The Mermaid's Mirror

Chapter 18

The next Friday at lunchtime, Lena sat with Pem and Kai. She was adding a fresh coat of white nail polish to her nails, while Pem and Kai played chess.

"Kai, you hamster, that's the third game you've opened that way. Can't you play something besides the Queen's Gambit?" Pem shook her head, setting in motion the I Dream of Jeannie-like ponytail sprouting from the top of her head.

"Just play, Pemberley."

Lena watched but did not comment. Her conversations with Pem had been strained ever since the incident in Max's car.

"Are you going surfing today?" asked Pem, glancing over at her.

"No. Ani's not coming home this weekend. She has midterms, and she wanted to stay on campus to study. Besides, we're finished with the lessons."

"You are?"

"Yes."

"When did you finish?"

"Last Friday."

"How come you didn't call?"

Lena shrugged. "I figured you were busy."

There was a fraught silence.

Lena blew on her nails, hoping she'd stung Pem just a little with her remark.

Maybe she had, because Pem asked, "So, um, today ... do you want to hang out at my house?"

"What about...?"

"Max is working."

"Oh." Lena tried to ignore the implication that she was Pem's second choice. "Sure. That would be fun."

"Um, hi. I'm right here," said Kai, waving his hand around. "Official boyfriend and everything?"

"What?" said Pem.

"What if I want to hang out with Lena? You know... alone?"

A silence as awkward as an armload of beach balls rolled around their table.

Lena glared at Kai. He lifted his palms, as if to say, What?

Pem glanced at each of them, then stared down at the chessboard. "Oh. I didn't think about that."

"Pem!" said Lena. "I do want to come over. I didn't have plans with Kai. He's just being—"

"Boyfriendly?" said Kai. "Come on, Lena. I'm glad my sister taught you to surf, but we haven't been alone in ages. What with rehearsals, I never—"

"It's cool," said Pem. "We'll do it another day."

"No, it is not cool," said Lena, a flush rising on her face. "Kai, this is totally embarrassing."

A shade of blotchy red crept up Kai's neck. "Oh, really? How is it embarrassing that I want to spend time with my girlfriend? You didn't even ask me before you said yes to Pem."

Lena's eyes widened. "Ask you! You think I should have to ask you before I make plans?"

"No," said Kai. "I just meant—"

"Stop it," said Pem. She stood up. "I knew this would happen. You guys said nothing would change, that the three of us would still be best friends, even though you were together. But I knew it would never work." She walked away.

Kai gathered up the chess pieces while Lena struggled to keep her temper. She felt like knocking the chessboard to the floor. Finally she said, "Why did you do that? We swore we wouldn't be one of those horrible couples who make other people feel like they're in the way."

He reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm sorry. I just want to be with you."

"You're with me all the time!"

He shook his head. "I want to be alone with you, Leen." His thumb traced feather-light circles inside the palm of her hand. "Don't you want to be alone with me?"

She melted a little. Her hands were sensitive, and easily won over. "Of course. But why did you have to make Pem feel bad?"

"Leen. Come on. I said I was sorry. Don't make me beg." He lowered his voice. "Although I will if you want me to."

She laughed. There was that voice. "Uh, no. That won't be necessary."

"Please." He moved his hand up her arm. "Baby, please."

"Shh! Don't call me baby," she said.

"Let's do something after school, just the two of us. In fact..." He pretended to remember something, although Lena could tell he'd known it all along. "No one will be home at my house. Ani's staying on campus, and my parents will be at work until five." He cocked his head appealingly at her. "We could watch a movie. Or listen to some music, or something."

Right, thought Lena. Or something.

***

Pem opened her front door and looked at Lena in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Can a sistah come in, or are you going to make me apologize on your doorstep?" said Lena.

Pem stepped back. "I thought you and Kai were goingt o—"

Lena entered the house, shrugging off her jacket. "I never said that. He was being presumptuous."

After a moment, Pem grinned and said, "And impertinent?"

"And exclusionary."

"And—" Pem paused. "Wow, that's a tough word. Uh ... separatist!"

"Nice," said Lena. "Anyway, I'm sorry we made you feel like a third wheel."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. Things have been weird, Pem, and I ... I want them to go back to the way they were."

Pem gave a wry smile. "Too late for that."

Lena's lower lip trembled. "It's too late?"

Pem grabbed her arm. "Oh! Don't look like that! Sorry. I just meant that we can't go back to the way things were. Everything's changed. You know, you're in love with Kai, and I'm in love with Max, and—"

Lena didn't know which tidbit to pounce on first. She settled for the latter. "You're in love with Max?"

Pem shifted her weight. "Well, yeah. I think I am. Yes."

"Really?!"

"Maybe you didn't notice because you're so swoony over Kai," teased Pem.

"But I'm not," said Lena. "Am I? I don't feel swoony. In fact, I'm not even ... don't tell him, okay? But I don't feel like I'm actually in love with Kai."

