Mermania

When love beckons

sense anymore. You could have been the greatest in Aaron seemed about to speak, so I stood up and gathered out trash, putting a not-so-subtle end to the conversation. It was a topic I avoided thinking about, let alone talking about. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about our discussion moving forward. By the time I turned around, two girls had stopped to chat with Aaron, one of them sticking her butt out as she leaned on the table. Aaron spoke to them with ease, his naturally outgoing personality carring the conversation. I could almost hear the flirtatious conversation resonating from his white smile. We didn't go into David's quarters, but I could see they took up half the third floor. Angus' quarters were about half the size of David's, and the remainder of the floor was the study, which we did go into. "Why did you take that picture?" Kara asked Craig with a look of annoyance."Why am I? I thought I was supposed to be for only two weeks. It's been almost four." and led them there. They, er, found something...unexpected. There was an artificial womb-in use-and, er...""tara,no!" I hissed. "I am not having that conversation here in the cafeteria, especially with the creepy girl staring me down." Shane had flirted with me all day Saturday, and he'd had the opportunity to kiss me at the golf course but hadn't taken it.He'd teased me instead. Not that kissing made him my boyfriend...but maybe he had decided a one-night stand was good enough after all. That was what I'd wanted in the first place so maybe it put us on the same page again. Rema broke eye contact and refused to look at him again. A plate of salmon, potatoes, and vegetables was placed before her. Rema's mouth watered; she hasn't eaten fish in a long time. She stifled the urge to run to her aunt and uncle, demanding their release. But she was at the mercy of these soldiers-they had the power to kill Kar and Maya without cause. Hesitation and annoyance dragged my movement, but I Relented. It was better that I explained the situation to her than allow Tara to spread faulty news. There was enough of that going on already. Stepping into the car, the radio blared the latest hits. I took a final glance at the peaceful, empty sidewalk with longing. Zach unlocked the door with ease. Sara knew what she had to do for his own protection. "It's fine, Mary. Everything is fine. When I left Sharon, she was sleeping. I thought it would be nice to surprise Meara on her birthday." He smiled down at me. "I plan to take her back to the apartment to see her mother." "Really?" Kara feigned offense, arching one eyebrow. The men turned toward him. Darmik took a sip of ale, acting casual. "Are you going to find my dad?" I asked. I changed quickly, but took a few minutes to wash the travel grime from my face. It's good to be in a home and not another hotel,I thought as I climbed into bed. I was out almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. My last thought before drifting off to sleep was how clearly i could hear and smell the ocean from my room. It was almost like falling asleep outside on the beach."I suppose." I frowned and considered what Evan said. It didn't sound right, yet I had no evidence to argue otherwise. David gave me no clues as to what he was, if not human. He sure looked human. She moved to stand beside him shoulder to shoulder- rather close, actually. "Where are you going to put it?"I sat at the table across from Grandpa and next to my mom, savoring the rich, chocolate flavor. It was the best hot chocolate I had ever tasted. Mom eyed my mug. "Is there enough left for me?" she asked."Yes," I said. "Eyes, too." Rema's biggest regret was the way things ended with Darmik. She had thought she found love, but now it seemed like it was all a sick game between the brothers. If only Darmik had spoken to her one last time, so she could understand. Did he ever love her? "No," Darmik said."Don't apologize," he said."Hey, you kids there!" he hollered."Hold it!""Green.""It's...ah." I struggled, fidgeting with my straw. Could I tell Katie about David? I looked up to find Katie watching me, waiting. Her blue eyes filled with concern, and she reached for my hand. Eddie was still confused. "You could do this without me." Xanthus frowned."Sara, this procedure is very safe, and it's not like I'm asking you to get a nose job. It's not to satisfy vanity. This procedure can save your life. Don't you understand?" Without this, you'll be living your life with the threat of execution over your head, never knowing if you'll get discovered." "The bad news is that Derek and I aren't going to throw out the first pitches. There's been a last-minute change." Dad didn't seem very sad about his bad news."I'm sorry." confusion touched Shane's voice."What did I say?"The young man shook his head slowly as he continued. "My father was twenty-five years ahead of his time, maybe fifty, maybe more. He came up with a new way to approach the whole process. Then he tested his approach using a new artificial womb. He kept it quiet, though, until he could try it out. Some investors he found financed it- rich types, some local, most of them foreign; he promised them a share of the profits when he perfected and sold his technique. My father hid his new system in a little room in the back of his lab and kept it locked up. He let me go in there and see it once-only once. I was fourteen. I didn't understand any of it. I still don't. But it all made sense to him. He's a genius, my father." Eddie paused, his eyes locking onto something in the past. "That was the first time I saw Zach-when he was born. It was strange. My father just said it was time and...lifted him out.""I didn't have another plan." Evan led me away from Jessica, who looked ready to scream. She apparently doesn't get turned down much. Her eyes widened."They didn't kick me out. I left." This time Kim decided to just pull the blanket away quickly-get it over with. She tugged the blanket back, expecting to be surprised. Instead, she sighed in relief.