Little Mermaid ▷ Ned Leeds

INTRO

LITTLE MERMAID

❝ Who says my dreams have to just stay my dreams? ❞

Ariel Waters only ever knew water. The daughter of an Olympic swimmer and marine biologist, most of her free time was spent at their large pool, singing and swimming, or at their late mother's pride and joy, Atlantica, New York's finest and second largest aquarium. She grew up learning how to swim, taking private lessons and often bringing her vocal lessons to the water as it was much more strenuous to sing while neck deep and trying to stay afloat. With money to spend, her father was more than happy to dote on his seven daughters, swimming with them and teaching them all that he knew, keeping them close to his heart like he had promised his late wife, and the Waters girls were more than happy to spend time with their father.

Except Ariel wanted more. She wanted more than her father's dream for them to follow in his footsteps, she wanted to be like her mother, to do research and study; not fish, but people. She loved finding artifacts, learning about lost civilizations, often spending time with the local antiquities dealer to learn about past decades and trends. It was something she adored, but her father couldn't see her point of view, no matter how much she tried.

But, more than anything else in the world, Ariel wanted people to like her. Homeschooled all her life, she wanted to go to a real school, to explore, to make friends and be "cool" like her older sisters had been, back when their father had allowed them to go to traditional school. But her father was never going to allow her to go to a real school; she wouldn't ever make friends and learn with kids her age or be cool like she always wanted to be. She just wanted to be liked.

So she sought out the witch next door for help. There were rumors that Ursula Cecaelia had powers, had the ability to change reality, to make even the wildest of dreams come true. With a price. But Ariel was willing to give everything if it meant that she would be able to meet people, to learn what they were like, to be cool. She was willing to give up her voice and her family to do it.

Alone and without any means of fending for herself, Ariel found herself swimming in deep water as she sought out the help of Ned Leeds, a sweet talkative boy who was the only one she could communicate with at Midtown High. With only three days and no clear direction, the two try to reach Ariel's goal, along the way meeting cute boys, strange people, and learning the true meaning of self -love.

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CAST

ashleigh murray as ariel waters

❝ all I want is to be around people, I just want to learn ❞