I shoved my headphones off one ear in order to concentrate and block out the music on one side. I rest my head on my knee, sitting awkwardly in my spinning chair as I watch my computer screen with narrowed eyes. The lines of text slowly blurring together as time drags on. As it turns out, listening to nightcored songs isn't helpful when trying to analyze an abolitionist speech.

I rub my aching eyes before trying to adjust my sitting position to stop my legs from falling asleep. I cringe as my feet begin to tingle painfully but remain sitting on the chair. I feel my eyes drooping as I stare at the screen for a moment longer. I glance up at my open tabs before finally closing out of Youtube to stop my music. I slide my headphones off my head and let them rest on my shoulders.

I listen to the empty house for a moment before glancing down at my dark phone. I quickly check it realizing it's only been thirty minutes since I last checked it. I sigh disappointedly as I lean back in the chair. It squeaks loudly from age but it works. Just then, a tiny notification pops up in the corner of my laptop screen alerting me that my battery is low.

I arch my neck and stare up at my bedroom ceiling listening to the silent house. I end up staring longingly at my bed wishing to climb under the covers and go back to sleep. Or read my book. I glance at my open planner at the two assignments that remain unchecked for the day. I yawn loudly, rubbing my aching head, then quickly cross them out and move them back till Sunday night and Monday morning deciding I want to be done with this crap.

I plug my laptop in before shutting it. Then I half-stand on my chair and climb over the backboard and flop onto the bed. I pick up my book and adjust my pillow to be underneath my head. Then I begin reading and forget all the homework I had assigned for the day. Because I'm homeschooled I don't have real due dates, only that I have to get everything done before the final day.

I dive into a solid reading hour and try out fifty different reading positions, none of which are entirely comfortable after a few minutes. After a while, my head begins to feel fuzzy and my shoulders ache from holding myself up for so long. I blink a few times beginning to rub my eyes, feeling oddly exhausted. I relax and lay on the bed for a long moment with my hand stuck in the book.

I slip my hand into my sweatpants pocket and pull out my phone checking the time. One thirty-two. I sigh loudly as I rest my head back down on my pillow. I close my eyes allowing my mind to wander through my reading haze as daydreams run wild replaying the scenes I just read.

"Splintered" is honestly the greatest Alice in Wonderland retelling ever. It's unique with poetic writing and dark. It's a beautiful twisted a Wonderland story desperately needs to earn my respect. A lovely darkness distorted by the lines of chaos and reality. And such a beautiful and eye catching cover as well... I think I'm in love.

I pick up my book again before smelling its fresh pages once again. It's still fairly new and maintains its new book smell. I smile softly as I let my head rest on its cover wishing I could jump into a book and run far away from reality. To live my life elsewhere and have an adventure. Reality isn't fair, it changes dramatically and ruins people's lives as it crushes dreams. But elsewhere... somewhere else... life would be perfect.

I gently remind myself that life isn't horrible, it's just... I sigh feeling disappointed in myself. It's boring. My life is boring, just as Kiera said. I have no excitement. Granted, most teenagers get their excitement from parties I don't want to go to and do stupid things that get them arrested in the end. I'm not the rebelling type nor do I want to go to jail. So what else do I do?

The doorbell interrupts my thoughts. I look up slowly before arching my neck to look back at my closed door. Did Dad forgot his keys again? I groan softly as I drag myself off the bed and snatch my green blanket off my pillow. I wrap it around my shoulders before tying it into a cape as I walk down the hall toward the front door. I don't bother putting on a sweatshirt knowing it's just Dad. He's seen me in my tanktop plenty of times so it's no big deal.

However... why would Dad be home so early? Maybe he forgot something? I smirk to myself as I reach the door. Maybe he's here because he forgot his keys? Or maybe his lunch... I adjust the blanket over my shoulders before unlocking the door lazily and pulling it open.

I'm greeted with a breeze scented with fresh rain and seawater. The sun finally came out of hiding and greets the world warmly with rays of sunshine. I step back before blinking at the person standing in the door. My heart is caught in my chest for a moment before beginning to race with sudden panic.

It's not Dad.

