Forest of Imagination

Forest of New Friends

Okay, how was that possible? Queen Brooke, Her Highness gave me a dream but made sure I couldn't remember it afterward! I mean seriously, when you grant a wish aren't you supposed to do exactly what the person wants?

All I remembered was Queen Brooke saying, "--s not quite ready yet, unfortunately," and I was pretty sure that wasn't in my dream. Which reminded me, I'd have to go see whom she was talking to later.

I got out my Tide Phone and texted McKenzie:

Melody: Big history, couldn't remember most of it ;)

McKenzie: Why are u winking?

Melody: No idea, first emoji that popped in my head

McKenzie: Cool. Did u meet Harmony yet?

Melody: No, but I did hear Queen Brooke saying, "Is not quite ready yet, unfortunately" to someone.

McKenzie: Yeah, that's probably Harmony she's talking to.

Melody: How do u know?

McKenzie: What do u mean?

Melody: No offense to your intellect or super-snooper skills.

McKenzie: Huh?

Melody: It's not like u hang around Fairy State all the time and listen to Brooke talk to Harmony.

McKenzie: Maybe not, but I know Harmony

Melody: How?

McKenzie: She sometimes flies around my condo, which is a bit annoying.

Melody: So u talk to her?

McKenzie: Well duh, I'm not impolite. She's pretty nice actually.

Melody: I thought Mermaid Bay was for half-mermaids and mermaids only.

McKenzie: Ha :)

Melody: What???

McKenzie: 1st, don't put half-mermaid in front of mermaid.

Melody: 2nd?

McKenzie: U are talking about the ground and the sea. I was talking about flying high above :)

Melody: Ya I don't get it but OK

McKenzie: If u could fly then Mermaid Bay isn't restricted basically

Melody: Gotcha.

McKenzie: Finally.

Melody: That explains it all.

McKenzie: Hopefully that wasn't sarcasm.

Melody: Nope.

McKenzie: Then good.

Melody: But how do u know that "not being quite ready yet" is Harmony?

McKenzie: Her aunt's really hard on her :(

Melody: Queen Brooke is Harmony's aunt?!

McKenzie: What else?

Melody: Um, like, anything else...

McKenzie: Right, why the 3 periods? Those dots I mean

Melody: I know what a period is

McKenzie: Right, I forgot. My bad!

Melody: *rolls eyes* 'cause it's supposed to be a cliffhanger duh!

McKenzie: Awesome.

Melody: I'm going to meet Harmony tomorrow, because even though I planned to visit Mom today...

McKenzie: Yes?

Melody: Well, now I just feel like relaxing after a day of so much travel yesterday :)

McKenzie: And u are happy.

Melody: Well, duh, sorry gotta go bye!

McKenzie: See u!

And now I just got another task on my hands by texting McKenzie, just great. I needed to visit Harmony, the half-fairy who was "not quite ready yet." I just hoped that Harmony would fly around McKenzie's condo again, so I didn't have to go all the way to Fairy State (ugh).

~~~~~~~~~~TIME LAPSE~~~~~~~~~~

Apparently, I was in luck. McKenzie invited me over to a sleepover that night, and I was surprised to see that her condo was air inside. I should really stop being surprised, but what surprised me most was the explanation to how Dad could go up the stairs: legs. McKenzie Crawford, pure-bred mermaid, had legs.

"How do you have legs?" I asked before even saying "hi." McKenzie looked hurt, but replied anyway.

"There's a Cornerstone on Ocean Avenue, two blocks away from here...though I usually ride there on Surfer Box. It sells almost everything, and you know how those pure-bred humans can buy tails and wear them? Same with mermaids, 'cause they can buy legs," McKenzie answered.

"But how can you split apart your tail?" I asked another question, bombarding her with so much. I was so new to this place and wanted to explore what I could before I figured out this was a dream and woke up.

"Ask a human how they can keep their legs together for the tail, jeez," McKenzie shrugged, annoyed at my questions.

"And what's a surfer box, and how does Mermaid Ocean have streets?" I kept on asking, one after the other.

"A Surfer Box is a device like on-land box axles, and before you ask, I can walk like this. Also, Mermaid Ocean has streets like any other place--How else would we know our way around?" McKenzie replied, sighing.

Now that I stopped asking all those questions and waiting for answers (all of which were pretty cool, I have to admit, and I was now really getting used to being a half-mermaid), I could take in McKenzie and her outfit. I had on a simple lime green blouse with jean shorts, my hair tied into a loose ponytail, and my beach bag in my hand holding my pajamas and mascara (tip: If you are half-mermaid, never go without water-proof mascara because, as Dad tells me, mermaids think half-mermaids with thick eyelashes are better and more sophisticated). McKenzie was dressed like a Floridan snobby, popular girl, the opposite of who she really is: Victorian-flowered romper with navy bike shorts and nice brown combat boots. Obviously, a sunhat with a lavender hemming and leopard-print sunglasses that are way in style.

"Whoa, McKenzie, I bet you won't have any trouble finding a boy who likes you," I smirked, and she blushed.

"I would never curl my hair for a boy, or give him flowers or anything," McKenzie glared at me, running a finger through her golden-blond curls. I couldn't help feeling a spark of jealousy.

I spread out my sleeping bag, pink with gold embroidery, and sighed contently. Once I met Harmony, the queen of Mermaid Bay, and my mom and Tara, I would have met everyone on my meeting list, and then who knows what.

Hey McKenzie, a buzzing noise outside seemed to say. I furrowed my eyebrows and opened the window. There, wearing a bubble armor-piece, was a girl with white-and-gold wings, like a wedding costume or something. The girl had wavy brown hair and looked like she came out of a fashion magazine.

I'm Harmony, she buzzed, smiling. I never thought that someone could buzz out a sentence, but hey, this is Terra Meridian and anything could happen. Even buzzing half-fairies around an underwater condo.

"I'll meet you outside, and I'll text you via Tide Phone," I told her, and she replied, I don't have a Tide Phone, but hopefully an i-Cloud works? I sighed, and nodded just to make her content enough.

Then I ran outside and changed into a mermaid.

~~~~~~~

A/N: Okay, long chapter guys, and I know most of you are probably not reading this right now because you hate it. Sorry about it. See ya in the next chapter!!