We pulled the giant bus into the parking lot of what was also distinctly not an aquarium. The smell of fresh breads and sweet pastries wafted through the air. The sign on the door was written in French.

Mariann’s boyfriend and I waited as Mariann ordered a dozen croissant sandwiches, three golden embossed boxes of fancy pastel macarons, wrapped in doilies and a dozen boxes of chocolate milk. She kissed the assistant packing up the food on the cheek as he let her go with an I.O.U. 

We loaded ourselves into the bus. And once again pulled up to a place that was distinctly not an aquarium. It was most distinctly a school.

“Time to bust ‘em out.” Mariann nodded at us.

I opened my mouth to ask a question, but Mariann’s boyfriend’s hand closed over my mouth.

“Pay attention,” he whispered in my ear, black lips brushing my ear.

“Curious, here’s the list. Once I get you into the principal’s office, read this announcement. Make it sound as principally as possible — like an official announcement. Zeus, you’re in charge of corralling the kiddos into the bus. And I’m in charge of getting us in,” she raised her eyebrows at me.

Mariann’s boyfriend waved as we walked toward the school.

Very confidently, Mariann spoke to the receptionist: “I’m here to pick-up for the FosterCare Field Trip.”

The receptionist frowned. “I don’t have a record of any field trips today.”

Mariann looked confused. “I know I confirmed things with Principal Kennedy last month.

“She must have forgotten if it was a month ago. I’ll call her out to talk to you.” The receptionist picked up a phone and a moment later, a smartly dressed woman came out of the room behind the desk and began speaking to Mariann.

The time was now. Crouched in the air duct above Mariann and the principal, I only had a few seconds to get into the principal’s office and lock the door. I crawled forward quickly to the next grate and used the screw driver to quickly remove it. I swung down, feet first, landing knees bent directly on the principal’s desk. I leapt off of it into a forward roll and closed and locked the door.

My heart was pounding and my hands shook, shocked that I had pulled off the stunt. I admit, I had been afraid when Mariann led me up a ladder to the roof and sent me in through the upper air duct armed with only the paper with her announcement and a screwdriver.

I was glad my silver boots covered my knees with all the crawling.

I grabbed the paper from where I’d tucked it into my shorts and began reading:

“Good afternoon, Jaguars! Teachers, at this time please release the following students to the bus pick-up for the F.C. Field Trip…” Thus followed a list of ten names.

Mariann had told me to just walk out the door when finished. I took a deep breath, unsure whether or not I would be arrested.

I opened the door. The principal and assistant were both bent over an iPad, wearing noise cancelling headphones and watching what appeared to be an educational video about whales. They removed their headphones right when I came to stand behind Mariann, having escaped notice.

“This is excellent! I’m so glad students will be receiving interactive instruction at the aquarium! And what a professional explanation of the materials! I’m hoping our students can one day participate in your program, Ms…?”

She trailed off.

“Monroe,” Mariann smiled and shook her hand, “Mariann Monroe.”

Mariann clapped a hand on my shoulder, “Well, we must be off for the field trip — I’m sorry we got the schools mixed up. I look forward to working with you in the future.” She shook hands with the principal.

The principal blinked at me strangely, realizing she must be forgetting something.

We went out back to the bus.

Ten children sat tearing into sandwiches, macarons and chocolate milk.

Mariann’s boyfriend spread his arms out to indicate them. “Meet the Foster Children of Mariann’s godparents! She dotes on them like her own siblings.”

Some of the kids looked up at me excitedly, some were too engrossed in their food. However, when Mariann entered the bus, they all squealed and rushed her, showering her in hugs.

Mariann greeted all of them warmly, listening intently to everything they said.

Mariann’s boyfriend smiled and handed me a chocolate milk.

We didn’t say anything.

Mariann’s boyfriend led the kids through the aquarium, but Mariann hung back with me.

“I have to ask you something… you’re a swimmer, right?”
My eyes widened. “How did you know?”

“Before, when we jumped off the roof of the club, you held your breath like you were about to dive into water. Plus, you’re strong. It was just a guess.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

She grinned. “It’s time for you to make magic.”

I followed her up a through the aquarium through a STAFF door. Mariann walked to a row of maillots. There was a giant package with her name on it with an administrative assistant’s note-to-self to find out who the package was for, as it didn’t match any names of any of the staff.

Mariann took off the note and handed me the box.

“Knock ‘em dead.”

I can’t believe I’m doing this! I can’t believe I’m doing this! The thought played over and over in my mind as I stood at the very top of an ENORMOUS aquarium tank.

I took a deep, deep breath and dove in.

I swam downwards, surrounded by vibrant coral and a rainbow of fish. My hair floated around me. I thrashed my tail, propelling me down.

I could see the blurs of the kids gasping and pointing at me through the glass.

I was a mermaid.

I was the magic.

I felt the water shift above me. Another mermaid with half-platinum-half-red-hair was swimming toward me. She took my hand and together we swam closer to the aquarium glass, propelled by our tails.

And then there he was.

Mariann’s boyfriend.

Staring at us like we were something.

Mariann pressed a hand to the glass. Mariann’s boyfriend pressed his hand to the glass. His ice-fire eyes stared unflinchingly into hers. Mariann pressed a kiss to the inner wall of the glass. His eyes closed, and Mariann’s boyfriend pressed a kiss to the outside of the aquarium glass.

Watching them was like watching a fairytale. 

I needed air. I darted up to the surface, waving goodbye to the children, my lungs burning.

Mariann was following me. We swam as hard as we could, black dots threatening our vision. We had to preserve the magic. We had to stay alive.

We burst through the top of the water, gasping ragged breaths. All that was left of us down below was the black smudge of Mariann’s boyfriend’s lipstick.

Mariann and I stood naked in the aquarium employee showers. I stared at the tattoo that ran down her back and curled around her shoulders. It was a colorful illustration of fantasy, Alice chasing the white rabbit through all parts of wonderland. Alice’s platinum hair was only seen in profile. The Queen of Heart’s red hair was only seen in profile.

Water trickled down her back, making the white rabbit cry. The rabbit had blue eyes.

We took the kids home just in time to be picked up from school. Before letting them off the bus, Mariann stood, placed a finger to her lips and winked. The kids did the same. They would keep this day a secret.

A little girl with strawberry blond hair tugged on my hand before she got off the bus.

I got down on one knee so she could say what she wanted to say.

“You’re really beautiful, Miss Mermaid,” the little girl blushed and hurried down the bus stairs.

“That’s Violet. She’s had it rough. Both of her parents are in jail,” Mariann placed a hand on the top of my head, where I still knelt. She patted my wet hair.

We took the bus back to Austin’s rental, and climbed back into Baby Blaze.

We were all so tired.

Mariann’s boyfriend wrapped his arms around both of us. “Let’s just sleep right here.”

Mariann and I curled around him, interlocking our fingers. I was half-asleep against his warm chest, faintly aware of Mariann reaching up to bite her boyfriend’s bottom lip, his black lipstick rubbing off on her teeth. As she bit down, he squeezed me tighter, as though my presence protected him from falling into her. Then his arm relaxed against me with a gasp as she cuddled against his neck. He leaned his head against the top of hers, and they fell asleep. His fingers were still balled in my shirt.