Chapter 2

Chapter TWO Delphina and I left the palace and swam to school, with Inkibelle swishing along behind us. Delphina doesn't have a special pet but she does have a magical merteddy bear! (A vampire-fairy called Isadora Moon magicked it alive for her when she was visiting our underwater kingdom!) Delphina's merteddy goes everywhere

with her, just like Inkibelle comes everywhere with me! We reached Mrs Shell-Clackers Academy for Young Merpeople and Delphina waved goodbye. We go to different schools and she has to swim a little further.

I swam into the playground and spotted my friends right away. Marina, Oceana, Finn, and Aqua were huddled over a notebook, looking very busy with something.

'Hi, Emerald!' said Marina, looking up. 'We're just designing our outfits for the Ocean Parade. Look, here's mine!' She held the notebook out towards me and I stared at the page, impressed.

Marina had designed a beautiful top with swathes of floaty material that would swirl behind her in the water. She was going to wear lots of pearl necklaces and stick pearl beads all the way up and down her arms too.

'Oh!' I breathed. 'It's so you!' 'That's what I said!' Oceana smiled. I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit jealous. I wished I could wear exactly what I wanted to the Ocean Parade. But unlike my friends, I was going to have to wear a stupid old headdress and sit in the royal carriage! 'Hey, let's design your outfit, Emerald!' said Oceana. 'I expect you'll want something a bit more edgy with lots of sparkly dark greens in it.' 'I would,' I said. 'Except I'm sure I won't be allowed to dress how I usually do. I have to sit in the royal carriage this year and wear a special royal headdress!'