𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 ʰ²ᵒ

⁰⁴ . ᵇᵉ ʸᵒᵘʳˢᵉˡᶠ

∵ ✪ ☾° — ☍ TIPPING TIDES. . .

{CHAPTER FOUR ,
— ❝ be yourself ❞ }

"I FEEL LIKE I DON'T TAN, I BURN." May whined, blocking her eyes from the sun, and looking at Maliah who laid next to her on the beach. "I'm a mermaid and I can't tan. Like, what's even the point?"

Maliah hummed, "I feel like being a mermaid is better than being tan." She reasoned, looking back at her. "Only one or the other, you can't have both."

May huffed, lowering herself back down onto her back. "You know, I've realised there's not that much going on in this town."

"In this town?" Maliah laughed, "This is Gold Coast, May."

"Yeah, I know." May rolled her eyes, "But, like, no parties, raves, we haven't slept with anyone yet." She ranted. "It's boring. I'm bored."

Maliah scoffed, "That may be due to your low attention span." She joked, ignoring the glare she received in return. "And new town, new us." She said, May immediately cringed. "I want love now, I'm over no feelings sex." She sighed.

"You're saying this 'cause you're so in love with Cruise." May teased.

"Are you kidding me?" Maliah sat up a tad, throwing a bit of sand at her. "His name is Kai and I've only known him to like, what? Two days?"

May hummed, "Love has no limits." She spoke.

"Oh, please." Her best friend scoffed. "You're in love with blondie you're just too afraid to admit it."

May denied it, shaking her head. "So not true."

"Yeah, say that to the blush that's covering your face right now."

May turned her head to her best friend. "I'm telling you; I burn." She groaned. "Can we go to the moonpool?"

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ 🐚🫧𓇼 ˖°

"Oh hey, lovebirds." Maliah greeted, sitting on the edge of the moonpool with her tail in the water. She played with her hair. "Didn't expect Lewis to swim through."

"Yeah, would've thought he'd slip through like he always does." May said absentmindedly, closing her eyes whilst floating in the water.

Cleo rolled her eyes playfully, looking up at Lewis. "We just came for a morning swim before the day starts." She told them.

"How poetic." May teased. "You're in love and we're not. We get it."

"Don't be jealous." Lewis told her, "You been here for two weeks, don't get ahead of yourselves."

"Comforting." Maliah nodded, "That's another way of saying, 'you'll never be happy.'"

Cleo scoffed, dropping back into the water slightly. "You guys are so dramatic." She laughed. "I'm going to Emma's later if you want to come." Cleo invited, taking their smiles as a yes.

"Yeah, we'll leave you lovebirds to it." Maliah hopped back into the water, making her way to the entrance, May following.

"Use protection." May pointed at the two. "Have fun, but not too much fun— holy shit, wait." She turned to Maliah in the water. "Can mermaids even have sex? Like, as a mermaid—" Maliah had pushed her head under water before she could finish that sentence, sending a sorry look to Cleo and Lewis before following.

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ 🐚🫧𓇼 ˖°

Emma flipped through a family album, a disappointed look on her face. "I've let them down again." She stated. "Our family holidays are a tradition."