Sea Stars & Wishes

Chapter 1

Lyrika

The cleanliness of the lab tables reflect like mirrors before being dirtied by notebooks, laptops, and folders. The color range of students' clothing brings life to the still whiteness of the room.

Mr Sutton, a fresh out of college graduate student still in his colorful hair and monthly tattoo phase, stands at the front of the room. He leans against the front desk, his full-sleeve tattooed arms propped on the desk, supporting him.

"This is where you will be conducting your experiments for the next week," Mr. Sutton explains as he walks around the room, handing each student a small plastic white card, "the card I am handing to you now is your access key to this room and the different aquatic rooms in this area. May I make myself clear: at all times you are in a room, a staff member of this facility must be in the room as well.

"You each have your approved topics to begin researching. You have a week to gather the research you need. Do not worry about writing your report; you will have another week to compose it once we return. If you have any questions, you may ask me or other faculty. Better yet, just as the aquarium's marine biologists and care specialists. They know this place like the back of their hand, and know all their aquatic friends much better than I do."

Mr. Sutton hands out the last access card and returns to the front of the room, "the aquarium's regular hours of operation still apply. So once the aquarium closes, it's closed. However, the research labs are usually open 24/7, but once again if you do not see a specialist or a biologist there or in any of the other rooms do not stay or work. If I am notified that someone broke the rules, you will be sent home and I will fail you in this class. I would hate to have to do that." He looks around the room once more, "you may all begin your assignments. Good luck."

Students scramble around as if a shotgun rings out. They quickly grab their belongings and push one another to be first out the door.

"Why is it that all the girls are horny the moment they see a beautiful man?" One of the four male students, Oliver, scoffs. A majority of the class, all female students, had chosen the merman as their topic. Very few decided on different species- the remaining six students in the class of twenty.

"The same way all guys get a little too excited when they see a bikini model on a magazine cover," Cassidy, a light-skinned Latina with long, fried black hair, retorts as she rolls her eyes, "right, Lyrika?"

A pool of coiled brown hair is flipped back by an arm, revealing Lyrika, a mixed white-black girl with a face of angel kisses and a set of enchanting light green eyes. Her curly hair shuffles around as Lyrika turns to the commotion of the room. The other three boys stand behind Oliver and Cassidy near Lyrika, in a face off.

"Uh, yeah sure," Lyrika quietly and quickly adds. Oliver scoffs and leads the boys out of the room. Cassidy turns to her.

"Still doing starfish as your project?" Cassidy takes a seat next to Lyrika.

"Sea stars," Lyrika corrects, "but yes. Which rays are you studying again? Sting or Manta?"

"Sting! The ray pool is right next to your pool, so I figured we'd walk together," answers Cassidy as she clips her hair up.

"Yeah, just let me grab my things," Lyrika responds. She quickly gathers her notebook, polaroid camera, and pencil case.

Lyrika and Cassidy would both agree they weren't friends outside of the classroom. More-so acquaintances- well, Lyrika is smart and Cassidy needs to pass one more science class in order to graduate, so she has glued herself to the smart girl. A commensalism symbiotic relationship if you will, because in the end Lyrika is left unaffected while Cassidy gains her needed credit.