Battle of the Best Friends

by Debbie Dadey

“You have to come to my house to celebrate,” Pearl said. “My mom will make us coconut shakes.”

  “What’s a coconut?” Echo asked.

  Pearl laughed. “It’s food that humans eat. It looks like a big, round ball and grows on this thing called a tree on land. Sometimes the coconuts fall into the ocean. They are very rare and quite delicious.”

  Echo shook her head. “Thanks, but . . .”

  Pearl wouldn’t take no for an answer. “You have to come. We can celebrate and work on our famous merperson assignment for Monday. We have a whole merlibrary filled with lots of stories. And I’ll tell you all about my party!”

  Echo was so upset about losing Shelly as a friend that she decided to go with Pearl. “All right,” Echo said halfheartedly. After all, she did need to do her report.

  PEARL LIVED IN THE BIGGEST HOME IN Shell Estates. It was almost as big as Trident Academy. Her shell’s ceiling was lined with hundreds of different-colored jellyfish lamps. A spectacular seaweed curtain hung beside a curving marble staircase. The curtain and staircase were encrusted with thousands of gleaming jewels.

  “Your home is beautiful,” Echo said.

  “I know,” Pearl said. “We might get a bigger one next year.”

  As the mergirls swam into a massive rock library, Echo couldn’t imagine anyone needing a bigger shell. Pearl’s home was nice, but the only place Echo wanted to be was with Shelly at the apartment she shared with her grandfather above the People Museum.

  Echo wondered if she’d ever get the chance to be there again.

  Kiki’s Secret

  EVERYONE’S TAILS ARE GLEAMING,” Pearl said to Echo the next day at lunch. “I told them they had to polish themselves if they wanted to come to my party tonight.”

  Echo glanced at her own tail. It was looking a bit dull. “I’ll shine mine later.”

  Pearl looked down her pointy nose at Echo. “Well, I should hope so. It’s too bad we have Tail Flippers practice after school. I wonder if Coach Barnacle would excuse me since it’s my birthday.”

  Echo shrugged. “It is our first official practice.”

  Pearl rolled her eyes. “I know. We can’t miss it or we’ll get kicked off the team. Maybe I shouldn’t have even tried out! What’s more important than my birthday?” She swam away to buy her lunch. She had told Echo she always chose the black-lip oyster and sablefish stew because it was the most expensive item on the menu.

  Echo sighed and looked down at her hagfish jelly sandwich. She wasn’t hungry, but merpeople never wasted food. It was too precious. So she slowly chewed every last bite. She was surprised that Pearl hadn’t come back to their table yet. When Echo looked around, she saw Pearl sticking her tongue out at Mr. Fangtooth. But she wasn’t doing it to make him laugh, she was doing it to be cruel.

  Echo jumped up from the table. She had to stop Pearl from being so mean! She started to rush over to Mr. Fangtooth when—slam!—she collided with Kiki, right in the middle of the lunchroom. Everyone stopped eating and stared at them. Rocky and a few other boys laughed.

  “Mergirl sea wreck,” Rocky joked.

  Echo’s cheeks turned red.

  “I’m sorry,” Kiki told Echo.

  “Me too,” Echo said. “I didn’t see you coming.”

  “I need to tell you something now, while Shelly is in the art room,” Kiki said softly. “She’s working on a special project, and I have to go help her. I should have told you this yesterday, but Shelly doesn’t want you to know.”

  Echo put her right hand on her hip. “I already know what you’re going to say: Shelly is still mad at me.”

  Kiki shook her head. “No, Echo. Shelly isn’t mad at all.”

  “Yes, she is. She’s been mean to me all week. She hasn’t spoken to me once,” Echo said.

  “Shelly is only pretending to be angry,” Kiki said. “She knows you want to see the Rays at Pearl’s party. But you’re such a good friend, you won’t go unless she’s invited too. Don’t tell her I told you! After today—when the party is over—she’ll try to be friends again. I hope you’ll let her.”

  Kiki swam away and Echo was left with her mouth open in surprise. Was Kiki telling the truth?

  Non-Rays Party

  ECHO WAS DYING TO TALK TO Shelly during class, but Mrs. Karp kept them too busy all afternoon. After school Shelly was nowhere to be found, and Echo had Tail Flippers practice.

