17 Chapter Sixteen

Bambina

Today was the day Aiden and I were going to set off to go see my parents. It's been a week since he found them. We would've went the same day but the drive from his house to my parents house is six hours away and we'll have to stay a few days. He said he needed to inform his mom that he was going to visit his aunt on his dad's side. She wasn't thrilled but, said she wouldn't try to keep him from his family. Apparently, she wouldn't be suspicious because she refuses to talk to his dad's side of the family.

Anyway, I can't say I'm not nervous about seeing my parents after so long, but I'm most definitely excited.

I'm nervous because I couldn't help but wonder if they would still accept me, even as a mermaid. Or, what if they don't even know what would break the curse.

Either way, I need to find out.

So, today, I'm going to tell Aqua, and Aquarius, who has finally started talking to me again, that I'm going to be gone for about a week. I just hope they have water where we're going.

I swim around near the usual areas I would meet Aqua and Aquarius when I came back into the water. I couldn't find them anywhere. I even searched around where we would play hide and seek. Still nothing.

Where are they?

"Aqua?!" I call out. "Aquarius?!"

Man, I wish they had cell phones. Ever since Aiden bought me one, I realized how difficult living underwater could be. On land, if I'm lost and don't know how to get somewhere, there's this thing called GPS. I'm not really sure what it means, but it tells you where you are and how to get someplace else. Whereas, in the water, if I get lost then by dusk, I can drown if I don't find my way back in time.

You know what?! They might be in their little town!

I swim to their home, searching for them. Mermaids were swimming around talking to one another and I even saw a few getting their hair done.

Not to be one to judge but, what's the point? When I get out of the water, my hair looks wild and crazy. And when I'm in the water, it just flows around me as I swim.

"Bambina!" I hear someone call from behind me.

That someone being Aqua.

"Hey, I looked in all our usual spots but you guys did not show up." I explain to her.

She rolls her eyes before looking over at her brother who is finally catching up to her, it seems.

"Sorry, this goldfish," she jabs her thumb toward Aquarius. "Decided to over sleep because he was too comfortable to get up."

I laugh at her mocking voice toward her brother before smiling excitedly.

"I have something to tell you guys." I say to them as we go inside their home.

We all find an area to lay out on before I get back to my news. After I tell them, Aqua pokes out her bottom lip and Aquarius has an annoyed look.

"But, don't worry. Will be back in a week, I promise." I finish up.

Aquarius sits up with an eye roll. "Not if you break the curse, Bambina. Then what? You'll just forget about us?"

"What? No! I'd never forget about you guys!" I sit up, offended he would even think that.

He scoffs as he swims over to me. "I really wish you could just see that being a mermaid is part of who you are. You will lose yourself if you lose that part of you."

I look over at Aqua, who is looking at her brother as if he's grown an extra head, then back to Aquarius.

"I wish that you would understand that I was cursed. I wasn't born to be a mermaid. I don't have a family down here." I argue.

This time, Aqua seemed offended. She sits up and crosses her arms.

"Well, I disagree on that one, Bambina. I," She points to herself. "see you as family."

Taken aback, my mouth falls open and I look between Aqua and Aquarius. They were both giving me stern looks and finally I say,

"Okay, you're right. I see you guys as family, too. But, I want to see my parents again. And, I don't like living a double life. It's harder than you guys think. Do you guys expect me to live this way for the rest of my life?" I demand.

"Why not? You get the best of both worlds, Bambina. The land guy and you get to be a beautiful mermaid." Aquarius is the one to answer.

I run my fingers through my hair, aggravated from his words. Why am I even explaining myself to him? He doesn't understand.

"Aquarius, please stop. Aiden isn't going to stop his life for me forever. He's lying to his family for me. So, I have to decide on something. I just need to know if this curse can be broken! Can't you understand that?"

He takes a deep sigh before looking at Aqua. Thankfully, we're in the water so that he can't tell there are tears running down my face.

"Maybe the land boy wouldn't wait for you, but if it were me, I would. I'd follow you to the end of the world if I could, Bambina." Aquarius tells me. "You're a beautiful girl. A beautiful mermaid actually. Don't go. Please?"

"Besides, is he really worth your friendship if he didn't accept you for who you are? Or what you want to be?" Aqua piped in.

Although, I was extremely upset with their words, I didn't want to lose my two best friends. But, she was right. He wouldn't be worth my friendship if he didn't accept me for who I am. That's why I say,

"You're exactly right. No one would deserve my friendship if they didn't accept me."