Standing in my doorway is the boy who spilled hot coffee on me last night. Fidgeting nervously, he struggles to stand up straight as he holds-, wait, what?

I immediately pulled back from the door, tugging my blanket over my shoulders and cover my chest as I begin to blush. I stare at him in shock with two things in mind. Why is he here? Why does he know where I live?

The boy only swallows as he holds the beautiful bouquet of white baby-breath flowers tied together with a white ribbon. He wears black dress pants which look recently ironed with a black sports jacket over his white dress shirt. His thick black hair curls at the nape of his neck with his bangs pushed to the side revealing a pair of large grey eyes. His scrawny body slightly trembles as he appears to look in pain.

"Uhh," is all I manage to get out.

I stare at him in shock, unsure what to do. What is he doing at my house...? I never saw him before this... how does he know where I live? I know it's a small town and all but this is just weird... Is this some kind of prank? The boys in our town homeschool group can be a bit... overbearing, but they have generally ignored me since we began our senior year so why pull a stunt like this now?

He clears his throat before managing to look me in the eyes. "I know this is quite a shock for you and it's a lot to take in but... I-I hope you'll be happy with me." His voice shaky as he begins.

I stare at him blankly feeling more confused than before. "...what?"

"I-I mean... well, I really don't know how to say this..." he blushes fiercely, staring down at his hands. He shifts the flowers to one hand before holding out his other hand revealing a gorgeous ring. It is a band of silver with four diamonds spread across it. In between the diamonds are Celtic style knots which create small openings in the ring. I stare at it in awe as confusion settles like a fog. "T-This is my mother's ring. She wanted me to give it to-, well, um, she wanted me to give it to someone special."

I begin to feel my eyes pop out of my head. "...What?" I repeat slower this time.

Flustered, he makes a strangled noise before quickly shaking his head. "Maybe I should start over... my name is Caolán Ó hArgáin. We met yesterday at the coffee shop. You... returned my coat to me and according to the rules of being a selkie... that means... we're... married."

"Hold on, what?" I feel my heart shove up my throat. Did he just say married? This has to be a prank, there's no other explanation for it. Unless he's high. Then I should call the police. I take a nervous step further into the house ready to slam the door in his face. What the actual heck? Is this guy serious?

""I-I know this is a bit alarming but I want you to know that I am totally willing to go through human customs beforehand." He puts his hands up in surrender before trying to smile at me. He's sweating now.
"WHAT?!" I screech causing him to wince.

"Sorry..." he moans apologetically. "I really suck at explaining... I'm so nervous.." he admits shyly. "I just confused you even more, didn't I?"

"Who are you?" I demand starting to narrow my eyes. "Is this some kind of prank? Did the boys put you up to this?" Did Kiera?

The boy reels back in shock, hurt sparking in his eyes. "Y-You don't remember me?"

"Well I remember you from last night, if that's what you mean," I answer obviously, giving him a look. "Look, I'm not going to waste my time with some stupid prank, okay?"

He grimaces as he begins to look absolutely crushed. My heart skips a beat, immediately feeling guilty for yelling at him. I swallow nervously before feeling the need to cheer him up again, even if he's trying to prank me and/or stalk me. "Uh sorry," I apologize quickly, "I-I just... well this doesn't-"

"I know what you meant," he cuts me off with a hurt look. "I know it sounds crazy and I know I look like an idiot," his voice strengthens as he straightens his back. Caolán holds the flowers out to me again. "But trust me when I tell you this, I'm not lying to you. This isn't a prank and I'm not trying to hurt you."

"W-Why did you just ask me to marry you, then?" I stammer trying to form the words to express my confusion. "I'm sorry but this all seems a bit..."

"Weird?"

"Yeah."

Caolán chuckles softly before nodding. "I know, my mom warned me about this. I have never been good at explaining things either so it's not your fault."

"Start again, maybe?"

"Yeah good idea." He clears his throat before taking a deep breath, his nervous energy slowly clearing. "My name is Caolán, but most people call me Cal. I'm Brady and Reesa Ó hArgáin's son. I'm homeschooled like everyone else but not part of the homeschool group, it's probably why you don't really remember me. I saw you at the fishing competition last year."

