.
"You're getting better, though, Logan. Last time, you got me with the net instead of the fish."
"I gotta do something with my time. All this swimming has finally killed my beer gut. I haven't seen my abs since high school! It's got me all hyped!"
"I think you're just anxious about visiting home in a few days. Then again, you have changed a lot in the past few months. Everyone should be surprised when they see you."
Logan kicks faster to keep up with Rairi. "Thanks for letting me stay at your place."
"It's no problem. It's great having you around." Rairi flashes a grin.
The sound of children get louder as they enter the village. Little mergirls and merboys swim and dance around. Some of them stop to watch Logan swim with his legs before their parents hurry them along and apologize.
Rairi and Logan enter Rairi's place, a home carved from rock, just like all the others in the village. Inside, Lily has her face buried in a scroll and, in one of the corners, her and Rairi's father and mother flirt with each other over a coral chess set. When Logan and Rairi come in, the three of them get up to welcome them back.
"Hey, guys," says Lily. "Rairi, Fallon came over earlier. She said that she and her cousins want to come over for dinner."
Mr. and Mrs. Azduré swim up to take the netted tuna from their son and Logan. "Thank you for being such a help to our dear Rairi, Logan," says Mrs. Azduré with a glacier-boiling smile.
"Y-you're welcome."
Lily and Rairi's father merely waves at him as the majority of his attention is spent wrapping his arms around his wife.
Rairi grabs his sister's shoulder. "Did Fallon say they're arriving?"
"No, but just keep the fish out just in case they appear all of a sudden."
Rairi and Logan watch Mr. and Mrs. Azduré put the tuna down on the sand and go continue their chess match.
"I think I'll take a nap..." says Rairi with a yawn and he disappears into the next room.
Logan sits on the sand next to Lily. "Enjoying yourself?"
"Enjoying the view?"
He turns red. "... more than I'm willing to admit..."
"I hear Rairi and Lily have a human staying at their place," says Cody.
"Wouldn't that be Jon?" counters Caleb.
"No." Fallon turns about mid-kick. "It's a man named Logan. He's Ashelyn's older brother, so be nice to him. He's also a good friend of mine, so keep that in mind, too."
The three of them swim through the portalway into Rairi and Lily's place. Fallon quickly waves to Lily and Logan and gives brief hugs and kisses to Mr. and Mrs. Azduré before continuing alone into the next room. Inside, Rairi sleeps on a mound of sand. She softly lands on top of him and pinches his cheek. Rairi's eyes slowly open and he takes her into a warm embrace.
Lily and Logan move the large tuna to the middle of the room. Logan takes Rairi's daggers and slices it open for everyone. The runes on the daggers glow as he cuts into the flesh. On his first fishing expedition with Rairi, the merman explained that the runes keep the daggers unimaginably sharp and unbreakable. As Logan cuts the fish, he takes extra care to avoid his fingers.
Fallon comes in dragging her boyfriend right behind her. All eight of them sit around the mouthwatering tuna, quickly taking it apart with their hands. At the very moment the last bone is picked clean, Lily pulls out a tailball. "There's enough people here. Everyone up for a game?"
Her parent shake their heads and swim off to their secluded corner.
Caleb nudges Logan. "Think you can keep up, Legs?"
"I've played a game or two. I think I can hold my own." Logan gives a thumbs-up.
"How does everyone wanna do teams?" asks Lily.
Fallon pulls Cody and Caleb in, beaming with pride. "I'm goin' to try a team with my boys."
Lily pulls Rairi and Logan towards herself. "Your boys against mine, then."
The six swim out above the village center where a tailball court is waiting. The two nets are set up on top of the homes o nearby neighbors. All of the merchildren playing stop to watch the Seadragon Orchids back in action on their home pitch.
Logan looks down at his feet and wiggles his toes. "How many points do I score when I kick it in?"
"Same as if you had a tail," replies Fallon. "Five. And don't think we'll go easy on you just because you're new at this."
Lily passes Fallon the ball. "Your team goes first."
The two teams get in place while the audience begins a slow countdown to the start of the match. Logan forces a gulps down in excitement. The fierce look in Caleb, Fallon, and Cody's eyes only makes his blood pump more vigorously. At the count of zero, the six players dash around like homing torpedoes.
Rairi steals the ball from Fallon's grasp and passes it to Logan. He rushes towards the goal with Caleb and Cody right behind him. Before the two reach his ankles, Logan lobs the ball towards Lily. Down on the sand and all around, the people of the village cheer the two sides.
The game ends with the last few points being scored by Fallon. Clouds of younger merpeople float up to congratulate them with leis of sea flowers. Logan shies away from the fans smothering his friends only to be approached by his newly-formed fanbase. A mermaid and her younger sister swim up holding a clay mold. The little sibling asks for an autograph in the form of a footprint.
She squeals with joy when Logan hands the mold back with imprints of both his feet in it. Proudly showing off to her big sister, they swim off. Rairi, Caleb, and Cody appear and give him high-fives.
"Pretty awesome out there, Logan!" exclaims Caleb.
"Told ya!"
Caleb pats him on the back. "Who's been teaching you?"
"This girl I know, Zy. She doesn't play but she's given me tips."
Cody swims up to Logan. "You mean Zy of the Seadragon Orchids?"
Logan backs away, puzzled. "You're friends with Zy, too?"
"No. Me and Caleb have never met her, but we do have a bit of a crush after watching the SSU games. Rairi's never brought his human friends here, at least until now."
Logan glides over to Rairi. "You haven't brought Ashe down here?"
"Uh... no. She didn't have a breathing necklace while we were dating."
"Do you mind if I invite her down here for a bit before next semester? I know it's a bit cramped with me rooming at your place..."
"Don't worry about it, Logan," says Lily. "She's always welcome down here. When do you plan on inviting her anyway?"
"Sometime after we visit the surface. I'd love to stay on land, but home isn't going to welcome me back anytime soon."
"Have you talked with your parents since leaving?" asks Rairi.
"No, but I'm going to go back after this coming semester. I wanna have a place of my own, just in case it doesn't go as planned."
"I wasn't expecting you guys until lunchtime." Mark paddles back to shore with his friends following. "What came up?"
"Logan wanted to come as soon as possible," says Lily. "I came in place of Rairi since he and Fallon went to sleep late last night."
"Did Ashelyn drop off a change of clothes for me?" asks Logan. "All I've worn the past two weeks have been swim trunks."
"Yeah," replies Mark. "She dropped them off a few minutes before I got out here. Since we thought you wouldn't be here until later, she went out. Shopping, I think."
At Mark's place, Logan tries on his old jeans. "Hey, Mark, can you spare a belt? My pants are too fat for me now."
"Uh, sure. Top of the dresser, to the left." Mark looks at Lily. "There's some clothes for you as well. Looks like Ashe packed something just in case Fallon decided to tag along. You could also try the clothes meant for your brother."
Lily takes the clothes and tries them on. "Thanks."
"I'm going back to surfing," says Mark. "You guys can stay here, if you want."
Logan pulls on a t-shirt fitting like a tent, while Mark goes back out to the beach with his surfboard under his arm. Lily spins around in the borrowed clothes. She tugs where it stretches over her abundant curves.
"These are really tight in some places," says Lily with a frown.
"Uncomfortable?"
"It's like wearing a net, but I'll live."
Finding his watch in the bag, Logan slips it on and glances at the minute and hour hands. "We have a good amount of time before lunch, maybe two hours. I have a friend I think I wanna check up on. You wanna tag along?"
"Do I have a choice?" Lily sits on Mark's bed wiggling her toes.
"Well, what would you rather do?"
Lily wiggles her toes a bit more. "Done. Let's go see your friend!"
Together, Lily and Logan stroll out the door and follow the sidewalk. Lily clings tightly to Logan's arm pointing to everything she sees.
"Hey, Logan, what's school like up here?" Lily pauses to admire every front yard along the way.
"It's the- put that gnome down! It's the same as underwater, right?" Logan waits for her to finish smelling a lovely trio of daffodils. "I saw the school back in your village. You history classes are definitely different, obviously. And your science classes also teach magic."
"Where's your school?" asks Lily, spinning on the tips of her toes, trying out the shoes Ashelyn brought over.
"It's a short walk from here. In that direction over there." Logan points just past a distant palm tree.
Before he can say anything more, Lily starts jogging down the sidewalk. Logan follows her as his old high school rises up out of the horizon. Loads of cars fill the parking lots, and a sick feeling sets itself in Logan's gut. He stops in his tracks. "I never imagined coming back here so soon." Lily waves at him from the parking lot. He runs over, looking left and right.
