Fish girl
Brooke dug her toes into the golden sand beneath her. She liked the cool feeling of the wave splashing at her ankles. Her best friend Nathan sat beside her digging in to his mustard covered hot dog. At the sight of the meat she scrunched up her face and took a bite of her salad. Nathan glugged down his toffee and chocolate milkshake whilst Brooke enjoyed the cold water run down her throat.
"So you going to the party next weekend?" Nathan asked. Brooke and Nathan had been friends since well as long as she could remember and Brooke knew he just wanted to be friends. So obviously he wasn't asking her out.
"Yeah. Are you going?" Brooke replied.
"Well I was only gonna go if you was." He looked embarrassed and a bit uncomfortable.
"Oh. Well, I'll be there." Brooke shrugged. It was Amilia's party. Nothing special at all. Amilia was Nathan's ex's older sister so he was unsure of going there but he knew he would be safe with Brooke around. Brooke could throw any girl of their tracks. She flipped her plait behind her and started to pack up. "I should get going. Renee will be wondering where I am."
"Sure, sure. I'll see you tomorrow in Maths." He waved as Brooke set off. It was a familiar path she took one she had walked for twelve years almost. Brooke was sixteen and she had moved here with Renee when she was three. Renee had never told Brooke the whole story and a lot of questions still hung in the air but Brooke ignored those questions. Two boys were running after a football which had just rolled into a bush. Brooke removed the ball and kicked it back to them. The boys were astonished at her skill but Brooke just carried on up the path to the small, white house. Renee was chopping carrots for their dinner when Brooke came in.
"Have a nice time with Nathan?" She asked.
"It was fun." Brooke grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and plumped down on the sofa. Nothing was on tv so she flicked over to a film she had seen a million times. A slight burning sensation irritated Brooke just below her belly-button. Brooke had only just noticed it and she reached to scratch but instead of the soft skin she was used to feeling she felt a cold hard surface. When she lifted her striped top instead of skin she saw round blue scales. Brooke gasped and bolted upstairs to the bathroom where she locked the door and lifted her top again. Turquiose scale ran from underneath her belly-button down to her hips all the way round her waist. Brooke didn't know what to do. She sat on the tiled floor and thought about what to do. Nathan came straight to mind. She unlocked the door and tiptoed across the landing headed for her bedroom door.
"Sweetie is everything OK?" Renee called concerened from the kitchen. Brooke panicked and needed a story and quick.
"Um yeah mum just relised I hadn't done my homework. Is it Ok for Nathan to come round and help me?" She lied about the first bit but she really did need Nathan to come and help her.
"Sure sweetie. Dont get behind to often though."
"K mum. Thanks." Brooke diled Nathans number on her phone and he picked up after two rings. "I need your help."
"Whoah! Why what happened?" He asked concerned.
"Just come to mine as quick as possible my mum thinks your coming over to do homework so bring a book or something. Please." Fifteen minutes later and Nathan sat on Brookes bed whilst she paced nervously.
"Show me again." Brooke lifted her shirt once more.
"Do you think its an infection?"
"No it looks more like scales." He pondered for a while then asked. "Could I take one. Does it hurt to pull them?" Brooke tried to slowly pull one of the scales off but pain radiated throughout her body when she did so. She tried pulling faster but that only caused her to squeal in pain. "Maybe if I snip a bit off?" Nathan tried to cut through the scales but it was like blue armer covering her waist.
