Opal Waters | ✔

Chapter 16

The next morning I woke with a start. My body had so much energy that I flew out of bed, picked out the perfect outfit and took the time to do my makeup. I would have to show Damien to all of his classes today, but I needed to get to school early. Something in the back of my mind told me that everything would be okay.

I hoped Asada wouldn't be too mad at me for losing my necklace, and once I explained to her that I had attempted to find it she would understand, knowing that it was forever lost. Hopefully, no one picked it up on the beach the night of the dance. Anyone that was in our commune would immediately know it was mine though.

The walk was nice, the cold air kissed my skin which normally would frustrate me but today it was soothing. I didn't have to go far since we all lived in apartments that were just down the road from Gage's mansion, which was now known as the school building.

A few groups of students were making their way towards the building. Chattering as they stroll down the sidewalk like there wasn't a care in the world. What they didn't know was there were wars going on, things in the world that would affect them, even if they liked to pretend that it didn't. Things that would blow their minds if they had any idea, or were directly in the crossfire. I scoffed to myself, fumbling with my thoughts as I quicken my pace.

I wasn't late for school, but I felt I needed to rush to get there as soon as possible. There was a good possibility that the meeting with Asada would be a long one. The hallways were crowded and this didn't help with my nerves as they begin to race. I entered the office students would usually go to if they were in trouble.

Asada peered up at me as she sat typing methodically on her keyboard. I smiled, waving my hand, before taking a seat in the chair across from her. The office was small, and there wasn't much for natural lighting as it was built into the garage of the house. I always wondered why she hadn't picked a nicer room in the house.

"Opal, how are things going?" Her voice was warm and inviting, her glasses reflecting the computer screen as the light hum of the modem whirs in the background.

"Good, I actually have some bad news," My hands were shaking, but I knew it was better if I just came out with it, instead of trying to hold it in. She would be able to see right through my act.

"You are missing your necklace aren't you?" She closes out of the browser on her computer, twisting her body so her full attention was on me. A lump forms in my chest. How did she know? My hand shoots up to the spot in my chest where the necklace should have been.

"Yes," I mutter, the words falling slowly from my lips, like a puppy that had an accident inside the house.

"You were doing so well....Opal, you've had your necklace longer than anyone else ever had, what were you doing when you lost it?" She tapped her fingers on the desk. I felt like she wanted me to search for it before she went to work on making a new one. If only she knew how long I had searched the sand.

"It was the night of the dance, I took it off and placed it with my clothes when it was time for the night swim, when I came back my clothes were there but the necklace was gone, I've been searching for it ever since," It felt strange to tell on myself, like I was a little kid trying to get ahead of my sibling before they could get me in trouble.

"Why did you wait this long to tell me? I could have helped, we all could have helped, but you didn't let us and now we run the risk of it being in the hands of someone else," My heart was racing, it felt like she was angry with me but her tone never changed.

"You mean like the hands of another pod?" The words were like poison, dripping from my teeth. I didn't mean to say them, I didn't want her to know I knew, but it was too late. She gasped, turned away from me and pushed her chair against the wall. She walked around the office, heading towards a filing cabinet until she stopped, opening one of the drawers and pulled out a necklace.

She brought it back to her desk and carefully popped the gem out of it, a large green crystal falls to the desk as she holds the net in her hand. She tosses it back and forth before walking around the desk to sit on the front of it.

"What did you just say?" She mumbles, her voice taking on a darker tone. I had always known she was the queen of the ocean, so these other pods shouldn't bother her.

"The other pod that is in town, you don't want them to have my necklace, why?" I couldn't see why the necklace would be so important, all it was was a tool for us to not transform in front of non-mermaids. I shook my head, my knee bouncing as she continues to interrogate me.

"Opal, what other pod are you talking about?" Her tone was still steady, her lips never quivered, and her posture was proud and strong. She wasn't affected by what I was saying and this drove me crazy. I wanted answers, I wanted to be a part of the loop, to know what was going on around us. If there was another pod in town, which Damien had told me there was, then I needed to learn about them.

Someone was lying to me, whether it was Asada or Damien, I needed to figure out who.