The Mermaid's Mirror (14 page)

Eyes widening, Lena looked over at the man's son, as if to say,
Is he always this annoying?

The guy grinned, understanding her perfectly. "Yeah. He can't help it," he said. "He's a giver."

Lena gave him a small smile.

She picked up her duffel and the surfboard, and headed up the beach to the highway, the man and his son close behind. She no longer felt cold. She was warm with the glow of belief: there
was
magic at Magic Crescent Cove.

The three of them walked in silence to the man's car parked on the side of the highway. The boy glanced curiously over at her a couple of times.

"Here," said the man, handing her a jug of water. "So you can rinse off your suit."

"Thanks," mumbled Lena. She turned away, tugging off her wetsuit, conscious of the other two peeling off their own wetsuits. The three of them rinsed their suits, and the men tossed theirs in the trunk of the car, which was lined with towels. Lena dressed in the clothes she'd packed earlier, placing her wetsuit in the bag. She took the key out of the bag and slid it into her hoodie pocket, keeping her fingers loosely around it.

"I'd better call Mom," said the man to his son. "She'll be wondering what happened to us." He walked a few steps away.

The boy held out his hand to Lena. "I'm Erik."

"Right," she said, grasping his fingers briefly.

"Hey, haven't I seen you out there before?"

"Out where?"

"Surfing. With Ani. Not at Magic's, though. And not Back Yard. Farther down the coast."

"You know Ani?"

"Sure. She's a friend of my sister's."

Great,
thought Lena.
Does everyone in this town know everyone else?
"Yeah, I guess you have seen me, then."

"What's your name?"

Lena hesitated.

"That's cool. You don't have to tell me. I was just curious. I don't know any girls who surf Magic's."

"I never have before."

"Really? What did you think?"

She shook her head. "It was too much. I probably won't do it again."

He laughed. "Yeah, I wouldn't go out there unless I had my dad with me."

She looked over at Erik's father, feeling embarrassed that she had been rude to him. "It's cool that you surf with your dad."

Erik's father finished his phone conversation and hung up. "She said they'd save us some dinner." He looked at Lena. "Listen," he said. "My name is Ray Lamott. And you've met Erik. If you ... if you need someone to talk to, I work at the hospital on Coronado. Feel free to call anytime." He made a move as if to touch her arm, but stopped himself. "You're too young to remember this, but a woman killed herself at Magic's once. I was there."

Lena's eyes grew round.

"She jumped off the rocks." He pointed to Shipwreck Rocks, where the waves crashed and retreated. "She was crying and talking to herself. So I got a little upset when you started acting so strange. I couldn't help flashing back to that day."

Lena tightened her fingers around the key. "I didn't mean to act strange," she murmured.

"What's your name?"

Lena did not answer.

"All right. You won't tell me, I get it. But promise me you won't surf alone anymore. Or I will make it my business to find out who your parents are. You understand? Because now I'm going to be watching for you."

"I promise."

"Good."

Lena had never been so happy to see Max's Mustang in her life.

Max parked, and Pem leaped out of the car before it had even stopped moving. She ran to Lena and put her arms around her. "Are you all right?" Her eyes were wide and wary as she looked at the two strangers.

"Yeah. Thanks for coming to get me."

"Take her straight home," said Ray firmly. "She needs to get warm." He lifted his hand in farewell, and got into his car.

"See you later," said Erik. He got into the car, too, looking back at Lena as they drove away.

Max strode up to Lena and took his board from her to strap it to the roof of his car.

Lena buried her face in Pem's shoulder, tears of relief filling her eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" whispered Pem. "Who were those guys?"

"Just some people who were out there at Magic's."

"Get in the car," said Max shortly.

"Max—" began Lena.

"You are so done with my board," he said.

"I know. I'm really sorry. And I really, really appreciate you coming to get me."

He didn't answer, just put the car in gear and drove as quickly as possible to Lena's house.

"Please stop here," said Lena, at the corner of her street. She didn't want anyone at her house to see Max's car.

Max veered to the curb and put the car in park. He turned around to look at Lena. "Hey."

"Yeah?" She waited for his fury.

He did look angry, but also curious. "Did you really surf there?"

