The Waves Are Ours |Virgato|

Chapter 24: The Ball

"NO, guys you can't!" Joel protested, looking between his two friends. "You heard what Christopher said. Imagine what his father will do to you. To all three of us."

"Both of you are miserable. We have no choice," Erick spoke while Richard nodded in agreement.

Erick and Richard helped Joel get cleaned up and the three boys swam to where the ball was being held. It was a massive auditorium like structure. There were people everywhere as they packed into the large room. Mermaids swam past them with carefully braided and wavy hair decorated with pearls and seashells.

A kind of music Joel had never heard before played from the other side of the room. He raised an eyebrow at the merpeople that were playing instruments that were made of clam shells and various other sea items. They made a different sound from anything he'd ever heard on land before.

"Imagine if we learned to play those," Erick joked.

"We'd be a super popular band, I'm sure," Richard rolled his eyes.

"Guys, be quiet," Joel frowned at them. "You'll give us away."

Erick and Richard were both silent after that. Joel's eyes began to scan the crowd for Chris. He was nowhere to be seen though. Maybe he hadn't arrived yet. He frowned, realizing he was probably still meeting that person his father had wanted him to meet. So instead, the three of them tried their best to blend into the crowd.

"I don't know how you guys eat this stuff," Erick frowned, examining the food on the table. Most of the food was a selection of different types of krill, seaweeds and kelps. Joel pulled a face. He wasn't exactly delighted by the food options either.

"No wonder Christopher was so excited when we first gave him pizza," Richard said and Joel agreed with a nod.

A loud trumpet like sound filled the room and it seemed as though every merperson's head in the room turned towards the front stage. Joel's stomach did bellyflops as they announced the royal family's arrival. He knew he couldn't look away.

A few moments later, from the top of a large staircase, emerged a couple, both wearing crowns. He recognized the male as the sea king, his tail and facial features were a little less pale than the day before, but still ghostly. He was supported on his arm by a plum haired woman that Joel could only assume was Christopher's mother.

Joel then saw Chris swim into view behind them. He was wearing the golden crown he'd seen earlier upon his head. At first, he looked petrified before plastering on a wide grin. Joel wasn't sure how he knew, but he could tell that it was all for show. He remembered what Chris had told him about not enjoying this sort of thing.

They swam down the staircase and Joel watched as Chris was quickly surrounded by an entire group of mermaids, each wore the finest pearls and shells woven into their hair. It was terrible watching all these mermaids flirt with him. He could tell that Chris was just being polite with most of them, but he couldn't help but worry Chris would find someone he liked better than Joel.

"Just be patient," Richard told him with a sympathetic look.

Joel could only nod as he watched on.

Slowly, the group around Chris began to dwindle until there was only one girl left. She had long dark blackish brown hair with a green tinge to her tips and a green tail to match. Much like the others, her hair was pulled back with a string of pearls that met at the center of the back of her head. Joel knew she was pretty, but as she dragged Chris out to dance, there was something about her movements that Joel knew was off.

"I really don't like that one," Joel frowned, unsure whether he was just being jealous or there was something more to it.

"Christopher doesn't seem to like her much either," Richard frowned, noticing the uncomfortable look he was giving her as they danced.