Unfathomable Depths

Chapter One

Unfathomable Depths

Chapter One

"But a mermaid has no tears, therefore she suffers so much more."

-Hans Christian Andersen

Kallysta didn't cry. Even as an infant, she barely shed a tear. With sixteen years of cold, hard, emotionless practice, Kallysta was pretty genius at maintaining her composure when frustrated, upset, or angry. In fact, she was the complete opposite of her psycho mother- who cried every time she saw a lost dog post on Facebook. Kallysta believed displaying emotions was a sign of weakness, and Kallysta was anything but weak. She was strong and hardened to the world. Which was why she was determined to feel not an ounce of nervousness when she walked into her first day at a new school, in a new town, in a new state, where she knew no one.

Truth be told, she didn't even know herself.

Tugging on her button-front jean skirt, Kallysta repeated the mantra in her head over and over, "No weakness. No weakness. No weakness."

But even the familiar rhythm of Creedence Clearwater Revival drifting through her purple Beats could not steady her trembling hands. She climbed the concrete steps to the entrance of Gulf Shores High School, home of the Blue Marlins, and scoped out the students around her. Most of them wore fishing shorts and tee shirts depicting local restaurants and stores or large saltwater fish. She felt out of place in her jean skirt, white tank top, and camel brown flats.

Note to self: don't try so hard, thought Kallysta. Tomorrow, best believe she will be wearing the softest tee shirt she owned: a pastel yellow Comfort Colors stolen from an old friend, back home in Waverly Bay.

Not back home. Waverly isn't your home anymore, Lyssa. Gulf Shores, Alabama is your new home, she scolded herself, determined not to feel the loneliness that had engulfed her since she left behind the only place she has ever known.

Reaching the last step toward the entrance, Kallysta resolved to leave her worries at the door.

"Hi, um, I'm new. Do you know where I can get my schedule?" queried Kallysta, as she stood in front of the reception desk.

"Yeah, sweetheart, I just need to know your name first," replied the red-headed lady sitting behind the desk, whom Kallysta assumed was the school's secretary.

"Oh, um yeah, right," she stuttered, "Kallysta." Mrs. Red-Headed Secretary Lady continued to look at her expectantly, before Kallysta realized she probably needed to know her last name, too.

"Herring, Kallysta Herring."

Mrs. Redheaded secretary lady nodded, and began typing away furiously at her ancient computer. As she waited, Kallysta glanced around the room, which was built out of cinder blocks painted a pale gray. She noted shelves and filing cabinets, all covered in papers that were scattered haphazardly in obvious disarray. The leather chairs in which one would sit and wait were mismatched, and some even had threadbare patches with stuffing spilling out. Kallysta set her burgundy Herschel backpack on the least tattered chair and studied the large, dusty pictures that were hanging on the wall behind the desk. Each frame held a team picture of beaming athletes, obviously ecstatic about a win of some sort. The first three were of a boys' basketball team from the early nineties that had won championship games. The fourth was of a cheer squad, in royal blue pleated skirts. The last one was a photograph, of a single person. The picture appeared to be fairly new. In it, a tanned boy with dark brown hair and electric blue eyes was standing on a dock in front of a yellow sailboat. He wasn't looking at the camera, instead grinning at someone who must have been standing to the side of the photographer. This picture intrigued Kallysta, but what piqued her interest the most was the plaque under it.

"'I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.'

-Galileo"

Before Kallysta could contemplate the matter any further, Ms. Redheaded Secretary lady rose from her bright purple rolling computer chair and pointed to a printer across the office, "Your papers should be rolling of the press any minute now, let me know if you have any questions, darlin',"

"Yes ma'am. Thanks...ugh...Mrs. Birdie," replied Kallysta, finally noticing the woman's name plate that was propped up beside a flower pot containing a suspicious, withered plant resembling a bunch of twigs.

As soon as her papers finished printing, Kallysta stapled them together using Mrs. Birdie's green rhinestone stapler. Flipping through them, she noted a map, a bell schedule, a list of possible extracurriculars, and her schedule.

          

SCHEDULE

            

Student: KALLYSTA MAE HERRING

Birth date: 04/03/2000

Address: 8563 Oceana Parkway, Gulf Shores, Alabama 36542

Student ID: 300083427

Grade: 11

 

1st Block
Mr. J. Rowland
AP Chemistry
Room 118

    

2nd Block
Ms. L. Canon
Health Sciences II
Room 309

3rd Block
Mrs. H. Mackerel
Advanced Math Plus
Room 300

4th Block
Coach B. Lenny
Swim Team (M)
Gymnasium #2

  

            Kallysta's schedule was near perfect. Chemistry, her favorite subject, was first thing in the morning. She would be bright-eyed and bushy tailed for isotopes and polyatomic ions. Health Sciences, a class that prepared students for a career in the medical field was 2nd block, which she assumed would be before lunch. Her math class was 3rd block.

Great, she groaned inwardly, I better go ahead and find a tutor. Math was Kallysta's worst subject, to say the least. 4th block, she was enrolled in "Swim Team (M)".

            Swim team? I don't swim. I don't play team sports. Why am I on the swim team? She thought frantically.

            "Excuse me, Mrs. Birdie?" questioned Kallysta in a high-pitched voice, "Why am I enrolled in 'Swim Team M'?"

            "What? Here, let me see," said Mrs. Birdie, grabbing the stack of papers out of Kallysta's hands. Flipping through it, the plump redhead stuck a pen behind her ear. With raised eyebrows, she said, "I am so sorry dearie, but it looks like we have made a mistake in your scheduling. It says that you are on the Varsity boys' swim team. Unfortunately, we are currently locked out of our system and won't be able to get back in until Monday, when our techie guy comes. I'll try to figure out where we can place you until then, but most likely you'll have to stay in the auditorium with the swim team, due to attendance policies and whatnot."

            "Is that even allowed? A girl? On the boys' swim team? With boys? Who wear Speedos?" questioned Kallysta desperately.

            No weakness. It is just a schedule. No weakness. It's not a big deal. No weakness. Calm down. Everything will be okay, Kallysta thought to herself, trying to calm the anxiety she felt in the pit of her stomach. Chuckling at Kallysta's panicky manner, Mrs. Birdie replied, "Of course it is. It's not like you'll be going into their locker room. And it isn't any different than if you were attending a meet."

            Yeah, thought Kallysta, except I'm the new girl. And I'll be the only female in a room full of sweaty, chlorinated guys wearing panties. No difference at all.