  “Oh my Neptune!” Pearl said at MerPark. “Just think, in a few short hours we are actually going to see the Rays—all because of me!”

  The other girls on the team squealed in delight, but Echo just smiled. She had to admit, it was pretty amazing that such a famous group would be in Trident City.

  It was hard for the team to concentrate on practice. Pearl forgot to take off her necklace and got her tail tangled up. It took the first half of practice just to unsnarl her. Then Pearl’s and Echo’s tails collided and they both crashed to the ocean floor.

  Finally Coach Barnacle gave up, threw his hands in the air, and said, “Girls, go home. Hopefully we’ll have better luck at the next practice.”

  “Yes!” shouted Pearl. “I’m going home to put on my new outfit.”

  “Bye!” Echo said, zooming off as fast as she could. She didn’t head home to polish the scales on her tail. She didn’t head home to change into party clothes. She swam right past her shell to Shelly’s apartment at the People Museum.

  “Watch it!” snapped an old merwoman, who was moving slowly toward Manta Ray Station.

  “Sorry,” Echo called, zipping around the merlady and her wolffish.

  “Merkids think they own the entire ocean,” the merwoman muttered. The startled wolffish hid behind a rock until the old merwoman coaxed it out.

  Echo found Shelly in her room, resting on a bath sponge. “Congratulations on winning your first Shell Wars game,” Echo said. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to see it, but I did make the Tail Flippers team. I saw you cheering for me in the stands.”

  “Echo!” Shelly screamed. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at Pearl’s shell?”

  “Because I want to be with a real friend,” Echo said.

  “But . . . I’m not your friend. Not anymore,” Shelly said slowly.

  Echo laughed. “I know better. You were only pretending to be mad so I would go to the party.”

  Shelly’s face turned red. “How did you find out? Did Kiki tell you?”

  “Don’t blame Kiki,” Echo said. “You are more important to me than any silly band.”

  “But I know you wanted to see the Rays. That’s why I made up the story about you not trying hard enough in class,” Shelly said.

  “But I’d rather be your friend than see any boy band,” Echo said.

  Shelly hugged Echo. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Echo knew she was doing the right thing. “Let’s go to the Big Rock Café for a colossal kelp drink,” Echo said. “We can celebrate your Shell Wars victory and my making the Tail Flippers.”

  “The two of us can celebrate another day. Right now it’s time for the party at the Big Rock Café.”

  “You decided to have the sing-along anyway?” Echo asked.

  “Yes,” Shelly explained. “Kiki and I made signs to let everyone who wasn’t invited to Pearl’s party know about our celebration at the Big Rock.”

  “So that’s what you were doing in the art room when I was talking to Kiki. What a good idea,” Echo said.

  “Let’s go!” Shelly said. The two girls sped off to the café. When they swam in the doorway, they couldn’t believe their eyes!

  Great Wasp Tragedy

  SITTING AT THE ROCK COUNTER were the Rays. All four of them! Hanging above them was a sign that said WHO NEEDS THE RAYS? LET’S MAKE OUR OWN MUSIC! Everyone in the Big Rock Café stared at the boy band, even the merwaitresses and mercooks.

  Kiki rushed over to Shelly and Echo. “I thought this was a party without the Rays. How did you get the most famous band in the ocean to come here?”
<
br />   Echo held up her palms in surprise. Shelly shrugged and said, “We didn’t do anything, but there’s one way to find out.”

  “You’re going to talk to them?” Kiki asked, barely whispering.

  “Of course. They’re only merpeople,” Shelly said.

  “But they’re stars,” Echo whimpered. “They probably don’t even speak to ordinary mergirls like us.”

  “Well, if they don’t, it will be a short conversation,” Shelly said, pulling Echo toward the Rays. Kiki swam along, hiding behind Echo.

  “Excuse me,” Shelly said. “I’m Shelly. These are my friends Echo and Kiki. It’s cool you’re here, but aren’t you supposed to be at Pearl’s party?”

  A handsome merboy not much older than Shelly leaped off his rock stool. “Greetings, merladies. Lovely to meet you. I’m Alden, and this is Harmon,” he said in a strange accent. “You’re right. We are supposed to be at a party, but there’s a problem.”

