Part of Your Nightmare

by Vera Strange

  That was a good thing, wasn’t it?

  No dead-fish smell.

  One less problem. Maybe the day would get better after all. Maybe she wasn’t cursed.

  A familiar voice echoed down the hall. “Don’t worry, we cleaned up your locker,” said Kendall, sashaying up to Shelly with Alana and Attina in her wake. “We all got to school early so we could surprise you.” Her eyes darted to the fresh spray paint. “But we couldn’t get that off.”

  “Don’t worry,” Alana added. “We reported it to the principal.”

  “Yup, she’ll have it removed and repainted by this weekend,” Attina said with a smile. “Your locker will be back to normal—and as good as new. Maybe even better than new.”

  “You cleaned my locker?” Shelly said, feeling gratitude for her friends. They still supported her even though she’d lost her race and cost them the swim meet.

  “Of course, silly,” Kendall said. “You needed our help.” Her eyes darted to the spray paint. “Judy and Little River are so lame,” she added.

  “Yeah, hashtag lame,” Alana said.

  “You think Judy wrote this?” Shelly asked, nodding at the blue lettering.

  “Like, of course,” Kendall said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Who else would pull such a dumb prank? They probably did it to celebrate their win yesterday.”

  “Uh . . . right, of course,” Shelly said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and resting a hand on her scarf. She couldn’t let them see her neck. She didn’t need more problems.

  “But you know what this means, right?” Kendall asked.

  “Uh, what does it mean?” Shelly asked.

  Kendall made a face. “Even more reason for payback next race!”

  The twins giggled. “Hashtag payback,” said Attina.

  Kendall hooked her arm through Shelly’s and pulled her down the hall toward class. “Don’t worry, we’ve got your back,” Kendall said with a wink. “We’ll handle it for you. Oh, and odd choice with the scarf. But I don’t hate it. Right, girls?”

  Attina and Alana nodded.

  As they walked into class, Shelly felt a ripple of happiness. Her friends had her back after all. They did care about her. They cared when she’d almost drowned. And they’d cared when she’d been pranked. They’d even cleaned up the mess for her. The swim meet and the fishy locker were just flukes. Plus her wish ensured that stuff like that would never happen again.

  Moments later, Mr. Aquino called the class to order. “Today we’ll be talking about fish anatomy,” he said, flipping off the lights and turning on the projector. An image of a goldfish appeared. “You probably learned a lot during our aquarium field trip,” he added.

  Snickers rang out in the classroom. Nobody liked science class except for Shelly. She tried to focus on the lesson, but her hand kept drifting up to check on the scarf. Suddenly, she felt a wad of wet paper hit her cheek. She jerked her head around. Normie made a kissy face.

  Fish lover, he mouthed. His friends giggled from the back of the room. So they’d all seen Judy’s latest prank. Shelly shrank down in her seat, feeling annoyed.

  Mr. Aquino aimed his laser pointer at the goldfish’s neck. “Class, what are these called?”

  Shelly’s mouth dropped open in shock. The little laser point hovered over the slits in the fish’s neck. She knew exactly what they were called. But that wasn’t why she was freaked out.

  She reached under her scarf and touched her neck, feeling the slits.

  When no one answered, Mr. Aquino shifted his gaze. “Shelly, care to enlighten us?”

  But she couldn’t say it. Her mouth felt dry, like it was filled with cotton balls. She quickly pulled her hand out from under the scarf. She suddenly remembered the sea witch’s words, and somehow, it all fell into place: Oh, you’ll be the fastest swimmer. You’ll swim like a fish!

  This was the gift from the sea witch. Ursula had given her gills! But that wasn’t what Shelly had meant when she made her wish. She didn’t mean for it to happen like this. Another spitball hit her cheek.

  Fish lover, Normie mouthed at her.

  The silence stretched.

  Shelly started to feel like she couldn’t breathe. Her chest felt tight. Her lungs screamed. Since the slits had appeared on her neck, breathing seemed harder. It wasn’t her imagination, either. It had something to do with the gills. She was certain.

