Forest of Imagination

The New, Edited Team

"Hello, how many are in your party?" a petite redheaded hostess asked, smiling a big fake smile.

"Um, let's see.... Me, one, McKenzie, two, Katie, three, Melody, four, Ryan, five, so five people, thanks," Everett answered slowly. I heard Ryan sigh next to me and a tiny giggle escaped my lips.

"Um, right, five," the hostess said, forcing herself not to react to Everett's poor math skills. She picked up five thick, creme-colored menus and led us to a candlelit booth which, instead of having two people on each side, allowed you to have three. "Oh, and you, Counting Guy, I recommend Mrs. Hart's math summer camp I sent my little daughter to...." As we all got settled in to the tables, I could tell all of us except Everett were holding back peals among peals of laughter.

"You and Ryan on that side," McKenzie gestured to me, "and Everett, you sit inside while I sit in the middle."

"Why can't I sit in the middle?" Katie complained.

"Or how about I sit in the middle so you stop your dumb fighting, guys?" Everett asked sarcastically.

"Ooh, yes," McKenzie and Katie chorused.

"Um, that's a little awkward," I said awkwardly to Ryan. He laughed and replied, "That's an understatement."

A little quieter, he added, "It's obvious they both like him, despite his poor counting skills." I agreed one hundred percent. McKenzie and Katie were totally loving that dude, literally.

I let Ryan sit on the inside and skimmed the menu. There were so many options, I couldn't choose! Finally, I decided on a simple rolled pork Florentine and a beef crepe for an appetizer, because unlike Paris and some other weird people who don't get the situation, I'm not a vegetarian. I just don't eat seafood (except seaweed, because crispy, deep-fried seaweed is DA BEST) because most fishermen kill them right in the seafood store. They let the fish swim all around in freezing cold water, then when a customer orders it, BOOM!, they cut up the fish and it's dead. Land animals were killed before they were shipped to the store, and while I'm totally against that, they're already dead and there's nothing I can do about it other than not waste Mom's money.

"Not really a vegetarian, huh?" Ryan smiled at me. I nodded.

"Well, technically I'm not, but I'm against eating seafood and sushi. It goes way beyond being a mermaid, trust me. Fishermen on land just bring up the fish and torture them until someone orders one!" I ranted. "Oh, yeah, I'm a half-mermaid too. But anyway, I just feel like if I didn't eat fish, then they would still survive."

"And they'll be forced to live through freezing water too, though, right?" Ryan reminded me.

"Right, I guess I never thought of it that way.... But I'm still not eating them," I refused stubbornly.

"Your decision," Ryan chuckled, ordering some kind of scallops dipped in garlic butter (yes, scallops). "But I will never get tired of these scallops dipped in butter, 'cause they are awesome!"

And it did look awesome when the dish arrived, definitely. The hot scent reminded me of something, something terrible, but I dismissed the feeling and let my eyes feast on it...until I saw Ryan pull a scallop with his fork out of a small container filled to the brim with melted butter. Okay, so maybe they didn't kill it in the store, but I was officially declaring my stomach seafood-free. Especially remembering that time when I went to a seafood store and one, it smelled fishy, literally, and puke-worthy, and two, the sign said "LIVE SEAFOOD." I mean, who in both worlds could be so cruel as to put a sign that says, "LIVE SEAFOOD"?

That store made me cry. Mom promised that she would never shop there again for my sake.

"Well, I guess, but you are eating your own underwater species, you know," I informed him.