My New Family

The sky was dark and rainy, clouds covered the sky and the distant rumble promised a lightning storm. It was usually so beautiful with a big sun, a few puffy white clouds, and a great blue sky that was about six shades lighter than the beautiful blue sea that ran up and down the coastline.

Costa had everyone’s favorite beaches and was everyone’s idea of the perfect place for a beach vacation. Everyone that lived there was either there for water sports or benefited from the beautiful water. One such person was Dr. Aaron Roberts. He was a very successful and world-renowned Marine biologist. He, of course, had one tiny, tiny flaw. He believed in mermaids.

Most people thought he was crazy even though the rest of the world was known to house werewolves, vampires, demons, Halflings, and even angels. So mermaids weren’t so far a reach.

But after he had a fling with an unknown woman and she gave him a daughter he stopped advertising it and he went back to talking about fish populations and other things in the ocean. Many people said that he stopped his foolish stories because he wanted his daughter out of the critical public’s eye. But that was just a rumor.

His daughter was, according to all that knew her, really special. She was sweet and kind and loved to help out with the research. She was also a big advocate for keeping the beaches and ocean clean. Everyone at school, except a few guys with some sense, thought she was weird. She never hung out with the popular crowd and never did much except join the cheer squad. But she was the only cheerleader who didn’t go out and party.

While Dr. Roberts was a dirty blonde bulky professor that all the single mothers or lonely women wished they could get alone. His daughter Aria was a bit different. Some people said once they saw her with wet hair and her hair was a ruby red color but, for the most part, she was a platinum blonde with all different colored streaks in her hair. It made her very noticeable and it made her stick out among the other cheerleaders. Whenever anyone asks where she got them she says she does them herself, but when people first started asking, in kindergarten, she said that it was natural.

In his mansion on one of the higher cliffs, you could see his facility and house only separated by a tough glass room that had a deep tank with all kinds of fish and plants from the sea. Once you were looking at the house itself it was easy to see where his daughter's bedroom was. It was on the topmost level with a beautiful white balcony with pretty chairs that she could sit on and have a beautiful view of the ocean.

But today it was a deserted balcony probably because of the storm. Inside young Aria Roberts, age 16, was flipping through channels on her big-screen TV. Today was the worst day of her life.

Aria

“As you can see we’re expecting a huge storm which will hit the beaches hard. The mayor has required a massive evacuation of the beaches.” The weatherman said on the TV screen, “Sorry kids. Looks like beach day will have to wait.”

I turned off the TV and face-planted into my mattress. If only I could get out of this house. And away from her.

From downstairs I heard my father. “Ari, get your tail down here now!”

I groaned rolling my eyes and rolled off the bed. I landed on my hands and knees, stood, and then started down the stairs as slowly as I could.

My father, in his genius mind, had decided that I needed a mother. Not just any mother, cause I already have one, no, a mother on land. He went ahead and put his plan into action on his 2 month stay on the mainland.

But instead of marrying someone normal, he decided to marry a woman who specializes in things that lurk in the dark. So he married a gothic dooms girl while I am forced to allow her and her horrible daughter into my house and into my space.

At first, when daddy told me about them I ran to my mother and begged her to let me live with her. But she was all…. “Ari. I can’t keep tabs on you everywhere you go in the sea. Not to mention the whole city is going on our migration for a coronation.” So mom was a hopeless case and I was stuck with dad and his new gothic family.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs dad was waiting, “Ari. Why are you hiding in your room? You know they’ll be here soon.”

“That’s why I’m hiding.” I muttered.

He pulled me into a hug, “Aria. I know you didn’t want me to get married and I know you don’t want her and her daughter to move in. But they’re both wonderful.” He let me out of the hug and held me at arm's length, “I promise that however bad you think this will be,”

It’ll be worse. I groaned in my head not looking at him.

“It won’t be. Trust me baby, it won’t be as bad as you think.” He said, kissing my cheek.

I rolled my eyes, false assurances from a father. I put on a chipper sarcastic tone, “I don’t know what you're talking about daddy. I’m sure me and my new sister will be BFFs in no time and the three of us girls will be braiding each other's hair and painting nails.”

He shrugged and decided to play along, “Sure thing baby. Now go finish helping people in the Aquarium. There’s a big storm that’s heading our way in about an hour and a half. It’ll get here about the time your…. Alexa and her daughter will get here.”

