Chapter 15
The Secret Prince
When Meeshell got back to her dorm room after dinner, she collapsed onto her bed. Thankfully, Farrah wasn’t there, so Meeshell didn’t have to put on a brave face. The day had been an epic fail! She felt as if she’d been thrown for a loop. Even the ever-cheerful Apple had seemed discouraged.
Maybe Meeshell wouldn’t join a club or a team. She didn’t need a bunch of new friends. She didn’t need to be popular. But from what Apple had said, being in a club was part of the Ever After High experience, and experiencing normal life on land was Meeshell’s goal.
She checked her messages. The first was from Professor Baba Yaga, reminding her to check in if anything was wrong. The second message was from Hagatha, alerting students that there would be no green bean hash next week, due to a union dispute with the giants. And the third message was from Mrs. Her Majesty the White Queen with the thronework assignment for Princessology.
MirrorPad in hand, Meeshell sat on the balcony, her legs curled beneath her. Where was a seagull when she needed one? She really wanted to send a message home. She really wanted to talk to her Merfriends. To someone who’d understand.
StoryTeller2: Hi. How are you doing?
The MirrorPad lit up, startling Meeshell. It was as if StoryTeller2 could read her mind, knowing she needed someone to talk to!
Seashell: Not so good.
StoryTeller2: How come?
Seashell: I tried out for cheerhexing and Track and Shield today, and I was a total disaster.
StoryTeller2: Yeah, I heard.
Seashell: You heard?
StoryTeller2: Word gets around. Blondie Lockes showed some highlights on her Just Right show. You can’t keep any secrets at Ever After High.
She sure hoped that last statement wasn’t true.
StoryTeller2: Don’t feel too bad. I’m not good at sports, either. Why are athletes always popular? I don’t get it. When will intelligence and artistic creativity get as much attention as sports?
Seashell: Thanks for trying to make me feel better. But it was hextremely embarrassing.
StoryTeller2: Believe me, I know embarrassing. And what I saw wasn’t all that bad. At least you didn’t fall flat on your face. I do that all the time.
Seashell: You do?
StoryTeller2: Yep. A bit of a klutz.
She felt better knowing that she wasn’t the only klutz on campus.
Seashell: So, you obviously know who I am but I don’t know who you are. Who are you?
As usual, a long pause followed.
Seashell: Hello?
Another long pause with no response.
Seashell: You still there?
Whoever was conversing with Meeshell clearly didn’t want to reveal his or her true identity. But why? It seemed strange to her. Yet how could she feel annoyed, when she was also hiding her true identity?
Seashell: Okay, you don’t have to tell me who you are. But can you tell me just one thing about yourself? Just a little hint?
StoryTeller2: Just one thing?
Seashell: Yes. One thing and I’ll stop asking.
StoryTeller2: I’m a prince.
A prince? Her heart flitted for a moment. Not only did this mysterious person seem nice and sensitive, but he was also a prince? She’d promised to ask only one thing, but now a stream of questions flooded her mind. And one question in particular lingered.
Are you my prince?
Chapter 16
Mirror Beach
The next morning Apple was back to her usual cheerful self. “We’re going to Mirror Beach,” she said. “Will you join us?”
“But Meeshell’s afraid of the water,” Ashlynn reminded her. The girls were dressed in bathing suits, with bright cover-ups and flip-flops.
“Oh hex, that’s right.” Apple carried a large beach bag stuffed with towels, swimming goggles, and sunscreen. “If you sit in the sand, and don’t go near the water, will you come with us?”
Meeshell glanced at the thronework waiting on her desk. Yes, it needed to get done, but hanging out on the beach would be lovely. She missed the salty spray. The sound of gulls. The rhythm of the waves. As long as she stayed away from the water and kept her legs perfectly dry, she’d be fine. “I’d love to come with you.”
“Spelltacular!”
Mirror Beach was a short walk from the dock where the Narwhal had delivered Meeshell. The sand was white, with tiny ground-up seashells that made it sparkle. A tall wooden chair had been built in the center of the beach. Perched at the top was a boy she hadn’t yet met. He wore sunglasses and striped swim trunks. A sign hanging on the back of the chair read:
LIFEGUARD ON DUTY
When he saw them approaching, he waved. The girls waved back. “That’s Ashlynn’s boyfriend,” Apple explained. “His name is Hunter.”
