WHEN THE SEA CALLS
Chapter 47: Another Strange Dream

Chapter 47: Another Strange Dream

After Rhea left the rooftop with Kristen, Maia, and April, she was taken to the clinic. They got to the clinic and Leslie attended to her.

"What happened to her?" Leslie asked.

"We do not know," Maia answered.

"Do you mind saying what happened to you?" Leslie asked Rhea who shook her head.

Leslie nodded. "If you do not want to say it. You don’t have to. The rest of you stay here. I will take her to rest." She took Rhea to lie down on one of the beds. "You can rest here."

Rhea lay down on the bed, her eyes closed. Her mind drifted back to what had happened on the rooftop.

Is Myles really, a wizard? She thought. Then Louie is too. Why did he not tell her that? She took a deep breath. She can’t blame him. Can she? She did not tell him what had been going on with her too.

"Maya?" She heard, and she climbed down from the bed to peep.

"What is wrong with her?" Rhea heard Leslie ask.

"We do not know. She was on the rooftop, too. She came down shouting that she had seen a wizard and fainted after a while," one of the students who had brought her said.

Rhea watched Leslie attend to Maya who finally opened her eyes.

"Are you okay? Do you feel better now?" Leslie asked.

"I... I am fine," Maya answered.

"Do you remember what happened on the rooftop?" Leslie asked.

"I was trying to push Rhea down the stairs but I missed a step and fell instead," Maya answered.

"Why would you do that?" Mr. Martins asked.

Maya shook her head. "I wasn’t trying to hurt her. I was just angry that she had new friends." Maya pointed at Kristen and others.

"You pushed her because of the new friends she has?" April asked in anger.

"How dare you hurt her because of that?" Maia said.

"That is enough," Leslie said.

Rhea, who had been listening to the conversation, returned to sit on the bed. She was angry Maya tried to hurt her because she made friends with Maia, April, and Kristen and was surprised Maya twisted what had happened.

She continued to listen to the conversation outside and was glad when Mr. Martins asked Maya to come with him. Leslie had confirmed that there wasn’t anything wrong with Maya; what she suffered was a shock. Leslie had also confirmed that there wasn’t any sign that Maya fell down the stairs.

"You are lying, Maya," Mr. Martins had said and Maya could not say a word.

Myles confirmed when he showed up that neither Maya nor Rhea fell down the stairs.

"You are not saying the truth," Mr. Martins had insisted. "Come with me to the Principal’s office."

There was silence in the room now, and Rhea began to wonder if everyone had left with Mr. Martins. She lay down on the bed, feeling sleepy.

"Can we see her?" Celia asked.

Celia is here? Rhea wondered.

"Of course, you can," Leslie said.

Rhea closed her eyes quickly. Myles and Celia’s voices were not the only ones she heard; she heard Louie’s voice too. Rhea wasn’t sure of how she would face Louie after pushing him away when he tried to get close to her on the rooftop.

"Is she sleeping?" Louie asked.

"I think she is," Maia answered.

Celia moved closer to her. "Do you think she will be fine?"

"She will be," Myles answered. "She is just shocked."

Louie stared at Rhea and noticed that she blinked.

Is she pretending to be asleep? Louie wondered. Maybe she still doesn’t want to see him and Myles.

"I think we should go back to class. We should not disturb her sleep," he suggested.

"That is a good idea," Myles said.

He had also noticed Rhea making some moments and he could tell she was getting tired of pretending.

"I will stay back," Celia said.

"We will come back later to see her," Maia said.

Maia, April, Kristen, Myles, and Louie left the clinic leaving Celia with Rhea.

"You can open your eyes now," Celia said.

Rhea opened her eyes and chuckled slightly. "You knew I wasn’t sleeping?"

Celia nodded. "I think every one of them does. It was so obvious. Why did you pretend to sleep?"

"I do not know how to face them."

Celia furrowed her brows. "Why? Did something happen?"

How is she supposed to tell Celia that her crush, Myles, might be a wizard? Her best friend, Louie could be one too.

Rhea sat up. "Do you believe in magic?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you believe wizards, witches, mermaids, and others exist?"

Celia shook her head. "Of course they don’t. Don’t tell me you do?"