I walked around my dad and towards the Aquarium doors, “Fitting.” I muttered.

“And stay away from the water!” he yelled, “I want you to be dry for when Alexa gets here.”

I rolled my eyes, “Dah!” I called over my shoulder.

I hadn’t told him about my dream yet. I’d had a dream about my new ‘family’ last night. Strangely enough, it was a comforting dream, in a weird way. There had been two women who looked identical except for their size and clothing. They both had black hair but the adult had pretty silver eyes whereas the smaller one had crimson eyes.

Oddly enough I’d been comforted by the sight of the woman, and a little chilled at the sight of the teenager.

I pushed the thoughts of my dream away as I entered the aquarium. I sighed a sigh of relief, I was home. I always felt at home here. And it usually always had my second favorite person in the world.

I walked up behind him and covered his eyes. “Guess who?” I said, making my voice go really high.

He chuckled, “Only one person could have hands that soft.” He said, grabbing my hands.

I chuckled “Not my fault. I have a secret moisturizer.”

He looked around and pulled me close giving me a quick kiss. I pulled away. “Why do you always do that?”

He smiled at me, “Why don’t you?”

I rolled my eyes.

Brandon has been my best friend ever since I can remember. His parents work for my dad. His dad helps with any manual labor and his mom is a receptionist. Dad was always nice enough to let them bring him when they didn’t have a babysitter and he’d just put Brandon with me and say “Be good.”

It wasn’t until he saw me at a pool party when I was 14 that he started to act differently. I asked him once and he said it was because until he saw me in a bright pink bikini surrounded by guys he never really saw me as a woman.

I went and sat on a ladder next to the tank and grabbed the bucket of food for the fish. “Watch out, you’ll fall in.” he said, smiling up at me.

“Watch out, you're saying dumb things again.” I said in a teasing tone. I tossed a couple of pieces of food to the fish.

Brandon watched as all the fish gathered around where I was. “Why do they do that?”

I lifted the bucket, “I have the food.”

“No. That’s not what I meant.” He said coming to stand in front of me.

My heart paused for a moment while I looked into his beautiful blue eyes. “W-What?”

“I mean, every time you come in here the fish flock to you. I watch sometimes and sometimes they make beautiful patterns around you.” He ran his fingers through his black hair, “Now why is that?”

I shrugged, “No clue.” I said feeding the fish.

Of course, I knew why. I’m a fuckin’ mermaid. And every night I’d lock the aquarium doors on both sides and go swimming.

Dad caught me one night and said that my tail better not shed, I shouldn’t disturb anything and I might as well wash the inside of the tank while I’m in there.

I looked down and smiled at all the fish. I could almost see them as people. And lots of them love to play with me.

I can’t talk to them like people think mermaids can. I feel their feelings and they’re able to understand me. I’ve always felt like I connect more to animals and creatures in the sea than people. I mean I know I’m part human but…. I don’t know I don’t feel like I can connect to them.

“Anyway. Excited to have a sister?” he said

I frowned, “I like being an only child.”

He looked at me, “Well at least you won’t be alone all the time. And you’ll have a mother figure.”

“I have a mom.” I muttered to myself. As far as anyone was concerned my dad hooked up with a girl and then she left us, leaving dad to raise me on his own. But dad never moved away from here cause this was the closest to my mom I could be.

“I think you should give her a chance. Maybe she’s not so bad. And maybe you and her daughter will get along.”

I looked at him until he looked over. “Ever heard of Cinderella and her evil stepfamily?”

He laughed, “Yea but your not Cinderella.”

I shrugged. “It’s a metaphor.”

He was putting caps over the top of the tank so things didn’t fall in and fish didn’t fly out. Just precautions. I moved down when he got close and threw the remainder of the food into the tank before he put the last one on.

“Do you have to go?” I said as I leaned against a wall.

He smiled and walked over to me placing his hands on either side of my head, “You really don’t make it easy.” I smiled as he leaned down and pressed his lips and his body to me.

I relished the way his body felt against mine. I’d been secretly pining for him ever since I was 13 but it wasn’t until we turned 15 that things took a turn for the scandalous.

First, it was secret meetings, then holding hands under the table and playing footsie when his family would come over for dinner. Even hiding and cuddling in the storage shed.