  Mr. Aquino looked worried. “Shelly, is everything okay?”

  But all she could think about was her neck, and Normie, and the horrible nickname, and how if the other kids saw her, well, her new fishlike parts, it would only get worse.

  Much, much worse.

  “Uh . . . can I use the bathroom?” she managed to utter, then grabbed the hall pass and bolted from class. She had to figure out more about the gills—and how to make them go away before anyone could notice them. Shelly rushed into the bathroom, checking to make sure nobody was in there. Fortunately, it was empty. Slowly, she unwrapped the scarf from her neck, revealing the gills in all their fishy glory. She breathed deep, watching as they flared open, then sealed up.

  It would be kind of cool—if they weren’t on her neck. Like a crazy science experiment.

  She was reaching up to touch the gills when she heard something.

  The sound came from one of the stalls.

  It sounded like something wet flopping around.

  “H-hello?” she stammered, quickly rewrapping her neck. “Is anybody in here?”

  Nobody answered. It sounded like the noise was coming from the closest bathroom stall. The door was cracked open a bit. She approached it and then pushed it the rest of the way open. The strange noise was definitely coming from inside the toilet bowl.

  She held her breath and peered into it.

  Then she gasped.

  A goldfish floated perfectly still inside the toilet bowl.

  She couldn’t be sure, but the fish looked an awful lot like Mr. Bubbles. So then . . . how was he here? She recognized the black stripe down its side. It was definitely Mr. Bubbles.

  She leaned closer, trying to inspect the fish. On second thought, it probably wasn’t Mr. Bubbles. A lot of goldfish looked alike. But then again, what was a goldfish doing in the toilet in the girls’ bathroom? Was this another Judy Weisberg prank? Or other kids from class?

  Shelly’s mind whirled with paranoid thoughts.

  Suddenly, the fish began to thrash around.

  Then he did something that made Shelly jump back in fear.

  “Help me! Your brother flushed me!” The shrill voice came from the fish.

  Up close, she could see that he looked bloated and decaying.

  His pale dead eyes stared back at her; his mouth puckered at the air.

  Shelly slowly backed away. “No, that’s impossible. Fish can’t talk.”

  But the fish kept shrieking. “You’re just like me now! You’re going to go belly-up!”

  Shelly slammed the toilet lid.

  Fear made her breathing speed up and adrenaline rush through her veins.

  But the fish kept shrieking. “You’re going to go belly-up!”

  Her eyes locked on the toilet, she backed out of the stall.

  And bumped into somebody standing behind her.

  Shelly whirled around and came face to face with . . .

  Kendall?

  “Hey, you’ve been gone awhile,” Kendall said, clutching the other hall pass.

  Shelly gulped for air. “Uh, really?” she stammered, feeling her heart racing.

  Could Kendall hear the fish, too? Shelly’s eyes darted back to the bathroom stall. She felt tense with fear. She strained to listen for the high-pitched voice that had emanated from under the lid.

  “Yeah, Mr. Aquino sent me to find you,” Kendall said, twirling her hair and studying her perfectly glossed lips in the grimy mirror. “Guess he was worried after you didn’t totally nerd out on that fish anatomy question.”

  “What question?” Shelly s
aid, distracted. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the stall.

  “Seriously, what’s wrong with you?” Kendall said, spinning around to face her. “You look like you just saw a ghost. Is it Normie and his stupid nickname for you?”

  “No. It’s nothing. I’m fine.” Suddenly, Shelly remembered her neck. She quickly checked the scarf, worried that in her panic it had slipped down and revealed her gills.

  And she’d just been talking to a dead goldfish.

  Kendall locked her eyes on her friend’s neck, then they narrowed. “Seriously, though, what’s with the scarf? It’s cute, but it’s like seventy degrees out.”

  Shelly felt her mouth go dry. “Oh, I was just . . . uh . . . feeling like I might be getting sick this morning. So my mom insisted I wear it.” The lie tumbled from her mouth.

  A tense moment passed. Did Kendall buy it?