She nodded.

"You're crazy," he muttered. Then: "What was it like?"

She thought for a moment. "It was huge. But your board performed like a dream."

He smiled as she got out of the car.

"Thanks again. I'm sorry I ruined your date."

"You didn't," said Pem. "Call me tomorrow."

"I will."

Lena carried her duffel bag in one hand and kept the fingers of her other hand around the key in her pocket. She walked to the backyard and opened the garden shed. As she stepped inside to stow her duffel bag, she heard the sliding- glass door open.

"Where have you been?" asked her father in a tight voice.

Whirling around, Lena faced her father.

"Where have you been?" he asked again, his voice rising.

She could see her mom behind him, and Janni and Cole in the family room.

"When Leslie's mom came to pick you up after the movie, and you weren't there, she called the house to make sure you got home okay," said her dad. "Janni told her that you weren't home, and that you were supposed to be with Martha and Leslie."

Lena swallowed.

"What have you got there in the shed?"

She didn't move. Her hand clutching the key trembled so much, she was afraid he would notice.

Her dad came out of the house and stepped past her to look into the shed. He picked up her duffel bag and pulled out her dripping wetsuit.

"What's this?"

Resisting the urge to answer smartly,
Looks like my wetsuit,
Lena just shrugged.

"Were you surfing?"

She stared down at her feet.

"Answer me!" shouted her dad.

Lena jumped. "Yes," she mumbled.

He threw her wetsuit down on the grass and stalked back to the house. At the door he turned around. "Get in this house," he said through gritted teeth.

Her mom and Cole were huddled on the sofa when she got inside. Cole's eyes were huge; he didn't know what was going on, but he knew voices were being raised ... again.

Janni stood near the door. "I'm sorry, Lena. But I was worried about you."

"It's okay," said Lena.

"You are grounded, Lena. Go up to your room," said her dad, pacing back and forth.

Lena was only too happy to escape to her room. She would finally be able to examine the key in privacy.

When she reached her room, she closed the door and opened her fist.

It was a shiny, old-fashioned key, about two inches long, with an oval-shaped top and a single "tooth" at the bottom. After turning the key over and over in her hands for a few minutes, studying it from every angle, feeling each curve and corner, Lena looked around her room for a place to keep it. She knew her father would be coming up to talk to her eventually, and she didn't want him to see the key.

She sat down at her desk and slid open the drawer. She put the key inside, under some papers. She closed the drawer and sat there for a moment. Then, frowning, she took the key out again and went to her bed. She lifted the edge of her mattress and pushed the key underneath. Then she lay down on the bed and pulled Grandma Kath's sun- and-moon quilt over her.

She wasn't cold, but she felt strange, as if she might be feverish, or hallucinating.

Am I really awake? Or is this all a dream?

She pictured the key, gleaming under the mattress. What magic did it unlock?

Pushing back the quilt, she got out of bed. She reached under the mattress and drew the key back out. She couldn't bear not being able to touch it. Staring down at its shiny hardness, Lena realized,
This is what I've been looking for.

Tears filled her eyes.

The mermaid was real. She was communicating with Lena. She wanted Lena to find the lock that fit this key, and ... and ... what?

Lena didn't know the answer. But her hands were no longere mpty.

She lay back down on the bed, sliding the key under her pillow as she heard someone approach her room. There was a tap on the door.

"Come in," she said.

To her surprise, it was her mom who entered, not her dad.

"Hi," said Lena.

"Hi," said her mom. She sat down on the edge of Lena's bed. She didn't speak for a moment. Her gaze came to rest on the photo of Lucy that Lena had propped on her desk. Staring at the photo, her mom's hand drifted up to her ear, and her fingers began to twist one of her earrings.

"Lena," she said finally. "You were surfing?"

"Yes."

"When did you learn how?"

"Just the past few weeks. I know Dad was worried ... but Mom! I'm really
good
at surfing. And I love it
so much.
"

"Mmm." She looked again at the photo of Lucy, then seemed to drag her gaze away with effort. "I don't doubt it. You're good at everything, sweetie."

Lena met her mom's eyes. "Is Dad going to punish me? After all this, if he won't let me surf again, I don't know what I'll do."

