The wind slightly tousled Ella’s, long, dark hair. She absent-mindedly tucked it behind her ear, she was in a new world of excitement and color. The tide pools had always been an escape for Ella, and she secretly wished she could join the small creatures. She watched and took notes, the only things making sound was her pencil, and The Pacific Ocean. When suddenly, something cold touched her toes and the spell was broken. It was time to leave. The tide was pulling in closer, and soon she would have to start school. Although Ella was home schooled, her mother was strict about it starting at relatively the same time as public would, even on the weekends.


She picked up her messenger bag, and started to walk to her house, when she heard her name.

“Ella!” came a shout from her left. Then she saw the boy who always seemed to be near. Ella wasn’t the type of girl who had friends, well, not human friends. Drew was the boys name, and he was in love with Ella. Ella didn’t even see him until he was right beside her.

“Ella,” he said panting, obviously in a rush to see her. “Hey, I’m Drew, do you remember me? I helped you on the beach last week...?” Ella sighed, she didn’t have time for this, she was going to be late.

“Tide pools,” she said in monotone.

”What?”

“You helped me with the tide pools.” she was getting a little annoyed.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Drew felt like he had offended her in some way. Ella walked up the steps of her house, and tried to turn the knob. That’s strange... it was locked. Mother was always home this time of day.

“Is something wrong?” Drew asked, hoping he could help her.

“It’s locked,” Ella whispered, “ It’s never locked...”

“Well maybe you mom just had to go to the store or something.” Yeah right, Mother would never go to the store when school was about to start.

“Something’s wrong,” Ella whispered. She got out the key she had kept just in case something like this would happen. She opened the door and she could smell the fait scent of vanilla her mother wore for special occasions.

“Could I help with whatever is wrong?” Ella tried to ignore him, she did not need any help. “Only if you would like me to...” he took it back, he didn’t want to make it seem too obvious that he liked her. Instead, he started to pet Evangeline.

“What kind of cat is this little sweetheart? ” He tried, knowing Ella’s love for animals.
“Stray, and American Shorthair we think,” Ella got mad at herself for getting sidetracked, and she started searching for anything that her mother had maybe left for her. Drew just sat stroking Evangeline’s snow white fur.

“Something is really wrong,” She said quietly, tapping her fingers in a peculiar way.

“What are you doing?” He asked her. She stopped, and looked startled.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“That tapping thing.”

“Oh, I don’t really notice when I’m doing it. I’m practicing the piano, it’s a nervous habit.” What was she doing? She barely knew this boy, and she was telling him things that only her mother knew. Drew chuckled,
“Isn’t it hard though?”
“Not when you know it by heart.” Ella ran upstairs and looked through her mother’s things, leaving Drew behind, and a little curious.


Ella couldn’t find any trace of her mother leaving, except her notes were gone from the place where she was working on them last night. She always kept her notes safe. Ella ran downstairs to find Drew pacing.

“My mother is gone, and so are her notes,”

“Her notes?” he asked.

“She never leaves without them, I’m going to take our boat out and search for her.”

“Can I come?” Great, now he seemed desperate. “I mean, to help find your mom.” Ella sighed,

“Fine, but I drive.”

“It’s a deal.” Ella packed some food and water in a cooler. She also brought some water ponchos just in case.

“The boat’s on the dock,” She told him. “I’ll show you where it is.”


They walked down the street, where the docks were, and went up to a medium sized boat. “Here it is,” Ella said proudly, “isn’t she gorgeous?” Drew didn’t see the beauty of the boat, to him a boat was a boat and nothing more. “Well hop in,” she urged him, and got in herself.


“You have a license right?” he asked wearily.

“Yes, don’t you trust me?”

“Well of corse but...” he started.

“Then you trust me, come on!” He hopped into the boat as instructed.

“Where are we going exactly?” Drew asked.

“To a place that my mother goes to often for research, she could be there,” Ella started to tap her fingers again and Drew smiled.

“What?” She asked.

“It’s just funny when you do that is all” Ella sighed and started the motor.


Finally, they got to a small island that had her mother’s work boat up on shore.

“That’s it!” Ella exclaimed, her heart thumping wildly in her chest, as she steered towards the shore.

“What’s it?” Drew shot up. “Are we there?”

“That’s my mother’s boat!” She docked the boat the best she could, and jumped out onto the sand. Drew tried to get out as fast as he could to follow Ella.
“Mom?!” She yelled, “Mom!” Then she saw her, sitting by the shore. Her mother looked up, and ran to the pair. Ella and her mother exchanged a long hug.

“I’m so glad I found you,” Ella said, now realizing how tired she was from being so worried.

“Who’s the boy?” her mother asked.

“Someone from the neighborhood, he just tagged along to help me. Why didn’t you tell me you were working?”

“Emergency call, I was on my way, and ran out of gas, so I sped up to get here, knowing someone would search here for me.”

“What about leaving a note or something?” Her mother turned pink, and pulled one out of her pocket.

“I was too far out when I realized I still had it.” Ella smiled, and she introduced her to Drew.

“Mom, this is Drew. Drew, this is my mother.” she said.

“Ah, Drew, I’ve always liked that name,” she said, and shook his hand. “So Drew, would you like to have Chinese with us tonight? It’s Ella’s favorite.” Both Ella, and Drew’s faces turned bright red in embarrassment.