Slowly, she lifted the pearl. It gleamed in the sunlight, bringing a smile to her face. Carefully, as if it were the most fragile thing in the world, she put the pearl aside and opened another oyster.
It also contained a pearl!
Claire threw her fist up in the air. "YES! YES! I AM ON A ROLL, BABY!"
She opened another oyster and got the same result. Before long, she had collected a small pile. White pearls. Pink pearls. One pale golden pearl. One orange pearl. They were all beautiful and valuable.
Claire laughed. "So, my special pearl couldn’t find a pirate treasure, but it found shells and pearls!" What did this mean?
As she opened another oyster, Claire couldn’t stop thinking about how spectacular the irony was. A pearl that could find other pearls! If she went around hunting for pearls, wouldn’t she be the queen of pearls soon? Maybe she would control the world’s pearl market!
Claire put down the unopened oyster and did a quick search on the pearl market on her phone. It was a 14-to-16-billion-dollar industry globally! So, even if she took it on as a side job, she could make millions yearly.
The gull, which had been gone, returned to the deck. It grabbed the sandwich and flew away.
This time, Claire didn’t yell at it. She had found treasure. Peace had returned to the world. Now if it had carried away one of her pearls, then she would have started a war.
Claire looked at her findings. The rare shells alone would sell for a fortune. The pearls would sell for even more.
And the best part of all, she finally had a worthy gift for Apollo’s grandfather. If he rejected it, then she would simply add more dollars to her land fund.
"Time to go home," she said to herself.
The pearl became slightly warm.
Claire’s eyes widened. "Again?"
The warmth increased, just a little. But it didn’t urge her to go in a particular direction. It just seemed to be telling her that something valuable was out there. Something very valuable.
She grinned. "Next Saturday, we will come back and look."
The pearl went cold.
When Claire made it back to the dock, she found a rather interesting scene. A woman was sitting atop a yellow-colored suitcase at the end of the dock as though she were posing for the cover of a luxury magazine. Her expensive sunflower yellow dress draped elegantly over crossed knees, revealing impossibly long legs that disappeared into a pair of black six-inch heels no sensible person would wear near water.
A black wide brimmed hat shaded her face, though not enough to hide the amused smile playing at her lips.
Around the harbor, local young men and some vacationers were finding excuses to linger around her.
One young man had carried the same crate back and forth three times.
Another stood on the deck of a boat in the woman’s direct view, casually flexing his biceps whenever she looked his way, which was never.
A third somehow removed his shirt, as though it was the hottest day of the summer.
Beside the young woman sat Donovan, Claire’s grandfather, mending a net. He was watching the spectacle and laughing his heart out.
Claire cut the engine of her boat. She stepped onto the planks and secured the mooring lines with practiced hands. After tugging each knot twice, she smiled in satisfaction.
The woman, who seemed to be misplaced rose to her feet and removed her hat. She smiled in Claire’s direction, waving excitedly.
Claire forced an enthusiastic smile, waving back to the woman who happened to be her best friend, Madeline.
Donovan also waved, with a look on his face that said, ’you should have warned me about her!’ The her was Maddy.
Claire and Maddy could not have been anymore different.
Madeline Sanders came from old money. Her father managed a powerful banking and investment firm, which was a family business. Her mother was an executive at one of the world’s most influential fashion and lifestyle magazines. The magazine was one of her family’s businesses. They also had businesses in modeling and cosmetics.
Maddy had grown up surrounded by designer dresses, private schools, and adults who discussed stock portfolios over brunch.
Maddy was like the innocent, cute, foolish lamb in the Sanders family. She didn’t understand stocks or try to stand out in the ruthless business world. She just liked to eat, travel, put on make-up, wear nice dresses and follow Claire around.
Their friendship began when they were eight years old.
Or rather, when Maddy decided it had begun.
Claire had been quietly watching tadpoles in a creek as part of a life cycle science project when Maddy slipped on the muddy bank and fell in face-first. Claire had pulled her up, frowning at the blonde girl covered in mud and pond weeds. Maddy had smiled, pointed dramatically at Claire and declared. "You’re my best friend now."
Claire had replied, "No."
Maddy had replied, "Okay."
The next week, Maddy transferred to Claire’s school. That very evening, she appeared at Claire’s house.
The day after, she somehow knew which local library Claire visited after school, and she showed up there.
A week later, Claire climbed a tree to avoid her. But, Maddy was already sitting in the branches, eating cookies!
When Claire joined a girls soccer team. Maddy suddenly developed a passionate interest in being the lone cheerleader for the soccer team! Pom poms and everything!
When Claire joined the chess club, Maddy arrived carrying a pink chessboard covered in rhinestones.
One summer when she was thirteen, Claire had signed up for wilderness camp. She spent three hours building a fort in the woods. Upon returning after lunch, she found Maddy lounging inside with a picnic basket.
"How did you get here?" Claire demanded.
Maddy shrugged. "I followed you, silly. Best friends support each other and do everything together."
Mrs. Sanders took Maddy’s claims of Claire being her daughter’s best friend as gospel truth. The woman invited her to all their family functions and plied her with more clothes than she needed. Claire turned around and sold those clothes, adding more money to her capital.
Mr. Sanders and Maddy’s siblings gave her investment advice once in a while. They helped her expand her social and business circle.
The Sanders were undeniably good to her. Maddy was even better. If Claire ever needed a kidney, Maddy would be first in line to offer hers.
Years passed, and nothing changed.
Maddy remained sunshine wrapped in designer clothing. She talked endlessly, hugged aggressively, and treated personal space as a rumor.
Claire had long ago surrendered.
Escaping Madeleine Sanders was impossible.
Maddy appeared everywhere with the uncanny persistence of a homing pigeon or an overly affectionate golden retriever. Eventually, Claire accepted her friendship.
Mostly because history had proven there was absolutely no point in fighting it.