Pem's eyes widened. "You're not?" She pulled on Lena's arm. "Come on. Let's go talk in my room. Mama Mia is lurking around here, wanting me to help her fix dinner. We'll go say hi to her, and she won't bother me once she sees you're here."

Lena confided to Pem that the whole being-with-Kai thing felt almost like watching a movie. She could see how they had ended up together, and she cared about him a lot—of course she did!—and she liked the making-out part, but she didn't get all weak-kneed and palpitating when he was around.

"Maybe that's how it is for some people," she said. "They hang out together for years, and suddenly one day they're madly in love and can't get enough of each other. But, um, that's not how it is with Kai and me. Or at least, that's not how it is for me."

Pem listened. Then she said, "Leen, the guy called you his pearl in front of a roomful of people. In front of your parents! I hate to break it to you, but he's totally smitten. So don't ... you know, hurt him."

"I'm not going to hurt him," protested Lena. "He's my boyfriend. And also? If I hurt him, I'm afraid Ani will beat the crap out of me."

Pem laughed. "She is a force of nature, isn't she?"

"But if Kai expects me to turn into Kissy McSwoonypants, he's going to be disappointed." She twiddled the braided yarn anklet on her leg. Hers was black and white. She remembered saying to Pem when they made the anklets, "Mine has to be black and white to counteract all the pink in yours." Now she looked up at Pem. "So talk to me about Max. Are you really in love? Like... love love?"

Pem's expression softened. "He's so great. I know I had a crush on him last year, but this is different. For one thing, it's reciprocal. He's into me, too. I know you think he's just some gear-head who wears Hawaiian shirts, but there's more to him, Lena. He's so sweet and funny and cool."

"I'm sure," murmured Lena.

"And you know what?"

"What?"

"We're going out tomorrow. A real date, not sneaking around."

"Really?"

Pem nodded. "I even told my moms."

"You did? How did they take it?"

"They were okay, actually." Pem sounded surprised. "Of course I have to be home at, like, a ridiculous hour, but still."

"Were they freaked out that he's in college?"

"A little. But I explained that he only turned eighteen a few months ago. So we're only two and a half years apart."

"Good. I'm happy for you, Pem."

"Thanks." Pem glowed.

"Hey, Pem?"

"Yes?"

"I wasn't going to tell you this, but..."

"Oooh, sounds juicy," said Pem, scooting closer.

"No, not like that. But first you have to promise not to tell Max."

"I promise."

"Or Kai."

"Wow. Okay." Pem waited.

"Um, well, Martha and Leslie invited me to the movies tomorrow. And I'm going to go, but ... um, I'm not really going to the movies."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to go surfing."

"What do you mean? I thought you just said you were going to the movies."

"I am ... I mean, I'm going to have my dad take us to the movies, but then I'm going to sneak out and come back home for Max's surfboard, and go surfing."

"What?"

Lena nodded.

"But why? If your dad finds out, he'll—"

"He won't find out."

"How are you going to get there?"

"Walk."

"Walk? You're going to walk all the way to Back Yard with a surfboard?"

Lena hesitated. "No."

Pem stared at her, puzzled, then went still as a stone. "No," she whispered. "You don't mean Magic's."

"I do," said Lena.

"You're, like ... messing with me, right? Tell me you're just messing with me."

"I'm serious."

"You can't be."

"I am."

"Lena..." She struggled for words. "You just learned to surf. Magic's is for extreme surfers!"

"I can handle it."

Pem grabbed her hand. "Don't do this. I'm begging you."

"I have to."

"Have to? What are you talking about? Lena, listen to me. Have you ever seen a girl surfing at Magic's?"

"Well ... I guess not."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know."

"Because they know you could get killed out there! Why do you think they call that one spot out there the Cauldron?"

"I'm not going to get killed, Pem. Jeez. Dramatic much?"

Pem glared at her.

"Theatrical?" added Lena, smiling.

Nothing.

"Uh ... hysterical?"

But Pem would not play. "And there's the Boneyard," she said. "You know about the Boneyard, right?"

Lena hesitated. Oh, yeah. The Boneyard.

Pem leaned in so that her face was inches from Lena's. "It's that shallow spot, nothing but reef and rocks. It will cut you up like hamburger if you get washed out there."

Lena swallowed.

"Yeah," said Pem. "How do you like Magic's now?"

Forcing a light note into her voice, Lena said, "I won't wash out in the Boneyard. I promise."

Pem stared at her a minute longer, then sighed and shook her head. "If I can't talk you out of this, at least wear a helmet," she begged.

Lena smiled.

"I'm serious! If you're going to do this insane thing, at least protect yourself."

"I'm going to be fine. Nothing's going to happen. I just wanted to let you know. In case..."

"In case what?" Pem's face was strained.

"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you because you're my best friend." She stood up. "Let's get something to eat. I'm hungry. What is Mama Mia making for dinner?"

Pem stood up, too. "Lena," she said, "if the conditions are bad tomorrow, swear to me you won't go through with this."

Lena did not answer.