My eyes widen in realization as my brain slowly clicks. "Ohhh."

He laughs before nodding at me. "Yeah, usually people understand who I am when I mention my dad. He's... unforgettable."

This time I laugh before nodding in agreement. "He's... quite energetic."

Caolán rolls his eyes before smirking. "He's eccentric and loud, call it as it is. I don't mind. He probably doesn't either."

"He's very bold," I comment lightly remembering Brady Ó hArgáin vividly. No one could forget meeting a man like that. Talking to him is... an experience. Though I do feel bad for not remembering Caolán from the competition. He certainly remembers me.

"Now, I just have to warn you," he continues beginning to look nervous again. His cheeks redden with embarrassment again, turning almost as red as the roses the playing cards in Wonderland had to paint. "This is the part where... you might freak out. Just hear me out, okay?"

""How do I know you're not lying?" I ask skeptically, shifting my weight nervously.

"Because I can prove I'm not," he answers immediately. "However, you're going to have to promise never to tell anyone..."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Depends if I believe you or not. You could be lying to me."

He lets out a shaky breath before glancing up at the sky. "Okay... so-," he quickly returns his gaze to me. His feet shuffle nervously as he begins to shift his weight back and forth. "So, do you know anything about selkies?"

I stare at him blankly before shaking my head. "No-" I pause before slowly nodding as I begin to remember vague bits of a legend I found while searching the Internet for cool mythical creatures. "Oh, maybe... aren't they like... seal people, or something?"

"Close enough." He sighs before looking me straight in the eyes. "Selkies are people with a different type of shapeshifting ability. Selkies are separately humans and seal. They aren't a type of mermaid with a seal tail, they can only be one or the other. Anyway, each selkie has their 'skin'. When they put it on they become a seal and when they take it off they become human again."

"Uh huh."

"Their skin is precious to a selkie, it gives them freedom. If it's stolen, they are stuck a human and are separated from their family in the sea. In the past, usually, human men would steal a selkie's skin in order to force the selkie to remain on land and become their wife and have their kids. If a human takes a selkie skin then the selkie is bound to them because they hold their skin, meaning their freedom."

"However, the myth never mentioned exactly how it bound humans to the selkie... A selkie away from their skin for too long can make the selkie depressed and end up dying of grief. For almost all selkies, their story ends in tragedy because of a human's selfishness. It's actually really sad." His eyes seem to soften as he continues to explain. And I continue to listen. This is the most interesting thing to happen to me since Kiera's Valentine's Day incident.

"However..." his lovely grey eyes slowly brighten. "My parents were different. My mom is a selkie while my dad is and will always be, a fisherman. They met during one of Da's fishing trips... he-" Caolán forces a laugh before shaking his head, "he accidentally caught her in his net when she was still a seal. That's when Mam scared the crap out of Da and later fell in love."

I continue to listen, silencing my obvious doubts. There's no way this is true. Either his parents lied to him or he's just lying to me.

"Anyway, my mom was still nervous around people but learned to trust my dad in the end. So, as a sign of her trust, she gave him her skin and said she trusted him with her freedom and self completely. After a few weeks, he kept it safe and promised never to use it against her. Then, he returned the coat to her and asked her to marry him after he gave it back. When he did that... something happened on a deeper level. They felt a bond form the moment he gave it back to her willingly and unselfishly."

"Mam heard of this happening, rarely, with other selkies who fell in love with humans. If a human returns a selkie their skin out of free will, they are bound to each other, not just the selkie being bound to the human. It is a choice they make and promise to trust each other." He slowly relaxes again as his eyes grow distant. "It's actually a bit romantic."

"That..." I trail off unsure of what else to say. "That's...sweet. But I still don't get what this has to do with me. I hardly know you." I tilt my head at him, "And I don't remember giving you a seal skin."

He shakes his head. "This is where things get complicated."

Seriously? Like it wasn't already?

"You see... you did give me back my skin last night... It was in my jacket, wrapped up so no one would see it."

"Why did you have sealskin in your jacket?" I ask incredulously, briefly acknowledging that is the craziest sentence I have ever said.