"Are you looking for something?" asks Lily.
"Hm? No. No one."
"No one?"
"Oh. Uh... I meant nope."
"So what's with all these... er, cars?"
"A basketball game, I think. It should be the last one of the semester. Since university gets out early by a few days depending on finals week."
"A game?" Lily's sapphire eyes gleam with excitement. "Can we go check it out? Do you mind? Please?"
The look Logan gets makes him weak in the knees, but he blocks Lily out with thoughts of Shirley. "We- we have time. We can catch the rest of the game."
Lily grabs Logan's wrist and pulls him through the doors. "Show me the way!"
The bleachers of the gym are precariously packed with people when Logan and Lily enter. The two of them hear the blaring halftime buzzer and retreat back out before the rush of people to the washroom tramples them over. They move sideways out of the way to one of the smaller hallways.
"Did we miss it?" asks Lily.
"No." Logan shakes his head. "The game's only halfway through. They'll continue again in fifteen minutes."
"Oh hey..." Lily walks down the hallway. "There are shiny gold trophies in here! Wait... It's not real gold, but still impressive."
"This is a strong sports school. There's another set of trophy cases in the other wing."
Lily continues inspecting the school's winnings and accomplishments. "Are any of these yours, Logan?"
"Uh... the one on your right, there. You can see the picture of me and the rest of the football team."
"There you are! You look really cute... But which football team is this? Jon says football can mean two completely different sports."
"It's American football."
In a few of the more recent team pictures, Lily spots someone else familiar. "Looks like Mark did every sport under the sun... both kinds of football, basketball, swimming, tennis... Your sister's also here in the girls' pictures. No Zy, though..."
"I preferred clubs and participating in student government," comes a voice. Zy saunters into the hallway. "You two are earlier than expected. What's up?"
"Just goin' through some old school memories," replies Logan.
"There are a few prom pictures here, Lily." Zy walks over pointing to another glass case. "Your brother is in a few of them."
"Aww... he looks adorable in a... suit, yeah, that's the word. Are these from when he and Ashe were still dating?"
Zy looks closely at the pictures. "... Yeah. All except the one where he's with me."
Logan leans in for a closer look as well. "You two are kissing..."
"We were prom king and queen," replies Zy smirking. "Ashe was Mark's date that year."
A distant buzzer echoes through the hallway. Logan scratches the back of his head. "It's time for the second half. Shall we?"
When she gets out of the fitting room to put the less-worthy dress on the return rack, her ears catch onto a familiar voice. Nearby, she sees a couple of old classmates, namely Opie and Chase. The two are looking through a line of lacy halter tops, muttering to themselves about which one they like best.
Ashelyn sneaks up behind them. "You have a new hobby I haven't heard about, guys?"
Both Chase and Opie turn about with their hands letting go of the top as if it were woven out of jellyfish tentacles. "Ashe!" exclaims Opie. "What are you doing here?"
"This is a women's clothing store that specializes in lingerie." Ashelyn crosses her arms. "What are you two doing here?"
"A bit of shopping," says Chase. "With the holiday coming up, we have to pick up presents for some girls we know."
"But why here?"
Chase looks at the dress in her hands. "You clearly shop here."
"True, but you and Opie aren't exactly fashion experts. I'm perfectly fine with just a card from you guys."
"We're good friends, right?" notes Opie. "A card just doesn't feel right. But if you don't want clothes from us, what would you really like?"
"Well, what online games do you two play?" Ashelyn hangs the dress on the return rack. "It can be something the three of us can do while away at school."
Chase gets a grin on his face. "You never struck me as the kind who sits in front of a computer all day."
"And you're too busy to level up an MMO avatar..." adds Opie.
"I have my brother's console at home. What about a fun shooter with online multiplayer? I can bring that with me."
"That sounds awesome! Chase and me are into a few games. We can go down to the games shop as soon as you're done."
Opie and Chase take a ride in Ashelyn's car on their way to the games shop.
"So... have you heard from Logan? He ran away a couple months back after some fiasco with that girlfriend of his." Chase waits quietly, but Opie interrupts.
"We were curious, but if you don't wanna-"
"It's fine. Logan ran away and found me at school. He's cleaned up a lot. Even that stupid pot habit of his is gone."
Chase leans back in his seat. "That's good, but why didn't he come back with you?"
"Our parents. They're still furious." Ashelyn shrugs. "He's visiting today but he's staying at Rairi's until school starts up again." She parks the car and the three of them enter the shop.
Chase and Opie lead Ashelyn to the back where a large display stands over them. A faceless warrior clad in space armor looks into the distance with a large sniper rifle on his or her back. Ashelyn pokes it to discover it is a very life-like cardboard cut-out. Opie pulls her away from it and to the shelf. "This is the game," he says. "It's one of the best multiplayer games to come out this year, and we know you enjoy watching us play some good FPS games."
Ashelyn takes one of the game boxes and brings it over to the counter. Chase quickly realizes something and runs after her with Opie right behind. "That's your present! We're supposed to pay for it!"
Ashelyn takes her phone back and tucks it into her pocket. "Do you guys mind if we pick up from Mark's place? It shouldn't take long."
Opie looks at Chase and receives a look in return. "We don't mind. No."
"Who's this Lily, though?" asks Chase. "Are she and Logan..."
"She's Rairi's sister," says Ashelyn. "And Logan is interested in someone else."
Chase looks at his reflection in the rear-view. "What about..."
"Lily has a boyfriend. Don't even try. Either of you."
"That's no fun," mutters Chase.
Ashelyn pulls into Mark's driveway and walks briskly to the door. Before her knuckles can knock, Logan opens it and engulfs her in a long, tight hug. "How've you been, Ashe? How're Mom and Dad?"
"I've been great. It's been lonely at home without you." She wipes a tear from her eye. "Mom and Dad are fine, but they're still furious with you."
Logan lets go of her. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Did you tell them I'm in town?"
"They know you're here, but they didn't show any interest."
"Oh, hey! I got you something. Consider it an early Christmas present." Logan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sky-blue seashell-shaped object. "It's a music player."
Ashelyn takes it carefully in her hand. "I love it! How does it work? I don't see headphones..."
"You wear it in your hair and it will play music so that only you can hear it." Logan slides it above her ear.
As soon as it is in place, the soothing, wordless song of a mermaid fills the air around Ashelyn. "This is amazing! Thanks so much, Logan. Love you..."
Opie and Chase get out of the car. Both of them stop in their tracks at the sight of Logan.
"Wow! You cleaned up pretty well!" exclaims Chase.
"Yeah," chirps Opie. "You don't look like a red-eyed stoner anymore. Or smell like one."
Logan grins a bit. "Yep. I've completely dropped the smoking. I still drink, but I have that under control."
Ashelyn looks behind Logan and through Mark's open door. "Where's Lily? She's the one who brought you here, right?"
"She's asleep in Mark's room. We had a long morning getting here because of bad currents. That, and we watched a basketball game at the school. She's really excitable lately."
"I see... then let's get going. Opie and Chase got me a new video game! The four of us can play it at home."
Mr. Kasaccio puts down his coffee. "Logan's doing better than I expected."
"Well, he didn't come back begging within a week like you thought, dear. I am glad to see that he's well." Mrs. Kasaccio puts down her newspaper.
"You're not mad at him anymore?"
"Furious. But that does not mean I am an uncaring mother, dear."
"You're sure about this?" asks Rairi.
"They're my friends, too," replies Fallon. "Besides, we've never celebrated a holiday like it before. It'll be fun."
"So... what do you think we should get them?"
"We can bring them down here to the village. Ashe, Zy, and Mark have always wanted to come down here, but they never had a chance before because they didn't own breathing necklaces until recently. But... Logan wants to bring Ashe down here anyway..."
Fallon swishes her tail. "So we have to come up with something else for her..."
"Well, we can throw a party for everyone when they do come here" A little mergirl swats the tailball at Rairi, who catches and tosses it back. "I'm sure these kids would love someone new to play with."
Fallon squeezes her boyfriend tight. "What do you think they're doing up there? Lily was pretty eager to take Logan home."
"Probably just hanging out. Sis just wants to spend some time up there. It makes her feel closer to Jon."
"Oh... Where is he by the way?" Fallon rests her chin on Rairi's shoulder. "Last I heard, Jon had rescue duty in some far-off sea."
"He still does that. He's trying to get transferred back to coastal defense."
"I still say that job is too dangerous for someone like him." Fallon sighs. "It hurts too much to think he could die out there."