Hunter scrambled down from the chair and planted a big smooch on Ashlynn’s cheek. “Hi, Apple. Hi, Meeshell. It’s great to finally meet you. Welcome to Mirror Beach.”
“Thanks.” Meeshell took a deep breath, the salt air filling her lungs. It felt so good to be near the sea! She couldn’t take her eyes off the water. It was calling to her, as if it had a voice. She felt twitchy again. Her legs began to ache, wanting to be turned into a tail.
The girls quickly set up a large umbrella and some beach chairs as Hunter returned to his station. Ashlynn had packed snacks in a basket. She passed them each a bottle of Ice Queen Glacier Water. Meeshell settled into a chair. Apple handed out the sunblock, explaining its importance in keeping her the “fairest in the land.” Then they nibbled on mini thronecakes. The crumbs attracted a pair of gulls. Meeshell smiled at them. This was her chance to get a message home!
While Apple and Ashlynn busily applied some sunblock, Meeshell leaned close to one of the gulls and spoke in his language. “Can you get a message to the king and queen of the Merpeople” The gull nodded. The gull, of course, knew Meeshell’s true identity, for all creatures of the sea know a mermaid when they see one. “Please tell them that I am fine and that I miss them.” The gull nodded again. She rewarded him with a corner of thronecake. He ate it, then flew off to deliver the message.
“I don’t mean to pry, but were you speaking Gull to that seagull?” Ashlynn asked, her eyes lighting up. “I thought I was the only one who could talk to birds. Where did you learn?”
Meeshell hesitated for a moment. She didn’t want to tell another lie. But Ashlynn had clearly caught her speaking Gull. “We have to take many languages at school in my kingdom,” she explained. “I learned Gull at school. I know quite a few animal languages, actually.”
Ashlynn’s face lit up. “Oh, me too, I know all sorts. Maybe we can tutor each other. I don’t know a word of Gull, but I know Owl really well. And Phoenix.”
Meeshell was relieved that Ashlynn hadn’t understood her conversation with the gull. But learning new languages sounded like a lovely idea, and she was about to say so when a voice nearby hollered, “Catch a wave!”
A bunch of students, each carrying a surfboard, ran past. Daring Charming was in the lead, his family crest plastered across his swim trunks. He turned and smiled, and this time Meeshell remembered to close her eyes until the brilliance had faded. Apple waved to him, as did Ashlynn. Following behind the pack was Humphrey. He stumbled under the weight of his surfboard, then plunked it into the water. He wasn’t wearing his arm floaties this time, which seemed a bit dangerous to Meeshell since she suspected he couldn’t swim. Daring and his crew headed straight into the water, then paddled out toward a wave as it began to crest. She’d seen land-dwellers surf before. But back home, she and her Merfriends didn’t need special equipment to surf. Their tails were better than boards. And surfing was always good because Meeshell and her Merfriends all had the magical ability to make water ebb and flow at their will.
Meeshell watched with envy as Daring jumped onto his board, riding the wave with ease and grace. As his hair billowed, a few of his groupies stood on shore ta
king photos of him.
“That’s another club,” Apple explained. “The Surf Club. But with your fear of water, obviously not a good choice.”
“You’re right,” Meeshell said. “It’s not for me.”
Humphrey hadn’t caught the wave. He sat on his board, floating close to shore. Unlike the others, he was frowning and nervously looking around.
“I… I’m just going to stretch my legs,” Meeshell told the other two. Then she walked slowly down the beach toward Humphrey. But as she walked and tried to ignore the urge to throw herself into the water, she overheard Apple confiding in Ashlynn.
“I’m disappointed in myself,” Apple said. “I had a simple assignment for the Welcoming Committee and I’ve failed.”
“It’s not your fault that Meeshell’s having trouble fitting in,” Ashlynn said kindly.
