Flerae: A Lie Untold

Chapter 31: Weird-Name

- Brittney -

In the halls of school, I spot Ocean. He appears much happier than last time I saw him. His face is no longer full of as much sadness as before. It is full of light, happiness, joy, and hope. As I spot him walking through the halls, I hardly recognize his as the depressed mer cat I met in the Endless forest not to long ago. It brings me joy to see him so happy, finally, having a positive look on life. 

* * * 

- Ocean -

On the school walls, on the sides of buildings, posters with a drawing of my face, each one of them with the words:

Missing: Ocean Mer, age three months

If you find him, bring him to the pile of leaves on the south side of Poison River

Whenever I see one of these pages, I look around to make sure no one looks in my direction, take the paper and rip it to shreds. 

Everyone knows me as Ocean Weather, but the picture looks just like me, and on land, my name isn't very common. I'm probably the only one on land named Ocean. There are a few people who know I'm actually a mer cat dragon, but I don't exactly want them seeing the missing posters and sending me back to the pile of leaves. 

Every since I moved to The Orphanage, my life has been so much easier. I don't have to worry about Carp, about finding my next meal, and I have been able to find and make more friends, because I no longer have to worry about them finding out about my living situation.

Life at The Orphanage isn't perfect. Kittens bully me for not being able to read, and the place is way too crowded. I sleep in a small room with twenty or so other kittens, and everywhere I go, the building is packed.

"Hey, Weird-Name come here," says Jack Warlock, one of the other kittens, who in my opinion has a very boring name, "Why did your mother name you that weird name? Was she on drugs or something? Is that why you're here? Your mother is on drugs?" he gives a laugh. "Can you even spell weird-name, Weird-Name? I hear you can't even read."

I still can't read all that well, but I've been given a tutor and am getting better, but all I can really write and read is my name, and the ABCs. At his words, though, I loose it. I attack the kid, pinning him on the ground and scratching his face. "I AM LEARNING HOW TO READ THE BEST I CAN, AND MY NAME ISN'T WEIRD!"

"HEY! THAT'S ENOUGH!" says Ti, as she races over and pulls us apart. She holds us by our scruffs, one kitten per wing. She looks back and forth, at me, then at Jack. "I don't allow fighting at my Orphanage, boys." She turns her focus towards me, "Ocean-" she says.

"He started it," I interrupt.

"From what I saw, you were the one who attacked him."

"He was insulting me!"

"Next time that happens, ask him to stop, and if he doesn't, come tell me, and I will get him to stop. Ocean, we don't hurt people. I know he was mean to you, but hurting people isn't the way we deal with things like that."

Jack grins, obviously happy that I'm the one getting scolded, not him. Ti must have noticed, because she turns towards him, and says, "Jack, we don't insult people either. You don't know why Ocean is here, you don't know why he has the name he does, and you don't know why he can't read, so you shouldn't insult him about it." She sets us down and looks us both in the eyes, "go on, apologize to each other."