He sighs before rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. "I was out swimming until it started to rain. I couldn't put it in my backpack because I had my textbooks in there so I put it in my jacket instead... Then when I dropped when I spilled coffee on you..."

"I gave you your jacket back, with the skin inside it," I finish for him, trying hard not to laugh. This is so crazy. Now I'm just playing along to see how far he is willing to go to convince me. There's no way he's a selkie or that they even exist. I've seen his mom before and she doesn't look like a seal to me.

He groans before lightly smacking his forehead with his hand. "I'm such an idiot... there's no changing it now but..."

"Changing what?" I ask confusedly.

"I thought you got it," he answers sounding equally confused. "You returned my skin to me with no strings attached."

"But I just gave your jacket back," I argue skeptically. "I didn't go through the whole 'trust-love' thing." I pause before giving him a look. "Did you?"

He quickly shakes his head. "No, I don't know you that well."

"Then why did you say we're married?"

"Because you returned my coat to me."

"And that means we're married now?"

He gives me a pleading look. "I know this sounds insane and you're probably going to call the police, but I swear I'm not lying to you. I can prove to you I'm a selkie in more ways than one."

"I'm not confused about that, I'm more confused about why you think we're married. I didn't feel that weird 'bound' thing when I gave your jacket back. Besides," I give him an unconvinced look, "I don't believe in soulmates. It's just an excuse for having a crush on someone and trying to justify it."

He shakes his head. "It's not soulmates," he argues seriously, "it's choice."

"But I didn't choose anything."

"I know you didn't but there's another part to it," he explains starting to sound desperate. "There's the choice and also... the binding part. It's a strict tradition and my parents-" he pauses before blushing fiercely. He chews his lip before giving me a pleading look. "I just thought maybe..." His voice lifts with hope as he struggles to look confident again. "You could give this a chance. Maybe."

I blink at him in surprise. "Asking a girl to marry them before the first date is a pretty bold move, you know that right?"

He chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know... I think I panicked and then my parents panicked... everyone panicked about it. This isn't going well, is it?"

I slowly shake my head at him. I glance back into the living room before looking back at him. "If you wanted to ask me out, why didn't you just ask me out?"

He shakes his head, "It's more complicated than that. The exchange thing... it's a binding thing."

"I know that," I answer giving me a questioning look. "But what exactly does that mean? Are you talking about that weird mate stuff?"

"No..."

"What is it?"

"I mean we still have a choice to forget this ever happened..." he trails off, giving me a pleading look. "But I hoped we could give this a chance. I'm not all for destiny or soulmate crap either but I thought... maybe..."

"So you asked me to marry you first?"

"I asked because everyone panicked."

"Why did they panic?"

"According to selkies..." he chuckles nervously. Awkwardly, he glances up at the sky again. "The coat exchange is... symbolic for a bounding of the body. So, um, it's basically... like... marriage but..."

"What?"

"It's intimate," he continues slowly, raising an eyebrow at me. "A selkie's skin is precious that way. So when a human takes it and gives it back... or even really touches it... it's equal to having..."

My eyes widen as my heart leaps inside my chest. "What?"

He groans and blushes again. "This isn't isn't going how I planned it..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa so you're saying that when I touched your 'skin' thing, we had-?"

"Yes and no," he cuts me off, blushing a deeper red than before. "The rules are a bit unclear but that's the general idea..."

"Why no?"

"Because we never actually had..."

I let out a nervous laugh, trying to back into the house again. I give him a mildly fearful look before nodding. "Uh yeah, I'd remember if we did..."

Caolán grimaces. "This is really awkward, for you, isn't it?"

"Yeah, a bit."

He sighs silently before giving me a slight smile. "I think my family overreacted and stressed me out. Sorry about this, Saren."

"You're fine..." I answer unsurely. "So you're really a...?"

"Yeah."

"You're half seal and half person?"

"One or the other but yeah."

I pause unsure what else to do. So did he ask me to marry him or to go out with him? I'm so confused as to what he actually wants. He said something about having a choice but then not having a choice either? He keeps contradicting himself. "So... what...? Are you asking me to go out with you or are you saying we're married now just because I touched your skin thing?"