  Then Kendall snorted. “Moms have the worst fashion sense. You should’ve seen what mine bought me at Ever After the other day. Now I insist on only shopping for myself.”

  Shelly forced herself to laugh, even though her mouth still felt dry and her heart was still pounding. The scarf around her neck felt itchy and hot. She was starting to sweat.

  With another giggle and a shake of her head, Kendall headed for a bathroom stall.

  The bathroom stall.

  “No! Don’t go in there!” Shelly jumped in front of Kendall to block her path.

  Kendall glared at her friend. “Uh, why not?” she said, giving her a strange look. “I know the school bathroom is totally gross. But when you got to go, you got to go.” And with that, she pushed past Shelly and opened the stall door.

  Shelly cringed, waiting for Kendall to notice Mr. Bubbles.

  But she heard nothing but the lock clicking, the lid opening, and Kendall taking a seat.

  The dead fish was gone.

  How is that possible? How is any of this possible?

  Shelly secured her scarf and bolted from the room.

  * * *

  “Wow, look at your time!” Coach Greeley said, clicking the stopwatch when Shelly slapped the side of the pool.

  Shelly whipped up her head and snapped back her goggles. “How’d I do?” she asked, keeping her neck submerged underwater just in case. She didn’t want anyone to notice the gills. This was the first time she had tried swimming breaststroke, but the coach had suggested it in case they needed her on the medley relay team. Breaststroke was Kendall’s event, while freestyle was Shelly’s specialty.

  “It’s not just a personal best.” Coach Greeley scanned her clipboard through her thick oversize glasses, then looked back up excitedly. “Looks like it’s a new school record!”

  Shelly couldn’t believe her ears. “A new school record? Really? Are you serious?” Suddenly, she was starting to appreciate the sea witch’s gift. It wasn’t a curse after all. But would she be disqualified for “cheating” if the gills came to light? Shelly would have to think on that.

  After all, having gills was like cheating. The second she had dropped the towel from around her neck—where it was covering up the slits—and had dived into the pool for the practice drill, she had instantly felt something was different. It had felt like she belonged in the water. She had torn through the pool like a fish. The gills had worked wonders. She no longer needed to inhale on every stroke. Actually, she didn’t need to at all, though she did once or twice so she wouldn’t throw anybody off. Just for show. She didn’t want anyone to grow suspicious about the girl who didn’t have to breathe during laps. It was bad enough that Normie still called her fish lover.

  “Well, it’s not an official competition time,” Coach Greeley went on, scribbling on her clipboard. “We can’t add it to the record books. But you beat the previous record by a full thirty seconds. Let’s see . . .” She scanned her clipboard. “That record was set last year by Kendall.”

  The name hit Shelly like a punch to the gut. “Wow, thirty seconds?” she asked. At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling the grin spread across her face. Maybe the deal with the sea witch really was worth it, gills and all. She glanced around the pool. The other swimmers, including Kendall, were finishing the drill. Shelly climbed out and joined Coach Greeley.

  Below, Kendall slapped the side of the pool. She was red-faced and breathing hard. She’d come in second, but a very distant second, in the drill. The twins appeared next, also winded.

  Coach Greeley shook her head. “I can’t explain it, Shelly,” she said, studying her stopwatch like it was broken. “You’re like a whole different swimmer today. What’s your secret?”

  Shelly, towel looped around her neck, shrugged and smiled, hoping that would be enough. But when she saw her friends watching, she said, “I guess practice makes perfect.”

  Coach Greeley grinned, then looked down. “Kendall, nice job,” she said. “But you’ll have to do better! Shelly here just beat your official record. Can you believe it?”

  Kendall’s eyes narrowed but then widened as she swept Shelly into a hug. “I totally underestimated you, Shells. You swam so fast!” she said. “Now we’ll win that regional trophy for sure!”

  Attina said, “You even beat Kendall at her own event. That’s, like, never happened before.”

  Kendall flashed Attina a look but then quickly smiled. “Shelly’s a natural at breaststroke,” she said.

  Shelly was thrilled by her performance but even more by Kendall’s praise.

