When Life Gives You Fins by Elaina H (classic books to read txt) 📖

“Yes, I do. It’s documented that the Santa Maria ran ashore and had to be abandoned. But what really happen was the ship was taken over by the Kraken. La Navidad, the Spanish Fort Columbus ‘built’ form the ships timbers? No, I don’t think so, the fort is made from any other timber.

            And why, you ask to Columbus not speak of this “Kraken”? I’ll tell you, imagine going back to a country’s King and telling him a giant squid-like creature ate your boat. Of course no one would believe him. H would be claimed a nut case and no one would have believed him about anything.

            But who’s to say they sailors didn’t speak of it? They did, it was a mighty sailing story, which is how the story started. The Kraken spread as a large threat, as a story. Not as a fact.” Professor gives me a smile.

            “Do all mer children learn this history?”

            “Yes, and much more you have to learn. I believe that is all the time we have for today.”

            He pushes me out the door as he continues proving his theory. Oh my goodness! Could I be going crazy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Might Be The Best Day Of My Life Except For Blondie

 

            I stand in the hallway in front of the Seamstress’ door. I enter. “I’m here to pick up my dress!” I call down the hall.

            “Figured you would, you left it here yesterday.”             “Thank you so much,” she hands it to me from the back.

            She looks me up and down, “Eh, you look about the same size.” She drags me to a tailoring pedestal. “Here, I’ve been waiting on this girl to come in for a fitting, but she won’t show up. So I guess you’ll have to do.”             She slips a dress over my head. The dress is ugly. It’s yellow and navy, with ruffles, and glitter. “Is this what she wanted?!” I ask the seamstress.

            “Terrible, right? She’s got to be color blind!” I snicker with her.

            We stay in silence for twenty minutes or so while she finishes the garment, “Well, I guess it will do.” As she puts her supplies away I get a good look at the dress. Yes, still ugly.

            I take the dress off and hang it on a rack. Picking my dress up, I go to the front counter. “How much do I owe you?”

            “Nothing, already been paid for!” she shouts from the back.

            “Of course it has,” I mumble under my breath. I swim out and head back to my room to put my dress up.

            The trek is long, really long, and it feels like forever before I make it up the stairs and through the winding halls.

            I hang my dress up quickly and exit my room. I let the hallways take me where they want for the next twenty minutes. I see the kitchen, where the laundry shoot leads, the entrance to the back of the palace, and a staircase to the roof – not going there.

            I continued going forward and eventually made it to a hall with locked doors. I pried and yanked, but nothing changed. I hit the doors with my fin, which, did nothing!

            After another three minutes of shaking and yanking I turned to leave, but the door flies open from the other side. I jump back, surprised.

            Adrianne stands there with an eyebrow raised. “What are you doing?” she keeps the door cracked, barley opened, I can’t see a thing.

            Considering I can’t think of a good excuse I decide to tell her the simple truth, “I was trying to break down the door to see what was behind it.”

            He pink lips twisted back and forth, “Well, I would guess it’s locked for a reason.”

            From behind Adrianne I hear a voice call her name. A guy’s voice. From behind her comes Josh. His lips are pink, lipstick pink.

            Now it’s my turn to give an eyebrow raise.

            “What?” she shrugs her shoulders.

            “I’ve got to go,” I laugh at her from down the hall.

            Not knowing where your at in a palace the size of three Wal*Marts is like not knowing where you are at in a palace the size of three Wal*Marts.

            Still not understanding? Too bad.

            I linger around the same hallway, but eventually leave. I’m sure she has whatever it is she’s doing figured out.

            Tomorrow is the ball, oh gosh. Overwhelmed, already I have three tons worth of pressure on my since I’m going with Prince Zak. I guess this what people call panic attacks, in mini form. I’m breathing fast, too fast. In. Out. In. Out. In. Cough! I start hacking like a fifty year old smoker, too much concentration.

            I make it to the main hallway in one piece. I wasted forty minutes, not enough. I still had to find something to do until 3:00, and most likely by myself. With Zak busy doing whatever business Zak has to do, Haden and my relationship still a little rocky, and Adrianne doing what Adrianne’s doing; it seems I’m out of options.

            I wonder if I could move my job up to an earlier time? That would mean two bonuses: I get away from Blondie and I don’t have awkward time in between school and my new job.

            Man! I think, this palace needs a directory, just like the mall. There should be some sort of lounge with coffee and pastries. Yum!

            Finally, after what felt like an hour, but was only five minutes I fine a room between the kitchen and the maid service center.

            Maids, including Mira, are sitting around laughing together. Mira sees me out of the corner of her eye. She waves me into the room.

            “Hey! Everybody this is Celia.”

            “Call me CJ!” I tack onto the end.

            Everyone smiles then continues with their conversations. Mira begins a new conversation with me, “So, what? You’re bored?”             “Extremely!” I grab her hand, “you have to do something! I’m dying!” My head falls into Mira’s lap. I fake crying. Everyone looks my way. Mira waves them off.