“It is my fault. There’s a place for everybody. I just have to think harder.” Apple paused to think. “It’s odd. I’m usually such a good judge of character. But for some reason, I can’t figure Meeshell out. I’m not sure why.”
Meeshell hated that Apple felt so much pressure to help her. It would be so easy to find a club or team if she stopped pretending to be someone she wasn’t. But that would interfere with her plan.
Meeshell walked closer to the water’s edge. She passed Daring’s groupies. “Poor Daring,” one of them said. “Where did the waves go?”
True enough, Daring and his fellow Surf Club members sat on their boards, floating, with no waves in sight. The sea had suddenly turned calm and now all the surfers were wearing frowns.
“Humphrey,” Meeshell called. Her voice startled him so much, he almost fell off his board.
“Uh… uh… h-hi,” he stammered.
She stood at the water’s edge, making sure her feet didn’t touch the water. “You don’t have your floaties.”
“Huh?” His face turned bright red and he laughed in a nervous way. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t need floaties. I love surfing. I surf all the time.” And with that, he leaned forward and began paddling with his arms until he reached Daring and the others in the deeper water.
Well, maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe he had gotten a leg cramp at the lake, and maybe he was a good swimmer after all. There was no reason for him to lie to her.
“Where are the waves?” one of the surfers shouted.
“Waves, waves, waves!” they all began to chant, even Humphrey.
They clearly wanted to surf. And she could help. Coral’s spell had transformed Meeshell’s tail into two legs, but it hadn’t transformed her magic touch. She’d been able to conjure that little wave that had pushed the Narwhal across the ocean. Could she risk using magic now to help create waves for the surfers?
She glanced over her shoulder. Apple and Ashlynn had walked to the Snack Shack to order shaved ice. Their backs were turned to her. Careful to keep her feet dry, she quickly reached out and touched the water. That’s all it took. Her hand retreated quickly. No one noticed.
The wave came right away. The surfers cheered. Meeshell smiled proudly. She stepped backward, moving up the beach to avoid the wave, but keeping her eyes focused on the surfers. She didn’t want to miss a moment of the hexcitment as they rode the magic wave. But something was wrong. The wave grew bigger and bigger. Oh no, what had she done? The surfers shrieked and paddled toward shore as fast as they could. Then they leaped from the water as the wave reached for the sky, roiling and foaming.
The lifeguard whistle blew. “Run!” Hunter cried. Meeshell ran, along with everyone else until they’d made it safely up the path. Then they turned and watched with horror as the wave crashed onto the beach, splitting the lifeguard chair in two. Luckily, Hunter had leaped away in time.
“Where’s Humphrey?” Daring asked.
Meeshell looked around. Humphrey had disappeared!
Chapter 17
Rescue Repeat
Panic welled in Meeshell’s chest. She frantically looked around. Apple, Ashlynn, and Hunter were standing next to her. The students who ran the Snack Shack were also there, along with a group who’d been playing beach volleyball. Daring and the members of the Surf Club were also safe. It appeared that everyone had avoided the rogue wave.
Except for one person.
“There he is!” Meeshell cried, pointing down the beach where a shape lay in the sand. A mangled surfboard lay a few feet away.
What had she done? She had no idea how she got her legs to move as quickly as they did, but she flew down the beach and threw herself next to him. He lay on his back, his arms and legs splayed, his eyes closed. A crab skittered across his chest. While the others ran to catch up, she put her ear to Humphrey’s chest. “He’s breathing,” she announced as Hunter and Daring knelt beside her. She almost burst into tears of relief.
“He’s stunned,” Hunter said. He and Daring helped Humphrey sit upright. Humphrey took a huge breath, then opened his eyes. “You okay?” Hunter asked.
After a few minutes of coughing, Humphrey reached up and felt his head. “No cracks. I’m okay. But that wave really tossed me around. I thought I was going to be crushed.” He picked a piece of seaweed off his face.
“Sounds like the time in Hero Training when I got caught in the middle of a griffin stampede,” Daring said. “But we survived. Good job, Dumpty.” Then he slapped Humphrey on the back, bringing about another coughing fit. A pair of nurse fairies appeared. They flitted around Humphrey’s head, then gave two thumbs-up and flew away.
