The Mermaid's Mirror

by L. K. Madigan

  Pem’s gift of an entire set of hardbound Jane Austen novels was pretty sweet, too. “What the heck,” she had said. “I can’t exactly ignore the fact that my name comes from Pride and Prejudice.”

  No . . . the best part was Kai’s present—a plush toy otter holding a tiny pink box. When Lena opened the box, a pair of pearl earrings glimmered against a bed of pink satin.

  “Pearls for my pearl,” Kai had said, then turned dark red.

  Lena lay in bed, thinking of that moment. She had kissed him then, right in front of her parents. Because a guy who would do that for you . . . well, that must be love. She fingered the earnings already on her lobes and vowed never to take them off.

  I’m so lucky, she thought, and closed her eyes. But as sleep began to wash over the memories of her Sweet Sixteen party, the last sharp image in her mind was of a white-shouldered woman in the sea, staring right at her.

  Chapter 11

  Lena’s birthday present to herself was scheduled for Friday afternoon.

  The school week seemed to creep and crawl and sometimes lie down for a nap. Lena knew she was driving Pem and Kai crazy with her thrilled nervous energy, but she couldn’t help it.

  The sight of the city bus chugging to the curb that Friday after school almost made her weep with joy. Lena’s stop was before Pem’s; as the bus came to her street, she hugged her. “See you after.”

  “Can’t wait,” said Pem, and waggled a “hang loose” hand-sign at her.

  Lena was so wound up she ran all the way home, backpack slapping against the middle of her back. When she got in the house, she threw it off with a grunt.

  No one was home yet; her mom was working on a charity golf tournament today, but she was due home at four, and Lena wanted to be long gone by then.

  She took the stairs two at a time and went to her room. She put on her swimsuit, then shorts and a T-shirt. She grabbed her sandals and bounced back downstairs, heading for the garage.

  Her wetsuit was hanging on the drying rack, as always. Wetsuits were a part of life for swimmers on the northern California coast—even if you didn’t surf, you still had to wear a wetsuit in the frigid water. Lena could still remember her first one, when she was nine years old—it was the traditional black and gray, but her mom had used fabric paint to draw on bright silver stars.

  Good thing Mom’s not afraid of the ocean, thought Lena. She’d been the one to teach Lena how to swim, and all about safety in the water.

  Lena folded the suit into her duffel bag and zipped it up. She grabbed a banana from the kitchen, thinking, Fuel. My body is going to be working hard. Then she filled up a water bottle, stashed it in her duffel, and stood waiting impatiently for her phone to ring.

  Finally, it did—the Kai ringtone. “We’re almost there,” he said.

  “Okay, I’ll meet you outside.”

  Lena stepped out on the front porch and locked the door. She headed down the driveway just as Ani’s red Jeep rounded the corner.

  Kai jumped out and put his arms around her. “You ready?” he murmured.

  She hugged him back. “Very.”

  He kissed her gently once. Twice. When he went for a third time, Lena pulled away. “Surf now, kiss later,” she said with a smile.

  Two surfboards protruded from the back of the Jeep. Kai climbed into the back seat, and Lena climbed in the front. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” said Ani. “Ready to score some surf?”

  “I’m ready.”

  “Good. It’s a perfect day.”

  “You’re welcome,” said Kai. “I ordered it special for my girl.” He reached forward and put his hand on Lena’s arm.

  “Sit back, Midget,” said Ani. “You’re interfering with my concentration.”

  Kai glared, but sat back.

  “Do you think I’ll be able to stand up the very first day?” asked Lena.

  “Sure. It’s called a pop-up. And yes, we’ll just keep at it until you get at least one ride. Let’s drive south a couple of miles. The waves look a little tall today for a beginner.”

  Good, thought Lena. Maybe we won’t see anyone we know.

  Ani parked on a gravel strip by the side of the highway, and the three of them clambered out. Standing next to the Jeep, they stripped down to their swimsuits and pulled on their wetsuits.

  “Need some help?” asked Kai, standing close to Lena. His hand slid down her back. He gazed at her, looking like he might kiss her again, so Lena shook her head. “I’ve got it,” she said, zipping up the wetsuit.

