Breathing Water

CHAPTER 36

In the car Shelly and I sit up front and Macey is quietly sitting in the back every once in a while she spoke up to give directions but that was it. I turn deciding to ask the question I've always wanted the answer to. "Why are you so mean to me?" I feel like we just need to get straight to the point rather than beat around the bush.
Macey blinks at in surprise. "Turn left at the next light." She focuses back on me. "Well I was always jealous, I guess. You were nice and people were sympathetic to you because of your breathing thing." She takes a deep breath and continues. "Then in middle school when puberty hit, you became stunningly beautiful, and I became average. Thinking you would get all the guys I decided to make fun of your breathing so that they would all think that you were awkward and forget you. Apparently I had no reason to worry." She giggles, then she stops and I can feel her frowning. "Then I don't even know what happened last week after the party, but you came back to school looking flawless. My jealousy raged up like an enormous green monster. By the way I am sorry for pushing you off the cliff," I hear Shelly gasp loudly. Oh no! "and for dumping the smoothy on you the next day."
Shelly speaks up quickly. "You pushed Oyster off the cliff? She pushed you off the cliff? You have some explaining to do. You said that you fell off the cliff." I hear Macey gasp in the back seat.
"Well," I start off slow. "Being pushed over the edge is the same thing as falling over the edge. Just a little more on purpose." I give a weak smile and watch as Shelly looks at me out of the corner of her eye. The madness fades and is replaced by worry. She nods her head and looks back at the road.
Macey jumps in to start another conversation after saying "Turn right at the stop sign. I was wondering how did you get your hair so clean and dry so fast from the smoothy?"
I turn in my seat to look back at her and think for a second before saying "Same thing that happened to my appearance, but to explain more would take a lot longer than I think we have."
She nods her head and looks out the window for a few moments before saying "This is it, here on the right. " We pull into the driveway. She climbs out of the back seat and leans back in. Her grey eyes twinkle in the moonlight as she says "Thank you very much, again, for the ride."
"No problem," says Shelly as she waves. I wave too. Macey closes the door and walks up to her porch as Shelly puts her car in reverse.
Getting back on the road Shelly says "I am disappointed you didn't tell me she pushed you off the cliff. I thought you trusted me."
"Sorry but I forgot about it. And honestly I'm thankful she did, because then I met you. My hero." I grab her free hand and kiss the back of it.
Shelly smiles as she says "Well, I had other plans for this evening its just going to have to be postponed."
I frown and say "Nonononono! Please I want to do it now. We have time."
"Good because it is really exiting and I really want to do it, but its a surprise. So close your eyes." I pout and do as I am told. Shelly's hand releases mine and it she places it over my eyes.