Breathless

Chapter 5: Freak

I pulled a patterned maxi skirt out of my closet and threw a jacket on over it. It was an easy way to hide the scales, but with summer approaching fast, I was going to have to find a new way to conceal my strange condition. Anna had disappeared as soon as I finished crying. I didn't know if she would ever show up again, but I wanted her to. She had the answers to all my questions; I knew it. The trick was getting her to tell me.

Someone knocked on my door as soon as I finished pulling down the sleves of my jacket. "Come in!" I said to the person behind it. Emily opened the door and closed it behind her. I almost screamed in frustration when I saw her wearing a tank-top and shorts, revealing her scales and newfound gills.

"What are you wearing?" I asked in shock. Surely she didn't want anyone to see her like that.

Emily shrugged softly. "It's hot outside. Besides, don't you think the scales are sort of," she trailed off and turned her arm around in the sunlight streaming from my window. I watched the light dance off of her for a second. "pretty," Emily finshed, still watching her scales shimmer.

I shook my head as soon as the word came out of her mouth. Scales aren't pretty, they're weird. Gills aren't fascinating, they're disgusting. "No!" I shrieked.

Emily bit her lip and tensed up at my outburst. "Oh," she breathed finally. My sister tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Mom and Dad are taking us to another dermatologist today. They wanted me to tell you."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like this one is going to be able to figure it out. What's the point in us even going?"

She started to say something before biting her lip and taking a deep breath. "You need to try at least," was what Emily finally said before giving me a disapproving look and turning away. She was only eleven, but she never acted like it. I glared at her back as she walked out my bedroom door.

What was she even talking about? I need to try to do what? Stop the transformation? I rolled my eyes and stood in front of the full length mirror I had gotten for my thirteenth birthday. A purple makeup bag sat at the foot of the mirror. I unzipped it and laid all of the liquids and gels out onto the floor. Most of my makeup was foundation and concealer, since my scales were almost at my face. Maybe the makeup wouldn't totally hide my strange condition in a few months, but it made me feel better to try.

It took me about fiteen minutes to get my makeup right, but I liked how I looked when I was done. Eyeliner always made me look more mature, I thought.

My phone started to buzz and I looked down to see a text from Elise.

i have cheddar cheese popcorn and the movie pitch perfect. therefore i'm coming over.

I laughed and typed a reply back quickly.

ok fine! but i have to write an essay and see a dermatologist. B here at about 7.

I put my phone in the pocket of my jacket and sat down on my polka dotted comforter to type my essay on the Scientific Revolution. My teacher had told me about the assignment a week ago, but I just hadn't felt like doing it. Some things were more fun. Like sleeping.

I quickly did some research on the era and typed up enough so that she would think I knew what I was talking about. Writing stories and essays were always easy for me. I eventually came to discover that I liked writing songs more, though. They're like poems, but not quite. Music was my real passion. I thought about the grand piano sitting in my dining room as I typed. Just a few more paragraphs.

Two hours later, I was still typing. I only had fifteen minutes left until it would be due. Hurry up, I thought to myself.

Finally, fourteen minutes later, I was done. With a quick push of a button, I sent it to my teacher and let out a breath. That was close.