Skylar

II. Who Are You

Skylar′s POV:

I can’t ever let him know that I like him, because he loves Grandma Grace. In the end, if he had the chance, I’m pretty sure he would choose her, not me.

Momo pets my head, and I smile at her. But I’m fine. I have everything I need. I don’t want to be too greedy.

When I was living in the ocean, no one was mean to me, but it felt lonely. They all ignored me, and I was always alone, always. My only friend was a fish I named fishy. I wasn’t very good at giving out names. Maybe, that’s why others wouldn’t be friends with me.

We enter our school and change into our indoor shoes. “Good morning Skylar!”

“Morning!”

“Morning, Sky!”

“Morning!”

“Someone is popular as always,” Kei nudges my arm, and I grin at him.

We start talking about our day before the bell rang. I know not many people say this, but I love going to school. I adore all my teachers and my classmates; I love going out with them and experiencing my youth.

Sitting in class, I stared out the window, my eyes focused on the tall building with the sign Daku on top of it. I know Sebastian is in there by now doing whatever the clan’s leader does at work, but I wonder if he saw the note I slipped into his bag yesterday.

I feel someone hitting my head with a book, and I release a low “Ow.” Glancing upward, I pour out my lips, but I know he wouldn’t give me mercy.

“Miss Skylar read the next passage,” Mr.Franklin said in a stern voice, tucking one hand behind his back as he walked around the classroom.

Momo quickly hands me her book, pointing to the section we were on, and I gave her a quick thanks. I stand up and clear my throat, reading the next passage:

“Who are you?

My passion rises towards infinity.

Our love is filled with nothing but misery.

These few precious moments alone.

Made me forget the sins I yet to atone.

I always think of you.

Stay with me forever

And I shall treasure

Your innocent soul

Holding it as a whole

I always think of-

Kindness is your flaw

The results of the claws

Scarring your innocent soul

Without a single string of control

I always think-

High atop the world

I see nothing, but the water that swirl

The mind and heart split into two

In which half tells me not to think of you.

I always-

Please, don′t look at me.

For I would think, who is she?

A broken string that we cannot see.

Our love is one that′s never meant to be.

I-

Who are you?”

“Excellent, but Miss Momo, let Miss Skylar figure out where we are next time.” He taps her head with his book, and I sat down, smiling with her, knowing Momo always had a thing for Mr.Franklin. “Now, I want everyone in here to compose their own poem, it doesn’t matter what kind,” he states, and everyone groans.

Soon, the last bell rang, and school was over. I change clothes, getting ready for archery with Akira and Momo. Kei enrolled in the after school gun shooting.

My eyes focus on the red spot, and with one swift motion, I release it. “Yes!” I mumble to myself when it hits the target.

When archery is over, I change my outfit. “Skylar, a guy is here for you,” one of my classmates said.

“Okay,” I reply, seeing Akira and Momo smiling suggestively at me.

I rolled my eyes and tied my hair up, walking out to see this guy who had an unusual mole on his cheek. He notices me and steps up, twiddling with his thumb. “H-Hi I’m Eli Sato from class 3-A,” he stutters, cheeks turning red.

3-A, which means he is a third-year, and since he is in class A, it means he is brilliant too.

The school is broken down into three departments with the first, second, and third-year, where the class you’re in depends on your testing skill, which can range from A-F with A being the best and F being the worst.

I’m in class 2-C, not too smart but not too stupid, overall average.

“How can I help you, Eli?” I asked, seeing him playing with his hair.

“I-I want to know what you’re doing this Sunday?”

I let out a low humming sound, trying to remember what I’m doing. “I’m celebrating a birthday.”

“Y-Your birthday is this Sunday?”

I shake my head. “Nope, it’s Sebby. We are going out to eat dinner.”

“Sebby is-” he pauses, tucking his lips over his teeth. “your boyfriend?”

I release a chuckle. “No! Sebby is my guardian!”

A smile appears on his face, and he nods. “How about Saturday?”

I shrug. “I don’t think I have anything planned for that day.”

His eyes brighten, smile widening. “Would you like to go out with me on Saturday after morning classes?”

“Sure.” I mean, why not since the guy is brave enough to ask me and not message me. I like guys who are like that, bold and daring.

He rubs the back of his neck and nods. “Great,” he replies, walking backward. “I’ll meet you at the front gate, then?”

I nod my head, waving at him. Standing there, I watched as he threw two fists in the air, rushing back to his friends. “She said, yes!”

Releasing a low snort, I turned around to see Akira and Momo, who each had a smile. Akira hugged me, “Skylar got a date," she sang.

“So, how are you going to tell your grumpy guardian? From what we remember, he doesn’t seem to like any guy you bring back except Kei,” Momo said, curling her finger around her hair.

“Kei is a trained hunter from Daku, of course, Sebastian trusts him,” Akira replies.

“Anyways, how are you going to slip it in there?” Momo question.

I shrug, “I’ll just slip it in there when the time comes.”