Drowsily, Lily looks up, but her eyes shine at what she hears. "I'm awake. I wanna go!"
Lily follows Mark out to the driveway, where he gets into a sleek, black muscle car. She gets in just as he turns the key. The immediate roar sends a shiver down her spine. "Does it have to be so loud, Mark?"
"This kind of car is just that way. And don't forget to put that seatbelt on!"
Mark and Lily glide down the road as the suburbs pass them by. Lily has her forehead firmly pressed against the passenger's side window. The radio pumps out rock and punk while Mark sings along.
Lily unsticks her head from the window and turns to Mark. "We're heading to your friend's apartment downtown, right?"
"Yeah," replies Mark. "I haven't seen my friend Daniel since he moved here after graduating. He's a year above me. Anyway, we're gonna see a football game. American football. And don't worry, I can pay for you."
Mark's car zooms into the downtown area. "Welcome to Los Angeles!"
"This is amazing..." whispers Lily.
Bright, polished condominiums and apartments tower overhead. The flowers cluttered onto the window sills let off their fleeting scents.
Lily lowers her window and peeks a hand out. "The wind's really nice... Are we slowing down?"
"Yeah." Mark puts his car into park. "We're here."
The apartment in front of them is the nicest on the block, but it looks empty. Curtains are drawn and not even a welcome mat adorns the doorway. Lily spots movement from one of the windows. "You sure this is the place?"
"Pretty sure. This matches the address Dan texted me." Mark pulls out his phone. "Oh wait. There he is."
A young man is stepping out of the apartment in a fresh band t-shirt and neatly ironed jeans. His black hair sticks straight up like lethal blades of grass. Daniel saunters manfully up to Mark's car and opens up the passenger door. He stops, seeing someone already sitting there.
"Oh, wow!" Daniel steps back. "Mark, who's this hottie?" He looks her up and down.
"This is Lily," announces Mark. "She's a really good friend of mine."
Lily extends her hand for a shake which Daniel excitedly takes. Much to her annoyance, he takes longer than expected to let go. Daniel gets into the back of the car and leans up to the front. "We still going to the game?"
Mark sighs. "Remember my friend, Rairi?"
"Yeah. Ashe's ex. Shy, girly kid. Always smiling."
"Lily's his twin sister. She's visiting for Christmas."
"Bangin' a friend's sister? Sweet, bro."
"No. I'm not. I already got a girlfriend. And she has a boyfriend."
They catch up with Lily, who is stopped at the gate. "Where do we get the tickets?" she asks.
Mark pulls her over to the ticket counter and proceeds to pay. He hands Lily her ticket and Daniel his. "Ready for your first football game?"
Looking at the clock, Ashelyn turns off the game. "It's getting late. You guys wanna order take-out?"
"I got it!" announces Logan as he re-enters the room with four bowls, silverware, and a large pot full of beef stew. "You guys were so into shooting each other to death that I decided to make something."
"Why didn't you play?" asks Chase. "There was an extra controller."
"Too busy texting my girlfriend."
Ashelyn takes the bowls and silverware and shares them with Chase and Opie. "How is Shirley, by the way?"
"She's good. Spending time with her family." Logan ladles some stew that lets its scent snare them by the noses. Opie and Chase eagerly swallow their first bites while Ashelyn and her brother look on.
Ashelyn smiles after a silent slurp and pats Logan on the back. "Another delicious meal..."
After dinner, Opie and Chase say their good-byes and head back home. Logan collects the leftovers and the kitchenware to bring to the kitchen. Ashelyn follows him and lets out a stifled yawn. With the dishes soaking under a pool of sudsy warm water, Logan saunters over to the cabinet and draws out a pair of mugs. "There's some apple cider in the fridge. You want some?"
"Of course I do!" Ashelyn takes a seat at the kitchen table. She looks down a hallway. "Are Mom and Dad home?"
"No... there's a note on the fridge saying they're out at a friend's barbecue."
"Oh yeah... I remember Dad saying something about that this morning, asking if I wanted to come along."
Logan pours out the cider into the mugs and sticks them in the microwave. "Why didn't you go?"
"If I go, I'd have to put up with all those stuck-up kids of those people our parents hang with. No thanks."
"The Vorres and the Hollenvales hang with our parents." Logan leans against the counter.
"Yeah, but Mark is out with Dan and Zy is only there to practice her interviewing skills and make connections. Not much fun for me."
A loud beep beckons Logan to pull the hot cider out of the microwave. He hands Ashelyn a mug and sits next to her. "What are you thinking about right now?"
His sister takes a nice, steady sip. "Tomorrow. It's gonna be Christmas Eve."
Only once they exit onto the parking lot does the sound die down to the point that they can hear each other. Lily, still asleep, rides piggy-back on Mark.
Taking a quick swig of beer Daniel screams out at the night. "Frickin' amazing game! So close! 9-8! Wooooo!"
"Yeah, it was pretty awesome." Mark clicks the remote unlock for his car. "There's a game next week, let's catch that one, too."
"For sure, man. For sure." Daniel brings the bottle up for a generous emptying. "Is Lily joining us?"
"Nah, she's going home after the holiday."
"Aw... man. I really like her. The way she cheers... Her excitement is contagious! Magical even! Ya know what I mean?"
"Yeah, sure. You only like her because you think you have a chance."
Mark pulls out his cell phone to have a look at the time. "Huh... My parents always have a business trip this time of the year. They left last night, but they should be back tomorrow."
Lily frowns pensively. "So what are we doing until my brother and Fallon arrive?"
"Normally, Zy and Ashe come over and I make lunch, nut I don't know if that plan holds this year." Mark turns over. "I'm going back to bed."
"I know how you're feeling, Mark." Lily gazes at her feet.
Mark stares at Lily, but she does not look back. "You can feel it? Is it that bad?"
"No, I kinda feel the same way... lonely." She moves her feet back and forth.
Mark sits up and hugs Lily tightly. "You'll see him soon. Jon doesn't seem the type to disappoint. I bet he's thinkin' of you right now."
The doorbell rings and knocking can be heard. Mark hastily gets up to answer the door. Upon opening it, Zy, Ashelyn, and Logan walk in. Mark hugs them as they come in. "I wasn't expecting you guys so early."
"Yeah, well, it's really exciting celebrating the holidays at home," says Zy. "Nothing quite like it."
Ashelyn peeks around. "Where's Lily? I brought a change of clothes for her and some for Rairi and Fallon when they arrive."
"She's in the living room. Lily's been feeling down since I woke up this morning."
Zy pats him on the shoulder. "She'll be fine. Fallon told me she gets moody when Rairi isn't around."
"Isn't that odd?" notes Logan.
"Well, they are twins," replies Zy. "Though I think Lily's siren powers make her oversensitive to their emotional link."
Silence. Ashelyn, Mark, and Logan just stare at her, possibly in confusion.
"What?" Zy puts her hands on her hips. "Just because we're on break from school, I'm not slowing down."
"Dive," says Rairi. "They're loads of fishing ships along the coast."
"I can't believe you made this trip alone. Twice a week and for all these years."
They plunge into the waves and glide along the sandy bottom. Above them, boat cast their nets. Cloud-like schools of fish flee in cascades of color.
Fallon rakes the sand below her. "So what's this holiday they're celebrating up there?"
"It's called Christmas. I don't really understand much of it, but it's the time of the year when human families stop whatever they're doing and spend a day together."
"That sounds wonderful! But we don't have family up there..."
"What are you talking about? Of course we do!"
Logan bites his lower lip. "How can we get them out? People are bound to notice."
"Leave them to me," replies Lily. "Just get ready to carry them back to Mark's place in case someone spots them."
Lily saunters dreamily closer to the water, humming underneath her breath. Steadily she grows louder until it becomes a hauntingly wordless song. A couple guys nearby playing volleyball stop what they are doing and stare blankly in random directions. The rest of the people, from napping sunbathers to laughing children, have their attentions stolen by the same interesting nothing.
Mark points out to the water's edge. "There they are."
The water dances hypnotically with Lily's song. Rairi and Fallon look up at the mirror-like surface. A distant melody makes a shiver swim up both their spines.
Rairi takes his girlfriend by the hand. "That's the signal. Let's go."
The two of them rush upwards and towards the shallows. When they break the surface, Fallon and Rairi are pulled up onto the sand by their friends. Zy steps up and, with a wave of her finger, dries off their tails until they start turning into legs. Ashelyn reaches into her backpack and pulls out towels and hands them to Rairi and Fallon.
After wrapping it about his hips, Rairi gets to his feet. "How are you guys? It's been quiet since Logan and Lily left."
