The Little Mermaid [HAVOK/ALEX SUMMERS] - ON HOLD

nine

The next morning, I wake up tired but happy. After getting dressed into some casual clothes, I walk down the stairs with a skip in my step. When I walk into the kitchen I see Raven, Sean, Hank and Alex, who's eyes were on me except for the latter. I give a small smile and 'hello', before walking to the fridge and pouring a glass of milk.

"How's your eye?" Raven asks me, studying my left eye.

"It's alright, I guess. It doesn't hurt unless I touch it," I shrug and take a sip of my milk, sitting beside her and Alex. I see Alex shift uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye and I look at him, seeing his cheeks slightly tinted pink. I try to hold back my smile when Sean says 'then don't touch it'.

"So, Charles wants to see your tail today," Hank says, and I swallow.

"Uh huh. And did you want that blood sample?" I ask him and start to feel uncomfortable when I feel everyone looking at me once more.

"Yeah, if it's possible."

"Cool," I say and try to look confident. A part of me is fine with everyone seeing my tail, but the other part is skeptical. I know that because they're my friends, they won't laugh but I can't help but worry.

A few hours later, after Charles apologises four more times, it was time to get in the water. I was wearing an old pair of pants and shirt, because I knew they would stretch/rip once I get in the water. I tie my hair up and sit beside the pool, looking at both Charles and Hank for support. Hank gives me a thumbs up and Charles smiles encouragingly. I take a deep breath in and slide in.

One, two, three, four, five, I mentally count the seconds as Charles times me, seeing how long it takes before my legs disappear. When I reach number five, I look down just in time to see my tail sprout through the water, and my pants to be ripped of. Butterflies flutter around my stomach when I look at Charles and Hank, who are in shock. I see Charles mutter something under his breath that resembled 'exquisite', and I blush. All of a sudden, I hear cheering coming from the upstairs window and look up to see Sean, Raven and Alex, all smiling. I feel tears of relief well up in my eyes and I try to cover it up with water, which worked tremendously.

"Absolutely brilliant, Amelia, truly. Whenever you are ready, start swimming," Charles says, and I can tell he's lost for words. I nod my head and suddenly I don't feel shy. My heart takes full control of my body, and I dunk my head under the water. I continue to hold my breathe as I start waving my tail up and down throughout the water, swimming laps around the pool. For some reason, I don't remember what swimming is like without a tail. It has been years since I have done so, and a part of me doesn't want to. I've never felt more graceful or alive than I do in this very moment.

I lose track of time as I continue swimming, and I start to wonder how long I've been under water. I stop in my tracks and bob my head up, only to see everybody standing still in shock. Hank was the first to move, and I see him press a button on the timer. He looks at it and his eyes widen. Have I really been under for that long? Hank reached over and shows Charles what the timer had read. Charles then mutters the time under his breathe, but I don't quite catch it.

"Sorry?" I say and I furrow my eyebrows. I look up and see Raven and Alex talking with a wide grin and Sean shouting 'woo'.

"Three minutes, seventeen seconds and twenty-seven milliseconds. That's how long you have been underwater, Amelia," he says, walking over to me and showing the timer as proof. I swim up to the edge of the pool and rest my arms against it, reading the timer. 03:17:27.

I raise my hands up to my mouth in shock and I can't find any possible words to speak. I settle with 'wow', and Charles chuckles.

"'Wow' indeed," he says, looking over to Hank.