I returned to an empty room. Neither Opal nor Ardea were in. I set my bag aside and decided to go look for them.

I found them in the garden. They sat on the grass with their eyes pointed up at the sky. I too looked up. The sight above me lured out a smile. The clouds were particularly impressive that afternoon. Not grey, gloomy clouds that would bring a promise of rain, but white, fluffy clouds that seemed like gigantic popcorn.

"Hey! May I join you?" I asked as I approached them.

"Of course," Ardea said and gave me an inquisitive look. Although she said nothing else, I felt as if I were being compelled to tell her all my secrets.

"I know!" Opal exclaimed. "A turtle trying to bite into a cotton candy!"

"What?" I asked as I forced myself to avert my eyes from Ardea's piercing stare.

"We're trying to guess what the clouds represent," Opal explained.

"You can't guess what the clouds represent," Ardea corrected her. "Their forms are completely random. It isn't until you compare them to your experiences that you can give their shape a meaning. Your previous experiences tell you what their shapes look like."

"And since we all have different experiences, the shapes represent something different to each person looking at them," I added, grateful that Opal created a diversion that allowed me to gather my thoughts.

"Exactly," Ardea agreed.

"Okay. So, based on your experiences, what do you see there?" Opal asked me. She squinted from staring at the sky.

I observed the cloud she was pointing at more closely and said, "I see two fish fighting over a piece of the coral reef."

"You are such an Aquantien," Opal stated before asking another question, "Why did you stay behind today?"

There it was. The question I dreaded. I did not want to talk about my conversation with Professor Cyan at all. Everything I found out there had to remain a secret. But I knew Opal wouldn't just let it go. I knew I was gonna have to tell them something.

"I had a question about the homework she gave us," I lied.

Kneeling on the grass, Opal placed her palms on her knees allowing herself to lean towards me. "You could have asked me if there was something you didn't understand."

"I didn't want to bother you. You're already helping me with History, I don't want to bug you with Literature as well." Another lie.

"Then you could have asked Ardea," Opal said and looked at our friend.

"Do we really have to talk about homework?" I asked before Ardea got a chance to join the discussion and reveal my lies.

Ardea was already trying to catch my eyes, but I returned my attention to the sky. "Look! A pineapple!" I said and pointed at a cloud.

It didn't work. Opal had more questions. "You've been in her classroom all this time? You were gone almost an hour! You could have written the entire homework in that time."

"Well," I stuttered, "no. I wasn't there the whole time. Just a few minutes. Then I went to our room and read the book for a while."

Although I didn't specify which book I was supposedly reading, Opal knew very well that there was only one book preoccupying me these past few days.

"Seriously? Are you planning on memorizing it?" Opal's eyebrows raised slightly. "If you memorize all that, there won't be any room for any other information."

I laughed. "Don't worry, that won't happen."

°  °  °  °  °  °  °

During the weekend I tackled my homework assignments. I had a lot of catching up to do because I wasn't paying attention in classes over the past weeks. I didn't want my grades to slip. Especially after the announcement of the second parent's day that was only two weeks away.

Monday wasn't that bad. I had done all the homework and I was successful at forcing myself to listen to what Professor Arian, Professor Logar and Professor Ravens were talking about.

That, however, didn't mean I could relax. Just as I was walking down the hallway, Mathias showed up.

"You," he said, pointing at me. "Come with me!"

He seemed upset. In different circumstances I might be inclined to make a joke, but not when he was like this, his eyebrows lowered, his nostrils flared.

"What happened?" I asked instead.

"Come. With. Me!" he ordered through clenched teeth.

"Who do you think you are?" Opal stepped forward and placed her knuckles on her hips. "If you think that I'm just gonna let you drag my friend away, you're wrong!"

He turned his eyes to her, but the glare in her eyes was an even match to his. All those heroes from the books we read in Literature class had nothing on my feisty dwarf friend.

"Cool it," Mathias scoffed. "I just wanna ask her something."

"Well, ask her, then!" Brown curls bounced around Opal's face.

"What I want to ask is none of your business. It's none of this one's business either." He twitched in Ardea's direction.

"This one is also my friend! Watch your mouth!" Opal's eyes shot poisonous arrows at the werewolf.

