Mermaid shift

Chapter 1: the begining of it all

(New book. So yah leave comments tell me if you like it. This ones gonna be a shorter one guys more like a prologue .)

Jack sat on the pier with his legs dangling over the edge that separated him from the water. Below the waves crashed onto oak foundations, the waves bubbled and shone in the sunset while the sky became candy floss.

The water darkening was still a huge drop down. He needed to learn how to control his self before his friends noticed. He turned around to see Alex.

"Happy birthday Jack," Alex spoke happily.

"It doesn't feel like a happy birthday." He sighed.

"I know but just try to be optimistic okay."

"I may as well show you what I woke up with today." Jack spoke pulling his hoodie sleeves up above his elbows. Showing the spiral of scales in a lilac to iris gradient.

"They're like fish scales."

"They ARE fish scales. Alex I'm a merman."

"Really, you're a merman." Alex paused and looked at Jack. "Jack that's cool."

"You're not freaking out?"

"I am but meh. I'm just in a perpetual state of freaked out-ness that nothing shocks me anymore."

"Are you serious Alex? I was worried you would freak out or?"

"Nah it's cool."

"Is it? I hate it. I'm cursed."

"Come on Jack it's not that bad I'll help you."

"I don't know. Apparently I would've been a warrior or something if we weren't living on land."

"You know what that requires us to do?"

"Don't you dare say research,"

"Research."

They both laughed. Then realised that school was about to end for the year. After a gruelling week of exams. Alex looked into the horizon.

"Hey do you wanna hang out at my house for a while?" Alex said. "I mean you don't have to. But if you like."

"Why not? Have you brought your car?"

"No actually, I walked here."

"Oh." Jack nodded walking next to Alex. "Do you wanna come to the beach with me tomorrow? It's a Sunday so we should be able too."

"Yeah. Do you have a tail? Like mermaids in books."

"Yeah and gills."

They walked into Alex's house and he shouted. "Hey mom I'm home, Jacks here." Then walked upstairs to Alex's room.

Alex's room was clean as he was grounded if it wasn't. He had a mirror, a desk and a few other things. It was small but nice. They sat on Alex's bed and talked.

"So what does it look like? You know, your tail."

"It's red at my stomach and blue at my fluke I think that's what it's called. But in the middle it's purple. It's like the scales on my arms but covers all of my legs."

Jack rolled his sleeves down and tried to concentrate on making his scales disappear. It didn't work. He just had to keep trying.

"Really? Do you wanna talk about something else? I mean you just got a tail. It's probably a shock to you as well."

"Yeah let's talk about the exams on Monday. Because I'm dying over here."

"Same. Maths is probably the worst like I'm gonna fail that."

"How am I meant to pass p.e like that's hard?"

"I know."

Flashback to the morning

Jack woke up before the rest of his family. It was his birthday, before he was forced to be in so many photos he decided to take a shower? Swiftly he stepped into the warm shower and let the water wash his worries away. However that didn't last long as Jack fell to the floor as his legs went completely numb. He hit his head on the wall. He looked down in shock at his. At his... at his... tail?

Jack panicked. And tried to stand up but he couldn't his; tail didn't support him. So it was real. His mom was walking over and that's when Jack really panicked. His eyes shot to the door that his mom was standing at.

"Jack are you okay in there honey." His mom asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." He was meant to say but it came out as. "What the hell is this."

His mom muttered something under her breath. Then Jack noticed it the door was unlocked.

"Cover yourself up in coming in. You could be concussed. What if you faint? Oh no. Oh no. Jack are you okay?"

"Mom, it's okay."

A few seconds passed where Jack turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around his waist. Was it even called a waist anymore? With that Jacks mom came in. Jack started to panic but his mom sighed gently. She placed her hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack flinched. He was a freak, no one should have go near him. At least that's what he thought.

"Jack it's okay. It was bound to happen to one of you. Maybe two. Do you need help up I can get your father to help if you like?"

"No I think I've got it." Jack spoke. "But can you go."

"Okay. I'll get you a warm towel."

"Mom I'm not five anymore."

His mom left and Jack tried to exit the tub, it was hard and he looked like an idiot. Eventually he stumbled out of the tub and crash landed on the bathmat. He dried off and placed a hoodie on. What was going on? He noticed scales on his face and arms. They were almost in a solid line along his jawline.

"Mommmmm." Jack shouted.

His mom entered his room and sighed.

"Oh no you got the warrior gene."

"What's that?"

"Oh don't worry. But where gonna have to sort out your face."

"Aww thanks mom." Jack mumbled.

"Jack I'm serious," his mom paused. "Your jaw has a lot of scales and you can't hide that."

"Well teach me how to hide them."

"Okay, but you're gonna have to spend all morning working on it." She paused.  Jack stared at her sadly. "It's for the best Okay, but you're gonna have to practice and practice."