Two

The day flies by with surprising speed. Before I know it, I'm heading back to my car. Normally there is swim practice after school, but our coach had canceled for a person reason, whatever that may be. I roll the windows down of my Jeep, the unusually warm October rays radiating the car. I consider my car my first child; through two summers of lifeguarding and giving swim lessons to younger children I had saved enough money to make a small down payment on my first car, with my parents giving me the rest. I pat its' side as I roll through the hills of my town towards my house on the border. I remember moving to this particular house five winters ago after my parents had been renting a townhouse in the center of town. I think it makes them feel good, owning a house with a nice sized yard, a pool in the back " one of my own requirements " and plenty of space for everyone.

I pull into my driveway and put the car in park. Both my parents' cars are in the driveway, which surprises me. My father is a pediatric doctor at the hospital in the neighboring city, so he usually gets home closer to seven or eight at night. I think that it must be for my birthday, and hurry into the house. I am greeted with the smell of fresh seafood cooking in the kitchen and I close my eyes for a minute, just taking in the scent. I remember seeing my mother sneaking a bag into the garage freezer when she thought I wasn't paying attention yesterday and realize it must have been the lobsters she ordered from up north. I love lobster, any kind of seafood really, but lobster is my weakness and my parents know it. Every year they take care to order lobsters from out of town to make lobster rolls for my birthday dinner. It's one of the unhealthiest ways to eat lobster, but on my birthday nothing matters except satisfying my appetite.

As I open my mouth to call out to my parents, I hear them in the kitchen. Both of their voice are raised in argument, my fathers' gruff tones answer my mothers' light one.

"Anna, you knew this day was going to come, you knew it from day one!" My father exclaims. My mother answers, her voice wavering with emotion.

"It's not fair Eric, it's her birthday, can't we wait until later this week?" I freeze to the spot where I'm standing. They are discussing something concerning me, and it sounds to be something series. I strain to hear more, but my father just makes a disgruntled sound and walks from the room towards the front hallway. I quickly take a few steps to make it seem as though I just returned home, but the sight of me still surprised him.

"Ren! You're home early," he says, watching me cautiously. I give him a smile and open up my arms to hug him.

"I told you I didn't have swim practice today," I mention as he squeezes me tight. He laughs, and I notice the mirth doesn't quite reach his eyes. My mother comes into the hallway, her arms crossed and a tight smile on her face.

"I just started boiling the water for the lobsters, so dinner should be in about two hours. Is that okay Ren?" she asks me. I nod and mumble something about going to take a bath, and leave them standing at the base of the stairs. As I close the door to my bedroom I can hear the argument resume, and hurry into the bathroom to try and block out the noise. One of the perks of being an only child is that the only other room with an attached bathroom besides my parents' master suite happens to be my bedroom. I turn on the vent to block out what little sound I can still hear from downstairs out and make to turn on my bathtubs' taps. As I reach down to twist the tap, the water suddenly gushes out on its' own. Confused, I turn the tap the other way and it stops, almost as suddenly as it started. I cautiously turn it back and the water comes out as it normally does. I brush it off as a freak occurrence and walk back into my room to grab my towels. My parents' voices have escalated further, so I bring in my computer and turn the volume up before hitting play. I usually don't listen to anything while in the shower, but I don't want to think about whatever it is they are arguing over. I choose Ocean Sounds, and the soothing sounds of ocean waves lapping at the shores drive everything from my mind.

---

As my mother predicted, two hours later we are sitting around the dining room table engorging ourselves with lobster rolls and her special homemade French fries. They had stopped arguing by the time I had gotten out of the bath, but an uneasy, tense silence hung over the table. While my mind was bursting to ask them what was going on, I had made the decision to keep any questions until tomorrow, when it wasn't my birthday.

"So you're still going over to Jax's house tonight right?" my mother asks after swallowing a bite of her roll. I nod in response, and see her exchange a significant look with my father. I purse my lips, but taking every bit of effort I have in me, I remain silent.

"You look pretty for a night in at Jax's. Has he switched sides?" my father questions. Both my mother and I shoot him a look of disbelief at him and he holds up both his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright that was rude of me. But for a lazy night in you sure dressed nice!" he relents. I look down at myself. It was true; because of the heads up Maren had given me I chose to wear a navy knee length dress with cap sleeves and a v-shaped neckline, where the opal pendant my parents had given me on my sixteenth birthday was prominently featured.

"Jax is actually throwing me a birthday party, so I figured I would show up in something nice and not sweatpants," I tell them. From the look on my mothers' face she already knew, but my father clearly hadn't.

