Chapter 2

"Girls wake up, I made breakfast and it's ready to eat."

"Mia woke up."

I can't believe this isn't a dream.

"Mia come on Mother said breakfast is ready she also said to wake up."

"I heard also I have never seen you this excited to wake up before."

I wonder why she is so excited. I know it's not for breakfast.

"I have a crazy question to ask." "What happened yesterday when you were out looking around?" "Did you meet someone?"

"No, I didn't meet anyone."

Wait, that's right Danny.

"Mia, I will meet you downstairs." "I have to ask my mother something."

I flew down stairs and into the kitchen.

"Wow slow down, what's the hurry?" "There's enough food for everyone."

"Morning mother."

"Morning now are you going to tell me why you came shooting in here like a bullet?" "Are you really that hungry?"

She called me mother. Is she already getting used to me?

"No I am not that hungry I just forgot to ask you something that I forgot last night." "Danny, a merman I ran into last night would like to show Mia and myself around this place and I just wanted to make sure that it would be alright with you?"

"Sure why not." "By the way Mia said something about you having a hard time trusting people but it sounds like you already trust Danny."

What Mia said isn't making any senses.

"Oh no I don't trust Danny and it is true it takes a while before I will trust anyone anyway I will have Mia with me so that we are together." "Which reminds me so I remember what you said about all the other children having to be set to land like Mia and myself but Danny said that only Mia and myself were sent to dry land." "So are you going to tell me what really happened?"

"Sorry I know I lied to both of you." "The reason why I lied to you, it was the only way for you both to come home." "I knew Mia would come no matter what but you on the other hand were so scared so I made something up and I knew that you would come with me." "The real reason why we sent both of you to land was because someone was after both of you so it wasn't safe for your father and I to take care of you so we had no other choice."

Well there goes the bond we were just having.

"Oh I see, well anyways it's OK if we go today?"

"Yes, right after you have something to eat." "Mia, you are finally up and ready for the day." "How did you sleep?"

"I slept like a baby so it was really great." "Oooo breakfast smells amazing."

"Yes I would hope so I made eggs and bacon."

I felt Penelope's hands on my shoulder.

"Can you let mother know I am going to get changed?"

"I can but don't you want anything to eat?"

"No, I lost my appetite." "I will see you in a little bit."

"Oh."

What happened between mother and Penelope?

"Where's Penelope off to?"

"She said she was going to get dressed for the day." "She also said that she doesn't feel well enough to eat anything right now."

"Oh."

I know why she's being like this. Will she ever be able to trust me?

"Sigh." "Anyway, here is breakfast so please help yourself."

"Thank you mother."

She must have said something to make Penelope upset.

"So where is father?"

"He's helping clean up garbage that humans throw in the ocean."

"That's nice of him to do."

***

Why did mother do that? She wants my trust but lying isn't the way to start things off. Whatever I can't wait to be out of her site, seeing Danny will help me get my mind off of things. I changed into my day clothes.

"They're ready for the day."

I went back to the kitchen.

"Mia, are you ready to go?"

"Where will we be going?"

"Danny wants to show us around this place if you want to come with us."

"Oh mother didn't tell you?" "She showed me around last night." "Anyway you should go have some fun."

Maybe now Penelope will meet new people on her own and not with me.

"Oh really?" "That's alright see you later." "Bye mother." "Bye Mia."

What the heck, why didn't my mother tell me that Mia already saw everything?

"Bye Penelope."

"Penelope please be back before dark."

"Yes, alright I will."

Where was I supposed to meet him today? Did you say where to meet him?

"Penelope there you are." "Where's Mia?" "I thought she was coming with you today."

"Mother and her went out last night and saw everything so it's just you and me today."

"Well I thought you wouldn't come without your sister?"

"I wouldn't have come today without her because I have trust issues big time." "I don't know why I do, I just know I do and the only reason why I came here today is because I don't want to be near my mother right now because she lied to me about a lot of things."

"Wow, that's a lot to say." "I understand what you are going through." "I used to have trust issues as well." "My parents thought if I was raised on land that I would be better at all things when I came back." "But what really happened when I was younger the humans bullied me all the time so I couldn't trust anyone not to be evil so it was very hard to come back home when they wanted me to just because of the trust issues that I had." "So one night when I was sleeping they came and took me home." "They also said that they promised to always try their best to never let anything like that happen to me again." "Over time I started to trust again."

"Wow, that sounds horrible."

I felt a sharp pain in my brain and I had a flashback of when I was younger.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes and I just remember why I have trust issues I was in and out of foster care I never knew why my foster mothers never wanted me but they all gave me back to the system so I put my guard up until like the last person that wanted me I felt a connection to her and I thought I had everything that I would ever want in a mother but now I am here when I could be with my land mother."

I felt tears coming to my eyes. I blinked them away so they wouldn't fall.

"That sounds like torture."

"No, that's not torch er now getting bullied every day that sounds like torch er."

"Well yes and no I was physically tormented, you were emotionally and mentally and to everyone that is the worst." "Besides you must trust me somewhat otherwise you wouldn't have come at all today." "Also you are talking to me about everything."

"I suppose you're right."

He took my hand and showed me around the town.

"Wow I love this town."

I looked up to see the sun setting.

"I have to go, my mother gave me a curfew."

"Since it's getting dark out let me swim you home."

"You don't have to do that, I wouldn't want to burden you with myself."

