would be best for us to try. The ocean looked completely different from this angle. Then I saw a familiar clump of rocks and decided to take a chance. I got up and rang the bell. “This is our stop,” I said.
“You know, I think I’m almost glad you woke me up,” Mom said as we got off the bus. “Not that that’s an excuse to do it every week!” She walked over to a green bench on the headland that looked out to sea and sat down. “And you’ve picked such a nice spot, too.”
“What are you doing?” I asked as she reached into her bag and brought out the sandwiches.
“We’re having a picnic, aren’t we?”
“Not here !”
Mom looked around. “Why not? I can’t see anywhere better.”
“Mom, we’re right by the road! Let’s walk out toward the water a bit.”
She frowned.
“Come on, just a little way. Please. You promised.”
“I did no such thing!” she snapped. But she put the sandwiches back anyway, and we headed along a little headland path that led out toward the beach.
After we’d been walking for about fifteen minutes, the path came to an abrupt end. In front of us was a gravelly climb down the cliff.
“Now what?” Mom looked around.
“Let’s go down there.”
“You must be joking. Have you seen my shoes?”
I looked at her feet. Why hadn’t I thought to tell her not to wear her platform sandals? “They’re okay,” I said.
“Emily. I am not going to break my ankles just so you can drag me off down some dangerous cliff.” She turned around and started walking back.
“No, wait!” I looked around desperately. She couldn’t leave — she had to see the rocks. A winding path lay almost hidden under brambles, stony and rough but not nearly as steep as the other one. “Let’s try here,” I said. “And look — it gets flat again over there if we can just get down this part.”
“I don’t know.” Mom looked doubtfully down the cliff.
“Come on; let’s try it. I’ll go first and then I can cushion your fall if you trip and go flying.” I tried an impish smile, and she gave in.
“If I break my legs, you’re bringing me breakfast in bed every day until I’m better.”
“Deal.”
I picked my way through the brambles and stones, checking behind me every few seconds to make sure Mom was still there. We managed to get down to the rocks in one piece.
Mom rubbed her elbow. “Ouch. Thorns.” She pulled up a piece of seaweed and rubbed it on her arm. I gazed in front of us. Just a few yards of water separated us from Rainbow Rocks. I couldn’t help smiling as I watched the sea washing over the flat rocks, rainbow water caressing them with every wave.
“Mom?”
“Hmm?”
I took a deep breath. “Do you believe in mermaids?” I asked, my throat tight and strained.
Mom laughed. “Mermaids? Oh, Emily, you do ask some silly —”
But then she stopped. She dropped the seaweed on the ground. Looking out to sea, her face went all hard.
“What is it, Mom?” I asked gently.
“Where are we?” she whispered.
“Just by the coast. I just thought it’d be nice to go out for —”
“What is this place?”
I hadn’t actually thought about what I’d say once we got here! What would she do if she knew — not just about Jake but about me, too? What if she only half remembered? She might think we were both freaks. Maybe she’d be ashamed of us. Why hadn’t I thought this through?
I cleared my throat. “Um, it’s just some rocks,” I said carefully. “Isn’t it?”
Mom turned to me. “I’ve been here before,” she said, her face scrunched up as if she was in pain.
“When?”
“I don’t know. But I know this place.”
“Shall we go farther down?”
“No!” She turned back the way we’d come. “Emily. We have to go back. Mr. Beeston will be expecting us.”
“But we just got here. Mr. Beeston won’t be around for ages yet.”
“I can’t stay here,” Mom said. “I’ve got a bad feeling about it. We’re going home.” She
“You know, I think I’m almost glad you woke me up,” Mom said as we got off the bus. “Not that that’s an excuse to do it every week!” She walked over to a green bench on the headland that looked out to sea and sat down. “And you’ve picked such a nice spot, too.”
“What are you doing?” I asked as she reached into her bag and brought out the sandwiches.
“We’re having a picnic, aren’t we?”
“Not here !”
Mom looked around. “Why not? I can’t see anywhere better.”
“Mom, we’re right by the road! Let’s walk out toward the water a bit.”
She frowned.
“Come on, just a little way. Please. You promised.”
“I did no such thing!” she snapped. But she put the sandwiches back anyway, and we headed along a little headland path that led out toward the beach.
After we’d been walking for about fifteen minutes, the path came to an abrupt end. In front of us was a gravelly climb down the cliff.
“Now what?” Mom looked around.
“Let’s go down there.”
“You must be joking. Have you seen my shoes?”
I looked at her feet. Why hadn’t I thought to tell her not to wear her platform sandals? “They’re okay,” I said.
“Emily. I am not going to break my ankles just so you can drag me off down some dangerous cliff.” She turned around and started walking back.
“No, wait!” I looked around desperately. She couldn’t leave — she had to see the rocks. A winding path lay almost hidden under brambles, stony and rough but not nearly as steep as the other one. “Let’s try here,” I said. “And look — it gets flat again over there if we can just get down this part.”
“I don’t know.” Mom looked doubtfully down the cliff.
“Come on; let’s try it. I’ll go first and then I can cushion your fall if you trip and go flying.” I tried an impish smile, and she gave in.
“If I break my legs, you’re bringing me breakfast in bed every day until I’m better.”
“Deal.”
I picked my way through the brambles and stones, checking behind me every few seconds to make sure Mom was still there. We managed to get down to the rocks in one piece.
Mom rubbed her elbow. “Ouch. Thorns.” She pulled up a piece of seaweed and rubbed it on her arm. I gazed in front of us. Just a few yards of water separated us from Rainbow Rocks. I couldn’t help smiling as I watched the sea washing over the flat rocks, rainbow water caressing them with every wave.
“Mom?”
“Hmm?”
I took a deep breath. “Do you believe in mermaids?” I asked, my throat tight and strained.
Mom laughed. “Mermaids? Oh, Emily, you do ask some silly —”
But then she stopped. She dropped the seaweed on the ground. Looking out to sea, her face went all hard.
“What is it, Mom?” I asked gently.
“Where are we?” she whispered.
“Just by the coast. I just thought it’d be nice to go out for —”
“What is this place?”
I hadn’t actually thought about what I’d say once we got here! What would she do if she knew — not just about Jake but about me, too? What if she only half remembered? She might think we were both freaks. Maybe she’d be ashamed of us. Why hadn’t I thought this through?
I cleared my throat. “Um, it’s just some rocks,” I said carefully. “Isn’t it?”
Mom turned to me. “I’ve been here before,” she said, her face scrunched up as if she was in pain.
“When?”
“I don’t know. But I know this place.”
“Shall we go farther down?”
“No!” She turned back the way we’d come. “Emily. We have to go back. Mr. Beeston will be expecting us.”
“But we just got here. Mr. Beeston won’t be around for ages yet.”
“I can’t stay here,” Mom said. “I’ve got a bad feeling about it. We’re going home.” She
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