Free Beyond the Sea by Emily Goodwin Page B

boy? Can you sense anything?” Wolfy was too preoccupied with a sandy tennis ball to pay attention. Melia threw it once for him before running into the ocean.
    The water felt cold tonight. The foreboding feeling grew stronger the deeper she got. Something wasn’t right. Immediately she feared the darklings. Had Lana felt this? What had she stumbled upon? She was out all alone, just like I am… Not wanting to be obvious, Melia had to use great control to swim slowly to shore. Guilt for doubting Actassi dripped from her like the salty ocean water. He was a good King. He wouldn’t let the darklings run rampant. Unless he didn’t know.
    Melia hated the fear she felt. She hated the creeped out feelings, the way she felt vulnerable to be alone. She wanted to call Jamie and make up a reason to spend the night at her house. Melia didn’t want to tell her she was scared. And admitting she was scared of the water felt oddly insulting. She wished her mother was home, though she dared not utter a word about the darklings.
    Soon, and while the sun was still bright, she’d swim out to talk to Actassi. Just to say hi. Because she missed him. That’s all. Though her plan was calming, Melia lay restless in her bed. When she finally did fall asleep, her dreams dragged her down into a deep, dark, watery abyss.

    *

    “Did you pork her?” Connor asked Peter, not minding to be quiet.
    “Don’t talk about her like that. And no.”
      “Tell me you at least kissed her?”
    “No.”
    “What the hell is wrong with you man?”
    Janet laughed. “Didn’t I tell you Peter’s a prude?”
    Connor looked at Peter and shook his head. “No, I think this means you like her.”
    Peter opened his locker. “Well, yea.”
    “No, I mean really like her,” Connor tried to tease.
    “Wait,” Kaitlin said, looking up from her homework she was feverishly trying to finish. “If he really likes her then why didn’t he kiss her?”
    “Because,” Connor explained. “If a guy really likes a girl, he respects her. And if he respects her, he takes it slow.”
    Janet ran her hands over her body seductively. “But he didn’t take it slow with me.”
    Peter grinned. “Exactly.” Even Kaitlin laughed.
    Janet kicked her. “Well have fun with Fishy over there. Tell me this: does she sleep on a water bed?”
    “No. But her bed is really comfortable.” He shut his locker and walked across the hall to say good morning to Melia, leaving Janet with her mouth gaping.
    Melia was tired. She’d tossed and turned all night. Images of darklings flashed through her mind like a horror show. Jamie knew right away something was wrong with Melia.
    “You ok?”
    “Yea.” Melia sat on the ground. She was wearing a short denim skirt, wedge sandals and an off the shoulder black top, complete with a strand of pearls and matching earrings.   She looked casually chic, as always. “Tired, I guess.”
    “Up late thinking about him ?” she whispered as Peter drew near.
    “Yes,” Melia said, not feeling like it was a complete lie. Peter had crossed her mind once or twice…or three or four times.
    “Hey Melia,” Peter said, trying not to appear googley-eyed.
    “Hi Peter.” The fish lashed their tails in her stomach. She was aware of Janet and Kaitlin staring daggers at her. “How are you?”
    “Better, now.” His smile was too big, he knew it.
    “You were bad before?” she asked, tipping her head.
    “No, it’s just that now, you know, never mind.”
    Jamie picked up her books. “I promised Jeff I’d look over his math homework. See ya later,” she said to Melia.  
    “So,” Peter began nervously. “Want to meet my friends?”
    “Sure.” She smiled sweetly, not meaning for Peter to interpret it as seductively as he did. He carried Melia’s books as they crossed the hall.
    “Hey guys, I think you all know Melia,” he mumbled, knowing fully that everyone in the whole high school knew who Melia was. Suddenly his little group of friends grew in