The Little Mermaid (Camren)

Chapter 7

Camila's P.O.V

The next day, Dinah and I were at the Surf Shop. We usually come here when we hang out. We'll sit in the back left corner where all the beach towels are and build a fort out of them. Mr. Harrington, the store's clerk, didn't really mind. He would just laugh, and say "kids these days."

Dinah was sitting up against the wall while I was laying on the floor, eating sea glass candy.

"So how did you get your necklace back?" Dinah asked. She tried to steal a piece of candy, but I swatted her hand away.

"Lauren was the one who found it. I got her to give it back to me."

"That's lucky."

"Tell me about it."

"How did you react to Lauren being a mermaid?"

I snorted/laughed. "Dude, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I forget that she is one sometimes. When I first saw her, I walked around Wingston Harbor like a freaking zombie!"

Dinah started to giggle.

"What about you?"

Dinah sighed. "I don't know Walz. It's like so...surreal."

"Wow. That's a big word for such a tiny mind." I grinned at Dinah.

She smacked my shoulder.

"Go home Mila. No one wants you here."

I fake gasped. "Fine then. I'll just go find Lauren. At least she appreciates my company."

"Whatever Chancho. Go hang with your mermaid girlfriend," Dinah said, as I was crawling out of the towel fort.

I grinned at her over my shoulder. I'm glad our little tuff was over. I was half way out of the fort when I saw Lucy "Dip-Shiz Face" staring wide eye at me. Dip-Shiz turned from me and ran.

"Lucy come back!" I yelled, as I scrabbled from the floor to stand on my feet. She didn't come back. Dinah came out, and stood next to me.

"What did Dip-Shiz do this time?"

I ran my hands through my hair. No, no, no, no, no. This wasn't good. Not at all. I rubbed my face, agitated. She had obviously heard the part about me having a mermaid girlfriend. By the look on her face she believed it too. Dinah watched me with a confused face.

"She heard about Lauren."

"Well, that doesn't mean anything," Dinah was trying to stay hopeful,"I mean would you believe that if you heard it?"

"She looked like she believed it."

Dinah cursed. I nodded my head in agreement. This could be bad. But even if she believed it, it didn't mean anyone else would. As we walked home, I kept repeating that to myself and Dinah. I was trying to reassure myself. I mean, what person on this island would?

_____________

Dinah and I decided to go back to the inn. Dip-Shiz Face just showed us how bad it was to talk about Lauren in public, even behind a towel fort. As we walked home, I couldn't help but worry about Lucy. What would she do? What can she do?

"--ude. Mila? Broski?" Dinah asked, waving her hand in front of my face.

I blinked several times. "Camila, don't worry about Dip-Shiz. She won't bother us," we walked into the lobby, "she won't tell anyone about Lauren being--"

"Being what?" The raspy voice of Johnny Jacobs assaulted our eardrums.

We both hesitated.

"About being my girlfriend," I lied. "We just started dating and wanted to keep it under wraps for a while."

Johnny Jacobs hummed. Dinah and I exchanged wary glances.

"Are you sure your gal is...human?"

Dinah started to laugh, loudly and suspiciously. I thumped her hard on her chest, then smiled (a bit too widely) at Jacobs.

"What else could she be?" My voice was tight. God, we were horrible at this.

"A mermaid," Jacobs answered, his eyes shifting back and forth between the two of us.

Again, Dinah started to laugh awkwardly.

"Nope, Lauren is 100 percent human!" Dinah said.

Jacobs watched us. "Well we must be going. Good luck with..whatever you're doing."

Dinah and I circled around Jacobs so our backs were never to him. He watched us for a moment before leaving the inn. We simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. This was very, very bad, but at least he left.

I turned towards Dinah. "Seriously?" I deadpanned, then started to mock her suspicious laughing.

"I tried my best," she pouted. "Hey what room is he in?"

"Wha--why do you want to know?"

"Because. Old Man Kippers was asking about mermaids. He has to know they're real. And if he's asking about them, he is looking for them. We'll snoop around his room for some clues and see what we find."

"Look Scooby Doo, I don't know what you've been smoking, but if I do that then we could get into some serious trouble. Like we go to jail and my parents get sued kind of trouble."

Dinah let out a short laugh. "Fine. Tell me the room number and I'll look around. If I get caught, I get caught. You don't have to be involved."

I pursed my lips. "No, no! Bad, bad idea."

"C'mon Walz. You only live once. What if he is after Lauren?" Dinah persuaded.

I was swayed then. Dinah was right. If Jacobs was after mermaids, then he could be apart of the ATA.

"His room is 209."

With that, we parted ways. I headed to my room, and Dinah headed for Jacobs's room. I paced as I waited for Dinah. I had no idea how she was going to get into the room first of all, and then I had no idea what she would find it. I was both nervous and excited.

"Camila! Mila! You will not believe what I found," Dinah shouted.

I pulled her into my room.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Some mystical mermaid journal," Dinah shrugged.

"Let me see! Let me see!" I yelled like a kid opening Christmas presents.

When I opened he journal, my smile faded. The beginning entry was "I pledge myself to the Anti-Trident Association."