He took a step closer, towered over her and said in a surprisingly quiet voice, "I'm not stupid. I wouldn't get myself kicked out of the school. Don't worry, I won't harm your friend. I just have a question to ask her."

Opal glared at him for a while longer, head lifted, jaw clenched. Then she turned her eyes to me.

"It's okay," I said. "If he wants to ask me something, let him ask."

"If one hair falls off her head..." Opal threatened him with a finger before she stepped away.

I glanced at Opal and Ardea before I joined Mathias. He led me to the garden. As soon as the bushes concealed us from the eyes of those inside the school, he turned to me.

"Where is she?" he asked with the staring gaze.

I felt a knot in my stomach just by looking at him. "Where is who?"

"Professor Cyan. Can you explain why the headmaster was her substitute today? Where is she?"

"Why do you ask me? I don't know that," I said fearfully, worried that our conversation might be the reason for her absence. Is it possible that she left, I wandered? But where would she go?

"You're lying! You said you weren't gonna dig deeper. You promised!"

"I didn't..." I didn't know what to say. To lie to him? I wouldn't do that. To tell the truth? I couldn't do that.

"Then it's one strange coincidence. You had Literature class on Friday, and on Monday she isn't here." He was breathing slowly, as if he was trying to calm himself down. "Don't try to deny it. I know when you left her classroom. I saw you."

"Oh," I whispered.

"Oh," he smirked.

He turned away from me and took a few steps. He approached the magnolia tree and halted there.

"I need you to know that I never meant to..." I stopped speaking when he lifted his head and looked to the right. He started sniffing the air.

I never saw him like that. His nose was wrinkling, following the scent I wasn't able to detect. But it wasn't the nose that attracted my attention. It was the eyes. It was broad daylight, so he should have looked like a regular human, but in his eyes I saw a hint of a yellow glow. It was as if the wolf was trying to surface.

My feet moved on their own, causing me to back away from him even further. "What is it?" I whispered.

He didn't respond. He just followed his sense of smell, walked past the magnolia and carried on to the secluded part of the garden.

I followed him at a safe distance, feeling like a cat burglar.

He stopped at a clearing. She was there, sitting on a simple wooden bench with her back turned to us. She must have sensed us approaching because she looked over her shoulder.

"Mathias, are you all right?" she asked after her gaze fell upon him. She was on her feet instantly.

I looked at him as well. He breathed heavily, his face was red and his fists were clenched.

"Mathias, do you have the potion?" Her voice was stern. She wanted to make sure that he would hear the words that came out of her mouth.

He heard her because just moments later his rigid hand reached for his pocket and took out a small vial. He took the lid off, brought it up to his nose and took a deep breath before taking a sip of the green liquid. He held it in his mouth for a while and after he swallowed it, his body relaxed instantly.

"Are you feeling better now?" Ms. Cyan asked the question to which I too wanted to hear an answer.

He nodded. "Yes. I'm better."

"Good," she said with a smile. "That's good."

"Why weren't you teaching your class today?" he asked her without equivocating.

She averted her eyes and let them rest on her hands that were placed in her lap, once again donned in gloves. "I needed some time to sort out my thoughts."

"Why? Did she say something to you?" He pointed his finger at me without giving me a glance. His breathing got heavier and his nostrils were widened again.

She sighed.

"I didn't speak to anyone about... that. I swear!" I said, looking at our teacher.

She returned the look and said, "I believe you." Then she turned her attention back to Mathias who still seemed to be agitated. "Relax, Mathias," Ms. Cyan said in a calming voice. "Do you need one more sip of your potion? After all, there are two of us here with you."

"No, I'll be fine," he answered her and focused on his breathing to soothe it. After a mere second he said, "Wait! Did you say two of you? Do you mean to say that you know that she knows?"

There was a hint of a smile on her lips, but she said nothing in response.

Thank you for reading on.

I apreciate every comment you leave and I'm looking forward to every single vote my story gets.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to a creative author who enjoys tales of the underwater world just as much as I do (if not more). THANK YOU LadySapphire2018!
If you're looking for an interesting mermaid story, check out her book series, The Seven Kingdoms.

If you liked this chapter, drop in a comment and don't forget to vote.
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