Rachel's Secret by Janet Gurtler

Author:Janet Gurtler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction; Mermaid Kingdom; Fantasy & Magic; Family/General; Social Issues/Emotions & Feelings; Social Issues/Friendship; 9781434296948; 9781434296986; 9781496501882
Publisher: Capstone
Published: 2015-12-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Silence.

Complete silence. That’s the response I got from my big announcement.

“I’ve thought about it a lot,” I told them, slowly swimming toward the table. “It’s not an easy decision to make.”

Shyanna and Cora both looked shell-shocked.

“Why would you want to do that?” Cora asked quietly, frowning.

“It just seems easier,” I said.

I plopped down in a chair, and we all faced each other in a circle. “You know how mermaid magic works,” I said. “I would stay on land and not go near salt water for six months. After that, I would lose my tail. I could swim in the ocean, and it still wouldn’t come back. And after I lost my tail, I would slowly start to forget that I’d ever been a mermaid. I would have memories of my life, of course, but it would all be kind of hazy. I’d believe I had always been human. End of story.”

“You’d be willing to do that for a boy?” Cora asked, shocked.

“I wouldn’t do this for a boy,” I replied. “I would do this for me. I wouldn’t have to feel like a freak anymore. I would be free from all the lies. I would be a normal person.”

Shyanna started to cry. “But you would lose your beautiful tail,” she said. “And what about all the wonderful parts of being a mermaid? What about exploring caves, looking for long-lost treasure? You’d never be able to talk to sea creatures again. And you would lose us.”

“I would remember you,” I said. “Just not all of it. And you could visit me once you have your legs.”

Cora was up again, swim-pacing back and forth. “You wouldn’t be able to race in the ocean. Or go to mermaid school or concerts. You wouldn’t remember the King and Queen. You wouldn’t remember the Melody Pageant. And what about your dad?”

I nodded. “I’d have to convince him to come with me. I could never leave him behind. I think he would do it. My mom was human. We could be too.”

“I think that’s about the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” said Shyanna. “We would miss you.”

“You haven’t even started school yet,” Cora said softly. “And I really wanted you to join us on the Spirit Squad,” she added. “But … it’s also not right for mermaids to be sad.”

Shyanna lifted her head to stare at Cora. “What are you saying, Cora?”

“I don’t want her to leave,” Cora said. Then she turned to me and asked, “But are you really that miserable and unhappy?”

I bit my lip and twirled my hair around my finger. “I love being a mermaid. And Neptunia is so wonderful. I’d miss you two so much.” I paused, thinking how to say what I wanted to say. “It’s just that … sometimes I feel left out … and so different from everyone else. And I’d really like to tell Owen the truth. He’s always been honest with me, and he doesn’t understand why I can’t always be around. He was my first best friend.

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