Then…. Then when he turned 16 he finally got the courage to kiss me. And he’s been kissing me ever since.

I love him, but sometimes I wonder if we’re in love, or if we just love each other and want to make each other happy.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. And as our kiss intensified he brought our hips together and started to rub up against me. We only had to stop when we heard my father.

“Ari. Get your tail in here now. They’re here.” He yelled in our direction.

I groaned, “mood killer.”

He chuckled, “Probably best that we didn’t go further.” He kissed me again. “Or else these fish might have to have lots of therapy from seeing something they shouldn’t.”

I felt my cheeks go red and smiled. I slipped out from under his grip and pinned him against the wall. “Maybe.” I said getting really close to his ear breathing on it, “You should” I pressed my body up to his, “You should take care” I nudged my knee up ever so gently against his bulge “of that.”

He groaned and tried to kiss me again but I backed away and winked at him. “See you after the storm.”

I heard him groan again and say, “I’ll give you a storm.”

I was still chuckling when I came into the living room. It had boxes, bags, and suitcases. I groaned and looked around. Two guys in orange shirts brought in a black lounge couch and set it next to the stairs.

When they walked out a girl, about my age, walked in. She was in a pair of tight black pants and a gray t-shirt. She looked about as miserable as I felt. She had long black hair and dark make-up around her crimson eyes. She even had a tattoo on her arm that was mostly obscured by her black hoodie.

I almost wanted to run. She was kinda creepy. But as I took a step back towards my very excited man friend she looked over at me.

When we made eye contact it was almost like she was looking through me, like she was x-raying me or something it was kinda creepy. But more than that, I recognized her. She’d been the girl in my dream. I took a deep breath and stood my ground and waited for her to say something, anything.

We just stared at each other for a moment before another woman, older, came walking in with a plant that had pink blossoms on it.

“Amy, what are you doing? We have to get the stuff up to your room before…..” Then she caught sight of me.

This had to be my new stepmother and my new step-sister.

My new stepmother was the other woman I’d seen in my dream. She was pretty, I’d have to give her that. Not at all like the hag I’d expected. She had long black hair just like her daughter but instead of long straight black she had curls and layers. The only makeup she seemed to be wearing was a light coat of silvery gold eye-shadow.

Compared to her daughter she looked kinda…. Angelic.

“Hi. You must be Aaron’s daughter Aria. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She said setting down the plant on top of a sturdy box.

I nodded. I didn't really know what to say.

Just as I started wishing for my mood-killing father he showed up at the top of the stairs, “Alexa. I put your clothes in the closet and put a few of Amy’s boxes in her room. I hope the two of you will be really….”

He reached the bottom of the stairs and saw the situation. My father always talks first and notices awkwardness later. “Oh. Ari. Have you met them already?”

I shook my head and let my hair fall covering my shoulders as I clasped my hands behind my back.

I didn’t know why I was so shy all the sudden. The atmosphere wasn’t pleasant but I was never good at easing tension.

Maybe it was the fact that I’d dreamt about my new stepmother and step-sister before they’d arrived. Or maybe it was that now I’d have to tiptoe around a woman and her demon spawn till I could see how my family dynamic had changed.

“Honey,” My dad said walking over to me and made me walk over to my stepfamily, “This is Alexa. Your step-mother. And this is her daughter Amethyst. But she goes by Amy.” He said, pointing to them in turn.

“I got that thanks.” I muttered so only he could hear.

“And Alexa, Amy, this is my daughter Aria.” He said leaning over and kissing my cheek.

“Dad.” I groaned softly. I gave a little smile at Alexa, who returned my smile with a big one of her own then I turned and gave Amy the same.

She didn’t smile.

“Hi.” I said.

Amy did an eye roll and grabbed two boxes as though it was nothing and walked up a few steps before she stopped. “Where’s my room?” She asked.

“Aria, will you show Amy where her room is?” My father asked, “Should be easy, cause it’s right next to yours.”

Both Amy and I groaned. I took a step forward but before I could get far Alexa stepped into my path and pulled me into a hug.

I was stunned before I relaxed. She smelt like the ocean, which was a smell that would always relax me.

“I’m so glad that I’ve come here.” She whispered softly, “And I hope that I can be here for you, just like a real mother.”

Her words brought moisture to my eyes but I blinked them away and hugged her back. Maybe my stepmother wasn’t so bad after all.