After school, one of Sebastian’s members came to pick me up and took me home. “Thanks for the ride Lance,” I said, waving him goodbye.

I hop up the stairs and unlock the door. Throwing my backpack aside, I c***k my fingers. “Time to cook some burnt food.”

After I finished cooking dinner and finished my homework, I sat on the couch, eyes peeking at the clock, seeing it’s almost midnight. “He’s late today,” I grumble, placing my head down on the couch pillow, watching my second favorite movie, Finding Nemo.

My body sways back and forth. I peek my eyes open. “Hi Sebby, did you eat dinner?” I ask, digging myself deeper into his chest. He releases a deep yawn and nods. “How is it?”

Sebastian chuckles. “Still burnt as always,” he mumbles, and I smile foolishly at him, wrapping my arms around his neck, ears listening to his beating chest.

“Why were you so late today?” I ask, feeling us going upstairs.

“My meeting ran later than I thought,” he replies, and I nod my head, knowing he is lying.

I can smell alcohol and faint perfume on him. Biting my lower lips, I try my best not to cry, knowing he was with another woman earlier.

“Did you get my note?” I ask.

He releases a deep breath. “I’ll try to remember to put the toilet seat down so you won’t fall in again.”

Sebastian laid me down in bed, tucking me in, placing a kiss on my temple. “Sweet dreams Sky,” he whispers, gently shutting my door.

Sometimes, I wonder if Sebastian does it on purpose, coming home with a woman’s scent all over his body. I turn my body, eyes staring at the fainted moon, feeling salty water hitting my quivering lips.

“Sebastian belongs to Grandma Grace,” I mumble to myself over and over.

Sitting up, I throw the windows open, seeing Tokyo skyscrapers. I sat on the edge of the window, inhaling a deep breath, I shut my eyes and fell forward out the window.

Sebastian will never look at you Skylar, remember that.

I land in the pool of water, refreshing myself, feeling my tail emerging. Laying there, I swam back and forth. Sometimes, I miss the ocean, how I can float freely.

How it consumes me, making all thoughts disappear.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asks.

“Swimming,” I replied, eyes still shut. “Well, not exactly, I’m floating right now.”

“How many times do I have to remind you not to jump out of your window?”

“Not enough times since I still do it.” I chuckled and swam towards him. I place my elbows on the fresh edge, seeing him shirtless.

“Want to swim with me?” I offer.

He flicks my forehead. “Swim by yourself. I got w-” Before he can finish, I grab his shoulder and pull him into the pool with me, a high pitch laugh leaving my throat when he spits out the water. “For f**k sake, Sky! How many times do I have to tell you no-”

I hug him, catching him off guard. “Thank you for letting me stay here all these years, Sebby.”

He wraps his arms around my waist. “No problem,” he mumbles.

Slowly, I place my hands on his shoulders, nose rubbing against his, I can feel his hot breath hitting my face, lips barely an inch away from mine. I open my eyes to see his seductive ones as water drips off of each lash.

Sebastian is a private guy, so not many can tell what roams around his mind. His skin is tan, dark brown, making me go weak on my knees if I didn’t have a tail right now. He had tousled dark brown hair, which was thick and lustrous. He’s slim, muscular, with an almost perfectly symmetrical face.

Others may presume him as heartless, but to me, he has the heart of a lion and the soul of an angel. He is a lot taller than, making it hard to see his eyes clearly, but I’m still growing, so who knows, maybe one day I’ll reach him.

“Skylar,” he whispers my name, causing the beating inside my heart to intensify as I feel his lips touching mine. When he looks at me, it’s as if every ounce of breath is taken from my lungs.

He moves back, removing his hands. “We should go dry up.” He swims back to the surface, grabbing the towel by the pool.

I hop out, changing my tail into legs knowing I’m naked. He throws the towel at me, facing the other direction while I wrap it around my waist. We walk back inside the house, water dripping off of both of our bodies. Hesitantly, I grab his pinky, causing him to freeze but he continues walking us upstairs.

“Don’t jump out the window anymore,” he mumbles.

“No promise.”

He stops in front of our bedrooms, taking his towel and placing it on my hair, drying it. I stand there, staring at him, in a complete trance, mind wondering why I couldn’t be born earlier. Perhaps, if I were there to help him, stand beside him just like Grandma Grace, he would look at me, just a little. Maybe, if I weren’t related to the woman he loves, I would hold a chance.

Is it wrong to have some hope?

“Go to sleep Little Mermaid,” he whispers the nickname he gave me since I adore the movie so much.

I take a step forward, which causes him to take a step back, placing his hands on his side. “Goodnight, Sky,” he said quickly, then went into his room, locking his door.

I stand there, alone in the hallway, staring at his bedroom. Slowly, I walk back into my room, closing the door and window. Standing there, the tears refuse to stop dripping as I remind myself that Sebastian would never be mine.

He will never love me more than a guardian.

His heart belongs to only one person, and that person isn’t me.