"Don't worry about it, I have nothing better to do anyway."

She is hesitant.

"Well am I going to walk you home or not."

"Sure why not."

It was a silent swim home.

"Well this is my stop, thanks again for bringing me home."

"It was my pleasure to have a good rest of your night Penelope."

"Yes, same to you Danny."

"Mother Penelope's got a boyfriend." "Haha I am just messing with you."

"Shhhh." "He might hear you and he is just a friend that is a boy."

"You mean Danny right?" "He's so hot."

"Mia, please stop."

"Fine but I thought you had trust issues?"

"Yes you know I do but I really needed a break from our mother and not just that I owed him because yesterday I bumped into him."

"Oh I see." "Well I have to get cleaned up and ready."

I winked at her as I swam away.

"Wait, ready for what?"

"Didn't your mother tell you about the ball?" "By the look on your face she didn't do well." "You should go talk to her because she is in the kitchen."

I went into the kitchen.

"Hi mother, can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure what's up?"

"Just wanted to know if you were planning on telling me about the ball?"

"Well I didn't think you like that kind of thing, the dressing up and everything." "I am sorry I should have told you about it even if you didn't want to go."

This is not going well at all. I wonder if she will ever trust me. I am messing up being a mother so badly.

"Excuse me."

I swam up to my room. Why is this happening to me? I wished I stayed on land with a mother that really knows me.

"Knock knock."

"Penelope are you alright?" "I heard yelling."

"Please go away, I don't want to talk to anyone anymore."

"Sigh." "See you later then."

"Why of all people did I have to be a mermaid?"

Hot tears rolled down my face.

"I don't want to be here anymore."

***

"Mia, are you ready?"

"Yes mother." "I was just seeing how Penelope is doing."

"Is she going to come with us?"

"No, she is very upset." "What happened with you two?"

"I didn't tell her about the ball and she got mad at me." "I didn't think she liked this kind of stuff." "I am sucking at this mother thing."

"It's nothing to do with you." "I mean yes you should have told her but she has to get over what she's upset about so don't worry she will come around."

I hope she will anyway. I mean this is her real mother.

"I know and now I feel bad about not telling her." "Let's get going."

***

I have to find a way back to my land mother who I miss so dearly. I packed my things in a bag. Wait, why am I packing? Nothing here will be right to wear when I am on land. Never mind, I have to get out of here. This is going to be fun like an adventure. I have always wanted to go on an adventure.

***

"I hope Penelope is doing alright in the house all alone."

"Mother, I am sure Penelope is fine."

I put my hands on her shoulders.

"Hi Mrs. Daisy wondered, "Did Penelope come with you?"

"She didn't come with us but I would like you to meet her sister Mia."

"It's nice to meet you Mia."

"Same to you Danny." "Danny could I have a word with you?"

"Yes of course."

We went over to the dessert table.

"What's up?"

"It's about Penelope."

"Is she alright?"

"Yes but she is really needing a friend right now." "Our mother and her had a fight before we left to come to her because mother forgot to tell her about the ball she is upstairs in her room right now." "I know that she is sad and needs someone different from mother and myself and even though she doesn't know you much I can tell she is really close to you."

"How can she be so close to me?" "For one she has trust issues and for two we only known each other for a short time."

"That is where you are lucky."

"How am I lucky?"

"Let me explain so when we were on land she wouldn't go out with anyone she wouldn't even go make new friends without me around you must have something that makes her trust you in some way."

"Why would you assume that?"

"Danny listen to me she wouldn't have seen you today if she didn't trust you in some way you have some kind of pull on her."

"I understand what you are saying, I will go see her and try to cheer her up."

***

Now I just have to find a way home. Which way do I go?

"Penelope?"

What in the world is she doing?

Where did he come from?

"Hi Danny, what's going on?"

"Nothing much." "What are you up to?"

I looked at her with a big bag. Is she going to swim away?

"Penelope, don't do what I think you are going to do." "Why do you want to swim away?"

"I just can't stand being here anymore." "I have enough food in this bag." "It should be enough until I find my foster mother that knows me the best." "Also I haven't gone anywhere yet I am still thinking about it."

"Well I don't think you should go through with it."

I grabbed the bag from her.

"Come on, let's go inside and talk about it."

"Fine but I hope you know you won't change my mind."

What is this feeling I am having around Danny? Why do I have a feeling that I should trust him?

I can't believe what Mia said is true. I thought she wouldn't have followed me inside but she did.

"Penelope I know why you want to swim away, it's because you can't trust your mother anymore." "Am I right?"

I can see she is upset about all of this.

"Sigh." "I know how you feel to be honest I did the exact same thing."

"You must not have gone through with swimming away since you are still here."

"Well that's where you are wrong I was almost to land again once I realized that the mermaid and merman cared for me and I have never had that in my life before so I swam back home to my family and from there I tried my best to get to know others and trust them over time."

"I don't know why but for some reason I trust you a lot even though we don't know each other that well."

"That's what Mia said to me early tonight before I came here."

"Wait, she put you up to this?" "That's just great you are pitying me."

"No that's not it at all I asked where you were because you weren't at the ball and when she told me I was worried about you so I came to see you." "Please try to stay here a little longer, just try for a little longer for me." "Could you do that for me?"

"Fine I will try for a little longer only for you though and no one else." "But if this all goes south I want you to show me how to get back to my land life." "Deal?"

"Sigh." "I can't believe I am doing this." "Deal."