"You could be happy here. I could take care of you. I wouldn't let anybody hurt you. We could grow up together, ET."- Elliot, E.T, The Extra-Terrestrial
The next day was pretty much the same. Wake up, breakfast, dressed, teeth, hair, all that jazz. But the sky was an unusual grey, hidden behind clouds that ranged from white to pale grey.
"Might be a spot of rain today pet." Aunty Peggy announced over breakfast.
"I know I know, checked the weather forecast last night."
"Want an umbrella? I've got heaps to go around."
"No thanks, I'll be alright. I'll take my raincoat instead, how about that?"
"Good idea. And please try not to get so wet today."
"You.... noticed?"
"Of course I did. Who wouldn't notice you squealching into the house? How on earth did you get so wet you monkey?"
"Oh, uh, my phone fell into the sea, and I was trying to get it."
"Did you?"
"Yeah- yes, its drying in my drawer. Still works, thank goodness."
"Thats good. Now I won't hold you up any longer. Go out, have fun. Stay safe, for goodness sake."
"I will, I will."
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It had been almost an hour, but I refused to leave my spot on the beach, where I calmy watched the waves swoosh swoosh across the sand, waiting, watching out to see if she would be here.
Yet I noted no sparkles, found no simmers, nothing.
Come on, I yelled silently. Where are you?
Nothing.
Maybe it was all just in my head, I thought. Just a daydream to fill in my lonliness.
I sighed, and picked myself up to leave.
And thats when I heard it, for the first time.
A voice, soft and high, singing.
The sound was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. I wiped them away fiercely with the sleeve of my hoodie, and slowly, unsteadly on the sand, began to walk to the source of the singing.
And, right there, was the girl, the same one from the day before, perched on a rock overlooking the sea.
No Sophie, my head scolded. DON'T approach her. What if she swims away from you again?
Yet I couldn't stop my voice, when I got close enough, saying, "You have a lovely voice."
The singing stopped. The girl turned around, her cheeks pink. Her long hair flapped wildly in the breeze.
"Hey, its ok. Who are you?"
Now that I could see her better in the light, her face looked familiar. Very familiar in fact. From somewhere in my mind danced a long ago memory. Fuzzy, blurred around the edges. Her face, younger, chubbier, smiling and laughing. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
"Who are you?"
"I asked first!"
"All right all right keep your hair on!" Her voice had a small, faint, yet unmistakeable Irish lilt tinged through it. "I'm Maggie."
"I-I'm Sophie."
"Sophie. Wait a minute, are you the gril from yesterday? At the pier?"
"Thats me."
"Yes, you. You fell in."
"How do you know?"
"I saw you."
At that exact moment, her hair blew away, revealing her chest. I winced.
"Whats the matter?"
"Hey, uh, would you like to come over to my house?"
"Of course, that would be lovely." She smiled at me, and jumped down from her rock.
"How'd you get... your legs?"
"Oh, I'm a shapeshifting mermaid."
"Cool." She walked towards me. I noticed something tied around her neck. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a small vile of blue liquid tied around her neck with a piece of string.
"Hey, whats that?"
"Whats what?"
"That thing, around your neck."
"Oh its nothing."
"Ok.... Now, before we go to my house, we need to get you some clothes. For now, you can use my hoodie."
"But won't you be terribly cold?"
"No, no, I'm warm as toast, really." I lied.
And when we began a slow and steady walk to my house, I noticed her take off the necklace and thrust it in my hoodie pocket.
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I opened the front door just a crack, then a little bit further. Looked left and right.
"Alright." I motioned to Maggie. "Coasts clear."
She nodded, took my hand, and we crept indoors.
"Sophie?"
We froze to the spot.
"Sophie, who's that with you?"
"Oh, uh, my new friend."
"New friend?"
"Yeah-yes. We met in the park."
Maggie looked at me, baffled.
Aunty Peggy glanced up from her computer. "Why is she wearing your sweater?" she asked, a suspicous tone creeping in to her voice.
"Uh, she was cold, so I let her borrow it."
Aunty Peggy raised an eyebrow, but went back to her computer.
I breathed a sigh of relief, and ushured Maggie to my room.
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She stood in the doorway, half frozen in awe, before she spoke. "You get to sleep in here?"
"Yeah. You like it?"
"Its.... lovely. It reminds me of my home under the sea."
"Hey, you never told me. Where is your home?"
"Oh, just somewhere in the space between New Zealand and Australia. I'll take you there someday."
"Ok, that would be awesome."
She smiled at me, and walked into my room, slowly, like she was in a dream, her fingertips lightly brushing everything.
"Now," I stepped in after her. "About this whole clothes thing. Whats your favourite colour? Is there anything specific that you'd like?"
"No, no, I don't mind. Any colour, except anything too gloomy."
"Whats your exact definition of 'too gloomy'?"
"Black, grey, brown."
"Nope, nope, none of those colours," I lied, absently brushing a crumpled black top aside with my foot.
"I saw that."
"Oh, yeah, uh, you wouldn't want to wear that anyway. Needs washing."
Her nose wrinkled.
"Yeah, I meant to take it down to the laundry, sorry."
"No, no, its fine."
She reached for my suitcase before I could stop her, zipped open the lid, and began rootling around through my clothing.
"No, no, too grey, ew, shapeless," she muttered as item after item of clothing became crumpled on the floor. But then she paused, and brought out something from my near empty suitcase.
"Now this is more like it!" She held up a thin white dress with embroidered short sleeves that stopped just past the ankle. "Do you mind?"
"Nope. It was getting too small for me anyway."
"Why'd you bring it then?"
"Oh, I, uh, was hoping to try and drop it off at the Salvation Army sometime..... Hey, where are you going?"
"To the bathroom. To get changed."
I went a little red. "Oh.... Go ahead, go ahead."
After the door shut behind her I finally took a proper deep breath to ease the embarassment in the air.
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The door opened. Fabric rustled. I jumped up from my bed, fingers darting away from the edge of the pillow case.
"That was quick!"
"Yes, I can sometimes do that."
"Do what? Give me a tiny fright?"
"No you silly. Be quick when I need to be."
"Oh. Yeah. Right."
"Anyway, how do I look? Do you think it'll do?"
"You look awesome."
She really did. The whiteness of the dress made her hair look almost red, and further emphasized her flawless skin.
"Thanks." She gave me a small smile. "So do you."
I knew she was just being sweet on me now. My baggy shirt and stained shorts could hardly be concidered 'great'.
I was actually about to tell her this when a whish of cool air hit me in the face.
The window hung open, and Maggie was nowhere to be seen.