DORA

We both kept our pace as our silence became tensed. The atmosphere was cool and breezy

I and Samantha didn't so much fancy the word talking

Though I won't call it bragging, but we are straight A grade students

"Uhm Ms. Nelly asked us to write a project on any topic concerning the natural habitat or environment. You remember right?" Samantha asked still fondling her nails.

"Oh yeah. I'll be doing my project on sea creatures and plants" I replied glancing over my best friend

"Cool. Mine would be on geographical weather and thunderstorms" she smiled. I wasn't surprised, Sam loved studying about weather alot. And that was where our conversation ended

We got to the crossroads and went seperate ways after bidding ourselves goodbye

I got home and went straight to my room

As usual mom had gone for her work shift and would be back till nighttime

I took a warm bath from my running bath tub, and changed into something lighter

I walked to the kitchen ate my lunch then headed back to my room

I'm living an heck of a boring life

Well I caused it, I made myself this way after Dad left us. And this is probably how I'll live till I enter college, then get married

Who am I kidding? No one would marry a boring weirdo like me

I would have gone over to Samantha's but her Aunt wouldn't approve that

I laid on my bed and brought out my phone, deciding to make it useful for once

I clicked on the Instagram app, and kept scrolling. What do people see so fascinating about social media?

Right. I'll be going to my usual spot, the lake

I quickly walked to my closet and changed in a black shorts. Tossed my phone at the back of my pocket, carried my journal book and pencil. Then headed out, I carefully locked up the house and placed the key in the flower pot outside

~

The lake wasn't really far so it didn't take me long before I got there

I sat on the floor starring at the blue waters for a while.

It was a beautiful scene

I took out my journal and began sketching, I wonder how it would look when the full moon gets out

Soon my phone beeped, it was a message from mom

MOM

I'M SORRY DARLING I WON'T BE HOME TILL TOMORROW MORNING WE GOT IN SOME MORE PATIENTS. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF LOVE YOU

Great I'll be sleeping home alone today

Mom's a GP doctor, and well I'm proud of that. But ever since Dad left, she doesn't really have time for me as she used to

*

The water suddenly started rising abnormally

How long have I been here? The full moon is out

It was rising or would I say water is floating. Cos it's all seeming weird to me

I stood up and stepped back. I was about taking to my heels when I heard the water rumbling

Then like fiction, I saw three girls pop their heads out of the water. They couldn't see me from where I stood

What kinda normal humans would be swimming in a water by this time of the night?

Damn they had tails

Out of shock my journal slipped off my hand and fell, darting the girls' attention to me

"Oh emm gee it's a human" one of them yelled

"This is not good" another yelled

Wow, just wow I never believed mermaids speak English.

I just stood still. Normally I'd have freaked out and run, but I kept starring at them and they kept starring too

It was so hard to look, but I couldn't look away

Their tails and faces were beautiful

"What are you guys?" I managed to stutter.

"What should we do now?" Blackhaired girl screamed. I should be the one screaming here

" Oh my Gosh you have tails!" I began walking closer

"Don't come close" they all yelled together

"The full moon. Just step back and go back to wherever you came from" one of them yelled

"And you don't have to tell anyone this"

"Never ever come back"

" I..but you girls have tails. Wait Are you mermaids? Cos mermaids are just mythic stories. Or are they real? I'm so so freaking out" I kept ranting, same time curious

"She talks too much" Blondie girl whispered

They all looked at each other and nodded simultaneously

They raised their hands to the air and the water rised

What are they doing?

The water is rising on its own by this halfhuman halfishes? I think this is a dream

"Incendia" They yelled and I was blacked out

<

The continuous beeping of my alarm clock woke me up to another morning. I tapped the clock and opened my eyes wide.

I rubbed my eyes continuously and got out of the bed. What's today's date? Oh Yeah it's Saturday

I was about walking to the bathroom when my room door opened.

Mom

"Good morning Crystal" mom beamed.

"Morning mom" I murmured

"It hasn't been long I came back from the hospital anyway. I'm making breakfast." She added

"Ohhhh"

" Yeah so hurry up and come out"

"Sure mom thanks" I muttered

She left and I walked to the bathroom.

