The Blue Lagoon

Part 3

I'm pretty wiped when 5 o'clock rolls around, and all I want to do is cozy up in bed, but that's not what is on the agenda.

Just like we planned, Evan waits for us by the two large doors that serve as both our way in and out of this place.

When we get close enough, I say, "Evan, this is my friend Adele."

"Hey," he says, "so should we go?"

I realize just how impersonal this guy is. I guess he is just introverted. Which is totally justified, of course, but not the kind of personality I'm looking for. I tend to make better connections with mermaids or mermen like me; with a more open way and personal way of speaking.

It isn't long before we arrive at the park, or our version of a park, really. It is one of my favorite places. There are so many beautiful shades of coral, and I never know where to look first.

We plop down on the sandy ocean floor, and I begin the conversation, "which sector ring do you reside?"

"Middle"

"As do we," I gesture to Adele and me, "have you always lived there?"

He just nods.

I refrain from gritting my teeth in annoyance. Evan is giving me nothing.

I look around. Anything to get things going. Suddenly, a G-d sent ball comes towards us. I look up and find a young boy who's come to retrieve the ball. "Here you go," I hand him the black and white ball.

He smiles when he takes it from my hand. He looks back at his friends then back at us, "would you want to join?"

"That would be nice. Thank you." He doesn't realize how much I genuinely mean that.

Once we are all in agreement, we join a small group of boys for a ball game. They divide us into two groups then the boy who invited us starts off the match by delivering an impressive whack with his tail.

Evan is terrific and doesn't miss a hit. The boys love him, and I find it very endearing.

After the game, we go for a swim around the garden, then head together for the middle green sector.

I wave Evan off, "see you Wednesday."

~~~

Adele and I head towards the lagoon for our new job. Today we are training. My nerves bubble with excitement.

Two weeks ago, an event happened that landed us this job. It all went down when I was at Adele's house, helping her pack for the move. Our parents were out, and we were watching her twin siblings. Everything was going well until we heard unsettling noises. We shared a look and went to her front door to check it out. I look through the peephole and don't like what I see. I heard the twins into the kitchen, and I'm glad I did, because moments later, the door broke down. Adele and I, together, knocked the merman to the ground, and I pinned down his arms, and she pinned down his fin. Then, as I grabbed my means of communication, a dark-haired, silver-eyed man swims in urgently.

"Thank you, girls," he says, "we can take it from here."

The three others with the man cuff the man that Adele and I had pinned. They lead him out the door.

The silver-eyed man swims away then turns around. He hands each of us a laminated card, "call me if you are interested."