Guilt gnawed at my insides the entire evening. I felt horrible at having to lie to Sage and Marley. But what else could I do? There was no way I could come clean and tell them that my hair—and eyes—glowed blue in the moonlight. That was just crazy. They wouldn't believe it—and even if they did, they would probably think I was some sort of freak of nature.

I shuddered and huddled deeper into my sleeping bag. I hadn't slept a wink all night, whereas Marley and Sage had fallen asleep around two in the morning. There were sure to be dark circles under my eyes.

I glanced up at the wall clock. It was nine in the morning, and Dad was noisily moving around downstairs. I suddenly remembered that we were supposed to drive to Newland today. My heart leaped in my chest, and I eagerly shimmied out of my sleeping bag. Kimmie and I texted every single day and called each other at least three times a week, but that still couldn't heal the aching hole in my heart. I needed to see her in person, just like I used to see her every day at Newland High.

When my gaze drifted over to the window, I frowned. I felt Marley stir from where she was sleeping just inches away from my feet, so I didn't move a muscle. But my mouth dropped open of its own accord. What in the world...?

White. The yard, the sky, everything, was completely white. It wasn't snow. The worst weather Shady Cove received was a thunderstorm, hail, and a little frost. No, the culprit was fog—an extremely thick blanket of fog that had decided to settle over the town last night.

I crawled out of my sleeping bag as silently as possible, cautiously stepping over Sage and Marley's sleeping bodies to reach the window. The pane was cold to the touch—ice cold. As far as the eye could see, the house was shrouded in white. I could barely even make out the ground below. There was no way Dad—or anyone, for that matter—could drive in this thick cloud.

I grumbled my way into the kitchen, where I poured myself a glass of water (along with a pinch of salt) to soothe my scratchy throat. Dad shuffled into the kitchen a few moments later, just as I drained the last drops of my drink. "Good morning!" he said brightly.

"What's so good about it?" I muttered, gesturing to the window. "Just look at all that fog."

"There's no need to be upset," he reasoned. "We can wait a few hours and see if it clears. The fog should blow away by noon at the latest."

"I hope so." I stood up and rinsed out my glass before placing it in the dishwasher. "Oh, and if Sage and Marley ask, I put glow-in-the-dark dye on my hair."

Dad's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What?"

"They saw my hair glow last night," I admitted. "I had to give them some sort of excuse."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, Rayne..."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"Are they awake?"

"Not yet."

"Did you even get any sleep last night?" Dad folded his arms across his chest.

"Not really. But Sage and Marley slept like logs."

"Well, once they're up and they've eaten breakfast, let's see how the fog looks. I suggest you take a long nap if we can't make it to Kimmie's today." The corners of his lips turned up into a smile. "Those bags under your eyes make you look like a raccoon."

"Gee, thanks, Dad." I rolled my eyes and headed toward the stairs. "Hey, if Marley or Sage wakes up, tell them I'm in the shower."

Dad assented, so I took that as my cue to leave and gratefully headed toward the warm shower awaiting me. The morning was chilly, much chillier than usual, and I knew the fog was to blame. But Dad's logic had given me some hope. There was still a possibility...

Once the hot water was running and I was standing in the shower, my stomach began to feel queasy again. I frowned and glanced down at the tender spots above my hipbones. They were still red and sore to touch, but strangely enough, the hot water didn't sting one bit. What did hurt was rubbing some cream on the surface after I got out of the shower. I had to bite back a scream because the pain was so intense. After that, it hurt to get dressed, so I was forced to wear baggy sweatpants and a loose T-shirt so I wouldn't aggravate the sore areas.

By the time I made it back downstairs, Marley and Sage were awake, and Dad was flipping pancakes on the griddle. It smelled delicious, and I realized I was ravenously hungry despite the queasy feeling in my stomach. Since the pain had intensified after trying to put cream on my tender spots, I was forced to eat breakfast in a slightly hunched-over position, trying not to double all the way over.

"Is something wrong, Rayne?" Sage asked, noticing I looked a little uncomfortable.

"No, I'm fine. I just have a slight stomachache," I reassured her. But 'slight' was a gross understatement. Though Dad's pancakes were delicious, I was unable to finish even my first one. My torso felt like it was on fire. After apologizing to my friends, I weakly climbed the stairs to my bedroom. Sage and Marley eyed me worriedly as Dad followed me, helped me into bed, and tucked me under the covers.

"I'm going to take the girls home," he said. "Just stay here and try to get some sleep."

