The Neptune Revenge

Chapter 16

Busy, sorry.

I have fought sharks and a giant squid. I have watched my friends die right in front of me, without being able to do anything to help them. I have swam through miles and miles of sea to reach Safety Harbor.

But still, I think the hardest thing I've ever had to do is go back to my friends after seeing Cam and pretend everything is normal.

My father said he needed to hear what Cam and his new friends had to say about their journey before allowing us to hear it, especially after my breakdown and days spent in the hospital.

Honestly, I picked the worst time to flip out.

:Nere, you've been staring at your food for like, seven and a half minutes now,: Bria nudges me at the table. :What's going on?:

Did I mention I'm not allowed to tell anybody what's happened?

Dai shoots me a glance, but doesn't interject. I force myself to give Bria a small smile. :Still a bit stressed. That's all, dartling. Thanks for taking over my dolphin classes. How have they been going?:

:Perfectly smooth!: Bria smirks and gives a cocky shrug, like my job is soo easy. And I guess it must be, if a ten-year-old can do it.

:Great. It's nice to know I have a substitute teacher for when I want- er, need- to take a sick day: I wink, and she laughs.

:It's nice to have you back, Nere. It was weird without you,: says Ocho.

:Definitely,: Rad agrees. :This one wouldn't shut up. All she does is yap, yap, yap. At least when you're here, she can actually shut her mouth and listen.: Rad nudges Ree and sends her a smirk.

She makes a pouty face at him. :You said you liked my joke about the lobster and the anemone!:

:And you told Lena the food was getting better!: Rad laughs. Lena's mouth drops open as she stares between the two of them from the other side of the table. Sunny laughs so hard she begins to glow, and Penn and Thom exchange a raised-eyebrow glance and a small head shake.

:I'm getting tired,: I tell the others, following my excuse up with a very-convincing-and-not-entirely-forced yawn. :I think I'm gonna go hit the kelp.:

:Hit the kelp?: Dai raises an eyebrow, speaking up for the first time since we sat down.

:You know, hit the hay... hit the kelp,: I laugh. The others shoot me weird glances, but a few smirk and chuckle at my bad attempt at a joke.

:Mind if I walk you to your kelp?: Dai asks me on a private send.

:Even if I say no you're gonna follow me anyway.:

A few seconds later he follows me out of the mess hall, just as I predicted.

:What was with you back there?: He asks, once we're a safe distance away.

:There's just a lot of things going on right now, Dai.: I shake my head. He reaches out to grab my wrist.

:Look who's keeping secrets now,: he says. In almost any other situation, I would smile. But I remember the worry and exhaustion carved onto Cam's face, the odd vibes Tip gave off, and the weird feelings I picked up between Brooklyn and Cam. Something big is going on, and I'm itching to find out what it is.

:C'mon Nere, give me something.:

He's not usually this persistent or talkative, and I think that's what breaks me. I tell him about Cam's mysterious arrival and the odd way they referred to their travels to get here.

:Cam?: Dai asks after I'm finished. :Isn't he the one who...:

:Yeah. We kissed that one time, right before I was about to leave to find Safety Harbor.:

A pained expression crosses Dai'a face, and his mind suddenly gets very dark and blurry, until I sense him shutting me out completely. I lift up a hand and reach for him, wanting to run my hand across his smooth, chiseled jawline, but he takes it in his own and pulls it down slowly. With the other hand, he reaches up to yank on one of his braids.

:Dai?: I ask him. He honestly can't be this upset because of one kiss. I've kissed him loads more times then I've ever kissed Cam!

:I think you can make it back the rest of the way to your... kelp,: he tells me, opening his mind up again just a bit to tell me this. He quickly blocks me out again so I can't tell what he's thinking. I want to roll my eyes, but I don't want to offend him any more than I already have. :Yes, I think I can.: I turn and swim back to my sleeping cave, not going to give Dai the satisfaction of seeing me upset. His mood swings are unbearable, but I'm not going to freak out over it this time. I shake my head as I swim back, wondering why he's so easily hurt and how I continue to put up with him.
                                                                                      •••••

The next morning, I find myself swimming to my father's building, Robry at my side. We both decided that we have the right to know what's going on, and, since neither of us have been given an explanation, we'd go get one ourselves. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to say to my father to persuade him that I deserve to know what's going on, but I figure I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Minutes later, Robry and I are pulling ourselves up onto the dock and breathing in the dry air that neither of us find very comforting anymore. We walk awkwardly to where I know my father will be, disoriented after spending so much time in the water.

I knock on the door, and the assistant from yesterday, Ezra, answers.

"We'd like to see Mr. Hanson, please," I tell him, trying to make my words sound confident and demanding. I'm sure they just come out airy and weak instead. Ezra gives me a small smile and pushes the door wider so I can step inside.

Suddenly, I find myself with my head buried against someone's shoulder and the fresh smell of my father's favorite lavender-scented soap entering my nostrils. I expect to see him when I pull away, but instead I see Cam. A huge smile stretches across my face, and he moves to hug Robry.

He looks a lot better than he did the previous day. He's obviously taken a shower and even shaved, and there's that familiar warmth and mischief that I've missed so much shining in his eyes.

"I really thought I'd never see either of you again," he says, slinging one arm around my shoulders and another around Robry's.

"We thought the same about you," Robry says, and I see his bottom lip tremble as if he's about to burst into tears. It almost makes me laugh.

"Come into the conference room," Cam says, leading us to another doorway. "Tip and Brooklyn and your father are in there, I'm sure he'll want us to tell you the story."

In my head, I pump my fist and shout with joy. Finally, I'm getting answers!