CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Tuesday brought with it a whole new day of failure. The morning was a slow lesson on Trade—apparently most Neptunian culture didn’t use money but traded goods instead. Trade was followed by an even more boring hour spent on sailing and nautical terminology. By lunch I was ready to swim back to Vancouver, but a delicious smelling chicken pot pie and more fashion magazine’s brought by Amynta cheered me up. The afternoon, however, sunk me back down.
"No, that’s all wrong. It’s Oi Ssh ho ay. Not, Oi Ssh uh ay," Colleen said, trying without success to improve my Seatongue. She tucked her loose dark hair behind her ear. "May Sea carry you, Oi Ssh ho ay. You keep saying, Oi Ssh uh ay. May Sea break you. That's an insult. You can’t say it that way."
I pursed my lips, trying not to let my failure get to me. I was not good at speaking Seatongue. I saw no reason why I should have to learn it—the only place it was used was at meetings of the Neptunian Government—and I never planned to become a politician. Ever. “Can’t we just pretend I got it right? I’m awful at Seatongue. You, however, sound like you've been doing it all your life." I gave Colleen a pleading look before glancing around the room at my other classmates.
Everyone had been forced to pick a partner for oral recitation. I’d immediately picked Colleen, and I was glad I had, because everyone else was so good at Neptunian that I’d have felt even worse if I’d had to recite the language in front of someone I didn’t know.
Colleen recited it again, “Oi Ssh ho ay."
"Oi Sssh-h hay."
"Closer. Try it one more time.”
I blew away a strand of hair hanging in my eyes. I prepared to try again when I heard Shia burst out in laughter.
She had asked Caesar to be her partner, after I’d already asked Colleen to be mine. Once I saw them working together, I almost regretted my choice. Caesar was giving Shia a smoldering look and saying something in Seatongue that I had no hope of understanding. Turning away from them, I saw Colleen was staring at them too. "What's he saying?" I asked her.
She turned back to me, shrugging. "Probably something about going to his room later. Typical pirate stuff."
"Oh." My stomach clenched. Heat stung my cheeks. Colleen had only said probably—maybe she didn’t really know. Besides, it wasn’t like I’d given Caesar the impression that I liked him. Up until today, I’d thought I’d be going home eventually. Now it felt like Mom was glad I was gone. Maybe it would be easier if I made a life here. If I found real friends. A real boyfriend.
"Oi Ssh ho ay. May Sea carry you.” Colleen nodded at the lines on her paper as she read them. “Ay Foosh? Are you well? How does that sound?"
"Great." I tried to smile at her. She sounded just like Mira Tiderunner—Kyle’s aunt and our Seatongue teacher—had earlier. “You sound perfect.” Colleen read what I needed to say. I repeated after her with no success. After failing the practice quiz on Neptunian Trade this morning, practicing Seatongue was hardly a confidence booster. I dropped lower in my seat, glancing over at Shia and Caesar again. Their Seatongue conversation sounded perfect. It was official: I was the stupidest Neptunian of all time.