Fallon giggles softly and pokes him in the side.
"Okay... maybe not too quiet, but we did miss you."
Lily winds down her song to a gentle hum. She walks up to her brother and rests her head against his while gripping his shoulders. "It's great to see you, Rai-rai... Have any news from Jon?"
"I do, actually..."
Lily's eyes widen and tear up. "Well?"
Rairi reaches into a small backpack he brought along and pulls out a sealed scroll. "I told him we'd be here. This is a letter addressed to you." He pulls out another sealed scroll from his bag. Unlike the last one, this has a slight white glow. "This... is for all of us, though it has a note attached to it for you, Zy."
Zy takes the scroll, bewildered. "This is a tight seal... I wonder what it says..." Zy breaks the seal and unravels the scroll. "'Dear Zy, please make it snow.' What does that-"
The scroll's glow fades. In an instant, the paper rolls up and rockets out of Zy's hand and vanishes into the cloudless sky. No one but the seven friends apparently sees this happen.
Left, right, and all around, the air starts to sparkle and twinkle. Every single person on the beach stops to glance up. The sun reigns in the sky, but there is no mistaking what is falling before their dumbstruck eyes.
Stretching out his hand, Mark feels a couple cool, white flakes land. "It's real. It's really snow..."
"They're beautiful..." Lily's gaze follows the specks and bits waltzing lazily to the ground. One snowflake, in particular, twirls before her with almost a mind of its own. It does a spin here and a turn there before delicately landing against her lip.
The ghost of a pair of lips briefly gives Lily a surprise. It is as over as soon as it had begun, but a loving voice whispers into her ear. "Merry First Christmas, Lily. I love you."
Happy summer everyone!
The enticing smell of eggs and sausages rouses Mark from his slumber. After a long week of finals, the sound of someone else cooking is more than welcome. He slips on his sweats and sneakers and saunters out into the kitchen. There, he finds his mother flipping omelets and French toast in front of the stove.
"Good morning, honey!" Mrs. Hollenvale walks up and kisses her son on the cheek. "I made breakfast for you before you go on your morning run."
"Thanks, Mom!" Mark nibbles on a bit of toast from the bread basket on the dinner table. "Where's Dad?"
Mrs. Hollenvale puts a couple slices of French toast and an omelet on her son's plate. "He's still at work. He wants to take you out later tonight in celebration of your excellent grades."
"Hey, Mom? I met someone at school. A girl."
"Hm?" Mrs. Hollenvale leans towards her son. "I hope she's better than the past girls you've brought home, Mark. Can I meet her?"
"She's coming over on Christmas. You can meet her then, Mom. Kara's her name, by the way. Kara DuRochelle." Mark finishes up his breakfast and hustles out the door. "I'm going out running with Ashe. See you later!"
A cloudless, sunny sky soars high above while Mark jogs to Ashelyn's place. The early birds chirp to the music of his footsteps. When he knocks on the door, her father opens it up still sipping his coffee.
"Good morning, Mr. Kasaccio."
"Good morning, Mark. Ashelyn's still getting ready. Come in! Come in!" He leads Mark to the living room. "You ought to go check on her. She hasn't been in much of a talking mood since coming home."
Mr. Kasaccio sits comfortably in a recliner while Mark goes into the hallway and slowly creaks Ashelyn's door open. "Ashe... Ashe! It's me. Are you in here?"
She is not, but Mark immediately knows the next place to check. He goes to the end of the hallway. To Logan's old room.
Inside, Ashelyn sits on her brother's bed holding a picture. She gazes at it lovingly before putting it down on the nightstand. "Oh... Hi, Mark. I'm just about ready."
Mark sits down next to her. "Miss Logan already, Ashe?"
"I feel stupid about it, but yeah. It doesn't really feel like a vacation when only part of the family is here."
"Rairi said they're coming by in two weeks to visit. Now that we have these breathing necklaces, we can finally sleep over at his place." Mark pats her on the back.
Ashelyn grins. "Kara's from that village. You must be itching to see her..."
"You have no idea. Hey! You think Zy wants to join us?"
"She's probably asleep. All that work over the semester is finally catching up with her."
Mark gets up. "Oh well. Let's get going. I have plans for lunch. Well, that and the smell of this room is starting to get to me."
------------------------------
Zy lies on her bed staring at her bookshelf. Romance novels and fantasy epics sit there quietly. She once adored those books and dreamed of entering their worlds and to breathe their life into her lungs. Now, the color seems to drain from their yellowed pages. Her life imitates art. Magnificent, brilliant art.The ocean calls out through her window. Zy whisks herself to her feet to stare out the glass at the laughing waves. Even if there is no one under the surface, the thought of a nice swim makes her blood rush.
After a quick change into her cute purple bikini, Zy runs onto the beach with its warm sand between her toes and salt air blowing through her obsidian hair. She dives into the water with hardly a splash to feel the cool embrace of her second home. The currents take her to the surface just as the stars begin to blossom in the sunset sky.
"Zy! Zy!"
Zy lifts her head and sees a familiar face on the beach with his hands excitedly waving up and down. A young man with brown messy hair and horn-rimmed glasses jumps up and down, trying to get her attention. He takes a few steps into the receding sea foam while she floats close enough to get to her feet.
"Hey, Oliver!" She runs up to her friend and gives him a big hug, drenching his lime-green polo and khaki slacks. "Oh, damn! I'm sorry about that, Oliver..."
"No, no, it's fine, Zy. It's really great to see you!"
"That it is... It's great seeing you, too. Hey! You've gotten taller in the past few months! How have you been holding up?"
"I've been well. High school sucks, as usual. But at least it's my final year. Grades have been up, so my parents are happy."
"How about your girlfriend, Nina?"
"She's fantastic." Oliver turns away his reddening face. "I... uh... I heard you refused Mark a few weeks before leaving for school. Have you two been getting along since I hear you dorm together?"
Zy skips a stone over a coming wave. "Yeah. We get along. He's even moved on and found himself a girlfriend! And... I'm entrenched in work and studies."
"Just like high school?"
"Just like high school. Only... even more fun."
"Nice. Though I haven't heard much from you during the semester. What's it like at Southern Seas University? Are there hot women everywhere? That's what all my friends say."
"You could say that." Zy watches the sun dip into the ocean. "Actually, you know what? I just uploaded the pics from my camera. We can go check them out if you like."
"I would like that, but I have volunteer work at the hospital tomorrow morning. We're training newbies right now. I'll check out those pics later." Oliver waves good-bye and heads back next door.
Zy is about to jump back into the waves when she feels a presence in the water. "Oh, hey! How long have you been waiting?"
------------------------------
The speeding bluefin tuna races in front of Rairi. The merman chases with rune-clad daggers gripped in his fists. Nearby, Logan hides among some seaweed ready to throw a net. The fish moves closer and farther, alternating with each passing second. In half a moment, Logan sees his chance. He snares the tuna, which sinks struggling to the sandy bottom. Rairi throws one of his blades and ends the fight."I'd still never guess anyone went fishing like this!" exclaims Logan. "Here, let me help pull that." He and Rairi lift the tuna off the sand and carry it towards the village.
"You're getting better, though, Logan. Last time, you got me with the net instead of the fish."
"I gotta do something with my time. All this swimming has finally killed my beer gut. I haven't seen my abs since high school! It's got me all hyped!"
"I think you're just anxious about visiting home in a few days. Then again, you have changed a lot in the past few months. Everyone should be surprised when they see you."
Logan kicks faster to keep up with Rairi. "Thanks for letting me stay at your place."
"It's no problem. It's great having you around." Rairi flashes a grin.
The sound of children get louder as they enter the village. Little mergirls and merboys swim and dance around. Some of them stop to watch Logan swim with his legs before their parents hurry them along and apologize.
Rairi and Logan enter Rairi's place, a home carved from rock, just like all the others in the village. Inside, Lily has her face buried in a scroll and, in one of the corners, her and Rairi's father and mother flirt with each other over a coral chess set. When Logan and Rairi come in, the three of them get up to welcome them back.
"Hey, guys," says Lily. "Rairi, Fallon came over earlier. She said that she and her cousins want to come over for dinner."
Mr. and Mrs. Azduré swim up to take the netted tuna from their son and Logan. "Thank you for being such a help to our dear Rairi, Logan," says Mrs. Azduré with a glacier-boiling smile.
"Y-you're welcome."
Lily and Rairi's father merely waves at him as the majority of his attention is spent wrapping his arms around his wife.
Rairi grabs his sister's shoulder. "Did Fallon say they're arriving?"
