Tipping the Scales

5. Swimming

I had texted Matilda the night before about meeting me at the springs an hour before I get ready for school. Now that's pretty early, so I was certain that no one would be at the springs at that time. I left a note on the fridge saying that I'd had breakfast (which I hadn't) and that I was meeting Matilda at the library early (our library opens really early) to work on a project. I silently closed the front door as I sneaked out, dressed in casual clothes with my uniform in my bag. I didn't want it to get wet. I didn't know whether your clothes become dry again after transforming, if you know what I mean.

Matilda, being the loyal friend she is, was already in the gardens when I got there.
"I thought I told you the springs," I questioned her.
"I know, but it's barely light and it's kind of creepy," she reasoned, "so what do you want to show me?"
"Come on. This is really serious."
I pulled her by the arm through the trees to the springs.
"Okay, I'm going to tell you a huge secret and needless to say, don't tell anyone, okay?"
"Okay. What is it?"
"I... am... a..."
"A what?"
"Mermaid."
I said it simply and cringed straight away, looking for her reaction. I knew she didn't believe me at first.
"Okay?" she was obviously confused and probably thought her best friend had gone crazy.
"I am dead serious, Tilly!"
"If it is true, why are you telling me?"
"Because you're my best friend! Why else?"
"I don't know!"
"Look, it happened a few days ago and I'm really freaked out because it's a major implication on my life and I needed someone to tell it to!" I started crying and practically begging for her to believe me, "Whenever I touch water I turn into one. Just please! Please believe me!"
"I believe you."
She didn't move a muscle when she said it. I knew that she still didn't believe me.
"Look, you want to believe it? I'll prove it to you."
I stormed over to the springs where it happened. I started slipping my thongs off.

Matilda followed me, looking annoyed.
"What are you doing?"
"Proving it to you."
"Look, I said I believed you..."
"But you don't, do you? Best friends are supposed to believe and trust each other!"
"Care to join me?" an unknown voice said. Both Matilda and I jumped and gasped in fright. We subconsciously reached for each other. There was an old man sitting on the rocks fishing that I didn't see before – how was that possible?
"What are you doing?" I asked him. I got a funny vibe from him.
"Fishin'," he replied.
"There are no fish in there."
"How do you know?"
"Uh... it's common knowledge for people who live in this area. What are you doing here at this time?"
"Not too early for you I hope."
"We didn't come here to fish with you, a stranger."
"Then what did you come here to do?"
He was so mysterious it was creepy. What person comes to the springs at six in the morning to fish? I could tell that Matilda was just as scared as I was.
"Come on, I won't bite," he reached his hand and tried to coax us.
"No," Matilda protested, "Just leave us alone you creepy old man!"
"Come on... the fish are bitin'. I need some companions."
"We said no," I said firmly.
He then flung his fishing rod around towards us. And of course the wet line had to hit me. I quickly rushed up onto the rock and looked back at Matilda and said, "Help me!"
I then dived into the big spring where the man was fishing from. Within seconds I was a mermaid and I swam as fast as I could to behind the wall of stone. I didn't want to be his catch of the day.

"Hazel," Matilda leaned over the rock and called into the water for me, "Hazel! Look what you've done, you creepy old man!"
"I didn't do anything," he protested calmly, "She jumped."
"But you made her!"
"No I didn't."
"Great, so now she's going to drow-," she stopped herself and then I saw her realise that I was telling the truth. I was glad that she now believed me. I tried to telepathically send her a message to tell her to get rid of the creepy old man.
"I'm sorry, but you need to go now."
"I'm fishin' here!"
"No, your fishing time is over."
She pulled him off the rock and pushed him in the other direction.
"Fine, fine... spring hogger."

He went off into the trees as Matilda watched him. He turned around one final time and shook his head. When he was gone, Matilda came over to the rocks again.
"Hazel?"
I swam over to her and surfaced right in front of her.
"You're a mermaid," she simply stated what I'd been trying to tell her.
"Believe me now?" I said.
"Yes, of course I do!"
"Thanks for getting rid of him."
"That's okay."
"This is actually my first swim."
"This is awesome, but kinda scary."
"You know that you can't tell anyone, right?"
"Of course! I wouldn't tell a soul. So am I the only one who knows?"
"Yeah. But there's another mermaid living around here somewhere."
"How do you know?"
"Let's have breakfast and I'll explain everything to you. Help me out would you?"
I reached my arm out to her and she tried to pull me out.
"Oh my God, you're so heavy!"
"Tell me about it. I have a hard enough time getting out of the bath!"