"That sounds like fun, are you going to stay there then?" he asks pointedly. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"Yes Dad, it's a Friday anyway so I was planning on staying anyway," I tell him, then stick the rest of my lobster roll in my mouth to drop the conversation. He looks over at my mother then reaches under the table for a silver wrapped gift box. I swallow and pull it closer.

"Happy Birthday Ren," they say in unison. Curious, I tear open the wrappings and lift off the cover of the box. Inside is a beautiful jeweled pendant, brilliantly blue and formed in the shape of a drop of water. I laugh before I realize what I'm doing. My parents look at me anxiously.

"Is there something wrong?" My mother asks quickly. I shake my head and smile.

"No nothing's wrong, I just find it funny that it matches my birthmark!" I exclaim. "It matches me perfectly, with the swimming and my eyes and even the dress I'm wearing; I love it." I get up and give each of them a big hug in gratitude. My mom reaches up and unclasps my opal necklace and I catch it in my hands.

"Don't worry, we both agree this one suits you better tonight," my father says after seeing the surprised look on my face. I shrug and pull the new necklace out of its' box. My mother clasps it behind my neck after a moment, and I notice that her fingers seem to be shaking.

"Are you okay Mom?" I ask before I realize what I'm saying. She lets her fingers drop down to her lap, and as I turn to face her I see her eyes beginning to water. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay Mom, never mind," I say quickly, trying to diffuse the emotional atmosphere. She hastily wipes her eyes with her napkin and lets out a watery laugh.

"Don't worry about me honey. Sit, sit we have one more surprise for you!" she says quickly, gesturing to my father. He stands up and rushes off to the kitchen. I take my seat again and after a few moments he comes back out, carrying a large chocolate cake. They sing happy birthday to me, and after making the same wish from this morning, I blow out all the candles in one shot.

"Wish for anything good?" My father teases. I swallow my bite of cake and shrug.

"Can't say that for then it won't come true," I reason, and they both laugh. A half hour later, I'm putting on my coat getting ready to head over to Jax's when both my parents come into the front hall to say goodbye.

"Have an amazing time tonight honey," my mom tells me, giving me a kiss on the cheek. My dad pulls me in for another hug, then whispers in my ear "If anything goes strangely tonight, you come straight home and tell me, okay?" I look at him and he nods.

"Sure Dad, I'm sure everything will be fine," I tell him. He forces a laugh.

"Just trying to be a precautionary father," he says lightly, though I can tell something else is going on. With one last look I walk out the front door towards my car. I hear their arguing start up again, and I quickly get in and drive off into the night.

---

As I drive down Jax's street, I see several of our friends' cars parked conspicuously on the side of the road. I laugh, knowing that he has made his best effort to hide the surprise from me. I pull into his driveway and see the lights in the front rooms turn off. As I walk up to the front door I can hear whispers and giggles, and I can't help but laugh quietly to myself. I knock and Jax answers immediately.

"Hey gorgeous, you look stunning," he says, then ushers me quickly inside. I walk in and he throws on the lights.

"Surprise!" Over a dozen people shout out, and then form a circle around me trying to give me a hug or a clap on the back, wishing me a happy birthday. I force my way over to Jax and Maren, who are standing by with big smiles on their faces.

"You guys, this is amazing!" I say, throwing my arms around both of them. Jax looks over at Maren with faux accusation plastered on his face.

"You told her didn't you that's why she looks so fabulous," he says. Maren grins sheepishly and I wave my hand at him.

"She did me a favor, I was planning on coming over in sweats, and you totally would have let me!" I tell him, poking him in the shoulder. He throws up his hands in mock exasperation.

"Fine you win! Now come with me and let me show you everything," he says, nestling my arm in the crook of his and ushering me around his house. Jax's house is quite a bit larger than many of our other friends' homes, and he takes his party planning very seriously. I notice the seaside theme as we move throughout the rooms; blue and green streamers and balloons, seashells and starfish scattered on the buffet tables, and as we walk outside I see his pool still uncovered, but with bright blue and green lights streaming up from below the surface.

"Oh wow, Jax this looks so beautiful!" I can't help but gush to him. He beams, and then leads me over to a boy that I have never met before. He is holding a blue lei which he puts over my head and extends his hand out to me.

"Hi, you must be Ren, I'm Max," he says, and I understand now why Jax so eagerly has led me over to him. He and Max met last summer at drama camp, and as Jax put it they had "instant chemistry". He's Jax's first serious boyfriend, and I realize how much Jax wants me to like him. Fortunately, my first impression of Max is a positive one.

"It's very nice to finally meet you Max, I've heard so many good things about you," I tell him. Jax claps his hands together ecstatically.