  Harmon, an even cuter merboy, put a hand on Alden’s shoulder. “Our backup singer was stung by a sea wasp today. It was horrible.”

  “Oh no!” Kiki said, sticking her head out from behind Echo. “Sea wasps are so poisonous. Is your singer okay?”

  Alden shook his head. “Doc Weedly says Gwen will be better in a week. But she can’t sing a bubble until she gets well.” Alden pointed to two other band members. “Teddy and Ellis sing, but we still need a mergirl’s voice.”

  “I’m so sorry about your singer,” Echo said to the band. She couldn’t believe she was having a conversation with Alden of the Rays!

  “We’d like to honor our commitment to Pearl, but we can’t go on without Gwen, even though she wants us to,” Alden told them.

  Shelly nodded. “It’s too bad. Pearl is going to be terribly disappointed. You’re all she’s been talking about this week.”

  Echo couldn’t believe her ears. After all, Pearl hadn’t even invited Shelly to the party. But then Echo had an idea. It was a totally fabulous, crazy idea.

  “You know,” Echo said, “I know someone who is a super singer. And she knows every word to every one of your songs.”

  “Really? Who is it? Where is she?” the Rays said together.

  Echo put her arm around Shelly’s shoulders and said, “She’s right here. It’s Shelly!”

  Shelly jerked away from Echo. “Are you shell-shocked? I can’t do that!”

  Alden grabbed Shelly’s hand and said, “Why not? Let’s do it. It will be a blast!”

  Shelly backed away. “No way! I can’t go to Pearl’s party. I wasn’t invited.”

  Teddy piped up, “You’re invited now. You’re part of the band.”

  “But I’m having a sing-along here for my friends,” Shelly explained, pointing to the sign above their heads. “I can’t leave them behind.” The Rays looked around the Big Rock Café. Kiki and then other kids waved shyly at the band.

  “Sorry about the sign. We really do like you,” Kiki explained.

  The Rays looked above them and grinned at the words WHO NEEDS THE RAYS?

  “Guess what?” Alden said to the kids in the café. “You’re all coming to Pearl’s party as our guests. We’ll rock together. Are you with us?”

  Pearl’s Party Crashers

  I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! YOU’RE REALLY here!” Pearl shrieked when she saw the Rays. “Please come in,” she said, pointing the way inside her grand shell.

  “Great,” Alden said. “We hope you don’t mind that we brought a few friends of ours too.”

  Pearl giggled. “Any friends of yours are welcome.”

  “Totally cool. Come on, guys.” The four Rays stood by as Shelly, Kiki, Echo, and all the kids from the Big Rock Café floated toward Pearl’s home. Pearl’s mouth dropped open when she saw who was with the band.

  “You aren’t invited to this party,” Pearl snapped at Shelly, and blocked the entrance to her home.

  “She’s part of the band,” Alden explained, swimming up beside Shelly. “Our backup singer was stung by a sea wasp, and Shelly is helping us out.”

  Harmon piped up, “Of course, we’d understand if you’d rather we cancel. We have had a very hard day.”

  “Oh no, you can’t cancel,” Pearl said quickly. Pearl frowned at Shelly, but moved out of the way. “Everyone can come on in.”

  In a few short minutes the Rays had set up their instruments on the huge marble staircase in Pearl’s entryway.

  “Are you sure I can do this?” Shelly asked Echo.

  Echo hugged her friend. “I know you can.”

  Shelly took a deep breath and swam between Alden, Harmon, Teddy, and Ellis.

  “Shark, the sharpnose sevengill, lived near to me. We swam together every day and became the best of friends,” Teddy sang, and all the girls in the audience screamed, even Kiki and Echo.

  “Best of friends,” sang Shelly.

  “Go, Shelly!” yelled Echo.

  “Then someone told Shark he should eat me. And now I miss him terribly,” sang Teddy. “But our friendship had to end.”

  “Had to end,” sang Shelly.

  “Shark, the sharpnose sevengill, lived near to me,” sang Ellis. “I’ll always treasure our friendship. And hope someday he’ll see . . .”

  Then Teddy and Ellis leaned together and motioned for Shelly to join them. “That sharks and merfolks can be friends. One day it will be.”

  Shelly repeated, “One day it will be.”

