Mermaids and Mysteries | H2O

Chapter I

*Nala's POV*
Tammy dashes ahead of me, excited to take her new speed boat for a spin. Her footsteps, loud on the wooden planks of the wharf. She wore short, brightly-patterned board shorts and a black bikini top, with flip-flops dangling in her clenched fist. I admired her confidence, however, I didn't feel so comfortable showing so much skin in public and chose to wear a casual blue sundress with a one-piece underneath.

Tammy jumps aboard swiftly, her brown, frizzy hair flying everywhere. The boat rocked back and fourth from the impact of her jump. I stepped in slowly once the boat had become still, sitting down quickly in the middle of the boat, to avoid falling overboard.

It had been exactly two weeks since we graduated East Coastal High School together, a place I never thought I'd miss, not even in my wildest dreams. I felt like crying, even now, knowing I'll never be able to go back there and see it as it was. We both now had to face the horrors of collage, including all the joys of not being able to pay our student loans and being in debt for the rest of our lives.

I'm fairly sure Tammy spent most of the money that her grandmother had given her for college on this speed boat. Where else would the money come from? Neither of us had actual jobs. I don't think Tammy is too interested in wasting time by going to college, she just wants to live for the thrill of life.

Despite my best friend snubbing college, I still wanted to go. I needed to go, I want to be a teacher one day so I can help people learn in countries where education wasn't available. I'd wanted to teach for as long as I could remember, but I'd only recently had the thought about teaching in disadvantaged areas.

I'd agreed to take a gap year with Tammy, while she gets everything figured out, before getting back into the stressful lives we both live. There's no use worrying about it now though, we've just graduated and it was time to finally see the world as it was and have some fun.

Tammy turned the key and grins at me as the engine roared to life. Her smile was contagious and my terrifying collage thoughts vanish, just by seeing my best friend so enthusiastic and excited.

"Let's go find an adventure," she squeals, pulling the boat out of the harbour.

We cruise along the canals and out into the ocean, the wind cold in my hair but an excellent feeling on a hot summer day. I feel like we're flying, we're free from any parents, any rules and any responsibilities. It was just us and that's exactly how I liked it.

I dip my hand into the water, wondering how amazing the reef below us would be. The afternoon sunlight danced merrily on the water below us as we glide further out. Fish were easy to spot through the clear water, fleeing from the noisy motorboat.

Tammy continued to look for adventures, there were plenty of small islands around to explore but she seemed less than satisfied with all of them. We were pretty far out at sea when she finally spotted an island she liked. It was much bigger than all the other islands we'd passed, a long beach leading into a thick forest with the cone of a volcano peaking above the trees. She drove straight towards it.

*Bella's POV*
"Will, please," I followed him out of his boat shed. "Tonight's really important to me."
"Bella, I'm sorry, I can't."
"You promised you'd stay with me for the full moon tonight, what if something attacks us again?" I pleaded.
"I thought you figured out what the tentacle wanted, what else could possibly come attack you," Will says, getting into his car.
"What's so important? Where are you going?"

Before I could get an answer, he pulls the windows up and drives off. I didn't get him, one minute he's there for me, the next he doesn't want anything to do with me. I was so frustrated, mainly at myself for not knowing what was wrong with him, but that wasn't my fault.