Page 25 - The Mermaid Call

called them to her realm beneath the lake where women fought for power.” I grinned – because I liked to tease second-best-friend Erik over that bit.
“It’s why they’re sculpted to look like mermaids.” I pressed a hand to one bronze tail before pointing to the grey stone building the other side of the road. “Have you been into Lydia and Violet’s old house? They lived there together and turned it into the village tourist office.”
“Nope, never. The Dragon thinks it’s all tacky.” Alice was making left-right glances at Lake Splendour’s promenade, as if she was trying to detect a smell in the air. “What I don’t get is why on earth would the Mermaid Girls want to return here?”
“I dunno.” I tried to see through Alice’s eyes. I suppose the flower baskets might seem a bit shabby; the extra-special bunting a tad ‘tacky’; dreary too with the feathery mist trailing through the grey air. “Maybe they just missed their fish battered and wrapped in paper?” I joked.
Nope. Alice didn’t seem to find that one funny either.
“But they helped loads of village women start mermaid businesses,” I added more solemnly as we crossed the road. “And everything changed for the girls of the village too. They got kept in school as long as the boys.”
“Isn’t that nice,” Alice said as I held the door open for her. I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic.
I inhaled as we went inside; the tourist office smell is one of my favourites: familiar old- teddy-bear and sunshine comfort. Plus, Erik’s dad runs it and –
“Ey up, Chuck!” – he always has a giant grin for me.
In fact, if I got a choice in dads, I’d probably choose Erik’s. Mum doesn’t even know who mine is (except, clearly, he has very curly hair and big feet). Erik’s dad has shaggy hair and a sloping smile and always wears jumpers and scarves that he knits himself all-year round (you need woollies in summer here – no point pretending otherwise). Erik’s mum died when she had his little sister Pearl, who’s five, so his dad does all the working and the caring, like Mimi. It’s probably another reason why Erik’s my second-best-friend. We’re both sort-of-lopsided when it comes to family.
“And who’s this with you?” Erik’s dad shared his big welcome grin with Alice.