Choices Affect Everyone COMPLETE

Chapter 4

Around the same time, Muriel exits her grotto, her stomach grumbling. She stays in the shadows and corners, hoping to avoid her sisters. No matter what else happened at dinner, she knew some of them, if not all, were going to be mad because her dad stood up for her.

"Muriel!" Amber swims over and squishes Muriel in a tight hug. Her heart is pounding. "Are you-"

Muriel shoves her off. "Just leave me alone, all of you, please. None of you like me, and I can't take this for much longer. It's not my fault that Mom died." She wipes away her tears.

Amber swallows before hugging her again, tightly. "I'm sorry."

Muriel pushes her off. "I really don't want to hear it. I'm going out for a swim."

"Muriel please-"

"Leave me alone." Muriel swims off. She can't bring herself to let any of her sisters in, scared that they're going to hurt her.

A little while later, Percy finds her still swimming about. "Are you all right?" Percy says, swimming up.

Muriel looks up before looking away. She wipes the bit of fish off her face. "Amber is trying to convince me that she cares. I'm scared that I'll believe her."

Percy frowns a little. "What if she's serious?"

"Why would she care now?

"You know Amber isn't normally around because she's learning to take over the throne. You always hide it, which doesn't help."

"They'll call me a crybaby otherwise. I can handle it-"

"You shouldn't have to!" Percy says, shaking her by her shoulders. "Why don't you get that?"

Muriel looks away.

Percy looks down at her hands. "What's that?"

Muriel shoves it into her pouch.

"Is that the human's hair?"

"... Maybe."

"Muriel, that's creepy. You shouldn't have taken it in the first place."

"I like the bounce," she whispers. "But it doesn't stay in the water."

Percy blinks a few times. "He's a human, it's never going to work."

"I don't think of him like that!" Muriel snaps, her face turning a bright red.

Percy lets out a long breath. "Amber has a good head on shoulders. Try talking to her. She will probably be able to do something about your sisters."

Muriel shakes her head. "No, I can handle this."

"But if you don't have to, why do you?"

"It's all I know-"

"Just because it's all you know doesn't mean you can't put any effort into changing." He takes her shoulders. "Muriel, you're like a little sister to me. I hate seeing you like this."

Muriel hangs her head. "I'll think about it."

"It's mostly Kyla, and Vanora follows. Give Marina a chance-"

"If I ever do, I will start with Amber, and that's it!"

Percy sighs. "For now."

She looks away. "I want to swim around. Please let me swim around."

He sighs. "Just don't do anything crazy. If you come back with one more wound, I won't let you out alone."

Muriel hisses. "I'm eighteen-"