Read Online The Mermaid's Mirror by L. K. Madigan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: L. K. Madigan
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a shadow over Lena's joy. What would he do if he knew she was out here?
"Ani?"
"Yes?"
"I really shouldn't stay much longer. And ... I'm getting tired."
"Thanks for telling me. Some people don't know when to come in. They stay out so long they get hypothermic. Let's head for the beach. Can you get to shore on your own? I just want to catch a couple of waves. Then we'll call it a day."
"Sure." Lena climbed out of the rolling surf and dried herself off with a towel. She sat down to watch Ani and Kai surf. They were laughing and yelling insults at each other.
"Way to drain out, Midget!" called Ani.
"Don't call me Midget, Gidget!" yelled Kai.
I want to surf with Dad,
thought Lena, with a pang.
I want
him
to tell me I'm a natural. Maybe someday.
When Ani and Kai had had enough, they headed for the beach.
The three of them peeled off their wetsuits and poured jugs of fresh water over them, to clean the sand and salt off.
Kai put his arms around Lena before she had a chance to slip back into her shorts and T-shirt. He ran his hands over her back and shoulders, causing her bare skin to tingle. "You looked great out there," he said.
"Thanks. It was awesome. I can't wait to be good at it."
He pressed her closer to him, and kissed her. "Trust, Leen. You were meant to surf."
CHAPTER 12
Lena sent a text to Pem: Surfing rulez!
After a moment, a message came back from Pem: Yayyyyy! Woo-hoo!!!
Lena: Ani is a super great teacher.
Pem: I wish I could have gone w/ u but wait til u hear what happened!
Lena: ??
Pem: U will never believe it.
Lena: Do I rly hafta guess?
Pem: Hee! I will tell u when u get here.
Lena: OMG ur evil!
Pem: See u soon. Xoxo
Lena made an impatient sound.
Ani glanced over at her. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah." Lena closed her cell phone. "Pem has some news, but she won't tell me until I get to her house. Thanks for dropping me off there." Lena had asked Ani to take her to Pem's house so she could change clothes and dry her hair before she went home.
"No problem. Do you want to get together next Friday for another lesson?"
"Yes! I already can't wait!"
Ani smiled. "It won't be long before you're surfing on your own. You've got a really good grasp of the basics already. Although I don't mean you should surf
alone.
You should always take someone with you." She cocked her thumb at Kai in the back seat, who was listening to his iPod. "Like Pig-Dog there. He's ready to get in the water anytime."
"Pig-Dog?"
"Kai keeps trying to get me to call him Kaiborg or Flea or Skeleton or something like that. He's dying for a cool surf name." She flipped on her left blinker, then turned down Pem's street. "So of course I torture him with bad nicknames." She pulled up in front of Pem's house and put the Jeep in park. "Okay, Lena, see you next Friday. Same time?"
"Yes, that would be great. Thank you sooo much, Ani. Please let me pay you?"
Ani shook her head. "No, I already told you. I'm not doing this for the money. I love surfing, so it feels like a rite of passage, you know? Sharing the surf-love. Helping a new surfer learn the ropes. Or the rails, I should say. Someday
you'll
help someone and pass on the good karma."
"I will," said Lena. She climbed out of the Jeep, and Kai leaped out of the back seat.
"Call me later," he said, enfolding Lena in his arms again. He was deep in the middle of a goodbye kiss when Ani honked, making them both jump.
Lena laughed. "Bye."
Ani drove away, Kai waving from the front seat.
Lena knocked, and Pem threw open the door.
"I am a surfer now," said Lena.
Pem squealed and hugged her. "I know! I can't wait to surf with you. Come on in. Mama Mia's fixing dinner. You can stay, right?" One of Pem's moms was named Mia, so Pem had grown up calling her Mama Mia. Her other mom was just "Mom."
"Sure," said Lena. "Can I take a shower first, though? I'm all salty."
"Yeah, yeah."
"But first I want to hear your big news!"
