> we should ABSOLUTELY eavesdrop. food can wait

Luce stood still in the water as she watched her school socialize with each other. She could feel her face heating up with every laugh and every piece of gossip they’d share. She couldn’t distinguish between the feelings of anger and sadness inside of her. But they both sucked either way. As much as she tried to shake her head and ignore the sight and idea that they are doing something without her, trying to focus back on her hunger and her boredom, she simply couldn’t. A mermaid’s school is essentially their lifeblood, no matter what kind of mermaid you are. And this especially matters to salmon mermaids like her and her own school.

It might not be the case, but the fear of slowly being pushed out of her school grows inside of Luce. Ever since she butted heads with Malachi, her school’s self-proclaimed leader, she has not known peace. It sucked. And it sucked really bad. Luce always had a rebellious streak. Malachi knew this ever since they were fry. And she still wanted to get rid of her. Well, that’s what Luce believes anyways. It’s better to be safe and cautious than to be killed off for being seen as too weak.

As Luce waded in closer towards the shore, she kept her head low and her movement little. It didn’t hurt to employ some hunting strategy. From this distance, she could vaguely make out two distinct conversations.