“That's really neat dad,” said his son Eric. “I hope I do get to take Julie. She's expressed an interest in accompanying me, but doesn't want to be invited just because she's the mayor's daughter.”
Nate Anderson was watching everyone as they talked about the Skulk ceremony later that Friday night when he saw something odd. Were his little brother's eyes now blue instead of brown? And was this what Alex was wondering about yesterday?*
“Err... dad...” began Nate, wondering how to ask the question.
William Anderson turned between his sons, and realized what Nate saw and they already knew, thanks to their conversation with Melissa Stovall.**
Thinking quickly, he stepped inbetween the two of them, with his back to Eric and whispered, “I'll explain it all later.”
“Err, okay. Right now, I've got to get back over to Alex's. Hope everyone has a good day and I'll keep an eye out for your text dad. Bye folks,” said Nate, before walking out the back door to cross the hill to his boyfriend's house on the other side.
As the other Andersons finished their breakfast, Eric's parents couldn't help staring at their son. His eyes had gone back to their original brown, but they both knew that was only because no one had mentioned Julie Stovall again.
While they would not be able to discuss the subject until they were alone in the car, both William and Martha wondered the same thing.
Which Eric Anderson would they be seeing later tonight? The boy sitting with them now or the newest were-merman of Moon Lake?
All too soon, breakfast was over and it was time to go.
“You take care son,” said William, patting Eric on the shoulder. “And remember everything we've talked about,” he whispered in his son's ear.
“I will,” promised Eric.
“You take care of yourself and give Julie our best,” said his mother, as she hugged him. Eric thought that for some reason, this one was much tighter and longer than her normal motherly hugs, but he never said anything to her.
Finally, Martha Anderson broke the hug, kissed her son on the cheek, and soon his parents were out the door to start their respective days.
With that, Eric quickly cleared the table, putting the rinsed dishes in the dishwasher. Then he did a hurried search and found the same (but now clean) beach towel he used the last time he went swimming at the Stovalls and put it in his duffel bag on top of his swim trunks and the more formal attire for the Skulk induction ceremony tonight.
He only paused long enough to make sure the house was secured and locked up for the day, then Eric Anderson practically ran to be with his girlfriend.
Julie Stovall nervously paced the living room of her house. With her mother already at work and her father in California taking care of her grandmother, she was all alone, waiting for Eric to show up.
Do we actually do it today? Can we do it? SHOULD we do it? she wondered.
Everything was leading up to this moment.
The way her heart seemed to skip a beat the very first time she saw Eric Anderson in the high school hallway. The shared dreams between them. The gentleness of his soul. The intellect of his mind. The way he treated and respected her. The way his eyes were starting to change color whenever they were together, indicating that they WERE soul mates, destined to be together forever once they formally declared and consumated their love for the first time.
If everything is meant to be, then why am I so nervous?
Julie practically jumped, startled when the doorbell rang.
He's early! she realized, taking a quick look through the peephole before answering the door.
“Hey Julie,” said Eric, as she let him in.
“Hey,” she said, smiling and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “I've already eaten. Did you have breakfast?”
“Ate with my folks. And dad called to ask Mrs. Tachibana if Nate and I can bring dates to the Skulk ceremony tonight, but he didn't hear back from her before they had to leave. He'll text me when he does.”
“That's great. Now then, what would you like to do?”
“I think you know,” replied Eric, smiling back at her. When they first actually met during a Freshman lunch break at school, it was her smile that first attracted her to him, and Julie had never stopped smiling around him since, with each time always accenting the blue twinkle in her eyes.
“Huh?” said Julie. He can't be thinking...
“It's too nice a day to stay cooped up inside. Let's go swimming!”
Eric left the dufflebag with his good clothes for tonight on the Stovall's living room sofa while he carried his other stuff, following Julie through the house to the fresh water swimming pool the were-mer family maintained in their backyard because no aquatic species, whatever its origin, likes chemicals in their water.
“I'll be back in a few minutes,” she promised, before running into the nearby cabana to change into her swimsuit.
While he was alone, Eric took off everything he had on and dressed in his swim trunks. Although there were not many houses on this street, the Stovalls had a high privacy fence surrounding their backyard, as much for others safety because of the swimming pool as privacy.
Then he piled his clothes into an unused deck chair. Eric left his cellphone on the patio table, so he could check his text messages whenever his father shared the answer from the Skulk.
Then Eric remembered the single pearl necklace his mother made for him to give Julie as a “promise ring”.***
He got it out of a shorts pocket and placed it in the lone pocket of his trunks.
Dragging another chair near the edge of the pool and draping his towel across it, Eric was ready to go and eagerly awaited Julie's return.
He didn't have long to wait as the stunning vision of the blonde were-mermaid appeared, carrying a cooler in one hand with her own towel draped across her shoulders.
“WOW!” was all Eric could say as he went to help her with the cooler.
Eric couldn't help staring at his girlfriend.
While that wonderful smile was still there just for him, what really caught his attention the most this time was the two piece bikini she had on. Eric already thought Julie Stovall was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but that outfit did everything one could ever want a swimsuit to do to confirm that fact.
Eric placed the cooler on the table as she added her towel to his.
As he came back near her, Julie asked, “Ready?” staring intently at him as Eric's eyes changed color once more.
“Yes,” he gulped.
Then Julie moved closer as if to kiss him, but instead smiled and dove into the water.
“Why you...” Eric said in jest as he dove in after her.
The two fourteen year old Freshmen, madly in love with each other, played around in the pool for awhile, splashing about and having fun enjoying each other's company.
Then Eric stopped and asked Julie, “Do you know Marco Polo?”
“The explorer?”
“No. The game.”
“What game?” asked Julie in return.
Eric held her hand and led Julie back to the steps at the shallow end of the pool as he explained the rules to her. “Now then. I'll be 'it' first. Whenever I say MARCO, you must say POLO so I have some idea of where you might be because I'll be keeping my eyes closed. When I find you, then you're it.”
“Okay,” she agreed, not sure how this game was going to turn out with just two people.
Then again, I don't want or love anyone else but him, she thought.
Sticking to the shallow end, Julie soon got the hang of the game and led Eric on a merry chase across the pool.
Finally, she accidentally zigged when she should of zagged, and Eric found himself pressing his body against Julie's against the edge of the pool.
They could feel the intense closeness of each other. Sensual. Electrifying.
Julie felt the stirring of the were-mer mating urges begin within her again, demanding they unite and become one. She wondered what Eric was thinking, because he had a weird look on his face as his blue eyes stared at her. Julie also thought she felt something in the water brush against her leg, but never bothered to look down, because she suspected what it might be.
Julie was trying to figure out what, if anything, to say when Eric suddenly spoke.
“Your turn,” he said, while swimming away from her with a big grin on his face.
Julie walked back to the pool steps, closed her eyes, and said “Marco.”
Then she heard Eric whisper in her ear “Polo,” before he took her in his arms and kissed her.
The kiss was long, deep, soulful, and romantic. Their lips kept a tight seal as their tongues danced back and forth between each other's mouths as the lovers wrapped their arms around each other.
When they finally stopped, Julie looked at Eric as if there was a great weight on her mind.
Finally, she said, “We need to talk,” before Julie had him sit down on the pool steps next to her.
________________________________________________________
*Previously, in "Car Pooling".
**Melissa Stovall has briefed Eric's parents about current events between their son and her daughter.
***In "And A-One" —tmw.