  “Kai, grab your board and go,” said Ani. “I need Lena to focus, and since you lack that ability entirely . . . please leave.”

  “You’re wrong,” said Kai, moving in for one last kiss. “My ability to focus on Lena is highly developed.”

  Lena pushed him away, laughing. He unhooked his board from the Jeep and headed down the path to the beach.

  Ani unhooked the second board and led Lena to the beach.

  Kai was kneeling next to his board when they reached him, applying wax. His board was bright blue with a black skull-and-crossbones on it. Ani tossed the green soft-top board next to him and put her hands on her hips, looking at Lena.

  “I’ve heard you’re a good swimmer,” she said.

  “I am.”

  “That’s good. Because a surfer whose board has gotten away from her is just a swimmer, okay? You wear a leash for the board, but leashes can break. And surfing is hard work—you can get tired real fast out there in the water. In fact, I suggest you start doing pushups to build your upper-body strength, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Great. Which foot are you?”

  “What?”

  “Which foot are you? Regular or goofy?”

  “Um . . .”

  “Don’t you skateboard?”

  “No.”

  “Really? I always thought every surfer was a skater, too.”

  Lena shrugged. She didn’t care about rolling on concrete . . . she wanted to be in the water.

  “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” said Ani. She walked around Lena and stood behind her. “Just relax. I’m not going to do anything to hurt you. Do you trust me?”

  “Sure.” Lena stood still, waiting tensely.

  A long moment passed, while they stood in silence. Lena tried to relax, listening to the lull of the surf, watching the perfectly formed waves roll onto the shore, one by one. Suddenly, Ani shoved her. Lena instinctively put out her right foot to keep herself from falling.

  “Aha! A goofy-foot,” said Ani.

  “A what?”

  “I wanted to see which foot you put forward to catch yourself. You put your right foot out first, so your stance on the board will be right foot forward, otherwise known as goofy-foot. Left foot is regular.”

  “Left foot is . . . ?”

  “Regular. Sorry if I startled you. That’s just the best way I know to find your stance.”

  “That’s okay.”

  “Of course, if it ends up feeling wrong while you’re surfing, then by all means try the other foot. It’s not a perfect system.” She smiled. “Now come sit down with me for a while.”

  Lena sat down on the board next to Ani.

  Kai had finished waxing his board and now leaped on top of it, singing the chorus from “Greased Lightning.”

  Lena cracked up, watching him wiggle his hips and flap his knees open and closed.

  Ani rolled her eyes. After a moment, she said, “I’m sorry to say, Midget, but you’re no Danny Zuko.”

  “I know I’m not,” said Kai. “I got the part of Kenickie.”

  “Then why are you learning ‘Greased Lightning’?”

  “Because we’re doing the stage version of Grease. Kenickie gets to sing that song, not Danny.”

  “Oh. Well, that’s great, but now I need you to shut up, okay?”

  Kai sat down on his board, winking at Lena.

  “We’re just going to watch the shorebreak for a while, Lena,” said Ani. “Every
time you get ready to surf, before you get into the water you need to sit with the waves first, to see how they’re breaking. Just sit and watch them for a few minutes. Are they breaking big or small? Are they coming one on top of the other, or are they spread out? And watch for a rip. Have you ever gotten caught in a rip tide?”

  Lena nodded.

  “So you know to swim parallel to shore until you’re out of it. Don’t try to fight it.”

  They sat quietly. Lena glanced over at Ani, who was studying the waves intently.

  Doesn’t everyone know how to do this? thought Lena. She had been “reading” the waves as plainly as if they were books for as long as she could remember. It had never occurred to her that some people had to be taught how to do it.

  “Perfect,” murmured Ani. “Nice, mushy waves. Good for beginners.”

  She looked at Lena, and now her expression was stern. “Next thing, before we even get in the water, I want to remind you that this isn’t a swimming pool. This is Mother Nature, and she is powerful. Respect her power. Learn to protect yourself, because this Mother has no loyalty. Once you’ve learned how to take care of yourself, then you’ll be able to have fun.”

