Gills

Gills- Chapter Twelve

Annie's POV

I'm glad Luke's starting to get back to normal.

It's been a few weeks since the... accident, and he's just been so low.

I know how much the breathing ability meant to him.

If I could, I'd give him mine.

I wish I could.

I don't want it anymore.

Actually, scrap that, I don't want it anymore; I NEVER wanted it.

All it's done is mess up my life.

If I didn't have it, then Luke wouldn't have found out, and then when he found out whom his parents were, he wouldn't have tried to breathe underwater, and then he wouldn't have nearly drowned.

Oh. Yeah.

He would have drowned though, wouldn't he, the first time I met him?

So maybe my powers do come in useful sometimes.

I get up; I want to see Luke,

*************************************************

"Err...biscuit?" Luke offers nervously.

"Sure." I take one, biting into it thoughtfully as Luke ran his fingers through his hair.

I have no idea what's up with him. Since I've got here he's been on edge, uncomfortable and jittery.

As his feet go into a little jive, I can't take it anymore.

"Luke!" I kick his feet. "What is UP with you today? Seriously!"

He looks down at his hands.

"Luke?" I ask, worried now. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No! Or course you haven't done anything wrong," He says, finally looking up at me.

"Well? What is it then?"

"Well, okay, here's the thing. My cousins coming to stay," He says in such a rush that I barely catch his words.

"What? Is that it?"

"No, you don't understand," He mumbles. "Kara is... different."

"Different? How so?" I wonder if she has a disability. If she does, I can't believe that Luke would think me prejudiced.

"She's very... she's into mystical creatures. Especially, um, mermaids."

I burst out laughing.

Luke glances at me, annoyed. "No, you don't understand. She believes that mermaids walk the earth, seemingly human. And she's very...aware, conscious. I reckon that she'd guess something was up with you."

I shake my head. "Don't worry, Luke, I'm not worried. But thank you for caring. It means a lot." Luke reddens. I change the subject. "So, when's she coming?"

"Oh, well, any time now, really. Mom and dad left to pick her up from the airport."

"Okay."

***

A little while later, we hear a car pull up in the drive.

"That'll be them," Luke says.

I nod, my eye's on the door. It opens, and the three of them step through.

I gasp. Luke's right. Kara IS different.