Justin Bieber and The Mermaid

8. Where did she go?

Justin's POV

It was the swan. It had fallen from her tiny hands when she ran away, into a puddle. I smiled at the thought of how soft and shriveled her fingers felt when I wrapped mine around then earlier in the arcade, like she had spent too much time in the tub or in the ocean. She did say she liked swimming so I guess she did it a lot. I wiped the stains from the swan's pink fur. But when I rose from picking it up to see how far she'd gotten, she was nowhere to be seen.

Where could she have run off to so quickly?

My heart felt heavy as I searched the arcade, Starbucks, and the rest of the pier.

Waterlily - I mean Lily - had left me again, as if she had mysteriously swum off like the day she had saved my life. I didn't even get her phone number so I could call her in hopes of meeting up again. She's the first girl in the long time that I felt comfortable with. The first person that I felt didn't want something from me. Well other than her necklace that I stole. I chuckled to myself as I thought that, then I reached into my pocket.

Just then realizing that I still had her necklace!

I had forgotten to give it back. But more importantly, and mysteriously, she had forgotten to take it. That meant she would be back looking for it again. It seemed really important to her so I doubted she would just decide to leave me with it. Maybe I could get it cleaned for her before she came back looking for it.

In fact the next time I saw her, I would have a plan. She won't be able to run away from me that easily. If she thinks I won't put up a fight for her next time then she's wrong. There was something magical about her. Something about her that I just can't seem to let go of. Not that I want to. I have to see her again. Hopefully I could convince her to let me keep her next time.

I walked back into the dark arcade in high spirits. I was still in the game. Hopefully I would see her again and soon. I smiled to myself feeling my phone vibrating in my pocket. I knew it couldn't be her since we didn't exchange numbers but I was in such high spirits just thinking that I would see her again that I didn't think to look at the caller ID before I pressed the green button to accept the incoming call.

"Justin, baby." She shrieked on line. My ears burning at the sound of her sickeningly sweet tone. I hadn't heard from her in months. Why was Selena choosing now to get into contact with me? It's almost like she had a GPS that signaled just as I started to move on and be happy again.

"What do you want, Sel?" I asked dryly. My lips flat.

"That's no way to greet the love of your life." She chastised.

"We broke up months ago and you've been ignoring me ever since." I responded.

"Well silly, none of that matters now." She mutters a bit too sweetly, making my annoyance rise. "You promised to make an appearance with me for some publicity so we'll be seeing each other again soon. Whether you like it or not."

Shit! I forgot about that. I can't have Lily seeing me with Selena. She'll think we're together and that'll surely ruin my plans of ever getting to know her. She already seems on the verge of running away from me every chance she gets. She even did that tonight and I can't risk it again.

I needed to figure a way out of this before it ruined my chance of ever being with Lily. Plus, knowing Selena, she would love to chance to ruin any potential relationship I might have the chance of pursuing.