Her Other Half (Fin Series #1)

Chapter 8-How Fishy Of Me.

Hope you all enjoy :)

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The second day of school wasn't any better than the first.  Well, if you count several girls sending hateful glares towards me and Brietta while we walked through the halls of the school and to our classes, then yeah, definitely worse.  Most were rather kind to me, though.  Later on, though, Brietta had explained to me that the girls glaring at us were only jealous because they had tried to gain Phoenix's attention, but failed.

Until I came along.

Lunch was no better.  Phoenix and his friends practically forced us to sit with them, and I have to say, it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  In fact, it was rather comfortable.  I had been seated next to Phoenix himself, his arm draped lazily behind my chair as he leaned back and smiled as he conversed with his other friends.  Brietta seemed a little more uncomfortable than me.  She kept squirming like an Eel and would always avoid her eyes from the guy next to her, who seemed very insistent on starting a conversation with her, but failed every time since she refused to be social with this kind of crowd.  I couldn't really blame her, after all.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, Phoenix's hand brushing the bare skin of my neck since I had pulled my bright red locks up into a ponytail today, and Kelpi clung to my backpack as an accessory again.  But of course, he was still a bug.  Just a Butterfly this time, though.

I shivered involuntarily at Phoenix's touch and soon felt his thumb begin to trace small circles at the base of my neck, causing the hair on it to rise as several shocks flowed through me like a flipper to the face.  I can't say it wasn't rather pleasant, but I didn't want to feel this way towards him, only about Luke.  I was for certain that I liked him more than Phoenix.  But now, I couldn't really tell the difference between which boy I liked anymore.

I exhaled slowly and leaned more towards Phoenix's touch, surprising him and myself as I half-turned my face towards him since our chairs were so close together, my thigh actually brushing his leg just the slightest bit.  I felt a blush creep up my cheeks at his rather intense gaze on me, but smiled and bit my lip as I turned away from him, only lifting one hand to brush away a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I felt him lean towards me, and I froze.  "I think you look better with your hair down," he whispered, his breath hot on my ear as I cleared my throat rather nervously.

"My hair looks like a mess when it's down, though," I muttered in reply, not meeting his eyes, for it seemed like they could see right through me.

I heard him chuckle.  "Not to me, it doesn't.  I think it looks rather sexy on you."  I gulped, before hastily pushing back my chair and rushing out of the Courtyard, many pairs of eyes following me out as I rushed through the school, leaning against the lockers for support in order to catch my breath.

I just couldn't take it anymore.  The emotions, the torn feelings between two boys, hiding what I am to them. . .it was just all too much for me.

"Taylor?  Are you alright?" I glanced up from leaning against the wall of lockers and sighed in relief.  It was only Brietta.

I shook my head.  "I can't take it, Bree."  Tears brimmed my eyes, but I pushed them back.  I really did not need to pop a tail at the moment.  "All these emotions, I just can't take it."  I hugged myself as I shook my head.  I had only known these boys for about two days tops, and I was already falling hard for both of them.  It just wasn't fair!  Why couldn't I just settle on one and not both?  Life on Land really did suck Shells.