"I will let you two get acquainted while I go make sure everything is on schedule!" he exclaims. Both Max and I laugh as he rushes off back inside.

"So how am I passing the test so far?" Max asks me and I know he must realize that I am the ultimate approval in Jax's mind. The thought of that makes me feel even closer to him, which I didn't know was possible.

"So far so good Max. Tell me about yourself; I know from Jax that you live in the city right?" I tell him. He nods and launches into a somewhat detailed history of himself. As I learn more about him, I can see why Jax is so drawn to him, and feel happy that he's found someone to keep him happy in his life. Jax soon rejoins us on the pool deck, slipping an arm around each of us.

"So how is everything going?" he asks, looking at me expectantly. I laugh and squeeze his shoulder.

"Your boyfriend is a great catch Jaxy," I tell him. He beams, and I excuse myself to get a drink from back inside. On my way however, I am stopped by a strong hand on my shoulder. I turn around and find myself face to face with Josh. One look at his rustled hair and glassy eyes and I can tell he has been drinking.

"Ren, happy birthday baby," he says, going in for a kiss. I dodge and he stumbles forward. I can smell the alcohol on his breath and wrinkle my nose in disdain.

"What are you doing here Josh, I don't recall you being invited?" I ask coldly. He doesn't seem to register my tone of voice, and advances towards me again.

"Baby, remember how good things were? The way I used to make you laugh, the way you used to sigh when I kissed you, the way you loved me so much? We can be like that again," he slurs, trying to grab onto my hands. I hold them close to my body, and Jax makes his way over, Max not far behind him.

"Okay Josh, you're just a little to drunk to be here. I'm going to call you a cab so you can get home safely, right now," he says slowly. Josh's face darkens.

"I don't need your help sissy boy I'm trying to talk to my girlfriend, now leave us be," he says, roughly shoving Jax onto the payment. Anger flares up inside me and before I know it, I push Josh back.

"Stay away from me," I snarl as Max helps him up. I'm not sure if it is out of instinct or if he can't control his physical movements, but before I know what's happening, Josh pushes me back and I stumble backwards, falling back into the uncovered pool. As I slowly sink to the bottom, I feel so many different emotions going through my mind; anger, sadness, embarrassment among them. The anger slowly begins to take control of my mind and as my feet touch the bottom I push off towards the surface. I don't know how it happened, whether I used more force than I normally do or something else, but I shoot out of the pool and land lightly on my feet by the edge in front of Josh, my hair falling in a curtain in front of my face.

"Ren…babe…I'm so sor-" Josh begins, but I do not hear any of it. I see red, and I think of all the days he and Amanda have ruined so far this year. I look up at him, glaring and he steps back.

"What the," he begins, but his voice is cut off by the roaring sound of rushing water. I feel my body urging the water from the pool forward, and it rushes towards Josh, capturing him in a mini cyclone. I can hear his screams and I surge forward, letting the cyclone deposit him in the bushes on the outskirts of Jax's property. He gags and sputters, trying to stand up. I blink and look around me. Everyone is standing still, gaping openmouthed in my direction. I turn back towards Josh, who is looking at me with an emotion I have never seen him wear before; absolute fear.

"Josh, I-" I call out but he lets out a scared squeak and runs off down the driveway towards the road without so much as a backwards glance. I look around and people start to take steps away from me. All except Jax, who inches towards me with an air of caution.

"You're not going to put me in a tsunami too are you?" he asks and I look at him incredulously.

"What? No of course not," I say, and he gets closer. He examines me quick, then frowns.

"You're not even wet Ren," he observes quietly. I look down and realize he is right; I had just been submerged in a pool for over a minute, yet my clothes and hair are perfectly dry. I gaze back up at him.

"I don't even…what happened?" I whisper. He looks around and shoos everyone, including Max, back into the house, then sits me down on a lounge chair next to him.

"It was really, really weird Ren. You lept out of the pool like you had springs attached to your feet. Then when you looked up at Josh your eyes were blue, not their normal blue but like…glowing blue. And that pendant around your neck was glowing too," he explains quickly in a low voice. I look down and touch the stone hanging around my neck. It's warm to my touch, as though it had been heated by something.

"Ren…what's going on?" he asks cautiously. I stand up quickly and he follows suit.

"I have to go," I whisper to him, and without waiting to explain I run out to my car through the back gate. I start the car and tear off onto the street.

"Dad, you knew something was going to happen," I whisper out loud to myself. "You said to come home if anything strange occurred." Well this certainly counts as strange, and I sure hope he can shed some light onto what the hell just happened to me tonight.