"No, but just keep the fish out just in case they appear all of a sudden."
Rairi and Logan watch Mr. and Mrs. Azduré put the tuna down on the sand and go continue their chess match.
"I think I'll take a nap..." says Rairi with a yawn and he disappears into the next room.
Logan sits on the sand next to Lily. "Enjoying yourself?"
"Enjoying the view?"
He turns red. "... more than I'm willing to admit..."
------------------------------
Fallon glides through the water flanked by two mermen with the same pink tails as her, Caleb and Cody. Unlike their cousin, their blond hair is completely buzzed down. As they swim through the water, they wink and smile to every mermaid who looks their way."I hear Rairi and Lily have a human staying at their place," says Cody.
"Wouldn't that be Jon?" counters Caleb.
"No." Fallon turns about mid-kick. "It's a man named Logan. He's Ashelyn's older brother, so be nice to him. He's also a good friend of mine, so keep that in mind, too."
The three of them swim through the portalway into Rairi and Lily's place. Fallon quickly waves to Lily and Logan and gives brief hugs and kisses to Mr. and Mrs. Azduré before continuing alone into the next room. Inside, Rairi sleeps on a mound of sand. She softly lands on top of him and pinches his cheek. Rairi's eyes slowly open and he takes her into a warm embrace.
Lily and Logan move the large tuna to the middle of the room. Logan takes Rairi's daggers and slices it open for everyone. The runes on the daggers glow as he cuts into the flesh. On his first fishing expedition with Rairi, the merman explained that the runes keep the daggers unimaginably sharp and unbreakable. As Logan cuts the fish, he takes extra care to avoid his fingers.
Fallon comes in dragging her boyfriend right behind her. All eight of them sit around the mouthwatering tuna, quickly taking it apart with their hands. At the very moment the last bone is picked clean, Lily pulls out a tailball. "There's enough people here. Everyone up for a game?"
Her parent shake their heads and swim off to their secluded corner.
Caleb nudges Logan. "Think you can keep up, Legs?"
"I've played a game or two. I think I can hold my own." Logan gives a thumbs-up.
"How does everyone wanna do teams?" asks Lily.
Fallon pulls Cody and Caleb in, beaming with pride. "I'm goin' to try a team with my boys."
Lily pulls Rairi and Logan towards herself. "Your boys against mine, then."
The six swim out above the village center where a tailball court is waiting. The two nets are set up on top of the homes o nearby neighbors. All of the merchildren playing stop to watch the Seadragon Orchids back in action on their home pitch.
Logan looks down at his feet and wiggles his toes. "How many points do I score when I kick it in?"
"Same as if you had a tail," replies Fallon. "Five. And don't think we'll go easy on you just because you're new at this."
Lily passes Fallon the ball. "Your team goes first."
The two teams get in place while the audience begins a slow countdown to the start of the match. Logan forces a gulps down in excitement. The fierce look in Caleb, Fallon, and Cody's eyes only makes his blood pump more vigorously. At the count of zero, the six players dash around like homing torpedoes.
Rairi steals the ball from Fallon's grasp and passes it to Logan. He rushes towards the goal with Caleb and Cody right behind him. Before the two reach his ankles, Logan lobs the ball towards Lily. Down on the sand and all around, the people of the village cheer the two sides.
The game ends with the last few points being scored by Fallon. Clouds of younger merpeople float up to congratulate them with leis of sea flowers. Logan shies away from the fans smothering his friends only to be approached by his newly-formed fanbase. A mermaid and her younger sister swim up holding a clay mold. The little sibling asks for an autograph in the form of a footprint.
She squeals with joy when Logan hands the mold back with imprints of both his feet in it. Proudly showing off to her big sister, they swim off. Rairi, Caleb, and Cody appear and give him high-fives.
"Pretty awesome out there, Logan!" exclaims Caleb.
"Told ya!"
Caleb pats him on the back. "Who's been teaching you?"
"This girl I know, Zy. She doesn't play but she's given me tips."
Cody swims up to Logan. "You mean Zy of the Seadragon Orchids?"
Logan backs away, puzzled. "You're friends with Zy, too?"
"No. Me and Caleb have never met her, but we do have a bit of a crush after watching the SSU games. Rairi's never brought his human friends here, at least until now."
Logan glides over to Rairi. "You haven't brought Ashe down here?"
"Uh... no. She didn't have a breathing necklace while we were dating."
"Do you mind if I invite her down here for a bit before next semester? I know it's a bit cramped with me rooming at your place..."
"Don't worry about it, Logan," says Lily. "She's always welcome down here. When do you plan on inviting her anyway?"
"Sometime after we visit the surface. I'd love to stay on land, but home isn't going to welcome me back anytime soon."
"Have you talked with your parents since leaving?" asks Rairi.
"No, but I'm going to go back after this coming semester. I wanna have a place of my own, just in case it doesn't go as planned."
------------------------------
Mark paddles out as the sun peeks over the ocean. Clinging to his black hibiscus surfboard, he watches a wave approach. He stands on the board when Lily and Logan pop up next to him. Mark nearly falls off with a yell but he steadies himself."I wasn't expecting you guys until lunchtime." Mark paddles back to shore with his friends following. "What came up?"
"Logan wanted to come as soon as possible," says Lily. "I came in place of Rairi since he and Fallon went to sleep late last night."
"Did Ashelyn drop off a change of clothes for me?" asks Logan. "All I've worn the past two weeks have been swim trunks."
"Yeah," replies Mark. "She dropped them off a few minutes before I got out here. Since we thought you wouldn't be here until later, she went out. Shopping, I think."
At Mark's place, Logan tries on his old jeans. "Hey, Mark, can you spare a belt? My pants are too fat for me now."
"Uh, sure. Top of the dresser, to the left." Mark looks at Lily. "There's some clothes for you as well. Looks like Ashe packed something just in case Fallon decided to tag along. You could also try the clothes meant for your brother."
Lily takes the clothes and tries them on. "Thanks."
"I'm going back to surfing," says Mark. "You guys can stay here, if you want."
Logan pulls on a t-shirt fitting like a tent, while Mark goes back out to the beach with his surfboard under his arm. Lily spins around in the borrowed clothes. She tugs where it stretches over her abundant curves.
"These are really tight in some places," says Lily with a frown.
"Uncomfortable?"
"It's like wearing a net, but I'll live."
Finding his watch in the bag, Logan slips it on and glances at the minute and hour hands. "We have a good amount of time before lunch, maybe two hours. I have a friend I think I wanna check up on. You wanna tag along?"
"Do I have a choice?" Lily sits on Mark's bed wiggling her toes.
"Well, what would you rather do?"
Lily wiggles her toes a bit more. "Done. Let's go see your friend!"
Together, Lily and Logan stroll out the door and follow the sidewalk. Lily clings tightly to Logan's arm pointing to everything she sees.
"Hey, Logan, what's school like up here?" Lily pauses to admire every front yard along the way.
"It's the- put that gnome down! It's the same as underwater, right?" Logan waits for her to finish smelling a lovely trio of daffodils. "I saw the school back in your village. You history classes are definitely different, obviously. And your science classes also teach magic."
"Where's your school?" asks Lily, spinning on the tips of her toes, trying out the shoes Ashelyn brought over.
"It's a short walk from here. In that direction over there." Logan points just past a distant palm tree.
Before he can say anything more, Lily starts jogging down the sidewalk. Logan follows her as his old high school rises up out of the horizon. Loads of cars fill the parking lots, and a sick feeling sets itself in Logan's gut. He stops in his tracks. "I never imagined coming back here so soon." Lily waves at him from the parking lot. He runs over, looking left and right.
"Are you looking for something?" asks Lily.
"Hm? No. No one."
"No one?"
"Oh. Uh... I meant nope."
"So what's with all these... er, cars?"
"A basketball game, I think. It should be the last one of the semester. Since university gets out early by a few days depending on finals week."
"A game?" Lily's sapphire eyes gleam with excitement. "Can we go check it out? Do you mind? Please?"
The look Logan gets makes him weak in the knees, but he blocks Lily out with thoughts of Shirley. "We- we have time. We can catch the rest of the game."
Lily grabs Logan's wrist and pulls him through the doors. "Show me the way!"
The bleachers of the gym are precariously packed with people when Logan and Lily enter. The two of them hear the blaring halftime buzzer and retreat back out before the rush of people to the washroom tramples them over. They move sideways out of the way to one of the smaller hallways.
"Did we miss it?" asks Lily.
"No." Logan shakes his head. "The game's only halfway through. They'll continue again in fifteen minutes."
