23. What’s Underneath a Waterfall? Water. LIAR.

“I’ve got a kitty, yes I do. I’ve got a kitty-who-you-can-never-have-because-he’s-mine.” Cassie sang as she dragged Jolen into my room. Orion and I glanced over at the shrieking Jolen clawing frantically at the floor in the opposite direction of us.

“Jeez. You’d thing he thought we were going to kill him or something. Sissy.” Orion scoffed and went back to reading his book from my beanbag chair.

I looked from Orion to Cassie to Jolen to Orion and back to Cassie. “Huh. I feel like I’ve seen this before. Meh.” I shrugged and resumed the movie I was watching. “So where’d you find sir ragamuffin?” I asked nonchalantly and flew onto my bed.

“Leaving by the back door.” Cassie grinned, hand still grasping Jolen’s leg like a leech.

“Ha. Funny.”

“Watcha watching?” she asked, scraping Jolen against the floor while she strolled over with ease.

“RUG BURN!” Jolen screamed, on the verge of tears.

“A movie about a masked vigilante who is made of pure awesomeness,” I answered, not looking away from the glowy box of entertainment.

“Never heard of it.”

“You’re dead to me.”

“What if I die?”

“You’re double dead to me and I’m not attending your funeral.”





“You know, I think I like having Jolen around.” Orion remarked as we watched a cascading waterfall from the lush grass on top of a cliff. A rainbow shone overhead and the air was pure and....sparkly. Oh, and Jolen dangled from the center of the waterfall as he flopped about like a fish.

I stuck an umbrella thingy in the ground and sat underneath it. “That’s because you aren’t picked on and bears don’t belong in the circus.” I remarked.

Orion gave me a strange look. “Then where do they belong?”

“In prison.”

“Where would the prisoners go?”

“Same place.”

“Ahhhh.” Orion and Cassie breathed.





“You’re insane.” Jolen sulked as he sat drenched at the kitchen table.

“And you are warping the wood. These are things we know.” I plopped a towel in front of him. “When you stink and we tell you to take a shower, you do it.” I scolded him and skipped over to the fridge. “Want anything?”

“Uhmm. You.” He showed his most common facial expression, a cocky grin with mischievous eyes.

“Kay.”

I heard him fall off the chair. “Wha?--really?!”

“Yup.” After rummaging through the cool fridge of yummyness I pulled a container of not-so-yummyness out. “Here you go.” I said, tossing it over at him.

He peeled the label off the front. “…You?” He read the word aloud.

“Yuppers. It’s some kinds of peppermint slash pineapple slash guacamole Cassie made. She named it ‘you’ cuz…well, frankly I don’t know. Enjoy!” I waved and walked down the hallway.





“I’m going back to the waterfalllll.” I yelled at Cassie.

“WHY?” she screamed back.

“BECAUSE I LEFT THE UMBRELLA THERE!” I screamed back.

“Okay, maybe screaming when we’re right next to each other isn’t necessary.” Cassie giggled as I got up and walked to the edge of the door before I jumped up and took off.

“Told you so.”





Umbrella, umbrella. I wandered through the tall grass feeling very much like a safari person. Okay, we’d walked past the tall grass and thennn. I soared into the air and looked down. If only I’d been able to do this that one time when the cops were chasing me because that clown had a restraining order and…nevermind. I spotted the waterfall and darted over. The mist engulfed me as I dove into the cool, clear water.

“Hm.” I said as I spotted something bright near the bottom. The water was a lot deeper than I’d anticipated. I swam closer and closer, squinting hard to see whatever it was. It looked sort of like a person…or a fish. I unfurled my wings and slowly spread them, then closed my eyes and imagined flying through the water. I sped through the water in hyper speed and crashed into something. I flinched and opened my eyes, I was face to face with a girl who looked about fourteen. “What are you doing down here?” I wondered aloud.

“Uh. Nothing. Nothing at all,” she grinned and hid something behind her back.

“You just hid something behind your back.” I rolled my eyes. “What is it?”

“I most certainly did not.” She stuck her chin up and looked to the side completely innocently.

“OH LOOK! A distraction!” I gasped and pointed behind her. She spun around and instantly flinched, realizing what I’d just said. Oh well, too late. I grabbed the ball she held. “Oooo.” I turned it over and examined it. It was a sparkling crystal with a light radiating inside.

“Fine, fine! But it’s mine, give it back.”

“Here.” I tossed it back. I glanced down, then noticing her fishy tail. “Uh. So. You’re a mermaid?”

“No. I’m a rock.” She rolled her emerald eyes and stayed completely still which was somehow very dramatic.

“Sarcasm. I like you.” I grinned. “I’m Luna” I waved then extended my hand then wondered why I’d waved.

“I’m Arae.” She waved also then shook my hand. “I like you too, why don’t you come with me? I need to take this back to the palace.” She held up the crystal and swam away.

“Well. Why not?” I wondered aloud then took off after her.