Secrets of the Deep [Wattpad Featured Story]

Chapter Sixteen

Hundreds of miniscule raindrops streaked down my bedroom window. I had been cooped up inside the house all day yesterday thanks to the storm, but the rain had finally lessened and the lightning ceased just in time for school this morning.

"Wonderful," I grumbled as I shoved my feet into my worn Converse. Every bone in my body yearned to be back in the ocean. I wanted to return to the secret cave and see my mother's message again. Thinking about her made me both excited and sad at the same time. I knew she was alive, and that gave me hope that I would find her someday.

But for now I had to deal with reality. I sighed as I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs, still sullen after my visit with Kimmie. It hadn't gone as planned—in fact, it had gone completely wrong. I had expected everything to magically go back to normal, as if I had never moved away and we were still close as ever, but that wasn't what had happened. The truth was inevitable: we had drifted apart. Two weeks with nothing but the occasional text and phone call had driven an invisible barrier between us. Kimmie was obsessed with this Zach guy, and though she was genuinely interested in my life at Shady Cove, she wasn't broken over the fact that I had moved away. Where I used to have an aching hole in my heart, I had filled it in with new friendships in Sage and Marley—and Luke. Had Kimmie done the same? Had we broken our promises to each other? Was that why everything had seemed so forced and indifferent on Saturday?

I was still deep in thought during my bike ride to Shady Cove High, and my mind continued to wander during my first four classes. I went through the motions of buying lunch, taking a seat in the cafeteria, and listening to the chatter of multiple conversations. Sage was as cheerful and bubbly as ever, completely oblivious to my strange behavior. I snuck in a few words here and there during our conversation with some girls from the swim team, but other than that, I remained silent.

The rest of the school day passed in the same manner, with most of my classmates assuming I was disconsolate because the authorities had suspended me on Friday. But that wasn't it at all—in fact, I could care less about my trivial punishment. What really made me anxious was a combination of my dwindling friendship with Kimmie and the mounting urge to swim in the ocean. Both were consuming my thoughts, but the closer the school day grew to dismissal, the more the desire for the ocean overpowered everything else.

I just need to wait until after tutoring, I told myself, knowing that Luke was counting on me to show up. But my throat was parched and my whole body tingled with the need for salt water. It was insufferable.

Finally, the last period of the day rolled around, and I joined Sage in the walk to the pool deck. She had been uncharacteristically quiet all day, and I had a feeling something important was on her mind.

"Well, I found out where Marley has been all this time," she said, surprising me with the sudden conversation.

"Where?"

"Sick." She shook her head sadly. "I guess she has a really bad fever."

"Oh," I replied, not knowing what else to say. We lapsed into another pregnant silence.

Sage turned to face me, wrinkles creasing her forehead. "Is something wrong, Rayne? You've been acting really sad lately."

"Nothing's wrong. But what about you? Is something on your mind?"

"You're still upset about the fight, aren't you?" she asked, skirting my question.

I laughed. "No, of course not."