I woke up, groggy, lying in the sand. The sound of head-banging music was ringing in my ears. Where was I? Oh, yeah! Now my mission, my love, my legs—everything was coming back to me. I squinted into the pastel sunset and sat up slowly, afraid of looking at my tail. Afraid I may go into shock if it was missing again. Even though it had happened before, it wasn’t any less scary now.
At least this time I came prepared in the clothing department. I had strapped on three tops, and two skirts weighed down by a million shells. One top and one skirt safely made it through the transformation.
Something seemed different about the time of day, however. The moon was much higher in the sky. That damn gold dust! Madame Pearl had said it might make me sleepy.
Earthkids were draped on the pier and clustered on the beach like stars in a midnight sky. Hundreds of kids talking, singing, dancing, running wild. How was I ever supposed to find Spencer in this crowd?
I spotted a girl in dark clothes that I thought I recognized from Seaside High. “Have you seen Spencer?” I asked, tapping her on the shoulder.
“Spencer who?” she answered, turning around. Only it wasn’t a girl in dark clothes, after all. It was a guy!
“Have you seen Spencer?” I asked a clean-cut man.
“Is that his name?” the man answered, relieved. “He’s been sitting over there with my wife. Totally whining, looking everywhere for you!”
I eagerly followed the man. But sitting next to his girlfriend wasn’t my Earthlove. It was a dog!
“Have you seen Spencer? He’s not an animal, he goes to Seaside High,” I asked a teenaged couple.
“They’re all animals at Seaside,” the girl answered, as her athletic boyfriend grabbed her. “Get off already,” the girl said playfully to her snuggling mate as they walked on. “Seaside has its own section,” she called back, pointing to the hill. “Most of the kids from school are up there—the snacks are free!”
I gazed out into the sea of teenagers, and then to the setting sun. Darkness was not far off. Even in broad daylight, I would have little chance of finding him. The approaching tide inched farther up the shore, tempting me to return.