Hunter helped Humphrey to his feet. All the other students had gathered ’round. Humphrey glanced at Meeshell, looking more embarrassed than ever.
“I’m sorry,” she told him.
“Why are you sorry?” Hunter asked. “You were the first to reach him. You practically saved him.” Hunter was congratulating her? That wasn’t fair. She’d almost squashed Humphrey with the giant wave she’d created! “You’ve got good eyes. Would you like to join the lifeguard crew?”
“But Meeshell’s afraid of water,” Ashlynn said before Meeshell could reply.
“Afraid of the water?” Hunter asked. “That’s too bad. We really need more help.”
It was definitely too bad, because of all the students at Ever After High, Meeshell knew she’d be a superb lifeguard. She’d be able to conduct rescues underwater, and reach swimming speeds that no land-dweller could reach. If she admitted, right then and there, the truth about being a mermaid, then she could help Hunter save lives!
If she spoke up and told everyone she was a mermaid, and explained that she wasn’t really afraid of water, her new friends would see that she was brave and fun-loving, just like they were. All of the things that must have seemed so odd about her, that they had been so kind and accepting of, would suddenly make sense. Sure, she was a little shy, but she wasn’t yet used to life on land.
But admitting she was a mermaid would mean being treated differently. And that would mean losing a chance at having the authentic experience as a land-dweller. But the urge to tell the truth was overwhelming.
“I… I need to go,” she blurted. As Meeshell hurried away, Hunter blew on his whistle.
“Okay, everyone,” he called. “The rogue wave is gone. You can go back into the water!”
Once again, when she got back to the dormitory, Meeshell collapsed onto her bed. What a total disaster the week had been. Trying to be a land-dweller was really hard. She hadn’t found a club, she’d failed at two team tryouts, and now she’d almost drowned everyone! She reached out to the one person who seemed to understand her.
Seashell: I feel like a total loser.
StoryTeller2: How come?
Seashell: Every time I try to do something, it doesn’t work.
StoryTeller2: Yeah, been there, done that. I feel that way a lot.
Seashell: Do you ever wish you were someone else?
StoryTeller2: All the time.
Seashell: Really? Why?
StoryTeller2: Because I don’
t fit in. I never know what to say.
Seashell: I never knew what it felt like to not fit in, but now I do.
StoryTeller2: Like a fish out of water.
Seashell: You have no idea how true that is.
She really wanted to meet her mysterious friend—this prince who wanted to hide his identity. Then it occurred to her that maybe he wasn’t a prince after all. He could be a troll for all she knew. It didn’t matter either way because she didn’t care about his royal status. Or two-footed status. She felt as if she could tell him anything. And that he’d understand and be sympathetic.
Seashell: Will you please tell me who you are?
StoryTeller2: Believe me, you won’t be impressed.
Seashell: Why do I need to be impressed? You’re my friend.
Long pause.
StoryTeller2: I gotta go do something. Bye.
She’d scared him off again.
“Meeshell, can we talk?” Apple had poked her head into the room. Her voice was more serious than usual.
“Sure,” Meeshell said. She set aside the MirrorPad, then pushed a pile of pillows off the bed so Apple could sit next to her.
“As you ran from the beach, I realized something.” Apple took the Welcoming Committee list from her pocket. “When I offered to be your Welcoming Committee representative, I wasn’t thinking about you. I was thinking about myself.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is. It’s always been very important to me that I do things right, you know? That I meet my goals and succeed. I really wanted to be a part of this committee with Briar because she’s one of my best friends forever after, and because it would look good on my records. But the truth is, it doesn’t matter if I’m on another committee. What matters is that you’re happy. And I think I’ve been putting too much pressure on you. You don’t have to join a club or be on a team to fit in here at Ever After High. You don’t have to belong to anything if you don’t want to. That’s perfectly okay.” She crumpled the list in her hand, then tossed it into the recycling bin. “So from this moment on, I’m going to stop putting pressure on you. You do what makes you happy, Meeshell.” She gave her a hug. “And I hope we can be BFFAs.”