The Best of Fish Worlds

Chapter Four

Hannah still couldn't believe Troy. He tried to pull one over her earlier! She was on stage singing at a concert at her bff Sharpay's Country Club. As she belted out her song "I Got Nerve", Hannah was really thinking about the nerve that Troy had shown.

Who did he think he was, taking her to an empty pond in the middle of a golf course like that! The chance that she would be hit with a golf ball was exponentially higher there than anywhere else! Hannah had a deep-seated, almost primal fear of being hit by golf balls. Troy knew about it too, yet he still did that to her. Still, it's no secret that Troy was a real prankster, and that was the risk she took when she became friends with him. Despite the risks, however, she knew that her friendship with Troy was worth it. It was nice being friends with someone who didn't care that you were Pop Icon Hannah Montana.

She felt an ache in her heart. An ache like that could only come from living a double life twenty four seven eleven. It was too much and Hannah couldn't take it anymore. She dashed off stage, leaving her adoring fans behind. She didn't need any of them and their opinions. The only company she needed was the moon.

It was strange, but Hannah felt herself strangely drawn to the same golf course Troy took her to earlier. There, it would be quiet, and she wouldn't have to worry about any pesky golfers shooting holes. The quiet was nice, though. These days, time to herself was so hard to come by. It was just so hard being famous Pop Icon Hannah Montana. Fame wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and that reminded Hannah of her song La La Land.

No matter how confident she appeared, Hannah still had her moments. She was no supermodel, and still ate at Ronald's on occasion. But because she's a pop icon, Hannah couldn't even go to the simple family restaurant without being bombarded by fans.

I need a break every once a while, Hannah thought, but It's just so hard. All I want is to do be single, to go out and mingle without people judging me. Is that really too much too much to ask? Maybe so, because every time she thought she had found some solace, some escape from the La La Land machine, nothing changed. And she had just let the exact same thing happen to her with Troy. She thought she had found a real companion in him, but that frog stunt he pulled proved he was just like all the other boys.

Boys were awful like that, revealing their true colors only when you think you know them and always letting you down. They only ever seemed to like her for Pop Icon Hannah Montana, for her fame and singing prowess. No one ever likes her for who she is, for Hannah.

Before Hannah knew it, she was standing in front of the pond Troy had taken her to earlier. Her feet must have carried her there without her knowledge. Her feet were wont to do that. She stood there for a moment, staring at its dark surface, a black mirror in the night. Who knew what it would show her if she peered into its depths? Hopefully not another frog.

Before she could discern what lay within, she spotted something on the shore of the pond. She squinted and could almost make out that it was in the shape of a heart. She walked towards it for further examination. When it came into view she recoiled in horror.

The heart-shaped formation was made entirely of golf balls. It triggered Hannah's fight or flight response, but she was too deep in thought to do either. Did Troy do this? Was this what he was trying to show her earlier? Maybe he was more thoughtful than she gave him credit for. But what if... what if this was just another elaborate prank? Maybe he set it up for tomorrow so he could once again pull the wool over her eyes, making a fool of her in front of everyone. No, never again. Next time Hannah would see right through him as easily as a window. Hannah wondered if she should eat an entire airplane.

Wanting to spite Troy and his attempts to pull a fast one, she grabbed a handful of the golf balls and chucked them into the pond! Now they were far away, where they would never torment her again. Good luck trying to prank her with an incomplete heart, Troy!

Just as Hannah is about to leave, pleased with her vandalism of Troy's creation, the water began to stir. She froze. Had the golf balls returned to exact their dimply vengeance on her? What was going on? Then, rising from the water was something she could hardly begin to describe. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought it was a fishman. But that was impossible! This was real life, not a sci-fi novel! Was she dreaming? Hannah pinched herself, and when she didn't wake up, she came to the conclusion that she was, in fact, not.

The fishman had two webbed feet and two webbed hands. Maybe he used those for... swimming? Hannah thought. She didn't know what else they would be for. Could they be...

For holding? Hannah blushed.

She and the fishman stared at each other for five minutes, neither of them blinking; the fishman because he didn't have to, and Hannah out of sheer force of will and need to assert dominance. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she could hear the song "Start of Something New" playing in the background.

Finally, the fishman blinked and Hannah did too, which was a relief because her eyes had gotten really parched. Seeing him blink sideways like that had Hannah feeling some kind of way. More specifically, in love. She stood there, stunned at the thought that a beauty like him had made that entire display in an attempt to woo her. "Wow! You did all this for me, Pop Icon Hannah Montana!" Hannah gushed, pointing directly at the golf ball heart.

"I don't understand you," the fishman signed in sign language.

Hannah shook her head. "No one ever does," she lamented. "I'm tired of living a double life."

She gazed longingly at the golf ball display. Who was this fishman? Everyone always assumed they knew her, knew all her quirks and habits just because she was famous. Maybe he was just like all the other boys. She needed to know. "Did you want to get to know me for Hannah and not just for Pop Icon Hannah Montana?" she queried.

The fishman blinked at her once more, his imposing figure like a grecian statue in the moonlight. His waxing gibbous pecs glistened in the moonlight and then... as quickly as he had arrived, he was gone. Hannah was taken aback. She rushed to the water's edge, trying to see beyond the dark surface of the water, but her new boyfriend was nowhere to be found.

He had just left without so much as a goodbye. Hannah felt betrayed, but then she realized why the fishman had left and she blushed from ear to ear. He must have gone back underwater to catch his breath because the sight of Hannah took his breath away. Of course, Hannah thought, that can be the only explanation. By the time that the ripples from his majestic dive had settled, Hannah was lost in thought. She had always longed for someone to complete her duet, to sing the second verse of her song, to harmonize with her rockin' melody. She knew that someone was the fishman. She felt it in her heart as well as other organs.

Judging by the position of the moon, thirty minutes had passed, and the fishman still hadn't returned. Hannah remained at the pond's edge, pining for him. Wow, she thought, he must have quite an impressive lung capacity. Hannah liked that about him.

Hannah knew she couldn't wait forever, but she didn't care. The fishman was worth it. He didn't know she was famous, but he didn't care. He still liked her for who she is, for Hannah. Hannah liked that about him. Someone like that only comes by once in a moon. In a rare moment of clarity, she accepted that the fishman wasn't coming back anytime soon.

She sighed, turned around, and began the trek back to her mansion that she had bought with all the money she had earned from being a pop icon. Hannah began to sing a haunting acoustic rendition of her song See You Again. It was slow and mournful, and she poured her heart into every note. (A/N: Like this)

 "I got my heart set on you and I'm ready to wait," she sighed. "I have a heart that will never be tamed," she continued to sing, slowly pacing the empty golf course. "I've got a way of knowing when something is right. I feel like I must've known you in another life. Cause I felt this deep connection when you looked in my eyes...." she trailed off, staring up at the stars. "The last time I freaked out, I just kept looking down," she continued in her dulcet tones.

It was true. During their encounter, she couldn't help but gaze upon his neopolitan pecs. "I st-st-stuttered when you asked me what I'm thinking bout. The next time we hang out, I will redeem myself. My heart, it can't rest till then. I can't wait to see you again," she concluded. Hannah smiled, thinking of the fishman and his glistening pecs, and strummed her guitar silently.