Real Mermaids 2 - Don't Hold Their Breath by Helene Boudreau Read Free Book Online Page A

food, and I got totally grossed out and gagged at the thought of breathing in that stuff.
    My tail ached and my arms were about to fall off by the time Reese slowed down long enough for me to catch up. I spotted the big golden McDonald’s arches off in the distance.
    Holy Chicken McNuggets. We actually made it. We—
    But before I could finish my sentence, something whizzed by my head.
    Reese pushed me out of the way. Stay down!
    What the heck was that? We ducked behind an outcropping of rock covered with swaying seaweed. Who’s after us?
    Not sure. Reese parted the seaweed with one hand so we could get a better look. The projectiles kept whizzing by us but missed us by a mile, judging by the streams of bubbles a dozen feet away.
    Either they’re not shooting at us or they have really bad aim, I rang in a low tone.
    Seconds later, a PING sounded through the water. The shooting stopped.
    You’re late! A deep mer-voice rang from a couple dozen feet away. I peeked around the rock. A large grizzly looking merman brandishing a spear swam to meet a small elderly mermaid.
    Yeah, well, tell that to your goon friends, the mermaid replied. They wrecked my stall back at the market looking for contraband. It will take me days to get it back in order.
    It’s Renata, Reese whispered. With food.
    Renata held out a package wrapped in seaweed to Grizzly while another sentry hung back by a large underwater metal culvert by the shore, which was probably where the projectile had hit to cause the sound. Could they be guarding the entry to the tidal pool, keeping the Webbed Ones in and the rubberneckers out? My breath quickened as I thought of the possibility. What if we were finally about to discover Mom, but they caught us before we could get to her?
    The merman by the culvert called out to Renata with a friendly wave. Any squid today, Renata?
    Got some right here for you, Omarlin! She searched in her sleigh-like cart and tried to swim toward the culvert to bring it to him, but Grizzly blocked her with his spear.
    You know the rules. He took the squid from her and piled it on top of the package she’d already given him. I’ll take it from here. He turned to go.
    What? No tip? Renata rang after him. But Grizzly ignored her, swam back to the culvert, and disappeared inside. Omarlin smiled weakly and waved, then disappeared into the darkness of the culvert too.
    Renata rang out a bunch of sentences, which I was pretty sure were mer-curse words, and stooped over to arrange the rest of the packages in her cart.
    My stomach cramped with anticipation and worry.
    This is it, I whispered to Reese. This must be the entrance to the tidal pool. Only problem is how do we get in?
    But just then, another rumble gurgled from my stomach. All the excitement had set Bridget’s lunchtime cheesy nachos into motion. Roiling, gurgling, cramping. This couldn’t be happening. Not now!
    No matter how hard I tried to control it, a mixture of nerves, fear, jalapenos, and bad timing all came together in a stomach-rumbling, gas-producing… mwuuurppppp.
    A huge burp bubble escaped from my mouth and traveled past my face, up and over the rock and seaweed where we were hiding.
    Excuse me, I whispered.
    Reese flashed me an odd, approving smile. I couldn’t help it. An uncontrollable urge to giggle took over me just like it always did whenever Cori and I were at a really serious school assembly. It started as a jittery feeling in my chest and escaped as a massive underwater snort. If Renata hadn’t seen my burp bubble, I was sure this would blow our cover. I poked my head around the rock to check.
    Who’s there? Renata scanned the waters around her and slipped out a slingshot-looking weapon from between the packages in her cart.
    What do we do now? I whispered.
    Reese said nothing but rifled through his satchel. I peeked in and counted four flip-flops, a waterlogged cell phone, and about six gold chains.
    Where did you get all