A Thousand Salt Kisses (Book 1 of Salt Kiss series)

><> Chapter Twenty-Four <><

"Well I think he has a point!" said Rosie brightly, as she powdered her cheeks with the world's most humongous blusher brush.

"Who?" I asked. I was propped up on a purple gingham pillow on her bed, seeking counsel.

"Llyr, obviously," came Rosie's reply.

"Really?" I asked with surprise. I had been fully expecting my sensible friend Rosie to be in firm agreement with the seemingly more rational Ri.

"Yes, because, he's right. You and Llyr aren't exactly like George's parents, I mean you're not going to just immediately procreate!" she finished, blowing on her blusher brush. "You're only like, seventeen."

A pink cloud had billowed out in front of her.

I became hysterical with giggles. Procreate? It wasn't just Llyr who had a funny way with words around here.

"No," I laughed. "I suppose we're not going to instantly just breed."

Rosie cackled. "Copulate!" she cried.

We were in stitches, and I wiped away a tear. Rosie was always so very funny.

"I mean, they probably didn't even have contraception back then," said Rosie reasonably.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Who knows? By the way, I actually feel really awful telling you that thing about George and his parents. Please never say anything to anyone," I said, in a more serious tone.

I had had to spill the beans to Rosie, there was no other way I could explain the whole crazy situation to her.

"I won't, I promise," said Rosie, putting on some mascara. "You had to tell me anyway, because it's for your own mental state. You'd go mad if you had to keep all this stuff to yourself, right?"

"Right," I said, grateful for Rosie's justifications. I feared that George and the mer-folk may disagree but like Rosie said, I just couldn't process it all on my own. 

"So, do you think this is the right outfit?" Rosie asked standing up. She wore a pink t-shirt with jewel-encrusted shoulders and black flared jeans.

"Of course, you look gorgeous." I said, with zero hesitation.

Rosie was off on a double date with Will, Allan and Jemima. They were going for a drink and then to a party. I remembered when it had been just Rosie and I going out together, and I had to admit, I felt ever so slightly jealous.

"Thank you," said Rosie. "Gosh, I wish you and Llyr could come with us."

I laughed, this was a very weird thought. Llyr in a pub or at a party?

I nodded and bit my lip. He was every bit as intriguing as one would imagine.

"Well, I bet Jemima's pretty happy that you guys are hanging out again," I said ultra casually, so as not to show a hint of envy.

Rosie half smiled, and half rolled her eyes. "Yes, she's over the moon. You were such a genius setting those two grumps up!"

"Well, I just thought they had so much in common with their burning hatred of me..." I said with a trace of sarcasm.

"Andnow they love you!" Rosie snickered, sitting down on the bed. "Jemima's like, 'Crystal's so nice, Crystal's so cool,' and I'm like about tostrangle her, going 'yeah nuh, I told you!'"

I laughed. "People are weird."

"So Crystal," asked Rosie. "Have you and Llyr... you know?"

"Oh!" I said, looking down. "No. I thought we should wait a bit, right?"

"Yeah, sure that's a good idea. But how do they... you know?" she asked, her eyes were gleaming with curiosity.

"I'm really hoping, it's the same way as us!" I said with unease. I had not assumed otherwise.

Rosie burst into giggles. "I'm so sorry. I'm sure it is the same from what you've told me. I just wondered that's all."

"Oh, gosh please. I really couldn't cope with anymore surprises," I said, trying to barricade the whole thought from my mind, before it became an issue.

"No, no, it will be. Sorry!" Rosie said, putting a hand on my knee. "Let's just erase this whole conversation from our memories!"

"Okay. Erasing... Erasing..." I said searching my brain frantically for a new conversation topic. "Have you and Will?" I asked, suddenly realizing we had not touched base on this matter for a while.

Rosie looked at me and nodded.

"And?" I said, excitedly.

"Oh well, it was lovely!" she said. 

I detected some hesitance in her voice.

"But...?"

"It's just he's so much better at it than me," she sighed. "There, I said it!"

"No!" I wailed defensively. "Maybe he's just more experienced. But you'll catch up!"

"I hope so..." she sighed.

"You will!" I insisted.

Yeah?" asked Rosie hopefully.

"I promise. And you'll probably learn all kinds of things..." I added encouragingly. "I''m sure he thinks you're fantastic anyway."

Rosie looked at me and smiled. "Thanks. So when are you next seeing you're sea-bloke?"

I broke into a smile of excitement, as I remembered our next date.

"Tomorrow," I said brightly. "He wants to take me somewhere special."


***


It was later on that evening and I looked painfully at the home-made fish pie that sat on the kitchen table. Twothings were making me uncomfortable. First of all, the fish/boyfriend thing. And second of all, not all the dinner guests had arrived.

After a lot of fumbling on his mobile, Dad put it down on the kitchen counter.

"Well, she's obviously not coming," he said.

I felt my eyes fill up with tears but I didn't want Dad to see so I willed them to go away. Dad had spent all day preparing this meal and had been up at the crack of dawn to buy the sea food.

"Never mind," said Dad, picking up the spatula. "Shouldn't let it go to waste, eh?"

"Well, she'll come home later, she can try it then, I guess," I said encouragingly.

"Hmm," he said, "perhaps."

I wondered if I should tell him what I had seen at the restaurant.  Can I really keep this from him? I quickly decided that I needed to speak to mum first, if anyone. I mean, I could have the whole thing completely wrong, right?

"So, are you coming on the demonstration on Friday?" Dad asked, slapping a huge piece of Fish Pie on my plate.

My eyes widened. "Huh?"

"There's going to be a huge anti-SKANX protest," said Dad, confirming my fears. "We're going to assemble here on the island and then take a ship to the mainland. We will then meet up with hundreds of other protesters and march through town, passed the council, where there will be speeches and a vigil. Then we will make our way through the countryside and, finish the whole thing at the beast itself."

Oh no.

"You're going to go and protest at the factory?" I said with alarm.

"Yes, I'm going to lead," said Dad proudly. "I've got a flag ready. And a megaphone"

"But... what about Mum?" I said, worriedly. If anything was going on with Mr Geake then this would only make things A LOT worse. Like, A LOT.

"This is the planet we're talking about Crystal. The planet."

Oh, my gosh!  While I totally got Dad's plight, I just felt like neither of them cared about keeping our family together anymore. I mean, does he have to lead this demo? Can't he just march along discretely? It was like SKANX had become the most important thing inthe world. For both of them.