“Wait, you didn’t tell him?” asked Shelly.
“Uh, that I needed to borrow it for my friend who’s turning into a fish because she made a bad deal with a sea witch? Figured the less he knew, the better.”
Shelly smiled. “Point taken.”
“Look, he’s working here for a few more hours. So the sooner we get back, the better.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” They got on their bikes, and Enrique took off. Shelly was about to pedal after him when two other figures on bikes appeared in the distance, careering down the path. A minute later, they skidded to a halt next to her, kicking up sand. Shelly stared in shock.
“Attina? Alana? What’re you doing here?” she asked.
The twins exchanged conspiratorial glances.
“Well, you’ve been acting so weird lately,” Alana said with a smirk. “Like how you ran into the locker room all freaked out after the last race. And Kendall said something, too.”
“Yeah, about you cheating,” Attina added. “Oh, and that maybe you’re turning into a fish.”
“Yeah, she told us about the webbing on your hands. Which would explain your super swim powers,” Alana added. “It doesn’t take a marine biologist to put it together. I mean, something has to be going on, right?”
“So we decided to follow you,” Attina said, sharing a guilty look with her twin sister. “I mean, we were worried about you. You’re our friend, right?”
“But . . . w-what about Kendall?” Shelly stammered. “She hates me now.”
Attina rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. “Look, we never liked her that much, either. You’re not the only one she bullies and orders around, you know?”
“And we’re sick of it.” Alana nodded.
“Plus, we’re your friends,” Attina said. “Friends help friends.”
Enrique circled back around, skidding up on his bike. He grinned when he saw Shelly with her friends. “Oh, so this is the holdup?” he asked.
The twins grinned and batted their eyelashes at him.
Shelly felt a surge of gratitude. “My friends . . . they came to help us.”
“The more, the merrier,” he said. “We need all the help we can get.”
* * *
Triton Bay College was located across the bay from the aquarium, perched on a sheer cliff overlooking the water. Waves swelled up against the steep, rocky incline. Shelly got dizzy just looking down over the side. They parked their bikes, then circled up to brief Attina and Alana on the wild events. “An actual sea witch?” Attina said. “Like in the old stories?”
“Yup, the old stories aren’t just stories,” Shelly said, pulling off her scarf to show them her gills. “Turns out they’re real.”
The twins stared in shock, but their shock turned to fascination.
“Wow, that is so cool,” Alana said. “This is way exciting. Beats swim practice.”
College students milled around campus, clutching bags stuffed with books and laptops, while seagulls and pelicans swooped overhead, diving past the cliff to the sea in search of food. The college was famous for its marine biology department. Shelly had always dreamed of going there when she got older. Feeling a stab of anxiety, she pulled her sleeves down farther. Never in a million years had she imagined that her first trip to the science library would be . . . like this.
Enrique glanced around to make sure nobody was watching. The students were too busy rushing to class to notice a few kids in hoodies who looked way too young to be enrolled there. They hurried across campus to the science library, a modern and sleek two-story building.
Shelly turned to Attina and Alana. “You two wait out here and keep watch, okay?”
“Text us if anybody gets suspicious,” Enrique added. “Or if you spot my brother. Hopefully he won’t notice that I swiped his ID card and come looking for me.”
“We’re on it!” the twins said together, settling on a nearby bench. They pulled books from their backpacks and tried to blend in with the students around them.
Satisfied that their lookouts were in place, Enrique swiped his brother’s ID through the scanner on the door. Shelly glanced out at the ocean, where it looked like a storm was brewing. She held her breath, praying the ID card worked. “Come on, unlock,” she said in a low voice, “before Ursula catches on to what we’re doing. She won’t like it.”
After what seemed like an eternity, the scanner finally beeped and turned green.
The door unlocked with a click.
Enrique glanced back at the ocean. “Yeah, that storm doesn’t look natural.”
“It’s her,” Shelly said ominously.
“Let’s hurry.” Enrique yanked the door open, and they slipped inside. The artificial cold of air-conditioning hit them. The corridor was well lit, but that made it worse. They weren’t supposed to be in there.
“This way,” Enrique said, taking her hand. Her scaly green skin was sensitive. A shiver ran up her spine at his touch. He pulled her down the hallway. Signs on the wall directed them toward the archives. They reached a door printed with a sign that read:
RESTRICTED COLLEGE STUDENTS & STAFF ONLY
Shelly felt a jolt when she read it. She glanced down the hallway, but it was deserted.
“Here goes nothing,” Enrique said, swiping his brother’s ID in the scanner.
It unlocked with a beep and admitted them into the library. They slipped inside, hurrying past the check-in desk before anyone could ask for IDs. Fortunately, the librarian was too busy checking in books to notice. The library was lit with pools of light spilling down from chandeliers overhead. Bay windows spanned the entire wall, overlooking the sea. It was a stunning room built from old wood paneling and filled with rows of shelves, stacked to the ceiling with books.
A few students, absorbed in research, huddled over their laptops at desks that were piled high with messy stacks of books. A general hush seemed to envelop the room.
It was eerie. Just the
