New Scales and Tails

Mermaid Problems

Katie's tail swished in the bathtub, making the floor a lake. Her tail was pink and sparkly, a little like Avery's.

She was excited. She had magically powers. She wanted to practice, to learn more and how to control it properly, but she'd freeze herself in the tub. A frozen fish stick.

Katie grinned.

Her new teacher, Mr. Freday, told her that she had to introduce herself in front of the classroom. Her heart started thumping even thinking about it. She needed some information to share, but it was all boring. The only interesting thing was that Katie was a mermaid, and she wasn't telling them that. She had to keep her side of the deal with Avery.

Katie sighed.

"Why aren't you taking a shower?" asked a voice from behind the door.

"Jake." Katie mumbled to herself. Then she answer him with a louder voice. "Because I want to?"

"I'm coming in! Close the curtain, okay?"

This wouldn't have been a problem, but Katie's tail hung over the bathtub wall, so it wouldn't matter if she shut the curtain or not. He'll see her tail.

"NO!" Katie shouted, freezing the doorknob as he started to turn it.

Jake jingled the door knob, sounding confused. "Hey! This door doesn't have a lock!"

"Now it does." She informed him, crawling onto the floor and reaching for the towel.

She had to wash up the floor before rubbing her tail dry. Her pink scales disappeared, and her skinny legs were back again.

"There." She got up and walked to the door, and tried to open it also.

She forgot she iced it.

Oops. Now how to I get out?

Katie shook her hand into a half-way fist. It was what she always did when she was trying to think. Her father called her Twitchy after seeing her trying to figure out her math homework at their old house.

Suddenly, the ice broke off, and floated, copying the movement with Katie's hand. She gasped. "Whoa."

She moved her hand, and the ice followed. She spun her hand, and the ice spun back.

Magic, obviously. Another power, however? It was quite possible, and maybe Avery even had two as well.

She placed the ice in the bathtub where it would melt in Katie's hot water tub.

"Come in." Katie called to Jake.

He came in slowly, first checking the door for a lock.

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"Avery, what happened to the chemicals?" Her mother asked sternly.

Avery rocked on her heels, trying to look innocent.

She hoped her mother wouldn't notice that a little bit of the chemicals were gone because of Katie. Her mother noticed, all right, and Avery knew she was going to be in trouble. She wasn't aloud in her mother's office without permission.

"I..." Avery didn't know what to say. Everything she'd done was wrong. Thinking of a lie for this wasn't that easy.

"What?" Her mother looked tired.

Avery knew her mother was probably up all night, researching for the chemicals, trying to find something like it.

"I spilled it." Avery knew her lie was stupid and totally unbelievable., so she said it in a rush. "Sorry, Mom."

Her mother must have been too tired to argue. She rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. "Okay. At least there's some left."

Avery nodded like she was agreeing, but she just really wanted to get out of there before her mother asked any more questions.

Her mother waved her away, and Avery was thankful. She walked into the living room and sat on the couch, not sure of what to do about this mess.

"I'm watching you." Sammy warned her, sitting on the arm chair across from her and the coffee table.

"Why?" Avery asked, hoping it wasn't because of this mermaid business.

"Because, weird stuff has been happening since the chemicals." Sammy explained.

"Uh, no! Nothing changed!" Avery argued.

"Yes, things changed! Like my waffle, and how it suddenly got windy in the car! Wanting to swim 'later' when your hair looked perfectly dry? I'm putting an end to this right now!"

Avery caught her looking at the untouched glass of water on the coffee table. She stood up and turned to run to her room, but it was too late. Sammy threw the water at her.

Avery gasped, glaring at Sammy, and ran up the steps. She could feel her legs get tingly.

Sammy quickly followed behind her.

Avery slammed her bedroom door in her face. At the exact moment, her tail appeared. She fell on the ground.

"I'm coming in!" Sammy warned. She ordered then, "Open the door!"

"No way!" Avery yelled, putting her wrists together to blow Sammy away.

"What's happening?" Sammy screamed over the wind.

Avery blew harder. She shouldn't be able to talk. The wind should be louder and stronger.

THUMP! Avery heard Sammy fell on the floor, because the wind threw her off balance.

Avery stopped and look at the real problem. The "fishy" part. She quickly heated up her tail, stood up, and threw herself on her bed, tired.

That was too close!

She suddenly thought about Katie. How is she doing? Does she have powers too? Does anyone know about her secret?

Avery sat up, more worried and stressed than tired now.

I must find out.