Instead of answering, Lena's mom asked, "Where were you, Lena?"

Lena looked down. She was so tired of lying! But there was no way she could admit to her mom that she had been surfing at Magic's. "Back Yard," she said.

Her mom's shoulders relaxed. "Oh. Good. At least there are plenty of other surfers there. In case you got into trouble and needed help. Was Kai with you?"

Lena hesitated only for a second. "Yes," she said. Poor Kai. Getting dragged into her family drama. But maybe her parents would be less worried if they knew Kai had been with her. She longed to slide out of this tangle of lies, like sliding out of a tangle of seaweed. "Um, there was a doctor there, too," she offered. "So even if someone got hurt—which they didn't!—he would be right there to help."

"A doctor?" said her mom. "On the beach?"

"He was surfing. Ray somebody."

Her mom stiffened. "Bones Lamott?"

"What?"

"Ray Lamott?"

"Yeah! That was his name."

Her mom frowned. "Ray was surfing at Back Yard?"

"Um, yes?"
Why wouldn't he?
thought Lena. "You know him?"

"He went to my high school. He's a few years older than I am." Her mom studied Lena. "Ray was always a big wave hound. As I recall, he preferred Magic's."

Crap!
thought Lena.
Lying is hard!
"He ... was surfing with his son today."

Without answering, her mom continued to study Lena. Finally she stood up, and Lena felt as though a searchlight had been removed from her face. "You know, your dad was planning to tell you you could take surfing lessons in the spring."

"He was?"

"Yes. The waves are bigger in winter, so he thought spring would be a better time to learn."

"He was going to teach me?" Lena felt her lower lip tremble.

"No," said her mom. "He can't teach you himself. But he was going to sign you up for lessons in Santa Cruz."

"Oh, wow."

"It may not seem like it, Lena, but we do keep your happiness in mind." Her mom gave a rueful smile and left the room.

Lena waited until her mom was down the hall, then reached under her pillow for the key, anxious to feel its solid weight in her hand again. Already she knew it was
her
key, and she hated not having it with her.

It looked so old, but there was not a speck of rust on it. Didn't metal rust in salt water? Maybe gold didn't.

"Where do you belong?" she whispered.

The sheer profusion of possible locks in the world made Lena feel dizzy, and she lay back on her bed.

I may spend the rest of my life looking for the right lock,
she thought.

She closed her eyes, picturing cupboards and trunks, suitcases and closets, attic doors and desk drawers ... millions of locks, but only one a perfect fit for her key.

You will find it.

When Lena woke up, those words were clear in her mind. The mermaid had given her the key for a reason. She wouldn't give it to someone who had no hope of finding its lock.

Lena felt around her bed in the dark, a small wave of fear surging over her when her hands encountered only bedding. Had someone come in while she was sleeping and taken it? She sat up and pushed back her covers, relief flooding her when she found the key. It had slipped farther down in the bed.

Vowing not to lose it again, even for a moment, Lena climbed out of bed and fumbled her way in the dark to her desk. She felt in the top drawer for her flashlight. They often lost power during windstorms, so every room in the house contained a flashlight.

Shielding her eyes until they grew accustomed to the light, she shone the beam into her jewelry box. She moved things around until she found the gold chain she was looking for, and held it up to the light.

No, too delicate. She was afraid the chain might break and the key would be lost. She clutched the key convulsively at the thought.

She opened her bureau drawers one at a time, slowly, so they wouldn't make noise. When she got to the bottom drawer, she withdrew a blue scarf knitted in velvet yarn. Her mom had gone through a short-lived knitting phase when she was pregnant with Cole, creating booties and a blanket for the baby, and scarves for Lena and her dad.

Perfect. It hardly ever got cold enough to wear a scarf, anyway. Lena took a pair of scissors from her desk and snipped the end of the scarf. Unraveling the thick strands of yarn, she pulled free a single strand measuring about three feet in length. She snipped the other end and fed it through the open top of her key. Then she t riple-knotted the two ends of yarn together and slipped the homemade necklace around her neck, tucking it under her shirt. The softness of the yarn and the hardness of the metal felt exactly right against her skin.