  Kai stood up and said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just let her get in the water.” He caressed Lena’s cheek and said, “See you out there.”

  As Kai splashed into the water and lay down on his board, Ani said, “Let’s watch him for a few minutes. Then we’ll get in, I promise.”

  “Okay.”

  “See how he’s got his back kind of arched, and he’s using nice fluid motions? That’s the right way to paddle. Just your arms. If you put your whole body into it, you’ll wear yourself out.” Ani pointed to the surfers already in the water. “That’s the lineup. Don’t get in their way . . . like Kai is doing. If a good wave broke right now, they’d have to try to avoid him. Or worse, someone might decide to ride right over him, to teach him a lesson.”

  They watched the surfers for a few more minutes. A promising wave rose up, and three of the surfers began to paddle furiously, including Kai.

  “See that girl?” said Ani. “She’s on the inside of that wave.”

  Lena nodded, studying the position of the three surfers.

  The girl surfer popped up first on her board, on the “inside,” as Ani had said, earning the right of way. One of the other surfers cut his board back up over the wave and kicked out to wait for the next one.

  Kai, however, continued riding the wave next to her, knees bent, wiry body balancing with the swell.

  “Okay, do not do that,” said Ani. “Do not drop in on someone else’s ride. It’s not cool.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Surfers can be really competitive. Especially to girl surfers. I guarantee he wouldn’t do that to a dude. He might get his skinny butt kicked. Which reminds me. As a girl, you have to be hyperaware of the mood out in the lineup. If you ever find yourself in a situation that feels unsafe, get out of the water and leave. Live to surf another day. Now. Let’s practice your stance before we head out.”

  “Okay.”

  “I want you to lie down on the board, do a pushup, and land on the deck like this.” Ani demonstrated, then had Lena practice a few times. After she was satisfied that Lena had mastered the landing, Ani said, “Awesome! Let’s go surfing!”

  The water was cold, but Lena barely noticed the temperature. It was such a relief to relax into weightlessness in the sea that she nearly wept. Lena hadn’t been swimming for ages. The heartbeat of the ocean pulsed around her, as if to say “Welcome back.”

  “Lie down on your stomach on the board,” instructed Ani. “Feet together. Good. Wow, you’re doing great with balance! Just staying on the board is hard enough.”

  Lena smiled. The rocking motion of the swells felt as soothing to her as being rocked in a cradle.

  “Okay, Lena, here comes a little wave. Arch your back and grab the rails to do a pushup.”

  “The rails?”

  “Sorry, the rails are the sides of the board. Here it comes!”

  Lena did as Ani instructed, and Ani helped push her board over the wave. “Great! That was a little one. When you get a bigger wave coming toward you, you’ll have to turn turtle. That means you’re going to roll over, holding on to your board, so that the wave washes over you.”

  They jumped a few more small waves, then Lena said, “I want to try a pop-up.”

  “You sure you’re ready?”

  “Yes!”

  “Okay, on the next little broken wave, I want you to do a pushup, but this time get to your feet. Remember to put your goofy-foot forward. Here it comes.”

  Lena felt the swell of the wave touch the board and pass into her very soul. She pushed with her arms, then jumped to her feet. She wobbled a little, balancing, and kept her knees bent, to lower her center of gravity.

  “That’s great, Lena!” shouted Ani, as Lena rode the white water to the shore. “Fall away from the board.”

  As the board stalled out, Lena allowed her body to fall away from the board.

  “You’re a natural!” cried Ani. “I can’t believe you stayed up the whole time! It took Kai, like, two weeks to catch a wave and stay up for the whole ride.”

  Lena smiled. “That was fun!”

  “It’s the best. You’re going to be really good at it, I can tell. Must be hereditary.”

  Lena cocked her head at Ani.

  “Wasn’t your dad a really good surfer? You know, back when he used to surf?”

  “Um . . . I really don’t know.”

  “My dad says they all used to surf Magic’s together.”

  “They did?”

  “Yeah. And Magic’s doesn’t treat fools kindly, so you know he must’ve been good.”

  The mention of her father cast 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 t
o 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.”