BEEP ! BEEP ! BEEP !

I wake up once again to the sound of my stupid radio clock, which by this time I really want to throw out of the window. As I slam it down to shut it up, I felt a jolt rush through my body. My chest, jaw and head are really hurting like hell. I lifted my covers and shirt to check out why I was in so much pain and found an enormous mark on my torso, exactly where Max had pressed on yesterday. Crap, it is all bruised up.

I lifted myself up from my bed and headed out towards the bathroom to check the extent of the damage I had endured yesterday. As I uncovered my bed hair I immediately noticed a bump on my head, probably from the time where I was slammed against the wall. It wasn't anything too big, so it didn't make me panic too much. I just figured that I would hide it with my messy hair to make it unnoticeable for today. There were scratches along my back and another bruise on my left forearm, but thankfully that was it. Nothing that I can't cover up with a shirt.

It was once I was brushing my teeth, preparing myself for school when I remembered one by one everything that had happened yesterday. Oh my god, it completely left my mind that I got freaking noticed as a merman. My heart sped up as I was starting to panic when my mother knocked on the bathroom door.

"Can I come in sweetie ?"

I suddenly calmed down with the sound of her voice.

"Yeah mom, you can come in."

She swung the door open and gasped at my injured forearm. Thank god I was wearing a shirt because if she saw the rest of my body she would probably faint. She rushed to my side and started to hug me tightly. She was hurting my bruised chest but it didn't really matter at this point of time. I think that embracing me will somehow make her feel better.

"Mom, I'm ok don't worry about me."

Well, I'm not really okay for the fact that I got exposed yesterday. But I'm sure as hell not going to tell her that anytime soon. Eventually she removed her arms from around me and looked back at me with worried eyes.

"I... I am so sorry for getting mad at you yesterday. You know that I love you very much... And... I... I will always be here for you."

I could see in her eyes that she was trying to hold back her tears. My mom was usually so strong. We had to live through so much as a family when we were younger, and she had to live through even more crap from before I was even born, so eventually she grew to be a person that could face all the hardships of life. But I knew that if ever there were anything that ever happened to me or Evangeline, she wouldn't be able to keep up her façade.

It is why I would never want to shatter her dreams and make her move out of this town. For so long she dreamt of coming back to the sea and discover more about our species, and now that she is finally able to make her dreams come true, I didn't want to be the one that would break it all apart.

I sighed and tried to pull the most genuine smile possible. I didn't want to make her more worried than she is now.

"Mom, I'm not mad at you. You always do what is best for our family, and I know that thanks to you, I'll always have someone to turn to. I will always love you no matter what."

After I said those words, she couldn't hold back the enormous smile on her face. I am truly grateful of having such a loving mother.

"Honey, you don't need to go to school today if you don't feel like it. It must have been very hard for you and I don't want you to feel pressured and face off everything today."

I thought on the words she just said. Sure, I would love to stay at home. I would love to set aside my problems and think about it for another day. I would really love that, but I know that I can't.

There is so much that is at stake right now, more than what my mom would even imagine. And I know that whether it was today or tomorrow, I had to eventually face my problems at some point. That, and the fact that suspicions may rise if I don't end up in class today, made me decide of what I felt was best for me.

"No mom, I think I will be able to go to school today. I will have Mira beside me, and I know the school will make me feel as safe as possible on the grounds."

"Are you sure about that ? I know they would understand if I explained the situation to them."

"Yeah, but don't worry. I feel confident enough to go and solve my problems today."

My mom glanced at me and took a moment to think. After a while she hung down her head and sighed, signifying that she was ok with what I just said.

"Fine. But please don't hesitate to call me if ever you have a problem."

I grinned at her.

"Sure will, don't worry mom ! I will brave all of my harshness like a true hero ! And you know what they say ! Heroes never die !" I said in the voice of the character I was imitating.

My mother stared at me wondering what the hell I was talking about, but laughed it off after a while.

"Now come and eat your breakfast ! I made your favourite to make up from the lack of food you had yesterday."

I smiled as I was headed to the kitchen, impatient to eat my strawberry jammed crumpets. I hope that my mom did remember that that was my favourite, and not the stupid cheerios she always gets me for the fact that I used to like them as a child.

I finished getting prepared and opened the front door of my house. Before leaving I waved back at my family who were now all awake and getting ready themselves, then I went to walk on the trail that lead to the place the bus would usually pick me up. This was going to be a long day ; I knew of it already.

Shortly after I saw the bus coming at a stop beside me. As I walked in the vehicle, I felt all eyes on me. People were starting to whisper at each other while keeping their eyes glued at my face. What were they talking about ? Was it about the fact that the one Maximus had assaulted yesterday was me ? Or was it... something else ?

I swiftly sat down onto my usual place at the front of the bus, but this time, I knew I wasn't going to be enjoying the view outside on the way to school. I tugged out my phone from my bag and once I got reception, I typed in anything that would indicate about the reveal of the mermaid species. I searched in every corner of the web but didn't find anything conclusive. I sat back in my seat and glanced at the clock on my phone. Well time sure flies by when you're panicking for your life.

I started to notice how close we were from school, the school in which I am going to have a hard time going by today.

I thought back on what had said my mom before I left, she was just a phone ring away from letting me out of this hellhole. I opened her contact and panned my thumb around the green icon that would make her phone start ringing. But then I thought back on everything I had said to her earlier on. I needed to face out my problems today, I knew that ! I wasn't even at school yet and I was already backing out ! Jesus you're such a coward Akari, get yourself together now !

I locked my phone away and put it in the pocket of my bag. I didn't even wait for the other students to get up before I left the bus and walked on the path that lead to the building's entrance. On the way there I would notice some people turning over to stare at me, well, at least more than they would usually do so. Some of them looked at me in concern while others glanced at me in what seemed to be disgust.

Urgh, I guess that even if you are the victim there will always be those people who would defend the aggressor at all cost. Maximus was feared and admired at the same time by the students of Colenson high, so I guess that would explain the dirty looks that some were giving me... Or at least that was my guess.

Or wait, maybe they were staring at me because they noticed I was a merman ! Crap, did I even remember to wear proper jeans today ?

I looked down onto the bottom half of my body only to realise that I...

I...

I was wearing my pants. I sighed in relief as I came to the realisation that I wasn't so much of a clutz that I would forget something so important. Well I mean, I did forget to hide yesterday and got my secret exposed to a random scuba diver like an idiot, but hey, at least my pants were on today.