Rhea took a deep breath. Thank goodness she did not tell Celia what Myles and Louie’s identity could be. She isn’t even sure if that was their real identity yet.

"I think you should get some rest," Celia said and Rhea nodded in agreement.

She was feeling sleepy already. She lay down on the bed eyes closed.

"Are you not going back to class?" Rhea asked; her eyes were still closed.

"I won’t be going to class. I already spoke to my homeroom teacher about it. Just rest, okay? We can go back together."

Rhea nodded. "Then I will take a short nap."

Rhea adjusted herself on the bed, ready to sleep. She was already dozing off when she heard a sound and she opened her eyes quickly.

What sound is that? She wondered.

She looked around for Celia but she wasn’t seated beside her.

Where did Celia go?

"Celia?" Rhea called.

She came down from the bed and moved closer to the curtain. Rhea opened it and noticed she was not in the clinic.

Is she having a dream again? Rhea wondered. Or it was nothing but her imagination.

Rhea closed her eyes. If it’s her imagination, then maybe closing her eyes would wake her up.

"Rhea?" Rhea heard and she opened her eyes.

She was now in her room. Rhea noticed there was a beaming light from one of her lockers.

Could that be the bluestone beaming? She wondered. Why is it beaming again?

She moved closer to the locker and opened it. It was the bluestone just like she had predicted.

But why is it beaming?

"Rhea?" She heard again and she turned.

In front of her was Aqua, dressed in her usual pink dress and veil.

"Aqua?" Rhea called. "Why are you here? Am I dreaming again?"

"This is not completely a dream, Rhea," Aqua answered. "You are not completely unconscious."

Rhea furrowed her brows. What does that mean?

She wanted to ask Aqua what she meant but she decided against it. That is not what matters now. Aqua must have a reason for showing up.

"Why are you here?" Rhea asked instead.

"I see you have met Leslie already."

Rhea shook her head. She hasn’t met Leslie yet. Has she?

"Are you talking about the nurse?"

"Yes. You haven’t spoken to her yet? I told you to... I did not finish my instruction the last time. Did I?"

Rhea shook her head. "You did not. You did not tell me who Leslie was too."

"I guess there wasn’t much time to do that. Your school nurse is the Leslie I was talking about. She will help you become the new Aqua. You have to trust her to help you."

Rhea sighed. So Leslie is a mermaid. Then Maia is too. Do they know who she is too?

"Do you think they know who I am?" Rhea asked.

Aqua shook her head. "They do not. But they will soon."

Rhea sighed. How would they react when they find out.

"But are you sure I am a mermaid too?" Rhea asked.

"The bluestone," Aqua pointed. "It’s beaming."

Aqua had ignored Rhea’s question because she wanted her to find that out herself. She was also sure Aquamarine must have said something about it to her.

"It’s beaming," she said again and Rhea nodded.

She could tell Aqua wasn’t going to answer her question.

"Yes," she answered. "I do not know if this should be counted as a reality but if it is, then this should be the second time it’s beaming."

"Can you remember when it first beamed?"

Rhea nodded. Of course, she can. It was during Leslie and Maia’s visit and also when she had her first dream, of meeting with Aqua. How can she forget that?

"I do. The first time I met you."

"Aside from meeting with me. Did you meet another mermaid that day?"

Rhea nodded. "Yes. Leslie and Maia."

"It’s time," Aqua said.

"Time for what?"

"Your time to become the new Aqua is getting closer. The stone is ready to merge with you. Sit on the bed. I will help you with that."

"Why does it have to merge with me?" Rhea asked.

"Rhea, there is no time. You can ask Aquamarine when you meet her."

"But she is not..."

"Rhea?!"

" Fine." Rhea sat on the bed. "What about the stone? Am I supposed to bring it out?"

"No. It will come to you. Close your eyes and connect with the stone."

"Wait!" Rhea said. "What about my sister? She was..."

Aqua pointed. "She is still with you. But don’t worry. She won’t remember anything that has happened."

"She won’t get hurt. Will she?"

"She won’t."

Rhea sighed. "But how am I supposed to connect with the stone?"

Aqua groaned. "Rhea, can you stop asking questions. Just close your eyes and try to connect."

"But how?" Rhea asked.