Diary of a Mermaid

Heck is a bad word

Another hour later, we're boarding the plane (with our wigs on). Again, we're seated in the back row. I'm drifting off to sleep when Steven taps me. "When we get to Toronto, you're gonna take a train with me and Angel to Stratford. Nemmy and Jaclyn will spend the night in a motel and take a coach bus home. They'll arrive tomorrow. We can't chance anyone following us. The man saw you and Nemmy so we can't have you two travelling together because if he sees one of you, then he might doubt if it's actually you. But if he sees both of you, he'll know and attack. You'll take the bags with the clothes and books. Jaclyn will take your tote. Understand?"

I nod, trying to process it all. Then I close my eyes and fall asleep.

I wake up when Steven shakes me. "We're here," I get up and stretch. "Exit quickly. Push if you need to. You and Nemmy can't be seen together." Despite the gravity of the situation, I can't help but smile. That last sentence Steven said sounded like something two celebrities would say to each other. We can't be seen together. You know how the media perceives it all. Our careers would be ruined. "What's so funny?" Steven asks, clearly confused.

I press my lips together. "Nothing,"

He gives me a skeptical look, but then people start filing out of the plane. "This will be embarrassing."

Now I'm confused. "What wi-".

"Excuse me!" he announces. "My daughter is not feeling well. Please move out of the way. She will be sick." The passengers gasp in horror. I'm appalled, but I go along with it, although I've never been the best actresses.

"Daddy, let's go. I don't feel good." I grab my stomach and bend over. "I need to lie down."

Steven scoops me up and grabs Angel's hand. "Clear the way!" He pushes his way through the aisle. A minute later we're in the terminal. Steven puts me down on the floor.

"What the heck!" I exclaim.

"Heck is a bad word," Angel chimes in.

"Sorry, but Steven just made a fool of me in front of the entire plane!"

"Yeah, but you're safe." Steven says, walking us through customs. We stop in front of the guard booth.

"Passports." the guard instructs.

Steven hands him our fake, but apparently legal, passports. The guard looks at our photographs, then back at us. Then he says to Angel, "What were you doing in America?"

I freeze. We've never gone over this with her. What will she say?

"We were visiting family." she says, perfectly. The guard nods, stamps our passports, and let's us go.

Once were a safe distance away from the booths, I ask Angel, "Who taught you to say that?"

"Whenever we go places with Mommy and Daddy, they always tell me to say the overall truth. That's what I did. It's not a lie, but it's not the whole truth, either.

I look at her in shock.

"Girls, come on." Steven says. "We need to find a cab to take us to the train station."

We walk out, hail a taxi, and me and Angel read another book during the ride.