My Weird Secret Life

Chapter 20: Swim!

We were swimming down the hall with the girls being all too loud when someone's fingertips brushed my shoulder. When swimming through the hall with fifty girls and another fifty guys you're bound to touch someone but this touch was intentional. I spun and Kai came into view. Me personally, I'm a hugger and I wanted to hug my first friend that I had made in the ocean, but out of shock and thinking about it since I first found out, my first comment was more of a rude question. "Why didn't you tell me Rylie and Kylie were your sisters?" His smile dropped and he frowned looking at me odd. "No hi just,' why didn't you tell me that Rylie and Kylie were your sisters?'" He said the last part in a high pitched voice. "That's not how I sound," I said trying to obscure a smile. Kai shrugged,"Agree to disagree." Atlantic swam by with the boy in the video. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pecked her cheek. I looked away feeling totally awkward.
Rylie, Kylie, and Kai all caught up as we swam to a canteen the size of a football field, kelp on the floor for grass. Each table had three benches surrounding them and about three peo . . . you know what, whatever merkids, merchildren, merchilds, whatever they call them could sit on each bench. I did a 360, admiring the wonderful canteen. I swam over to where Kylie already was, a table in the middle of the whole canteen.
    "Rylie's bringing Kai over here right now along with everybody else." "Alright." I answered softly still taking in the place.
The glass ceiling ranged high above us with an endless amount of chandeliers streaming across, sparkling light everywhere. The light that sparkled was all shades of blue. Seeing something so big made me feel so inferior. I nibbled on my lip, it felt wrong to be in such a good mood when Lord knows what was happening to Auntie A and my potentially alive parents. I gulped down my feelings and worst case scenario thoughts. I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders, like a real princess would. I had to pay attention, I had to focus.
Kai swam over and sat next to me. On one bench it was me, Kai, and Rylie, on another bench Kylie, Atlantic, Island and Isle was sitting by herself on a bench texting away to someone. "Island, why did you call me here? I was going to sit with my friends, and no offense everyone, but I'm here instead." I huffed, was this group of merpeople really that bad? "I take offense," I mumbled. Kai didn't look at me but he smiled and I knew he had heard me. Island looked agitated but insisted on a calm yet firm voice anyway. "Isle, please stop complaining. You know what we're doing just sit and listen." The girl Oceana came over and sat down next to Isle,"Sorry, I had to lose my sister before I came over here, she got distracted by Obsidian and his brother Coal." I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say. I also hadn't talked to either of these girls.
The group was starting to add on, how was I supposed to keep track of all these people and save the ocean? And don't forget my family! Well, just like Uncle Ben said 'With great power comes great responsibility.' I was in charge of these people, I had to keep them safe. Kylie talked before I could ask any questions. "Alright, everyone here wants to leave right?" Everyone nodded besides for Isle. I felt disturbingly uncomfortable. I had always been leader and though I wanted to be the one to take charge, I didn't say anything to Kylie about it. "Well, we need to split up into groups."
Kai subtly leaned over and whispered in my ear,"I have a plan. Follow my lead and do not freak out." Usually when people say 'don't freak out' people can't help but start to freak out. Why was Kai telling me not to freak out? Should I be freaking out?!
Under the table I saw Kai carefully lift his hand up towards a small white rectangular box with emergency written on the side. No, wait- "Guys! What's that over there!" Kai pointed to the other side of the food court and because his outburst had been so outburst-y a few other merpeople from other tables turned their heads to see what Kai was talking about too. My eyes refused to move from Kai's hand, what was he planning? No one had noticed that Kai had blasted a sphere of water which shot the emergency white rectangle off its hinges. The chain reaction started, kelp went off and everyone began to panic.
Ms. Misty swam into the room seemingly in a good mood. An older boy, who I'm guessing held the same position as Ms. Misty but for the boys, swam in with her. They startled when they saw the chaos that was wreaking havoc. They attempted to calm everyone down but the two of them weren't enough. That was when Kai yelled for everyone at our table to follow him. He gripped my hand tight and we swam. Kai was swimming so fast that I was getting dragged along. He swam into the now crowded halls pushing merpeople out of our way and saying,"Sorry. Excuse me," enough for a lifetime. I could hear everyone struggling in the back and I turned around to see everyone was held up by the huge crowd trying to get in to see what happened. Kai grabbed my arm with an impressively strong grip and pushed me into a small closet with equipment. "Stay here and don't move, do you understand?" Frightened, I nodded and Kai swam away shutting the door behind him.
I plopped down and waited for ages in the dark. I got so tired of waiting I fell asleep, curled up on the floor with my hair billowing around my face from the warm vents on the floor. The last thing I remember is the same strong grip by my neck and knees (or what used to be my knees, I don't know what they call knees) and carried, limp. I'm not gonna lie, I was comfortable and I would've stayed there if next I wasn't lied down on a bed, still asleep.