Opal Waters | ✔

- Chapter 9 -

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Chapter 9 - Unedited

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"To be completely honest with you... I don't know, I was hoping I stayed with you..." I mentally cursed myself for telling him that much info. Enough that he could take it and run with it and create some idea in his head that I cared about him. I wouldn't even think twice about leaving him when I ran away.

"You don't know?" He questions, his eyes filled with enough confusion that it could kill a cat. I smile. Looking up at him, since he towers over me a couple of inches.

"Nope," I popped the 'p' adding way too much emphasis on to the word.

"Why doesn't that concern you in the slightest?" He ran in front of me. Grabbing my shoulders and making me come to a stop. Shaking his head he searched my face for any emotions.

He wasn't going to find any. Not from me, not today.

"What do you want me to say?" I pulled away from him continuing my journey down the hallway towards his locker. We were only a few steps away and I needed to get back to class here soon. I stopped in front of the locker that was his, handing him the paper with the combination on it.

"Opal," He grabbed my arm again, completely ignoring the fact that the locker was right in front of us.

"What?" I rolled my eyes, trying my best to sound uninterested.

"We have to figure out what happened to you," His words were sincere, his eyes told me he really was freaking out by the thought of me not knowing what had happened. I was too, but I didn't feel like Damien needed to know this. It was too much info for someone I had just met yesterday. Plus why was he already a mermaid? Usually, they had to go to a few classes before they were turned.

"Why are you a mermaid?" I questioned, realizing the puzzle was much larger than I had originally thought. The larger the puzzle got, the more pieces I realized I was missing.

"What?" He looks taken aback by my comment. I knew I wasn't following good mermaid etiquette. You weren't supposed to accuse people of things, especially their reasoning for becoming a mermaid. Everyone here had a horrible backstory, all found on the streets. It was stuff we just didn't talk about. Sometimes it was too negative, sometimes it just wasn't important. Somehow we all had found Asada and she had seen something in us and took us in, helping us create a better life for ourselves.

"If today is your first day then why are you already a mermaid?" I reach for his necklace, and as soon as my fingers graze it he smacks my hand away.

"That is none of your business, you don't ask people that!" He was getting visibly angry, and the madder he got the more I wanted to know why he had changed before school even started for him.

"Tell me!" I found myself shouting back at him. Glancing around realizing people were watching. The class must have ended, students filled the hallway making sure to leave enough space around the two of us that they didn't get hit in the crossfire. Damien searched the hallway awkwardly grabbing my arms before pulling me through the crowd.

"Where are you going?" I questioned, by my feet continued to follow. I didn't know why, but I knew he didn't know where he was going and for some reason, it humored me to see him try to navigate his way to a 'private' place to finish this discussion.

"Shut up," He snarled, pulling me until the students thinned out enough. Finally, he stopped in a doorway, a wall on each side hiding us from the crowd.

I folded my arms over my chest, glaring at him as he fiddles with his own thoughts.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," He looks down at the ground, kicking the dust on the floor with his shoes. I rolled my eyes nodding my head.

"You think,"

I took another look at his necklace, realizing something was off. Cursing myself for not having my very own to compare it to, but he looked like it was made completely different. My heart started racing as the realization popped into my head. How had Asada allowed him in?

"You're from another pod?" Damien's eyes shot to mine, telling me my accusation was correct. I took a step away from him. We've learned about other pods in our history class, sometimes they were full of evil. Creatures that were banished because of their hateful nature.

"Shh," Damien places his fingers against my lips. My heart was racing as he holds my head close to him.

"Don't tell anyone," His eyes told me he was serious if I told someone he might kill me. I nodded my head not wanting to get myself in trouble.

"I thought all other pods lived in different oceans, that they never..." He shook his head.

"They do, you thought correctly, I was banished from mine, so even though I'm from a different pod, this is my pod..." My mind was racing yet again. My body telling me I needed to just go home and sleep, let the day slip away from me and not worry about anyone else's problems.

"Did you steal my necklace?" I panicked, my heart confused. Was he a good guy, was he a bad guy? I didn't feel like I was in danger.

"Your necklace is missing?" Damien reached forward grabbing the neckline of my shirt pulling it towards him. Now it was my turn to slap his hand away.

"What are you doing?" I shouted, looking at him as if he was the devil in disguise. Maybe he was.

"We need to find your necklace quick!" Damien shouted, before realizing he said it too loudly. He covered his own mouth.

"Why?" I felt stupid for asking. Of course, I had my own reasons for finding my necklace, but what was his reason.

"The other pod is in town and they are searching for recruits. If they have your necklace they have control over you and let me tell you, with that hair color and fin color, you are special,"