02 The Moon And The Tide - Marina's Tales by Derrolyn Anderson

Ethan, sneaking up
behind me as I stood at my locker. I turned around and we stepped
into each other, sighing with relief as we embraced.
    “I’m going to miss this time of the day,” he
said, winding his hands in my hair, “What will I have to look
forward to now?”
    Art was the only class we had together, and
he wouldn’t be able to take it with me in the next semester. I’d
miss his calming presence by my side; despite everything that had
been happening, I always felt better when he was nearby. He would
sit as close to me as possible, much to the dismay of Heather and
Jamie, two of the many girls that would seriously like to see me
disappear and never return.
    We walked past Ethan’s friends and they all
clammed up and stared. It was starting to get irritating.
    “What is their problem with me?” I
asked Ethan.
    He shrugged, “I think they’re in awe of you.
I’ve been hearing all week about how they saw you go full on
surfing. They say you tamed the sea lions too!” he laughed a
little.
    “Sea lions?” I said with a nervous laugh.
    I realized they’d seen everything. My first
impulse was to keep it all to myself, because he got stressed out
just thinking about me surfing with Lorelei. I decided I should
probably say something.
    “Uhm…Ethan…” I took his hand.
    “Don’t worry about it. I think Long’s been
talking to them,” he said dismissively.
    That made sense. Long was Lue Khang’s
grandson, and he was aware of my peculiar affinity for the sea. His
grandfather was the only person I’d encountered in Aptos that had
always seemed to be aware of the mermaid’s presence, considering
them a part of the natural world. Long didn’t share his
grandfather’s Hmong beliefs, and was nervous around me, thinking I
used supernatural powers to somehow control Ethan.
    “Shayla said she’d go surfing with me
sometime.”
    “Really?” he said, eyebrows raised.
    “Yes,” I replied, annoyed, expecting him to
ask me not to go.
    He sounded like he was thinking out loud,
“That’s not such a bad idea, she’s a strong surfer, and she could
look out for you.”
    “Stop that!” I said, offended, “I can look
out for myself.”
    “I’m just worried. I mean, a few months ago
you couldn’t even swim...”
    I laughed so suddenly I almost choked. A few
weeks ago I had spent a night swimming more powerfully and agilely
than any human that had ever lived. Even now, I was advancing in
leaps and bounds, becoming one with the ocean, learning so fast it
was unusual. Inhuman, I thought, just like me.
    Ethan’s concerns were starting to chafe. At
best, he was being overprotective, like my father; at worst, I
sensed he wanted to control me.
    After class he walked me over to the
Mercedes, kissing me as I leaned against the door. This was the
best part of my day, and I snuggled up against him in the cool
afternoon air. It was a crisp, clear December day, between
rainstorms, and there was a feeling of energy in the air. The waves
promised to be good; I could feel it in my spine when the surf was
up. My spine was tingling.
    “Hey,” I said, suddenly excited, “How about
going surfing right now?”
    “You know I have to work,” he said, “Wait
’till Saturday.” I bristled at the commanding tone he took.
    “Fine, Saturday,” I sighed.
    Driving home, I spotted Shayla, walking alone
on the freeway overpass. I pulled over.
    “You want a ride?”
    She looked up, hesitant, “OK.”
    “Where do you live?” I asked as we drove
through town.
    “You can just drop me off up here,” She
motioned towards the entrance to a trailer park not too far from
our little street. The place was ancient, dilapidated, and like
Abby’s little neighborhood it predated all the new developments
that encircled it. Looking in, you could see an assortment of small
trailers, most of which were surrounded by wine barrel planters and
plastic chairs. I pulled over.
    “You know, there are some really big waves
happening right now,” I