"Oh hey..." Lily walks down the hallway. "There are shiny gold trophies in here! Wait... It's not real gold, but still impressive."
"This is a strong sports school. There's another set of trophy cases in the other wing."
Lily continues inspecting the school's winnings and accomplishments. "Are any of these yours, Logan?"
"Uh... the one on your right, there. You can see the picture of me and the rest of the football team."
"There you are! You look really cute... But which football team is this? Jon says football can mean two completely different sports."
"It's American football."
In a few of the more recent team pictures, Lily spots someone else familiar. "Looks like Mark did every sport under the sun... both kinds of football, basketball, swimming, tennis... Your sister's also here in the girls' pictures. No Zy, though..."
"I preferred clubs and participating in student government," comes a voice. Zy saunters into the hallway. "You two are earlier than expected. What's up?"
"Just goin' through some old school memories," replies Logan.
"There are a few prom pictures here, Lily." Zy walks over pointing to another glass case. "Your brother is in a few of them."
"Aww... he looks adorable in a... suit, yeah, that's the word. Are these from when he and Ashe were still dating?"
Zy looks closely at the pictures. "... Yeah. All except the one where he's with me."
Logan leans in for a closer look as well. "You two are kissing..."
"We were prom king and queen," replies Zy smirking. "Ashe was Mark's date that year."
A distant buzzer echoes through the hallway. Logan scratches the back of his head. "It's time for the second half. Shall we?"
------------------------------
Staring at herself in the mirror, Ashelyn lets out a sigh through her frown. "The orange dress looked better... And these straps and getting' annoying."When she gets out of the fitting room to put the less-worthy dress on the return rack, her ears catch onto a familiar voice. Nearby, she sees a couple of old classmates, namely Opie and Chase. The two are looking through a line of lacy halter tops, muttering to themselves about which one they like best.
Ashelyn sneaks up behind them. "You have a new hobby I haven't heard about, guys?"
Both Chase and Opie turn about with their hands letting go of the top as if it were woven out of jellyfish tentacles. "Ashe!" exclaims Opie. "What are you doing here?"
"This is a women's clothing store that specializes in lingerie." Ashelyn crosses her arms. "What are you two doing here?"
"A bit of shopping," says Chase. "With the holiday coming up, we have to pick up presents for some girls we know."
"But why here?"
Chase looks at the dress in her hands. "You clearly shop here."
"True, but you and Opie aren't exactly fashion experts. I'm perfectly fine with just a card from you guys."
"We're good friends, right?" notes Opie. "A card just doesn't feel right. But if you don't want clothes from us, what would you really like?"
"Well, what online games do you two play?" Ashelyn hangs the dress on the return rack. "It can be something the three of us can do while away at school."
Chase gets a grin on his face. "You never struck me as the kind who sits in front of a computer all day."
"And you're too busy to level up an MMO avatar..." adds Opie.
"I have my brother's console at home. What about a fun shooter with online multiplayer? I can bring that with me."
"That sounds awesome! Chase and me are into a few games. We can go down to the games shop as soon as you're done."
Opie and Chase take a ride in Ashelyn's car on their way to the games shop.
"So... have you heard from Logan? He ran away a couple months back after some fiasco with that girlfriend of his." Chase waits quietly, but Opie interrupts.
"We were curious, but if you don't wanna-"
"It's fine. Logan ran away and found me at school. He's cleaned up a lot. Even that stupid pot habit of his is gone."
Chase leans back in his seat. "That's good, but why didn't he come back with you?"
"Our parents. They're still furious." Ashelyn shrugs. "He's visiting today but he's staying at Rairi's until school starts up again." She parks the car and the three of them enter the shop.
Chase and Opie lead Ashelyn to the back where a large display stands over them. A faceless warrior clad in space armor looks into the distance with a large sniper rifle on his or her back. Ashelyn pokes it to discover it is a very life-like cardboard cut-out. Opie pulls her away from it and to the shelf. "This is the game," he says. "It's one of the best multiplayer games to come out this year, and we know you enjoy watching us play some good FPS games."
Ashelyn takes one of the game boxes and brings it over to the counter. Chase quickly realizes something and runs after her with Opie right behind. "That's your present! We're supposed to pay for it!"
------------------------------
On their way back to Ashelyn's place, she receives a text from Mark. She hands her phone to Opie asking him to read it to her. "Logan and Lily are at my place. See ya soon."Ashelyn takes her phone back and tucks it into her pocket. "Do you guys mind if we pick up from Mark's place? It shouldn't take long."
Opie looks at Chase and receives a look in return. "We don't mind. No."
"Who's this Lily, though?" asks Chase. "Are she and Logan..."
"She's Rairi's sister," says Ashelyn. "And Logan is interested in someone else."
Chase looks at his reflection in the rear-view. "What about..."
"Lily has a boyfriend. Don't even try. Either of you."
"That's no fun," mutters Chase.
Ashelyn pulls into Mark's driveway and walks briskly to the door. Before her knuckles can knock, Logan opens it and engulfs her in a long, tight hug. "How've you been, Ashe? How're Mom and Dad?"
"I've been great. It's been lonely at home without you." She wipes a tear from her eye. "Mom and Dad are fine, but they're still furious with you."
Logan lets go of her. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Did you tell them I'm in town?"
"They know you're here, but they didn't show any interest."
"Oh, hey! I got you something. Consider it an early Christmas present." Logan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sky-blue seashell-shaped object. "It's a music player."
Ashelyn takes it carefully in her hand. "I love it! How does it work? I don't see headphones..."
"You wear it in your hair and it will play music so that only you can hear it." Logan slides it above her ear.
As soon as it is in place, the soothing, wordless song of a mermaid fills the air around Ashelyn. "This is amazing! Thanks so much, Logan. Love you..."
Opie and Chase get out of the car. Both of them stop in their tracks at the sight of Logan.
"Wow! You cleaned up pretty well!" exclaims Chase.
"Yeah," chirps Opie. "You don't look like a red-eyed stoner anymore. Or smell like one."
Logan grins a bit. "Yep. I've completely dropped the smoking. I still drink, but I have that under control."
Ashelyn looks behind Logan and through Mark's open door. "Where's Lily? She's the one who brought you here, right?"
"She's asleep in Mark's room. We had a long morning getting here because of bad currents. That, and we watched a basketball game at the school. She's really excitable lately."
"I see... then let's get going. Opie and Chase got me a new video game! The four of us can play it at home."
------------------------------
Ashelyn opens the door to her house. Mr. and Mrs. Kasaccio greet her warmly from the kitchen, but automatically freeze when Logan walks in. Their son continues silently without meeting their eyes, following Ashelyn into her room. Chase and Opie greet them politely and disappear into their daughter's room.Mr. Kasaccio puts down his coffee. "Logan's doing better than I expected."
"Well, he didn't come back begging within a week like you thought, dear. I am glad to see that he's well." Mrs. Kasaccio puts down her newspaper.
"You're not mad at him anymore?"
"Furious. But that does not mean I am an uncaring mother, dear."
------------------------------
Miles away and deep under the sea, Rairi and Fallon watch over the little merchildren playing with a tailball. Fallon hugs Rairi from behind and pinches his ear between her lips."You're sure about this?" asks Rairi.
"They're my friends, too," replies Fallon. "Besides, we've never celebrated a holiday like it before. It'll be fun."
"So... what do you think we should get them?"
"We can bring them down here to the village. Ashe, Zy, and Mark have always wanted to come down here, but they never had a chance before because they didn't own breathing necklaces until recently. But... Logan wants to bring Ashe down here anyway..."
Fallon swishes her tail. "So we have to come up with something else for her..."
"Well, we can throw a party for everyone when they do come here" A little mergirl swats the tailball at Rairi, who catches and tosses it back. "I'm sure these kids would love someone new to play with."
Fallon squeezes her boyfriend tight. "What do you think they're doing up there? Lily was pretty eager to take Logan home."
"Probably just hanging out. Sis just wants to spend some time up there. It makes her feel closer to Jon."
"Oh... Where is he by the way?" Fallon rests her chin on Rairi's shoulder. "Last I heard, Jon had rescue duty in some far-off sea."
"He still does that. He's trying to get transferred back to coastal defense."
"I still say that job is too dangerous for someone like him." Fallon sighs. "It hurts too much to think he could die out there."
------------------------------
"Ahchoo!"
"You coming down with a cold or something, Jon-chan?" A young woman in a purple floral kimono hand him a handkerchief. Her black hair sits in a tight bun despite the severe wind.
