Lenore did.
“Make the most of it, ladies,” said Sirena, as Lenore leaned back and kicked her tail up into the air. “This is your close-up, as they call it in Hollywood!”
“Absolutely!” Zadie agreed. “Flaunt those flukes, smile and wave at the audience, show off a little. After you count to five, you’ll sit up and drop your tail in the water. Give it a good splash when you do.” She pointed at Lenore, who obediently dropped and splashed. “After the tail drop, the spotlight will move on to the next mermaid. Everyone will get their moment to shine. All except you, Truly. Our mermaid queen will be safely hidden in the cabana until closer to the grand finale.”
Hayden looked pleased for the first time all day.
It was our turn next. Even though I’d be waiting in the wings—well, the cabana—during the opening number, Zadie had me practice with them anyway. She went down the row, tapping each of us on the shoulder to represent the spotlight. We spun around one by one to face the bleachers, leaned back and hoisted our tails into the air and waved them around for the count of five, then sat up and dropped our tails into the pool.
The next move involved diving into the water like a row of dominoes. Once again, Lenore demonstrated as Zadie walked us through it.
“After the final tail drops, the lights will come up, and on my cue, it’s arms up, palms together”—Lenore put her arms over her head and pressed her palms together—“and you’ll peel off one by one and dive into the water from where you’re sitting, just like we did in Million Dollar Mermaid. And don’t forget that big smile!”
Lenore dove neatly into the pool, smiling for all she was worth. Zadie had us run through the domino dive a few times, and then it was time to connect the moves together.
“What do you think, Sirena?” asked Zadie when we were done.
“I think we have ourselves a genuine school of mermaids!” Sirena replied, doing a little victory shimmy. Her red curls shimmied happily too.
“Excellent work, ladies!” said Zadie. “That’s our deck work, done and dusted.”
Sirena told us we’d learn the next part of the routine tomorrow, and suggested we swim laps while Delphine got dinner ready.
A few lengths of the pool later, Mackenzie surfaced beside me. “This is great, isn’t it?”
I grunted.
“Mermaid camp—I mean mermaid academy—is even better than I thought it would be. I love it here, don’t you?”
If anyone had told me a few days ago that I’d find myself in a pool on Cape Cod, wearing a mermaid tail and learning synchronized swimming moves from a pair of elderly ladies, I’d have told them they were crazy.
What was crazier was the fact that Mackenzie was right—it was better than I thought it would be. I was actually starting to enjoy myself. At this rate, I might not need Aunt True to come rescue me.
“It’s okay, I guess.”
Mackenzie laughed. “C’mon, Truly! Admit it—you’re having fun.”
I grinned at her. “Yeah,” I admitted. “I’m having fun.”
And then I flipped over onto my back and splashed her with my shimmertail.
CHAPTER 15
“Ladies!” Sirena clinked her knife against her glass to get our attention. Dinner had been another Delphine special—crab cakes, salad, and corn on the cob—and rumor had it that it would be followed by something called Mermaid Chip Cookies, which sounded intriguing. “Let’s take a quick break and then gather at Mermaid Crossing for dessert, and the big reveal of your mermaid names!”
I stiffened. I’d completely forgotten to pick one!
“I’m eager to hear your backstories, too,” Sirena continued. “See you in ten minutes!”
I hadn’t made a backstory up either! I raced back to Whelk, glancing up at the sign over the door as I entered our cabin.
Hmm, I thought. Whelkina?
No. That was worse than Shellina. I’d have to come up with something better.
Mackenzie and Cha Cha and Jasmine were right on my heels. The three of them huddled on Mackenzie’s bunk, discussing something in low murmurs as I crossed to mine. I started hunting for the handout that Sirena had given us on our first day. I finally found it wadded up under my bed. Uncrumpling it, I scanned the list. No, no, and no. Each of the suggested names sounded worse than the one preceding it.
“It’s time to go, Truly!” said my cousin a few minutes later, heading for the door as the gong sounded back at Mermaid HQ.
“I’ll be there in a sec. Save me a seat.” I scanned the handout again, starting to panic. None of the names were something I wanted to be stuck with all week. Harbor? Please. Echo? Jewel? Stormy? They sounded like something Belinda Winchester would name her kittens. There had to be something decent I could call myself! I looked frantically around the room for inspiration.
My gaze fell on the stack of presents I’d bought for my family at the pirate museum. The title on the spine of the book I’d picked out for Lauren caught my eye: The Pirate Queen. I grabbed it and flipped through the pages. The story looked interesting. It was about an Irish woman named Grania O’Malley, whose exploits on the high seas back in the 1500s rocked the Elizabethan world.
“Grania.” I repeated the name aloud slowly. I could live with Grania.
Slamming the book shut, I ran out the door, spinning my backstory as I sprinted toward Mermaid Crossing. I flung myself onto one of the sofas beside Mackenzie just as Hayden—make that Shellina—began to speak.
Hayden
