Breathe and Count Back from Ten

Verónica and Dani find Bob, the security guard, who explains that the pump in the kiddie pool is broken, and the management decided to fix the pump and upgrade the locks and security at the pool at the same time. Alice Morales, who is both Alex’s mother and the new building manager, is with him. She seems flat but polite and tells Verónica that the pool will be closed only a few days and that after reports of people sneaking into the pool at night, she had to increase security. Dani and Verónica find Leslie and Tanya. They decide to make the best of the situation by using the gym to practice basic mermaid moves. Tanya teaches Verónica how to loosen her fingers and twist her body like a mermaid, and Verónica recalls a ballet lesson when the instructor criticized the way her legs moved. Leslie records Tanya’s practice moves for Verónica to refer to later. Verónica is insecure and not sure if she’s doing anything right, but Tanya assures her that she’s doing well and that given her strong swimming abilities, Verónica has reasons to be confident.

Verónica, Dani, and Leslie find Alex and take his mother’s car to Jason Parker’s house. Jason is Dani’s friend; he lives in a gated community adjacent to the apartment complex, and he has a pool he’s agreed to let Verónica and Tanya use for practice. It is clear Dani has a crush on Jason, and Verónica and Leslie tease her on the way there. Jason is kind and friendly and lets Verónica, Leslie, and Dani come to the pool to practice every day for a week. By the end of the week, Verónica feels confident in her skills and ready to audition, and she’s even slightly hopeful of being chosen. On the last day of practice (when Tanya has agreed to help train Veronica again), Jeremy shows up at the pool, and Jason introduces him as his stepbrother.

Jeremy greets Verónica as if they share no history, and Verónica looks at him, wondering how he can be so nonchalant and noticing how “his features seem wolflike. Sharp and predatory” (145). Verónica decides she is too uncomfortable to stay and asks Alex to take her home. Dani insists on staying to swim. Verónica doesn’t want to make a scene and leaves her there. She recalls how Dani was when she was young, often throwing tantrums in public. Mami used to lock Dani in the car when she behaved that way, and on one such occasion, someone threatened to call child services. Verónica notes how her mother believes she and her family will always be seen as “resident aliens” (148) who are one bad decision away from being deported. On the ride back, Verónica tells Alex about what happened with Jeremy and how her parents walked in and “assumed the worst” about her (150). Alex admits that his parents always fought and his father moved away, and the two relate over their shared experience of feeling separated from themselves. Verónica confesses that she has little feeling in her left leg where her scars are, and Alex explains that listening to his parents fight made him numb in places. They kiss, and Alex tells Verónica that she lured him to the pool at their first encounter, referencing the siren myth again. He tells Verónica that she is “already a mermaid” (156).

Verónica wakes up on the morning of the tryouts, and Dani has adorned her swim top with pearls, a reference to The Little Mermaid. Verónica invites Dani to come watch the tryouts, and Leslie and Tanya join as well. On the way to Mermaid Cove, Verónica is nervous and doesn’t know if she should hope for anything. Leslie is sure she will succeed, and Verónica wishes she had Leslie’s confidence.

The group arrives at Mermaid Cove, and Verónica joins the other auditioners by the clear, cold water. Barb, the director of the cove and the mermaid shows, announces the rules of the first portion of the tryouts, which is a 400-yard swim. She reminds the swimmers to look out for one another, to show their athleticism, and to perform their best. While waiting, Verónica meets another swimmer who comments on the coldness of the water and mentions that Verónica looks built to compete. Verónica acknowledges the compliment but feels nervous at the thought that she is already being analyzed before the competition has even begun. She enjoys the water and thinks it must be similar to the waters off the coast of Peru.

Verónica and the other mermaids line up and wait for the call to begin a four-lap test of endurance and strength. The first lap is easy, but when Verónica has to turn back and the current is against her, she suddenly notices just how cold and unforgiving the waters are compared to the pool she practiced in. She makes it through the second and third laps. Gasping for air, she pushes herself to finish the fourth lap. She is helped out of the water by Lila, a senior performer whose mother legendarily went into labor with her while visiting Mermaid Cove. The cold water made Verónica’s joints stiff, and Lila notices that Verónica is limping. Verónica casually comments that one of her legs is half an inch shorter than the other. Lila seems unsatisfied with her response but leaves the topic alone. Verónica thinks about how often she downplays her differences to keep others from knowing the truth about her.

The second part of the audition involves performing tricks, and Verónica aces it. With a “happy casualness” (175), Lila demonstrates spins called pike spins and pinwheels, and the six finalists, Verónica included, enter the water afterward. For the next 30 minutes, they practice learning the combination. They must simultaneously demonstrate their abilities to remain buoyant in the water despite the pressure of the deep water and to pay attention to the imaginary crowd, smiling and waving. Next, Verónica excels at bird arabesques (a type of flip) and is asked to demonstrate for the others. Suddenly there is a new sort of pressure on Verónica, but she performs well and Lila calls her arabesque “perfect.” She compliments the natural but controlled lines of Verónica’s legs as she performed the maneuver. Verónica can barely believe what she is hearing; she finally feels as if she is exactly where she belongs.

Verónica finds Dani and Leslie sitting outside the Cove and calmly tells them she was accepted as the newest mermaid. Leslie and Dani scream and hug Verónica, and each gives her a gift to congratulate her: Leslie gives Verónica a fish tail candle, and Dani gives her a picture of a mermaid sleeping. Verónica is still in shock because she never expected to come this far. She knows that her parents will need to sign off on her new job because she’s a minor, and she also knows that after her MRI, she may be ordered for an immediate hip replacement. With all these barriers still in the way, Verónica finds it difficult to be excited, but at the same time, she is thrilled.