"Don't think so, Hikari-senpai..."
"Maybe someone's talking about you... That's what oba-chan says."
"Maybe..."
The two of them walk across the surface of the sea. Ice forms under their feet like stepping stones, supporting their weight. Hikari holds a paper lantern to lead them through the desolate night. In the distance, a large trawler rings its bell as the nets are being pulled in.
Hikari looks down at the water, peering through the surface and down to the depths. "What city is that down there?"
"Aq Valencia. We're close to the Spanish coast, but I can still make out France from here. Anyway, we should get closer to the ship. It's non-magical."
"Agreed." Hikari slides a pair of paper fans from the sleeves of her silk kimono and into her hands. "Our shift is almost over. It'd be a terrible shame if we let our guard down at this point."
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
On board the trawler, the crew despairs at their third empty net of the night. Radar shows a bounty of fish all around, but all of them seem to clever to let themselves be caught. The men mutter and curse to themselves while the captain marches out onto the deck.
One of the fishermen delivers the news. "Nada nuevo, Capitán."
The captain pounds his fist on a railing. Anger and frustration light his eyes as they scan the dark waters for any sign of life. A sudden shift in the shadows has him scrambling in a frenzy to his men. "¡Tirad las redes del lado de babor!" bellows the captain. "¡Vi algo!"
Wearily obeying, the fishermen toss their nets. Much to their surprise, it immediately tugs back. Three brutish-looking fishermen take the ropes and hoist the net out of the water. It lands with a thud on the deck making everyone speechless at its contents.
Three young mermaids. Shaking and clinging to each other.
"Sirenas..."
"Son sirenitas, ¿sí?"
"No lo puedo creer..."
The captain steps forward to confirm what his eyes are whispering to his mind. His hand lands on one of their shoulders, causing all three to shriek in deafening unison. The entire crew attempt to shield their ears from the unfathomable pain.
In all this chaos, no one notices the footsteps of two more unexpected guests on the deck.
A sudden mist swarms about and chills the air. Each of the fishermen tries and fails to move a limb. Frozen, damp clothes lock them in place. The three mermaids continue to shiver until they see two forms emerge from the mist: a young man in metal-plated swim trunks and a young woman in a kimono twirling an umbrella. What eventually calms them is the pendants hanging about their necks, the imperial crest of Pantalassa.
Jon extends his hand and a smile. "¿Estáis bien, todas?"
The oldest of the three mermaids takes his hand. "S-sí. Estamos bien."
Hikari looks around at the freezing fishermen. With load cracks, the ship captain breaks out of his icy shackles and charges at her. A simple sidestep has him crashing face-first into the ice-clad deck. Hikari nonchalantly stands on his back.
"¡Aiyeee! ¡La madre que te parió!" screams the captain. "¡Tienes el peso de un elefante obeso!"
Ignoring the screams and cursing, Hikari addresses Jon. "Escort them back home, Jon-chan. I'll join you as soon as I slam this place against the coastline."
Jon nods and turns back to the mermaid trio. He picks up the youngest and escorts her to the side of the ship and slides her gently into the water. Her older sister stops him before being returned to the sea. "¿Qué hace la amiga suya?" she asks.
"Convoca a una tormenta para hacer volar este barco."
The third mermaid, the oldest, gives Jon a smile as he picks her up, adding a shy 'gracias' to Hikari as he jumps into the water with her.
At the sound of the final splash, Hikari begins dancing in a circle with her fans. The temperature drops with each step and turn of her body. A terrible dread seizes the fishermen watching her dance slow down. Inexplicable, freezing sweat flees down their skin at the silence after her movements cease.
"Adiós."
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
The three mermaids rush home and into the waiting arms of their father. Jon floats quietly behind, keeping his eyes on the surface above. "Miss you..."
Several tiny hands grab his arms and pull him forward. The mermaids are back. "¡Nuestro padre quiere darle las gracias!" cheerily says the oldest.
Her sisters look around. "¿Dónde está su amiga?"
Jon looks back up at the surface. "Ella no tiene prisa. A Hikari no le encanta un kimono húmedo."
The middle sister tugs at the waistband of his shorts. "Cómo se llama, Señor?"
"Me llamo Jon. Sólo me llamad Jon."
The mermaids smile and continue ushering him towards their home. Floating in the portalway, their father waves at him. Jon finds himself locked in a tight hug upon approach.
"Gracias... por salvar a mis preciosas..." The merman weeps against Jon's shoulder.
In the distance, Hikari alights on the sea floor while encased in a protective air bubble. She grins at the happily reunited family and pulls out her phone. "Two hours of overtime..." A few button taps later, Hikari brings the phone to her ear. "Our shift is over. Where are our replacements? Ah. Nevermind. I see them."
------------------------------
Mark enters his room and stops at the gentle breathing of Lily sleeping on his bed. Her arms and legs wrap around a body pillow while she whispers inaudibly into it. Leaning in, Mark rocks her shoulder softly. "Lily, I'm heading out with some friends. Do you wanna stay here or come with?"Drowsily, Lily looks up, but her eyes shine at what she hears. "I'm awake. I wanna go!"
Lily follows Mark out to the driveway, where he gets into a sleek, black muscle car. She gets in just as he turns the key. The immediate roar sends a shiver down her spine. "Does it have to be so loud, Mark?"
"This kind of car is just that way. And don't forget to put that seatbelt on!"
Mark and Lily glide down the road as the suburbs pass them by. Lily has her forehead firmly pressed against the passenger's side window. The radio pumps out rock and punk while Mark sings along.
Lily unsticks her head from the window and turns to Mark. "We're heading to your friend's apartment downtown, right?"
"Yeah," replies Mark. "I haven't seen my friend Daniel since he moved here after graduating. He's a year above me. Anyway, we're gonna see a football game. American football. And don't worry, I can pay for you."
Mark's car zooms into the downtown area. "Welcome to Los Angeles!"
"This is amazing..." whispers Lily.
Bright, polished condominiums and apartments tower overhead. The flowers cluttered onto the window sills let off their fleeting scents.
Lily lowers her window and peeks a hand out. "The wind's really nice... Are we slowing down?"
"Yeah." Mark puts his car into park. "We're here."
The apartment in front of them is the nicest on the block, but it looks empty. Curtains are drawn and not even a welcome mat adorns the doorway. Lily spots movement from one of the windows. "You sure this is the place?"
"Pretty sure. This matches the address Dan texted me." Mark pulls out his phone. "Oh wait. There he is."
A young man is stepping out of the apartment in a fresh band t-shirt and neatly ironed jeans. His black hair sticks straight up like lethal blades of grass. Daniel saunters manfully up to Mark's car and opens up the passenger door. He stops, seeing someone already sitting there.
"Oh, wow!" Daniel steps back. "Mark, who's this hottie?" He looks her up and down.
"This is Lily," announces Mark. "She's a really good friend of mine."
Lily extends her hand for a shake which Daniel excitedly takes. Much to her annoyance, he takes longer than expected to let go. Daniel gets into the back of the car and leans up to the front. "We still going to the game?"
------------------------------
Mark, Lily, and Daniel walk across the parking lot, passing several tailgate parties on their way to the stadium. With a casual tug, Daniel pulls Mark back a bit, letting Lily take the lead. As soon as they are out of earshot, Daniel leans into his friend's ear. "Where on ear did you find this one?"Mark sighs. "Remember my friend, Rairi?"
"Yeah. Ashe's ex. Shy, girly kid. Always smiling."
"Lily's his twin sister. She's visiting for Christmas."
"Bangin' a friend's sister? Sweet, bro."
"No. I'm not. I already got a girlfriend. And she has a boyfriend."
They catch up with Lily, who is stopped at the gate. "Where do we get the tickets?" she asks.
Mark pulls her over to the ticket counter and proceeds to pay. He hands Lily her ticket and Daniel his. "Ready for your first football game?"
------------------------------
Back at Ashelyn's place, Opie and Chase sit comfortably upon her bed. Ashelyn sits right between them, controller in hand. Logan leaves the room, quietly texting his girlfriend making puppy-faces at his phone. The roar of guns echoes rudely in her room accompanied by contagious laughter and sudden shouts of "Look out!"Looking at the clock, Ashelyn turns off the game. "It's getting late. You guys wanna order take-out?"
"I got it!" announces Logan as he re-enters the room with four bowls, silverware, and a large pot full of beef stew. "You guys were so into shooting each other to death that I decided to make something."
"Why didn't you play?" asks Chase. "There was an extra controller."
"Too busy texting my girlfriend."