"Come to my room," said Pem. From the glow on her face, Lena knew
"Ani?"
"Yes?"
"I really shouldn't stay much longer. And ... I'm getting tired."
"Thanks for telling me. Some people don't know when to come in. They stay out so long they get hypothermic. Let's head for the beach. Can you get to shore on your own? I just want to catch a couple of waves. Then we'll call it a day."
"Sure." Lena climbed out of the rolling surf and dried herself off with a towel. She sat down to watch Ani and Kai surf. They were laughing and yelling insults at each other.
"Way to drain out, Midget!" called Ani.
"Don't call me Midget, Gidget!" yelled Kai.
I want to surf with Dad,
thought Lena, with a pang.
I want
him
to tell me I'm a natural. Maybe someday.
When Ani and Kai had had enough, they headed for the beach.
The three of them peeled off their wetsuits and poured jugs of fresh water over them, to clean the sand and salt off.
Kai put his arms around Lena before she had a chance to slip back into her shorts and T-shirt. He ran his hands over her back and shoulders, causing her bare skin to tingle. "You looked great out there," he said.
"Thanks. It was awesome. I can't wait to be good at it."
He pressed her closer to him, and kissed her. "Trust, Leen. You were meant to surf."
CHAPTER 12
Lena sent a text to Pem: Surfing rulez!
After a moment, a message came back from Pem: Yayyyyy! Woo-hoo!!!
Lena: Ani is a super great teacher.
Pem: I wish I could have gone w/ u but wait til u hear what happened!
Lena: ??
Pem: U will never believe it.
Lena: Do I rly hafta guess?
Pem: Hee! I will tell u when u get here.
Lena: OMG ur evil!
Pem: See u soon. Xoxo
Lena made an impatient sound.
Ani glanced over at her. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah." Lena closed her cell phone. "Pem has some news, but she won't tell me until I get to her house. Thanks for dropping me off there." Lena had asked Ani to take her to Pem's house so she could change clothes and dry her hair before she went home.
"No problem. Do you want to get together next Friday for another lesson?"
"Yes! I already can't wait!"
Ani smiled. "It won't be long before you're surfing on your own. You've got a really good grasp of the basics already. Although I don't mean you should surf
alone.
You should always take someone with you." She cocked her thumb at Kai in the back seat, who was listening to his iPod. "Like Pig-Dog there. He's ready to get in the water anytime."
"Pig-Dog?"
"Kai keeps trying to get me to call him Kaiborg or Flea or Skeleton or something like that. He's dying for a cool surf name." She flipped on her left blinker, then turned down Pem's street. "So of course I torture him with bad nicknames." She pulled up in front of Pem's house and put the Jeep in park. "Okay, Lena, see you next Friday. Same time?"
"Yes, that would be great. Thank you sooo much, Ani. Please let me pay you?"
Ani shook her head. "No, I already told you. I'm not doing this for the money. I love surfing, so it feels like a rite of passage, you know? Sharing the surf-love. Helping a new surfer learn the ropes. Or the rails, I should say. Someday
you'll
help someone and pass on the good karma."
"I will," said Lena. She climbed out of the Jeep, and Kai leaped out of the back seat.
"Call me later," he said, enfolding Lena in his arms again. He was deep in the middle of a goodbye kiss when Ani honked, making them both jump.
Lena laughed. "Bye."
Ani drove away, Kai waving from the front seat.
Lena knocked, and Pem threw open the door.
"I am a surfer now," said Lena.
Pem squealed and hugged her. "I know! I can't wait to surf with you. Come on in. Mama Mia's fixing dinner. You can stay, right?" One of Pem's moms was named Mia, so Pem had grown up calling her Mama Mia. Her other mom was just "Mom."
"Sure," said Lena. "Can I take a shower first, though? I'm all salty."
"Yeah, yeah."
"But first I want to hear your big news!"
"Come to my room," said Pem. From the glow on her face, Lena knew
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