  Then the Rays and Shelly finished the song. “But until that day I guess I’ll say, ‘Shark, I miss you still.’ ”

  “I miss you still!” Shelly sang in the most amazing high voice.

  Kiki grinned as everyone cheered. “Shelly is really good.”

  Echo nodded. She knew Shelly would be.

  When the song ended, all the merkids clapped wildly. Then Alden pointed to Pearl.

  “Happy birthday to Pearl. We want to thank you for inviting us.”

  “Thank Shelly!” Kiki yelled. “Without her, there’d be no show.”

  Alden laughed. “That’s right. Let’s hear it for Shelly.” Everyone cheered as Shelly waved and the Rays started a new song.

  “Do you think Pearl will be mad you said that?” Echo asked Kiki.

  Kiki shook her head. “Any other mergirl would thank Shelly for helping. Without her, the party would have been canceled.”

  “Pearl’s not like anyone else. That’s for sure,” Echo whispered to Kiki. “Look.”

  Echo pointed to Pearl. Pearl wasn’t cheering. And she wasn’t singing along to the music. She was glaring right at Shelly.

  Star

  SHELLY, YOU’RE A STAR!” WANDA told Shelly at school on Monday.

  Shelly’s face turned bright red. “It was a lot of fun, but I was so afraid I’d mess up.”

  “It was the most amazing party ever,” Kiki added. “I didn’t want the Rays to leave.”

  Shelly nodded. “They were so nice.”

  “You mean you actually got to talk to them?” another mergirl asked. Almost every merkid in class gathered around Shelly.

  Shelly nodded. “Echo, Kiki, and I all did.”

  Pearl sniffed. “I talked to them too,” she said.

  “Alden is sooooo cute,” a girl named Morgan whispered.

  Echo giggled. “He even held Shelly’s hand.” Several girls almost fainted, so it was a good thing Mrs. Karp swooped into the room. “Class, please turn in your merperson assignments.”

  Everyone except for Rocky passed in his or her report.

  “Rocky, where is yours?” asked Mrs. Karp.

  Rocky shrugged. “A killer whale stole it from me on the way to school.”

  Mrs. Karp nodded and said, “Tomorrow you may turn in your merperson report as well as one on killer whales.”

  Rocky slouched down in his chair while Mrs. Karp glanced over the seaweed pages. “Hmm, this is strange. Pearl’s and Echo’s stories begin the exact same way.”

  Echo gasped and looked at Pearl. Did Pearl copy her report when they’
d worked at her house? Pearl turned red and looked down at her desk. She played with her long necklace and wouldn’t look at Echo. Thankfully, Mrs. Karp didn’t say anything else about the stories and pointed to a big chart on the wall showing different kinds of whales.

  Later at lunch, Pearl swam over to Shelly and said, “You’re a star all because of me and my party! Why don’t you sit at my table today?”

  Echo couldn’t believe Pearl! She was so angry with her. Pearl not only copied her story, now she was trying to take away Echo’s friend. Would Shelly go with Pearl?

  “Thanks,” Shelly said, “but Kiki and Echo liked me even when I didn’t sing with the Rays, so I’ll sit with them.”

  “Suit yourself,” Pearl snapped. “Sit with those bottom-feeders.”

  “They aren’t bottom-feeders,” Shelly said. “Kiki and Echo are amazing mergirls, and if it wasn’t for them, the Rays wouldn’t have been at your party. Echo’s idea saved the day.”

  Pearl stuck her nose up in the air. “Humph,” she said, before rushing off to her table.

  “She makes me mad enough to scream,” Shelly said.

  “Don’t scream, Shelly.” Echo giggled. “You’ll ruin your voice!”

  Echo pulled Shelly toward another table. “And don’t worry about Pearl,” Echo said. “The three of us are best friends, and that makes us winners.”

  Kiki nodded. “Winners every time.”

  Class Reports

  THE STORY OF MARIS

  By Shelly Siren

  Maris ruled the sea many years ago, when Trident City was first built. She rode a killer whale and traveled freely among the many merpeople and ocean animals. Not only was she kind and fair, but she made peace with the sharks by offering them their own hunting grounds. Once she was challenged by an evil merman who lunged at her with a sharp whalebone. She called out to all her animal friends for help. In a flash, the evil merman was eaten by a shark. Maris recovered and ruled for many more years.