Ashelyn takes the bowls and silverware and shares them with Chase and Opie. "How is Shirley, by the way?"
"She's good. Spending time with her family." Logan ladles some stew that lets its scent snare them by the noses. Opie and Chase eagerly swallow their first bites while Ashelyn and her brother look on.
Ashelyn smiles after a silent slurp and pats Logan on the back. "Another delicious meal..."
After dinner, Opie and Chase say their good-byes and head back home. Logan collects the leftovers and the kitchenware to bring to the kitchen. Ashelyn follows him and lets out a stifled yawn. With the dishes soaking under a pool of sudsy warm water, Logan saunters over to the cabinet and draws out a pair of mugs. "There's some apple cider in the fridge. You want some?"
"Of course I do!" Ashelyn takes a seat at the kitchen table. She looks down a hallway. "Are Mom and Dad home?"
"No... there's a note on the fridge saying they're out at a friend's barbecue."
"Oh yeah... I remember Dad saying something about that this morning, asking if I wanted to come along."
Logan pours out the cider into the mugs and sticks them in the microwave. "Why didn't you go?"
"If I go, I'd have to put up with all those stuck-up kids of those people our parents hang with. No thanks."
"The Vorres and the Hollenvales hang with our parents." Logan leans against the counter.
"Yeah, but Mark is out with Dan and Zy is only there to practice her interviewing skills and make connections. Not much fun for me."
A loud beep beckons Logan to pull the hot cider out of the microwave. He hands Ashelyn a mug and sits next to her. "What are you thinking about right now?"
His sister takes a nice, steady sip. "Tomorrow. It's gonna be Christmas Eve."
------------------------------
The football game ends in a win for Mark and Daniel's team, the Sonic Sparrows. The two friends jump and cheer alongside the majority of the fans in the stadium. Mark looks to his side and finds Lily curled up in her seat, fast asleep. He nudges Daniel and points down to their dreaming companion. Daniel takes in the last bit of excitement before shrugging in defeat.Only once they exit onto the parking lot does the sound die down to the point that they can hear each other. Lily, still asleep, rides piggy-back on Mark.
Taking a quick swig of beer Daniel screams out at the night. "Frickin' amazing game! So close! 9-8! Wooooo!"
"Yeah, it was pretty awesome." Mark clicks the remote unlock for his car. "There's a game next week, let's catch that one, too."
"For sure, man. For sure." Daniel brings the bottle up for a generous emptying. "Is Lily joining us?"
"Nah, she's going home after the holiday."
"Aw... man. I really like her. The way she cheers... Her excitement is contagious! Magical even! Ya know what I mean?"
"Yeah, sure. You only like her because you think you have a chance."
------------------------------
On Christmas Eve morning, Mark awakens to Lily walking into the living room. She sits down next to him on the couch. "Is your home always this quiet around the holidays, Mark?"Mark pulls out his cell phone to have a look at the time. "Huh... My parents always have a business trip this time of the year. They left last night, but they should be back tomorrow."
Lily frowns pensively. "So what are we doing until my brother and Fallon arrive?"
"Normally, Zy and Ashe come over and I make lunch, nut I don't know if that plan holds this year." Mark turns over. "I'm going back to bed."
"I know how you're feeling, Mark." Lily gazes at her feet.
Mark stares at Lily, but she does not look back. "You can feel it? Is it that bad?"
"No, I kinda feel the same way... lonely." She moves her feet back and forth.
Mark sits up and hugs Lily tightly. "You'll see him soon. Jon doesn't seem the type to disappoint. I bet he's thinkin' of you right now."
The doorbell rings and knocking can be heard. Mark hastily gets up to answer the door. Upon opening it, Zy, Ashelyn, and Logan walk in. Mark hugs them as they come in. "I wasn't expecting you guys so early."
"Yeah, well, it's really exciting celebrating the holidays at home," says Zy. "Nothing quite like it."
Ashelyn peeks around. "Where's Lily? I brought a change of clothes for her and some for Rairi and Fallon when they arrive."
"She's in the living room. Lily's been feeling down since I woke up this morning."
Zy pats him on the shoulder. "She'll be fine. Fallon told me she gets moody when Rairi isn't around."
"Isn't that odd?" notes Logan.
"Well, they are twins," replies Zy. "Though I think Lily's siren powers make her oversensitive to their emotional link."
Silence. Ashelyn, Mark, and Logan just stare at her, possibly in confusion.
"What?" Zy puts her hands on her hips. "Just because we're on break from school, I'm not slowing down."
------------------------------
Rairi and Fallon race across the surface of the water. A nearby pod of dolphins joins them, leaping powerfully into the air. In the distance, their friends' hometown rises up from the horizon."Dive," says Rairi. "They're loads of fishing ships along the coast."
"I can't believe you made this trip alone. Twice a week and for all these years."
They plunge into the waves and glide along the sandy bottom. Above them, boat cast their nets. Cloud-like schools of fish flee in cascades of color.
Fallon rakes the sand below her. "So what's this holiday they're celebrating up there?"
"It's called Christmas. I don't really understand much of it, but it's the time of the year when human families stop whatever they're doing and spend a day together."
"That sounds wonderful! But we don't have family up there..."
"What are you talking about? Of course we do!"
------------------------------
Out on the beach, Lily leads her friends to a stretch of sand far from the vacationing beach-goers. Zy can feel Lily's nervousness prickling her skin at seeing the fishing boats making their rounds. Several surfers ride the waves, but they are not so much concerned with what happens on the shore.Logan bites his lower lip. "How can we get them out? People are bound to notice."
"Leave them to me," replies Lily. "Just get ready to carry them back to Mark's place in case someone spots them."
Lily saunters dreamily closer to the water, humming underneath her breath. Steadily she grows louder until it becomes a hauntingly wordless song. A couple guys nearby playing volleyball stop what they are doing and stare blankly in random directions. The rest of the people, from napping sunbathers to laughing children, have their attentions stolen by the same interesting nothing.
Mark points out to the water's edge. "There they are."
The water dances hypnotically with Lily's song. Rairi and Fallon look up at the mirror-like surface. A distant melody makes a shiver swim up both their spines.
Rairi takes his girlfriend by the hand. "That's the signal. Let's go."
The two of them rush upwards and towards the shallows. When they break the surface, Fallon and Rairi are pulled up onto the sand by their friends. Zy steps up and, with a wave of her finger, dries off their tails until they start turning into legs. Ashelyn reaches into her backpack and pulls out towels and hands them to Rairi and Fallon.
After wrapping it about his hips, Rairi gets to his feet. "How are you guys? It's been quiet since Logan and Lily left."
Fallon giggles softly and pokes him in the side.
"Okay... maybe not too quiet, but we did miss you."
Lily winds down her song to a gentle hum. She walks up to her brother and rests her head against his while gripping his shoulders. "It's great to see you, Rai-rai... Have any news from Jon?"
"I do, actually..."
Lily's eyes widen and tear up. "Well?"
Rairi reaches into a small backpack he brought along and pulls out a sealed scroll. "I told him we'd be here. This is a letter addressed to you." He pulls out another sealed scroll from his bag. Unlike the last one, this has a slight white glow. "This... is for all of us, though it has a note attached to it for you, Zy."
Zy takes the scroll, bewildered. "This is a tight seal... I wonder what it says..." Zy breaks the seal and unravels the scroll. "'Dear Zy, please make it snow.' What does that-"
The scroll's glow fades. In an instant, the paper rolls up and rockets out of Zy's hand and vanishes into the cloudless sky. No one but the seven friends apparently sees this happen.
Left, right, and all around, the air starts to sparkle and twinkle. Every single person on the beach stops to glance up. The sun reigns in the sky, but there is no mistaking what is falling before their dumbstruck eyes.
Stretching out his hand, Mark feels a couple cool, white flakes land. "It's real. It's really snow..."
"They're beautiful..." Lily's gaze follows the specks and bits waltzing lazily to the ground. One snowflake, in particular, twirls before her with almost a mind of its own. It does a spin here and a turn there before delicately landing against her lip.
The ghost of a pair of lips briefly gives Lily a surprise. It is as over as soon as it had begun, but a loving voice whispers into her ear. "Merry First Christmas, Lily. I love you."
------------------------------
Note: I completely revised and edited the previous seven chapters so that they would flow better. Hopefully, I can move on to the next volume soon. If you notice in the link below, I got rid of the chapter-by-chapter format since I will be typing these volume-by-volume instead. Among the major changes was the name of the series, the name of the first volume, some organising of the plot, and minor spelling and grammar cleaning.Happy summer everyone!
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