Under the Sea ⇔ Cashton ✓

On An Island You Might Be In Your Mind

Calum wakes up the touch of Michael's hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake. Calum's not sure what time it is, but his eyes are scratchy enough to tell him it's too early to be conscious.

"You're alive," Michael states. "I'm surprised."

"That makes two of us," Calum says grumpily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Michael looks bewildered. He tilts his head at his best friend, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Your color is back. You look like you did before all this happened," Michael says. Calum slides out of bed, rubbing the back of his head as he walks to the bathroom. He's just as shocked himself to find how strong he is, such a difference from having to hold on to Michael or having to hold on to the walls in order to walk. He can feel Michael's eyes bore into his back as he walks into his bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror.

He knows it all has to do with what happened late last night, and he knows he has to face the problem eventually, but he doesn't know how in the world he could bring it up to Michael. Telling your best friend that suddenly, you form a tail when you get in the ocean doesn't really sound like the best way to word it.

"I feel fine," Calum says, turning around to face the pink haired boy. "Cured, honestly."

Michael freezes, hardly blinking. He stares at Calum cautiously, shaking his head a bit. "Don't say that. Don't say that to me unless it's true."

"It's true," Calum promises. "I swear on it. I'm good as new."

Michael doesn't believe it for a moment, stepping forward and looking at Calum closely. He looks cured, at least. He says he is, and he definitely seems it. Michael allows himself to smile.

"Yeah?" Michael says, and Calum nods. "Wanna go surfing after school, then?"

Calum pauses, thinking about last night. He got just enough in the water for the water to hit his waist and he immediately started to change. There's no way he could go surfing and manage not to get in the water. Calum presses his lips together.

"Maybe not that cured yet, buddy," Calum says reluctantly. Michael's face falls, but he nods anyway. He bends down and picks up his backpack, throwing it over his shoulder.

"Alright. Don't worry about it. I'll see you at three," Michael says, flashing him a smile before walking out. Calum groans, throwing his arm over his eyes and falling back onto his bed. He doesn't know how he's supposed to keep this a secret, considering he went surfing every single day before his illness. And he can't act like he's sick when he's so clearly not anymore.

Calum lets out a breath and decides to change, putting on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He hears Laura walking around upstairs, but he sneaks out the front door without a sound. He needs to find out exactly what is going on with him.

He closes the door behind him and walks to the back of the house, hurrying down the boardwalk. The tide is calmer today, much like a normal day. It's too early for people to really be out surfing or playing on the beach yet, most of the area pretty clear aside from a few runners.

Calum walks onto the beach, his heart rate speeding up as he walks across the sand towards the waves. Calum sees his shoes from where he left them last night, sandy and a bit wet. He picks them up, his breath lodging in his throat. Seeing them still here makes what happened very, very real.

Calum takes a deep breath, staring at the waves for a moment. This time, he takes off his shirt before he steps forward. He shivers at the cold water on his bare feet. Looking around, he checks to make sure nobody is looking at him before he moves deeper into the water, crashing into the waves without a second thought. He dives underwater, letting the tide pull him deeper. The tingling of his legs doesn't start for a second later, but Calum has a random urge to cry when it does. He doesn't know what this is supposed to mean, but he isn't sure that he wants it. He wants to be able to surf with Michael, wants to swim in a pool like a normal teenage boy. Instead, he gets a tail.