Mermaid in a Bottle

Chapter 3 ~ A change in Decision

Will. I couldn't seem to get that name out of my head. I thrashed about, trying to permanently remove the image of Will squeezing the life out of my mother. I mean where were his manners?! Could a guy like that even have manners? Or any decency? Even though the event had already taken place, I wanted to change it, to be there for my mother in any way that I could. I wanted to know who that man was. I wanted to hunt him down.

I tossed and turned some more, trying to get rid of the sick feeling in my stomach. What a barbarian that man was, putting his vile hands on my mother like that! Or was it even his hands I should be blaming? Hadn't it been his eel tail? I felt like I needed to puke. When Baby-me was in danger, that's how it felt.

Suddenly I felt as if I had been deprived of water, even though I was in an ocean full of it right now. I just wanted to know why. Why had he pulled a stunt like that? If my father had been around, he would have taught Will a lesson or two. I was sure of it!

A burning sensation travelled up my stomach and into my mouth, before I could even open my eyes, I turned around and vomited right onto the floor.

"MerLissa! Seriously, what in the hell is wrong with you these days?"

My eyes began to water and I opened them. I felt much better now that that sickness was out of my stomach. The boy looming over me smiled. My mouth curved into a big O, realizing that this boy had just seen me puke my guts out.

"There, there," he crooned, patting my back and handing me a napkin to wipe my face.

I took in my surroundings as I wiped my face. As I began to realize where I was, I nearly spat in this boy's face. "Nemo! You let me puke in the fricking Halls?! What is wrong with you?! Couldn't you have taken me somewhere appropriate? And where's Otto?"

Nemo was another one of my best friends and happened to be my co-worker. He was gay, though all the girls were totally waiting for him to become bi or something so they could claim him. I did not happen to be one of them. I just saw Nemo as a great friend with an awesome understanding for a guy, but weren't all gay guys like that?

Nemo pouted and slowly backed away, as if said that I wasn't appreciating him for all that he'd done. Well all that he had done was ruin my reputation by making me puke my guts out in front of all of my coworkers and bosses, and their bosses as well! And he also gave me a napkin. How kind of him. I guess I was supposed to bow down to him and praise that he was born. No, I could have done much better without him, thank you.

"Nemo? Where'd Otto go? Wasn't I just with him?" I asked, inching closer to him.

Nemo rolled his eyes. "Gosh, what happened to us being best friends forever? I've known you since childhood and this is how you repay me?"

"Nemo!" I whined.

"He got in trouble for testing the potion outside of the lab and putting an outsider in danger. You would be in the hospital right now, but Otto and I knew you wouldn't like that so I took you away before they could get their hands on you."

I guess he did save me a little bit then. I absolutely hated hospitals. They just creeped me out! Once, I broke a bone in my tail and had to spend a week in there. I never broke anything ever again. Ever.

Nemo seemed to notice my squirming and took the level of awkwardness to a whole new stage. He smirked. "Aren't you gonna give your friend a hug? You just recovered!!!! We should celebrate! Woohoo!"

He embraced me in a hug and I gagged, flailing my arms and trying to rip myself away from him. I didn't mind hugging him, but I knew he was doing this because he knew that I had thought he wronged me by bringing me to The Halls. He always overdid everything until he was satisfied.