"But the fog," I protested. "You can't see anything."

"I'll just have to drive slow. Fortunately the town is only a few miles away, so it shouldn't take more than twenty minutes max." He laid a hand on my forehead and frowned. "Hmm...on second thought, I think I'll stop by the pharmacy, too. You might be coming down with something."

Marley and Sage warily stepped into the doorway to say goodbye. "I hope you feel better, Rayne," Sage said kindly. "Thanks for having us over."

"Yeah, thanks for the fun time. See you soon!" Marley said.

"Bye," I murmured weakly. I closed my eyes and tried to drift off to sleep, listening for the rumble of an engine as Dad pulled out of the driveway. The house was silent as a graveyard after that, yet no matter how hard I tried, I was unable to keep my eyes shut for more than a few minutes. My mind began to wander, from the strange spots on my hips, to the swirling white fog outside, to the waves that I imagined I could hear churning against the bottom of the cliffs. I suddenly felt the need to see the ocean and dive under its blue-green surface. "Not again," I groaned, trying to shove the impulse away. But it only came back stronger. I knew I would never get some rest unless I made the trek to the cliffs.

The desire to see the ocean overwhelmed the pain in my torso, so I slid out of bed. With each step I took towards the sea, the less I focused on my pain. I pulled on a sweatshirt and grabbed my swim bag on the way out the door. Then, with a deep breath, I marched straight into the fog. If anything, it had only thickened since this morning, yet I didn't have to fear losing my way. My brain automatically remembered where the trail was, even if I couldn't see more than three feet in front of me. Before long I found myself meandering down the side of the cliff and toward the private beach.

"Finally," I breathed as soon as my feet hit the soft, warm sand. I sank to my knees and dug my hands into the sand, savoring the feeling of millions of grains running between my fingers. It felt amazing to be back, almost like I had returned home after a long journey. I let out a sigh of contentment before changing into my swimsuit and heading to the shoreline.

Though I could barely see the waves, I had no problem hearing them as they crashed and slammed onto the surface of the water. The ocean was freezing cold as I began to wade in, but once I dove completely underwater, my body gradually became used to the temperature. I found that I now enjoyed the cool water, even more so than the hot shower I had taken earlier.

I smiled as I glided underneath the waves. I closed my eyes and let the saltwater sink into every pore of my body, leaving me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Even the sore areas above my hipbones no longer throbbed in pain. I did a few happy somersaults underwater, blowing some air bubbles along the way so I wouldn't get water up my nose.

When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to find that the underwater world no longer appeared hazy and blurry. Somehow I could see perfectly. In fact, it seemed as though I could see more clearly than I could with goggles! Everything was crystal-clear and sharpened to perfection, as if someone had taken a snapshot and edited the picture to make it look dazzlingly clear.

I was thrilled. "Whoa," I exclaimed, the word coming out in a plethora of bubbles that escaped between my lips before floating to the surface. I giggled and swam deeper, mentally counting the seconds I was holding my breath: 54.

My newly discovered talent of seeing underwater made the ocean seem even more alive than ever. Every inch of the sea was illuminated, from the golden sand to the brilliant green seaweed. I even spotted a few minnows darting past my nose, their sleek gray bodies glinting like pieces of silver.

138. I did a few more somersaults just for fun, then placed my hands behind my head and let myself sink to the bottom. The surface of the water slowly grew farther and farther away, and I watched as waves surged and swelled overhead. From this perspective, they looked like billowing white clouds when they broke. It was breathtaking.

170. I smiled when I realized I was going on three minutes—three whole minutes without taking a breath of air! My lungs weren't even craving oxygen yet. I felt perfectly at peace with my surroundings, and for the first time I actually wanted to swim deeper into the ocean. I wanted to swim farther out from shore, where the waves rolled by unbroken, and where I could see sea otters and dolphins and other animals in their natural habitats.

But not today, the voice in my head warned. I reluctantly swam up to the surface and trudged into shore, knowing that Dad would be returning home shortly. I was supposed to be in bed, sick with a stomachache.

With this thought in mind, I quickly changed back into my sweatpants and T-shirt. Despite the thick fog, I wrung out my long hair the best I could. I swept it up into my normal bun before heading back up the trail, forcing myself to quicken my pace so I could get home before Dad did. If he caught me, I had no idea how to explain where I'd been.

I had a little trouble finding my way back, but I continued to shuffle along the goat-trail until a dark shape loomed in the distance. I could faintly make out the outline of my house as I stumbled towards it. I hoped desperately that Dad wasn't back yet.