"I'm..." he trails off, lost in thought for a moment. "I'm asking if you could give me a chance."

"So you are asking me out."

"Yes... but I also want you to know that I'm not dating you just to date." He looks up with sincerity in his storm-grey eyes. "You seem like the type of girl that doesn't date, am I right?"

"Yeah?"

"So I was thinking... maybe we date to know each other instead of just for fun like most kids our age. It's... becoming friends through dating for a better purpose," he continues seriously.

He has terrible explaining skills but I think I understand what he wants. I think we both want to date for marriage and that's why he panicked and skipped step one of dating. In all reality, it's a bit sweet he wasn't afraid of marriage despite being a teenager. I... didn't know boys like that existed. Maybe they do and they're all selkies or just as rare as a mythical creature. Does this mean he likes me? He wants to know me...

"I want to be mature about this," he explains seriously. "Dating for me... it isn't taken lightly. I am asking you to know me, to date me, in hopes that one day... I know this is probably freaking you out," he lets out a nervous laugh, "all this talk about marriage and commitment but... I ask that you give me a chance. And we can end it whenever you'd like too... just like normal dating... However, I just want to try to know you."

"You really think I'm worth dating?" I ask quietly, giving him a worried look. "You barely know me, why do you think I could be someone you would marry in the future?"

Caolán's eyes soften before his awkwardness begins to die down. "I'm willing to take that risk. And if it's worth anything, I want you to know that I'm glad you picked up my coat instead of someone else."

"I..." I trail off feeling my heart seized with panic, realizing I have to make a decision. What do I do? Do I tell him no? Apologize for touching his skin? I watch Caolán reluctantly. I don't want to hurt his feelings... but I also don't want to get involved in something that could just end... It's too risky for both of us, for our hearts at least. I'm not going to suffer a break-up just because he wants to "try" things.

"You want to date me because... you want to try dating?" I ask slowly, unsure if I get what he means.

He shakes his head. "Not try dating, I want to date you. I want the chance to know you."

"Then why not just ask to be friends?"
"Because you touched the skin."

I rub my aching head trying to understand completely what he means. "This is very confusing, you keep contradicting yourself."

"I know... I have a problem with explaining things." He smiles shyly causing my heart to suddenly flutter. Alright so he's cute, that's kind of a plus... He seems like a nice guy and is doing his best to act mature... He's nervous, it's probably why he skipped the "ask out" step. Mom did tell me that if I truly liked me, or actually respected my opinion, he would be nervous to ask... In the back of my head, I can hear Kiera's voice encouraging me to take a risk.

This would be a perfect opportunity to do something spontaneous. But I don't want to risk my heart to something so... strange. And wouldn't dating someone change things? I don't want to turn into a flustered mess around him, I don't want to feel high every time he smiles, I don't want wild emotions I can't control. And what if this doesn't work out? I don't want to deal with a broken heart just because I tried to "put myself out there."

"You can take your time," he offers, noticing my silence. "I know it's a big decision."

"What if I say no?"

He reels slightly before nodding. "Then I respect you for that. It's your choice after all."
"What about the skin thing?"

"Someone else can touch it on another day," he answers, shrugging. "I just hoped you might be up to this..."

Guilt begins to weigh on my heart as I find myself wanting to date him. Just once... Just this once I could do something exciting. And Kiera could finally stop trying to convince me to do something crazy because I'll have a boyfriend. What will my parents think? I want them to be part of this decision too...
"This... is a lot to take in," I admit nervously. "I've never had anyone ask me out before. I hope you know what you're doing though... I don't want to waste my heart or be careless with it. Are you actually serious about dating me for marriage?"

He nods firmly. "Of course. I wouldn't joke about something like this."

"You're really mature for your age," I answer shakily as my heart begins to lean toward him. "You know that, right?"

"To be honest, I can be a little weird," he admits shyly. "Besides, mature people aren't supposed to be this nervous."

"Well considering you asked a complete stranger to marry you, I think I'll give you some credit for being brave," I answer with a shrug. "You did skip step one of asking the girl out first but I think you're pretty mature to be able to consider marriage as a true result of dating. To be honest, most guys are more interested in...well, having fun."

