didn’t say anything. It made me feel uncomfortable to hear Tori’s name thrown into the conversation. Ever since we’d arrived in Paradise Point, I’d secretly been wondering why Persephone had invited me and not her best friend, Tori. But now I knew why Tori wasn’t here.
‘Why does she think it’s boring?’ I asked.
Persephone shrugged. ‘That’s just Tori. It’s just what she’s like.’
I didn’t really know what to say to that. ‘Let’s go for I swim,’ I suggested.
We waded out into the sea, squealing as the cold waves hit our legs. Suddenly, I realised I didn’t know the correct protocol for swimming with one of the cool girls. I imagined that Persephone might want to keep her hair dry and perfect.
But she surprised me by diving underwater. I dived under, too. We splashed around in the shallows, getting warm, and then swam way out beyond the small breakers. The water was surprisingly calm and still that far out.
I was quickly realising that Persephone was a bit of a fish in the water, just like Mia and Izzy. Well, maybe not quite as good as them. She took a breath and dived underwater. I ducked under, too, and peered at her blurry face, her hair swishing all over it. She made a noise and some bubbles, but I had no clue what she was on about.
‘So what did I say?’ she said, when we came up for air.
‘Ah,’ I said. ‘No idea.’
‘Don’t you know Mermaid Speak?’ Persephone said, feigning surprise. ‘The key to it is talking slowly and deliberately, and listening with your eyes and your heart, not just your ears. Let’s go again and see if you know what I’m saying. It’s a rhyme.’ She ducked under the water again, and I followed.
‘OOo ooo ah ee ah ow ow ooo,’ I said, when we both came up.
Persephone giggled. ‘But it’s so easy. How come you didn’t get it?’ she teased. ‘I said: Roses are red, violets are blue, Rio is cute and so are you!’
‘Aw, sweet,’ I said, smiling. ‘All right, my turn! It’s a limerick. And you’re in it.’ I dived underwater. I bubbled away through the first two lines before I had to come up for air.
Persephone popped up and recited exactly what I’d said. ‘There once was a girl called Persephone, who liked to eat lots of sesame.’
‘No way!’ I said. ‘How did you get that?’
‘C’mon, Kitty,’ she said. ‘There’s not a lot that rhymes with Persephone.’
‘True,’ I said, and ducked underwater to finish the limerick. It was quite long and took me several goes.
Persephone asked me to repeat the last line a few times. When she finally came up from under the water, she said the limerick almost word for word. ‘There once was a girl called Persephone, who liked to eat lots of sesame. Along Jordan came, who could say her name, and together they lived ever after so happily.’
I couldn’t believe it. ‘How did you get so good at doing that?’
‘Years of practice with my cousin,’ Persephone said, ‘She’s deaf. She has to listen with her heart and her eyes.’
‘So is she really good at lip-reading underwater?’ I asked.
‘The best. Maybe she’s a mermaid,’ Persephone giggled and splashed me. ‘Come on. Race you to shore!’
When we got back to our towels, there was a text waiting for Persephone. She read it aloud.
Hey P. Are you and Kitty at the beach yet? Rio and I are here. When do you want to meet up? J xx
‘Oh, and there are two kisses. How cute!’ she said, holding the phone to her chest. ‘So, what do you think? You want to find the guys now?’
‘What, like, right now?’ I asked. I felt a buzz of excitement at the thought of seeing Rio. It soon turned to panic, though, when I remembered what had happened last time I saw him. I’d never be ready to face Rio after the Snow White knickers incident.
‘Uh-huh. Right now,’ Persephone replied.
‘But I won’t know what to do,’ I blurted out. ‘I won’t have anything to say.’
Persephone frowned. ‘Of course you will. Don’t
‘Why does she think it’s boring?’ I asked.
Persephone shrugged. ‘That’s just Tori. It’s just what she’s like.’
I didn’t really know what to say to that. ‘Let’s go for I swim,’ I suggested.
We waded out into the sea, squealing as the cold waves hit our legs. Suddenly, I realised I didn’t know the correct protocol for swimming with one of the cool girls. I imagined that Persephone might want to keep her hair dry and perfect.
But she surprised me by diving underwater. I dived under, too. We splashed around in the shallows, getting warm, and then swam way out beyond the small breakers. The water was surprisingly calm and still that far out.
I was quickly realising that Persephone was a bit of a fish in the water, just like Mia and Izzy. Well, maybe not quite as good as them. She took a breath and dived underwater. I ducked under, too, and peered at her blurry face, her hair swishing all over it. She made a noise and some bubbles, but I had no clue what she was on about.
‘So what did I say?’ she said, when we came up for air.
‘Ah,’ I said. ‘No idea.’
‘Don’t you know Mermaid Speak?’ Persephone said, feigning surprise. ‘The key to it is talking slowly and deliberately, and listening with your eyes and your heart, not just your ears. Let’s go again and see if you know what I’m saying. It’s a rhyme.’ She ducked under the water again, and I followed.
‘OOo ooo ah ee ah ow ow ooo,’ I said, when we both came up.
Persephone giggled. ‘But it’s so easy. How come you didn’t get it?’ she teased. ‘I said: Roses are red, violets are blue, Rio is cute and so are you!’
‘Aw, sweet,’ I said, smiling. ‘All right, my turn! It’s a limerick. And you’re in it.’ I dived underwater. I bubbled away through the first two lines before I had to come up for air.
Persephone popped up and recited exactly what I’d said. ‘There once was a girl called Persephone, who liked to eat lots of sesame.’
‘No way!’ I said. ‘How did you get that?’
‘C’mon, Kitty,’ she said. ‘There’s not a lot that rhymes with Persephone.’
‘True,’ I said, and ducked underwater to finish the limerick. It was quite long and took me several goes.
Persephone asked me to repeat the last line a few times. When she finally came up from under the water, she said the limerick almost word for word. ‘There once was a girl called Persephone, who liked to eat lots of sesame. Along Jordan came, who could say her name, and together they lived ever after so happily.’
I couldn’t believe it. ‘How did you get so good at doing that?’
‘Years of practice with my cousin,’ Persephone said, ‘She’s deaf. She has to listen with her heart and her eyes.’
‘So is she really good at lip-reading underwater?’ I asked.
‘The best. Maybe she’s a mermaid,’ Persephone giggled and splashed me. ‘Come on. Race you to shore!’
When we got back to our towels, there was a text waiting for Persephone. She read it aloud.
Hey P. Are you and Kitty at the beach yet? Rio and I are here. When do you want to meet up? J xx
‘Oh, and there are two kisses. How cute!’ she said, holding the phone to her chest. ‘So, what do you think? You want to find the guys now?’
‘What, like, right now?’ I asked. I felt a buzz of excitement at the thought of seeing Rio. It soon turned to panic, though, when I remembered what had happened last time I saw him. I’d never be ready to face Rio after the Snow White knickers incident.
‘Uh-huh. Right now,’ Persephone replied.
‘But I won’t know what to do,’ I blurted out. ‘I won’t have anything to say.’
Persephone frowned. ‘Of course you will. Don’t
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