I let out a sigh of relief when I jerked open the front door. Everything was just as I had left it, and Dad was still gone. I headed upstairs and squeezed out my hair with a towel before slipping back into bed. The covers were warm and cozy, and my torso still hurt a tiny bit, but it was nothing compared to the freeing feeling of swimming in the sea.

As I waited for Dad to come home, I pulled out my phone and texted Kimmie, saying that I wouldn't be able to see her today because it was extremely foggy. A few minutes later, she replied in the affirmative, saying that Newland was covered in fog as well.

I told her I would try to come next weekend. As soon as I hit the send button, I suddenly heard the front door open, and Dad came jogging up the stairs moments later.

"Rayne, honey, how are you doing?" he asked, coming over to my bedside.

"I'm a little better," I replied. "My stomach doesn't hurt as bad."

Dad smiled with relief. "Good. Still try to get some rest, okay?"

"Okay."

"You realize we won't be able to visit Kimmie today, right?" he said apologetically.

I nodded. "I just texted her."

"I think the fog is getting worse, if anything." He heaved a sigh and leaned over to give me a kiss on the forehead. "Let me know if you need anything, hon."

"Alright." I reached for my headphones as he closed the door on his way out. With soft music playing in my ears and memories of the ocean drifting across the forefront of my mind, fatigue took over and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

_ _ _ _ _

"Almost late again, Rayne."

Señora Ramirez eyed me coldly as I sprinted into the classroom. "Sorry," I murmured, brushing past her and sliding into my seat. As soon as I took off my backpack, the bell rang, and my Spanish teacher shook her head at my near-tardiness.

"Take out su tarea and pass it forward, por favor," she instructed. I smiled faintly as I passed up my homework, knowing that my tutoring sessions with Luke were paying off. For the first time this year, I actually had a C in the class. Dad promised to buy me a new swimsuit if I raised my grade to A, but I had a feeling that would never happen. The only A out of all my classes was in swimming.

"Hey, Rayne," a voice suddenly said, close to my ear.

I jumped in my seat. "Wait, Luke? What are you doing here?" Normally everyone sat in the same seats from the beginning of the year, and Luke just happened to be on the opposite side of the room from me. But today, he took the opportunity of sliding into the seat of an absent classmate.

He chuckled. "I know, I know. We usually sit far away from each other, but I never get the chance to say hi to you. Then again," he added, lowering his voice, "you're always coming in late."

I felt my cheeks grow red. "I'm not late."

"Whatever you say," he replied breezily. "Well, the real reason I came over here is to tell y—"

"Señor Sanchez!" Señora Ramirez snapped, making both of us jump. "What are you doing out of your seat?"

"Sorry. It won't happen again," he said quickly, backing away from my desk.

"Well, whatever it is, it can wait until después de la clase," Señora Ramirez ordered, her steel gaze directing Luke back to his seat.

I glanced down and realized he had slipped a scrap of paper onto my lap without me noticing. Once Señora Ramirez had her attention turned back to the whiteboard, I flipped the paper over and saw a phone number scribbled on the front. A smile tugged on the corners of my lips.

As Señora Ramirez jumped into the next lesson, my thoughts were focused on everything except Spanish. Why would Luke give me his number? Was this strictly for tutoring purposes, or could it precede something more? And what had he wanted to tell me? I knew it was more probable that Luke had given me his number for a practical reason, since he was my tutor and all, but it was more fun to think that he might have a "thing" for me. I clutched the piece of paper and smiled to myself.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I glanced up and realized someone was passing me a note. I grabbed it and made sure Señora Ramirez wasn't looking before unfolding the paper. On the inside were the words: I can't make it to tutoring today. Visiting my grandma after school. – Luke

I frowned and quickly scribbled a reply: Alright. Is that what you were trying to tell me earlier?

As soon as Señora Ramirez's back was turned, I folded the piece of paper and passed it to my classmate, nodding in Luke's direction. In a few minutes I received another note: Yeah. I also wanted to see if we could go to the Café after tutoring tomorrow. How does that sound?

I grinned. Sure! I wrote, my pencil hovering over the empty space after the exclamation mark. I finally opted not to put a smiley face at the end. Better keep things as professional as possible, even though the fact that he had given me his number and asked me to the Café were pretty suggestive.

After passing my note back to my classmate, I glanced over my shoulder and realized Luke was smiling at me. I smiled back, and our eyes locked for a brief second. What was this boy up to?