Somebody die?” Robin teased, as she and Chainsaw found me spacing out at my open locker—a dumping ground for CDs, video games, candy wrappers, and books I’d never opened.
Robin was a mother’s laundry dream. All dark colors. Never an accidental red bleeding into white. No need for bleach, no need for separate washes. I think the only reason Robin had a crush on me was because I changed my hair color with my changing mood. And my colors were all dark as well: black, purple, blue. She thought I was her soulmate. One day, I’ll show up with white hair to see how much she really cares.
“Yeah, Droopy, one minute you’re skipping like a schoolgirl in love and the next you look as if your mommy took away your Nintendo,” Chainsaw razzed.
“Go away,” I said, grabbing my Gameboy from my locker shelf.
“It’s that fantasy girl,” Robin teased, with more than a hint of jealousy. “I’m sick for one day and some babe steps in and wins your heart. Or should I say swims in?”
“Yeah, ever since yesterday morning he’s been on a major mood swing,” Chainsaw quipped.
“Was she really pretty?” Robin asked hesitantly, like she was waiting for a bomb to drop.
“She was beautiful!” Chainsaw answered. “And never to be seen again!”
“Too bad.” Robin smiled, cozying up to me. “But I’m here, if you need someone to resuscitate you again.”
“Maybe she was a swimming instructor,” Chainsaw suggested.
“She was alone,” I said, shaking my head.
“Maybe she was a lifeguard,” Chain said.
“Seaside’s lifeguards wear red. She was wearing green,” I said, glaring.
“Then maybe she was a mermaid!” he declared loudly.
“What makes you say that?” I exclaimed, dropping my books on the floor. I hadn’t said anything to Chainsaw about my crazy hallucination.
“Makes sense. She’s beautiful, swims in the ocean better than you do, saves your life, and disappears in the water.”
“Sure, a mermaid,” Robin teased dramatically. “And you know what mermaids are like—they demand pearls and lobster, live in underwater castles, have kings for fathers and stare at themselves in their mirrors. You’d better stick with humans, Spence. We’re not so vain.”
“Enough!” I said.
Chainsaw opened his locker and he and Robin giggled to themselves.
“Maybe I should start wearing green,” Robin said.
I slammed more texts into my backpack, wondering if I’d ever see her again, wondering if I’d ever really seen her in the first place.