  Now she couldn’t wait to face Little River and Judy Weisberg again in the next meet.

  I’ll show Judy a thing or two.

  * * *

  “See? I told you I’d do better,” Shelly said, proudly parading into the locker room with Kendall and the twins. She kept the towel draped around her neck like a featherless boa. She felt like her wish had been worth it. Now Kendall would just have to stay friends with her.

  Kendall reached out and touched her shoulder. “As the team captain, I’m totally proud of you.” Kendall grinned, and for the first time, Shelly felt like she had the upper hand in the friendship—like Kendall admired her, instead of the other way around.

  Attina and Alana nodded their agreement.

  “Thanks,” Shelly said.

  “Don’t mention it.” With a flip of her hair, Kendall marched to the showers. Alana followed, but Attina lingered behind, looking torn.

  “Look, I shouldn’t say anything,” Attina said, eyes darting. She glanced after Kendall, making sure she disappeared into the showers. “But just be careful with Kendall. She wants you to win—just not against her.”

  Shelly frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Attina waited for the showers to start running, masking their voices. “Kendall is the top swimmer at Triton Bay,” she whispered. “Everyone knows that. She’s the captain of the swim team. It’s, like, her reputation. If you keep beating her top swim times, you’ll ruin that.”

  “Ruin it?” Shelly asked.

  “Yeah. Beating her that badly in the drill? At her own event? Surpassing her record time? Then parading in here like you’re the captain of the swim team? And like you’re better than her at the breaststroke now?”

  Shelly felt her stomach drop. Her gills also flared, making her feel self-conscious. She clutched the towel tighter. “I didn’t mean to do that. I was just trying to make her happy. And do what the coach wanted and was best for the team!”

  Attina frowned. “Well, just know it’s a sensitive subject, so be careful.”

  “I just want to win—to help us get the trophy. So Kendall can throw her party.”

  Attina shook her head. “Look, you’re new, so I don’t expect you to understand everything. But this is a big deal for Kendall. If you beat her in the next match, she won’t forget it. Trust me on this one. I’m just saying this as your friend.”

  With that, Attina headed for the showers, leaving Shelly alone on the bench. She could feel the wet towel wrapped tightly around her neck—and, underneath it, the gills that flared every time she bre
athed. Wanting to race home and cry, she forced herself to head for the showers instead. Still in her bathing suit, she scooted into a shower stall and turned it on.

  “What’s good about being the best swimmer if being the best swimmer means that Kendall will hate me?” Shelly muttered to herself, stepping under the scalding water.

  And aren’t friends supposed to celebrate the successes of their friends? she thought.

  She reached for the shampoo bottle. The water pelted her skin. She felt her gills flare. She had thought that becoming the fastest swimmer would help her keep her friends, not lose them. On top of that complication, she had actual gills. She’d signed her name in gold on that contract. She’d made her wish and agreed to the deal. But now she almost wished that she hadn’t.

  Was it too late to take it back?

  Then she remembered Ursula saying, “There’s no going back,” and her heart stopped.

  Mindlessly, she squirted shampoo into her palm—but thick oily black sludge came out of the bottle. It coated her palm and dripped down her arm.

  She gasped, dropping the shampoo bottle. “What the—”

  The sludge leaked from the bottle and stained the water black. It reminded her of an oil spill in the ocean. She looked down. Her hand was still stained with the oily black sludge. She tried scrubbing it under the scalding water, but the black stain wouldn’t come off.

  The sea witch’s sultry voice echoed through her head. “You can’t change your mind!”

  A horrible cackling filled the showers. “You wanted to be the fastest swimmer!”

  Shelly grabbed her towel and bolted from the shower, darting past Kendall and the twins, who were now dressed. She tried to hide her hand, hoping they wouldn’t notice the black stain.

  “What’s wrong?” Kendall asked as she detangled her wet hair with a comb.

  “Nothing!” Shelly said, her voice higher than she meant it to be. “I—I’m late for dinner!” Shelly quickly tugged on her outfit over her bathing suit and ran from the locker room.