Page 34 of Amber: Deja Brew

Karma starts to laugh. “Yes, I drive. And I’d just pulled into the lot when it started to rain. Obviously, I wasn’t going to leave my car until it stopped, but turns out I forgot to close the window all the way. So, next thing I knew, my tail sprouted and the steering wheel nearly gutted me.”

“Ouch. How’d you get out?”

“I didn’t. I closed the window, dried off the water, and shifted back.”

“Oh.” I nod. “That makes more sense.”

“Still want me to tell you about the second time?” Karma asks. “Because that one was way more embarrassing!”

“If you don’t mind.”

“You know how it was a really warm day yesterday?” At my nod, Karma sighs. “I was walking down the street, minding my own business, and some kid shot me with a water gun.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” I tell her. “Plus, you would have dried off pretty quickly.”

“I would have, if the kid hadn’t climbed on my back and kept shooting me and yelling ‘die, mermaid, die’ until his mother finally came outside and dragged him away. In his defense, he was like five.”

“It still must have sucked.”

“It really, really did.” Karma raises her head and lets the latest torrent of water douse her in the face. “You’re lucky you’re only a mermaid for a little bit.”

“I’ve got my own problems,” I tell her, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Since this morning, I keep shifting into a cop. And not like a hot cop, or anything. A troll.”

“How come?” Karma asks, looking genuinely curious.

“I don’t know, it just happens. Usually when I’m upset. Or when I can’t reach something on a high shelf.”

“I hate when I can’t reach something on a high shelf.” Karma nods in agreement, then turns her head to look past me. “I think there’s someone at the door.”