Flerae: A Lie Untold

Chapter 15: Fishy Tail

- Ocean -

Esemais whispers nonstop in my ears. "When I graduate school I'm going to change my name to Esimay. It's so much prettier than Esemais."

"I agree," I say back, "if you want, I will call you that from now on."

"I'd like that," she says with a sweet smile.

* * *

- Brittney -

In front of me, my teacher gives a lecture. I know I should pay attention, but my mind keeps drifting to the black and white cat I saw in the hallway. His eyes, so downcast. What happened to him that caused him to be so sorrowful? Where and how did he hurt his leg?

* * *

- Ocean -

My class doesn't stay sitting for long. Mr. Tux stands at the front and says, "for our lesson today, we're going outside. Please, walk through the halls quietly, so you don't disturb the other students in their classes as they try to work."

"What are we doing today?" Esemais says to Mr. Tuxedo. 

"We are working on creating lightning and thunder," he says, "create your clouds first."

All around me, clouds appear a couple feet above our heads as the other students use their magic. I watch the clouds for only a second, but I turn to the teacher and say, "um... Mr. Tux? I don't know how to create a cloud."

The whole class turns and stares at me, probably wondering how I ended up in this class if I can't even create a cloud.

"You don't know how to create a cloud?" Tuxedo's voice is brimming with confusion.

I shake my head, "no, not at all."

"Hmmm. The principal told me you're a mer cat, but I thought you'd at least be able to create a cloud. This is going to be very difficult... very difficult."

At his words, the other students gasp, their mouths hang open in astonishment. "You're a mer cat?!" Esemais says excitedly.

I give a shy shrug. 

"Where's your fishy tail?!"

"We only have them when we're in the water, or when we get wet," I mumble to the ground.

"What?"

"We only have fish tails when we're wet," I say, louder this time.

"Oh," she says, "why aren't you in the lake? Isn't that where mer cats live and go to school?"

"Usually," I reply, giving another shrug.

"Wow. I never imagined I'd actually get to meet a mer cat. They only surface rarely. No one ever sees them, like ever."

"Okay, talk time is over. You can ask Ocean about the mer cat dragons later. Now it is time to learn," interrupts Mr. Tuxedo.