My head felt heavy with a light headache. Suddenly I remembered the girls I saw at the lake with tails

Urgh! Must be a dream or probably my hallucinations.

I shoved that thought aside and went on

<

"Theodora, your food is getting cold" I heard mom yell

"I'll be right there" I yelled back and kept brushing my blonde hair

Mom likes calling me by my full name but every other person calls me Dora

With my blonde hair that falls across my shoulders, skyblue eyes and my almost cleft chin

I won't say I'm tall but I'm definitely not short

~

"Sweet Geez Dora, get out of that room" Mom yelled again

I sighed and rolled my eyes

Admiring myself on my mirror one more time, I stepped out of my room

"What took you so long?" Mom half yelled. I kept quiet and took a seat on the dining

We had a short prayer before eating

I munched on my muffins quietly

"Theodora" Mom called out, still eating.

"Yeah"

"You've done your test?" She asked

"What test?"

"Your AP Calculus test"

"Oh no,not yet. That would be on Tuesday" I replied sipping my tea

"So are you going to the hospital today?" I asked.

" I'm not sure I might get a call but for now I don't think so"

"Okay"

We finished up, had a mother-daughter movie time before I retired back to my room

<

"Theodora someone's at the door. Go get it" Mom yelled.

"On my way" I yelled back, rushing out of my room

Can the person stop pressing the door bell already?

I opened the door and my eyes met with Derrick's

"Oh Derrick. It's you"

"Hi Dora". We kept starring at each other for heavens know how long

"Uhm.Can I come in?"

"Sure" I grinned nervously.

Derrick! How the hell did he know my house?

" Don't be surprised, Sam texted me your house address" he said like he read my mind

"Ohh"

He walked to the sitting room and glanced at it for a while. Then my mom stepped out of wherever she was

"Good day maam" Derrick greeted

"Good day handsome. How are you doing?" Mom beamed at him

" Fine thanks"

"Dora's friend?" She asked

"Yes of course"

"Oh okay then" she replied, walking out of the sitting room.

"So?" I said giving him the confused look

"So what? I'm gonna be your visitor today" he chuckled.

I sighed "Visitor? Seriously Derrick what are you doing here?"

"Well I just dropped to say hi" He replied nervously, rubbing his nape

"Theodora take your friend to your room. Your conversation is making me sick" Mom said out of no where

I rolled my eyes and led Derrick to my room

I sat on my bed nervously watching Derrick stare at my room. A typical boring teenage girl's room

I mean Derrick is one of the most goodlooking guys in school, he's my classmate tho. He's rich, handsome, nice, just name it. So different from his cousin Melanie

"Nice painting" Derrick commented, starring at a painting I kept on my dresser

"Em thanks"

The chink ringtone of my phone jerked me. I walked to the dresser and picked up my phone

Samantha

I tapped the receive button and placed it on my ear

:Hey Crystal eyes

:Sup Sam, How are you?

:I'm okay. Uhm is Derrick at your place?

:Yeah. He's here right now

:Oh good, I just wanted to be sure

:And he told me you gave him my house address

I rolled my eyes, like she could see me do that

:Duhhh

I heard her chuckle

:But Sam you can't just-

:Bye

She fvcking had the guts to hang the call on me

"That's Samantha right?" Derrick asked

Ohhh I almost forgot he's still here. With me

"Yeah"

"Well I just wanted to be like normal friends, I mean you and Sam" He said

" So I started by just stopping to say hi and checking up on you" he added.

" Seriously? That's a lame excuse" I said, sarcastically.

He smirked at the same time admiring the things on my dresser

I didn't know when he took my journal and opened it.

I should have snatched it from him,if only I knew

He flipped the pages and saw my sketches

"You're good at drawing" he murmured

I just kept mute and beamed

He dropped the first journal and went for my second one

Before I could say moon he flipped it open

Geez that's my personal journal

He skipped some drawings and came across one

"You sketched a drawing of me?" He grinned

I paused. The whole of my body system paused

Oh oh