The wave

At noon we ( Koi Boy Taraun and I. ) I knocked.

“Hi we have our bus driver, Carl.” The principal was sitting in his favorite chair, I assume. I took a seat on a love seat placed in the corner of the room. Koi Boy Taraun, took a seat beside me on the love seat.

“What did I do?!” Carl complained

“These kids say you were miss behaving.”

“No!” Carl was trying to play the “I’m bigger smarter and more trustworthy game“ Why should he trust you anymore then us?” Two can play this game “there were more kids on the bus then just us, Carl!”

Carl glared at me “I’m older, I have more authority!” He said crossing his arms over his chest.

“You really don’t have any over me, your job is to get me to school SAFELY not to boss me around!” I stared across the room to Carl then to Taraun who was seated beside me. He looked back at me in a shy look that said what do you think your doing? I returned the favor and returned the look right back. He raised an eyebrow, I let out at snort. He made a silent laugh put his hand on his chin then more silent laughing, I didn’t even know what was so funny I just silent laughed with him. The two men on the other side of the dark lamp lit room were confused. We just kept laughing. We were dismissed after that. Carl was told not to do it again, adults get the best punishments!

Koi Boy Taraun’s mom picked me up. They were our new neighbor?!

“Wait, your our new neighbor?”

“Yes, My Son and I moved in about a week ago. My Son has been doing home work for the passed week.” Koi Boy Taraun’s mom explained.

“My Son, wow how nice right should I call you moms weird friend who lives next door?” I antagonised. Her face turned bright red. I was sitting in the back seat, in the middle. Taraun was seated beside me to the right. We jumped out of the car.

“So, when are we comeing over?” I ask

“Tomarow.” She said weirdly.

“Ok. Bie.” I waved to Koi Boy.

A nod, A wave, A shy look.

***

I plopped on my bed while I ate dinner and watched TV.

“Uh… I’m bored. I can’t swim anymore. I don’t want to go and mess with moms weird club.” So I decided I was going to just stare at the water.

***

I sat watching the stars and smooth waves. There was a wall of shrubs, bushes, trees and other stuff that separated our house from the neighbors.

A shadow leaped into the lake with a splash.

“Hey wait!” I continued “Koi Boy?”

“What?” A low smooth voice called.

“Who are you?” I ask

“Don’t call me Koi Boy.” As a head popped out of the clear water. I dug my toes into the fresh spring grass. He waved at me as he swam up to me and joined me on the grass.

“Please don’t tell mom.” He gave me a guilty look

“Tell her what?” I said with a smile. He looked pleased

“Thank you.”

“So, Koi Boy, what’s the seceret?” I tryed to raise an eyebrow.

“Ok, stop it with the Koi Boy.” He said in a flat non joking voice.

“Ok, how about Koi?”

“Fine.” He said in a flat voice rolling his eyes.

“Yay.” I squealed. 

We sat watching the water wash over its self

***

“Well you want to know?”

“I have a question.”

“What?” He sounded ready to dive in that second.

 “When we were at swimming class, why were you so determined to dry me off?” I ask

“You were turning.”

“Turning to what?” I was so confused

“I’ll show you…” he leaped in the water.

“Hey! Wait!” I jumped in after him. I could swim and swim then I started to sink! I screamed and wobbled like a helpless worm sinking to the bottom. Koi snatched me around the waist and brought me back to land.

“What’s wrong?” Koi had a confused painted across his face. I could see the gills melting off his hands and arms. His tail melted away.

“What?” I ask. He pulled a dagger off his belt on his waist, I had never noticed it before. He took a slice at the palm of my hand. 

“Ow!” I cried as I watched blood drip out. Koi grabbed my hand, licked, tied it up in a bandage. “What did you do that for?” I complained.

“Now you won’t have problems with swimming.”

***

“Ok.” I took a step into the water and looked at my feet. They still looked normal.

“If you want to turn you have to at least be waist deep.”

“Oh, ok.” I had no idea what I was doing.

“My Son is not in his room!”

“I have to go. Sorry.” Koi ran to his house. I steped waist deep. My legs started to stick together. Oh no I had to get to land and quick. I tryed before I could I fell over trying to walk. I tryed to kick. It was as if I had one big foot, or at least that was what it felt like. I tried to move the other direction, out to sea. I found it was real easy after you got the hang of it. I stared down at my tail glittering in the moon light, mine was purple with some blue blended in it. My tail looked nothing like Koi’s, his black and white tail matched his white hair with some black spots, like his tail. Pushing my way through the water, I didn’t even have to go up to get air!

I saw some shiny silver fish pass me. I rolled through sea weed that shot up like it was reaching for life. I swam back home after a while of getting used to the tail.

***

The rough sand tickled my legs as I pulled them out of the water.

I waited for Koi, for a long time… I snuck back up to my window. I couldent sleep all night. 

   I woke to the smell of coffee filling the air. My bed creaked as I got to my feet. I walked to the kitchen where I found mom siting on the couch off to the side of the kitchen. The pink walls of the living room never matched anything in the room. I sat on the bar stool eating an apple.

I looked out side then at the clock. It was two in the morning. I was not tierd. I walked back across the hall to my room on the far end of the house. I leaped out my window with grace.

I explored the sea. I dove under and though rocks, swam through sea weed, over fish through groups of fish. It was when I swam through a large wave that I saw a purple wave. A dead fish body came flying from it! I Flicked my tail as hard as I could. I was worn out by the time I made it to home.

 ***

I woke to my arm being shaken. I blinked slowly.

“Uuh wh?”

“Your not going to school today I’m guessing?” Koi was in my room! No wait I was out side! Sand filling my hair I was on the edge of the shore. I had washed up on his land by the gient rocks that were by there sandy beach like thing. I had sand all over and was soaking wet. “Let’s see if we can get you out of the water.” Koi drug me further up the beach. “What happened?”

“Well.” I started as I sat up. “I could not sleep all night, so I figured I would go for a swim. And I did,” I looked at my sand covered purple blouse. I had no idea why I was wearing one. I didn’t remember putting it on. “And I kept swimming then there was a big, big wave then…” Koi put a hand on my shoulder.

“It’s ok.”

“Purple…” I tryed “Purple Wave.”

“A purple wave?” Koi sounded confused. “You, saw a purple wave?”

“Yea, dead…dead fish…” I shivered. I wanted to cry. So I did. Koi took a seat on the sand. He was wearing a coat and shorts with tall socks that reached almost to his shorts. I started a pathetic cry—was I a cry baby? We sat there for hours, it felt like. Still wailing like a baby I curled up in a ball. Koi sat beside me comforting me.

“Can you point to whare you saw the wave?” Koi ask. I noded. Koi put his arm around me. I looked up and pointed out to sea.

“You? Your not a wave, nor are you purple.” Koi teased “I’m going out there.”

“No!” I demanded. 

“You coming?” Koi ask

“Fine.” I mumbled under breath.

I jumped in.

“How are you so good at landing in the water?” I ask. Koi jumped, flipped five times then landed gracefully in the water. I laughed.

“You want to chase a wave?” Koi ask filled with sarcasm.

I let out a shy “Yay.”