"We can have fun too," he says quickly, "I-I don't want this to be like a contract or anything... You always have a choice to say no."

"I don't want to hurt your feelings," I admit slowly, pulling my blanket further over my shoulders. "I'll regret it too. I haven't dated anyone before... everyone keeps telling me to be bold and put myself out there..."

"Don't pity me," he answers, his eyes flashing with pride. "I can take it. Say no if you want to. This is your decision. I made the choice to come here and ask you, but you have all the power to say no. If you need time to think about it, take it. I don't want to rush you."

"This was very sudden..."

"Then take your time," he encourages with a kind look. "Talk to your parents, think it over, but don't say yes just to spare my feelings." He chuckles before smiling proudly. "I'm a big boy, I can handle it."

I can't help but to laugh. I tilt my head at him, "You know, this is the most interesting thing to happen to me in months, right?"

He only smiles in return. "Glad to have made your life a little more interesting, then."

"I do have one question..." I raise an eyebrow at him. "How do you know my address?"

He shrugs, unphased by the question. "My dad knows your dad. I just asked him."

"Your dad or mine?"

"My dad. Then your's."

"You asked my dad?"

"Yeah..." Caolán's voice falters before smiling apologetically. "If you don't mind... I asked him this morning..."

"Asked him what, exactly?"
"If I could date you. That is, if you said yes."

"What did he say?"

"If he said no, do you think I'd be standing here in one piece?" he asks jokingly. Though I could see a distant fear in his eyes. Ah, so that's why he's a nervous wreck. He asked my dad first.

"I'm impressed," I admit, nodding my head. "You had the guts to face my father. That takes a true man." I laugh before shaking my head, "I'm surprised you're still alive."

"I got lucky," he laughs, shuffling his feet.

"So he said yes?"

"More like he assumed you'd say no... I don't think he thought I was serious."

"Huh." I look Caolán over catching the little details I missed before. He is lanky with little meat on his body, unlike his father, and takes after his mother in more ways than one. Now that I think about, he's actually quite handsome in a "shy guy" way. "So... about the selkie thing..."

"It's not as weird as it sounds," he comments lightly. "Just think of it like... shapeshifting. It's better not to think about the skin part."

I shudder, disturbed by the thought of peeling off a seal skin or pulling it on. "Yeah, that might be best."

"So you believe me?" he asks curiously, with wide eyes.

I shrug, "I'm neutral at this point. I'm more shocked you asked me to marry you right off the bat."

"Oh, right," he chuckles before rubbing the back of his neck. "So... what do you say? Or do you need more time to think?"

I pause. I don't want to use him to gain some experience in dating or to simply have fun. He's taking this just as seriously as I would. I also can't be desperate and think he's the only guy I'll ever meet. What will happen if we do end up dating? What will change? I need to be careful. I'm dealing with my feelings and his. I can say no. I can say no and forget this ever happened.

My heart feels a gentle tug as I open my mouth to say no. But then again... if I don't take any risks, nothing will ever change and I won't ever move forward. Just as I want. I'll be safe. What's wrong with that? Is a boring life worth living? I have to take a risk at some point... Do you really want to be responsible for hurting yourself and him in the end? Who says this won't work out? What if I'm supposed to do this? Or ignore it. Or perhaps this is simply the next step?

I clear my throat as my decision makes itself. I study him for a moment. "You're not a jerk or something, are you?" I ask warily, "I don't know you very well so I'm not sure..."

He quickly shakes his head. "I'm not. I have witnesses for that. If you want to know some flaws then I'm happy to tell you..."

"It's only fair for me to do the same thing... I just want you to know what you're getting," I answer awkwardly. "Um," I glance down the peaceful street where no cars ever drive, "do you want to come inside to talk more?"

A spark of excitement lights in his eyes. He fights his growing smile before nodding quickly. "Yeah, sure."

I can't help but secretly smile back. I take a step back before inhaling deeply. "Alright, come on in." I open the door wider and gesture for him to come in.

Come into my life, Caolán. Let's hope this works.

**What are your first impressions of Caolán? Let me know in the comments below!**