            “Drama Queen!” she mouths.

            I hear someone else whisper, “She going with Prince Zak to the ball.”

            “The red-head? Really? He could honestly do so much better?”

            I hate loud whisperers; they tend to ruin my day. Mira heard them too, but she’s pretending she didn’t.

            Then someone gets ballsy, “Hey! You’re friends with Prince Zak! Why are you here?”

            My mouth hangs open, “Because I’m here with my friend?”

            “Mira? She doesn’t want you here! None of us do, so leave,” this man is such a jerk. I didn’t do anything to him at all.

            “Why should I leave I didn’t do anything wrong to anyone. And Mira and I are really friends, jack….” Mira clears her throat, “I mean jerk.”

            He gives mean death stare, “I don’t know if precious Prince Zak told you this, but there are people out there who hate your guts. I happen to be one of them. So stay out of my way before you get hurt.” This fat, bald, orange tailed man stares me down.

            I shrug my shoulders and give the man a peace sign, “See ya later, Baldie.” I swim out the door and don’t look back.

            Once I’m in the hall I lose all of my bravery. Those were my twenty seconds of courage.

            I take slow deep breaths and someone comes up behind me. “Hey, don’t listen to him, he’s a jerk,” Mira had followed me out.

            “Yeah, well, fortunately, jerks get what they deserve. Someone has to make sure of that, right?”

            “Right!”

            We continue down the hall together. “So why aren’t you with Prince Zak?” Mira finally asks.

            “Well, he’s busy, I guess, that’s why I’m bored. Everyone I know is busy all the time!” I throw my arms up in defeat.

            “Prince Zak isn’t busy,” she shakes her head as she say it, “one of his maids says he’s been in his room all day moping around.”

            “Why?”

            “I don’t know. They just said they were cleaning and he kept lying around staring up at the ceiling.”

            I smile, “Thank you! Do you still need me?”

            She gives me a funny look, “I never needed you, last I remembered you were ‘crying’ in my lap.”

            I scowl at her, “Well, I didn’t know if you could do without me!”

            “I think I’ll live, besides I have to go to Jennifer Benson’s room and clean that pig sty,” she rolls her eyes.

            “Jennifer lives here? She actually lives in the castle?”

            “Yeah, her brother and her father stay here too. Her father works for the King.”

            “Who’s her brother?” I ask worriedly.

            “Joshua Benson. Why?”

            Crap! This is the story of my life! “Thank you, Mira. All this new information you’re giving me is helping my mood.” I give her a smile to show her I’m joking, kind of.

            “Whatever? Bye.”

            I wave and swim toward Zak’s room. Maybe I’ll keep him company? I wonder why he didn’t just come find me, I’m super bored.

            I make it to Zak’s room and here him talking inside. “Why are you here, anyways?”

            “Because,” says Blondie!, “ I came to talk with you. I thought maybe,” she pauses for dramatic affect, “we could go to the ball together. You know like the couple we used to be.”             “We were never a couple! I took you to the ball last year and you ditched me!”

            “I just thought we’d be, like, a power couple along with your sister and my brother?”

            Those little manipulative Bensons! They’re both working their ‘charm’ on the two most important Royal children. Then again Josh seems to actually like Adrianne, but Jennifer is obviously a fake.

            “No the whole power couple thing, not really going to work for me!’

            “Why not?’ she pouts, “Will this work for you?” I hear Jennifer take a step forward, at this point we can all see what’s about to happen.

            So, like any slightly jealous human being I knock on the door. More like knock down the door.

            I hear someone run to the door and open it right away. Zak opens the door a crack so no one can see in. Coward.

            “Oh?” he has an extremely guilty look on his face, “what are you doing here?”

            “Took a stroll through no mans land, and decided to pay my best pal a visit. Unless you’re busy, can I come in?”

            I know I’m pushing it a little far and maybe a little too hard, but I almost enjoy it. Is that really bad? I guess it is.

            I wave my hand at him, “Whatever, I already know Jennifer is in hear. Could hear her a mile away,” I speak louder, “she talks like a man!”

            Zak’s eyes say sorry and he opens the door to let me in. Jennifer has something to say about this, “We were having a private conversation, Rat!”

            “Not to private anymore?” Either because I have a bucket load of guts or I’m on an adrenaline high, I flop on top of Zak’s bed. Her mouth drops open.

            Zak smiles. Okay I’m clear on the whole ‘bed flop’ thing. “You have no manners! Plus you ruin everything! I hate you!” Blondie picks up a rock off Zak’s dresser. She throws the rock at my head; I freak and move the water currents. The rock crashes into a family photo on Zak’s nightstand.

            Zak yells at Jennifer, “You are a lunatic!”

            “I am so sorry, sugar.” Blondie swims over to Zak and puts her hands on each side of his face. “Please forgive me.”

            “Get your hands off me b…. (except he doesn’t actually stop).”

            Jennifer slaps Zak, hard. I get off the bed and come closer to the fight. She turns on me now, “Zak will never like you! You’ll be a faze, just like the