soothingly. "But maybe you should avoid her for a few days."
"I will," I said. "But what's the big deal? I mean, he's just a guy."
"Not to Penny, he's not,"Jordan said.
I changed the subject. "Who's up for more s'mores?"
After we'd all drifted into a contented food coma, I collapsed into one of the beach chairs and stared out at the ocean. The moon was hiding behind a cloud, but I thought I heard a woman singing a haunting lullaby. I looked around. Nobody else seemed to have heard it, but then the sound came again, above the crash of the waves.
"Anyone want to go for a walk?" I said. Secretly, I hoped that no one, or at least no one besides Sam, would take me up on my offer. It was a private beach, so I'd be safe enough.
To my surprise, Jordan said, "I'll go with you."
"S-sure," I said. I was a little taken aback. Jordan and I got along all right, but she was more of Sam's friend than mine.
We walked along in silence for a few minutes, but then Jordan said something unexpected. "You know, my mom told me sailors used to be lured to their deaths by the sound of a mermaid singing."
"You heard it, too?" I asked.
She nodded. "I've heard singing a couple of times before, but when I went looking I never saw anything."
We fell quiet again, but this time the silence was more comfortable. The lullaby had ended, it seemed.
"It's gone," Jordan said.
But then the song started again, closer this time.
"I think it's coming from over there," I said, pointing to an outcropping of rocks near the far shore. I clicked off my flashlight. "No sense in announcing our presence."
The crescent moon peeked out from behind a cloud. We moved quietly, getting so close that we could clearly hear the words "Go down, oh, you blood-red roses."
We crept closer. There was a flash of long red hair, gleaming white skin, and a tail as someone (or something) dove off the rocks. There was a splash and a flip of a tail, and the woman disappeared into the water. Jordan and I stared at each other in amazement.
"Did you see what I saw?" I finally said.
She nodded. "I guess it's not that surprising, not in Nightshade, anyway. I've seen a lot of strange things, but I've never seen a mermaid."
I hadn't thought Jordan had noticed all the strange things that went on around her, but I had been wrong.
We headed back to the bonfire, which had died down to a faint glow.
"Hey," Sam said. "Did you guys have a good walk?"
Jordan and I exchanged smiles. "It was definitely interesting," she said.
"We were talking about going swimming, but decided we were too full," Alyssa said.
"The water is probably freezing," Jordan replied. "Let's head back to the house."
She threw sand over the coals and then grabbed a nearby sand pail and filled it with ocean water and dumped it over the fire for good measure.
I thought it might be a bit of a squeeze to have all twelve of us in Jordan's room, but there was more than enough room for all of us to spread out our sleeping bags.
We changed into our pajamas and settled in.
Jordan ignored her bed and instead put a sleeping bag next to mine and Sam's. Sam fished a bunch of fashion magazines out of her bag.
"This is the La Contessa I sold to Circe Silvertongue the other day," she said. She pointed to a large purple leather tote plastered with orange cursive LCs, for La Contessa, I assumed.
"It's ... nice," I said lamely. Personally, I thought it was hideous, but I wasn't the one who had to carry it around.
"I saw Ms. Tray with one just like that," Rachel said idly.
"That's impossible," Samantha said.
"Why?"
"It's a one-of-a-kind item," Sam said. "See, it even says so right here. Besides, it was really expensive. More than a guidance counselor could afford."
"Maybe it's a knockoff," Jordan suggested.
"Maybe," Sam said, but she didn't sound convinced.
"What are you going to wear to the anniversary ball?" Alyssa asked, obviously bored with the subject. Talk turned to finding the perfect dress. They were still debating the
"I will," I said. "But what's the big deal? I mean, he's just a guy."
"Not to Penny, he's not,"Jordan said.
I changed the subject. "Who's up for more s'mores?"
After we'd all drifted into a contented food coma, I collapsed into one of the beach chairs and stared out at the ocean. The moon was hiding behind a cloud, but I thought I heard a woman singing a haunting lullaby. I looked around. Nobody else seemed to have heard it, but then the sound came again, above the crash of the waves.
"Anyone want to go for a walk?" I said. Secretly, I hoped that no one, or at least no one besides Sam, would take me up on my offer. It was a private beach, so I'd be safe enough.
To my surprise, Jordan said, "I'll go with you."
"S-sure," I said. I was a little taken aback. Jordan and I got along all right, but she was more of Sam's friend than mine.
We walked along in silence for a few minutes, but then Jordan said something unexpected. "You know, my mom told me sailors used to be lured to their deaths by the sound of a mermaid singing."
"You heard it, too?" I asked.
She nodded. "I've heard singing a couple of times before, but when I went looking I never saw anything."
We fell quiet again, but this time the silence was more comfortable. The lullaby had ended, it seemed.
"It's gone," Jordan said.
But then the song started again, closer this time.
"I think it's coming from over there," I said, pointing to an outcropping of rocks near the far shore. I clicked off my flashlight. "No sense in announcing our presence."
The crescent moon peeked out from behind a cloud. We moved quietly, getting so close that we could clearly hear the words "Go down, oh, you blood-red roses."
We crept closer. There was a flash of long red hair, gleaming white skin, and a tail as someone (or something) dove off the rocks. There was a splash and a flip of a tail, and the woman disappeared into the water. Jordan and I stared at each other in amazement.
"Did you see what I saw?" I finally said.
She nodded. "I guess it's not that surprising, not in Nightshade, anyway. I've seen a lot of strange things, but I've never seen a mermaid."
I hadn't thought Jordan had noticed all the strange things that went on around her, but I had been wrong.
We headed back to the bonfire, which had died down to a faint glow.
"Hey," Sam said. "Did you guys have a good walk?"
Jordan and I exchanged smiles. "It was definitely interesting," she said.
"We were talking about going swimming, but decided we were too full," Alyssa said.
"The water is probably freezing," Jordan replied. "Let's head back to the house."
She threw sand over the coals and then grabbed a nearby sand pail and filled it with ocean water and dumped it over the fire for good measure.
I thought it might be a bit of a squeeze to have all twelve of us in Jordan's room, but there was more than enough room for all of us to spread out our sleeping bags.
We changed into our pajamas and settled in.
Jordan ignored her bed and instead put a sleeping bag next to mine and Sam's. Sam fished a bunch of fashion magazines out of her bag.
"This is the La Contessa I sold to Circe Silvertongue the other day," she said. She pointed to a large purple leather tote plastered with orange cursive LCs, for La Contessa, I assumed.
"It's ... nice," I said lamely. Personally, I thought it was hideous, but I wasn't the one who had to carry it around.
"I saw Ms. Tray with one just like that," Rachel said idly.
"That's impossible," Samantha said.
"Why?"
"It's a one-of-a-kind item," Sam said. "See, it even says so right here. Besides, it was really expensive. More than a guidance counselor could afford."
"Maybe it's a knockoff," Jordan suggested.
"Maybe," Sam said, but she didn't sound convinced.
"What are you going to wear to the anniversary ball?" Alyssa asked, obviously bored with the subject. Talk turned to finding the perfect dress. They were still debating the
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