Lewis McCartney and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Week

Chapter Three

"-Shit!" His voice was a panicked whisper as Lewis quickly looked to find anything he might be able to cover himself up with. The last thing he needed was to be seen with a tail. On the very first time he had transformed no less. That would be dangerous and embarrassing.

"Lewis we know you're there. We can see your bag on the rock." Another voice called out again as he quickly reached into his backpack, pulling out a spare shirt he kept in it for emergencies. He threw it on and did his best to keep the tail hidden behind the rocks surrounding him. He recognized the voices now and the recognition served to somehow calm him and put him further on edge simultaneously. He pressed himself further against the rock, attempting to shield himself from the prying eyes of Cleo, Emma, and Rikki. Taking a deep breath he gathered himself enough to reply.

"Yeah, it's me! I um, I was kind of hoping for some privacy though if you guys don't mind."

"What happened to running tests?" Rikki asked, her voice laced with accusation.

"I'm going over some data first. I think better here...and I think better when I'm alone. What are you girls doing here?" He spoke quickly, wanting nothing more than for his friends to leave. He didn't want to hide the fact that he was a merman from them necessarily but he wanted to tell them properly. Not to spring it on them by letting them catch him sprawled out like a beached whale.

"Oh, you left your hat on the table at the Cafe." Cleo explained, "We were going to bring it by your house but Emma spotted your bag."

"Thanks, guys. Now, if you be so kind as to set the hat down next to my bag and leave that would be great. I really need to concentrate on this." Lewis cringed at how harsh his words sounded but he needed to get rid of them. He could apologize for acting like a jerk later. Apparently, Cleo wasn't deterred by his bad attitude because she started to move closer to him.

"Could we look at some of your data? We're all a little curious about it."

"Maybe you are," Rikki interjected.

Lewis could feel Cleo's presence growing closer and he held his breath, ready to face the confrontation that was sure to come when she saw the tail where his legs were supposed to be. He screwed his eyes shut and waited for the sounds of shock and possibly anger. But just before he felt Cleo's shadow wash over him he felt something else. A strange sensation spread through his body and when he opened his eyes his legs were back. He smiled, relief replacing the panic he had been feeling. They hadn't seen and Lewis could breathe again.

Lewis reached into his backpack, pulling out his notebook full of mermaid data and handed it over to Cleo so she could look at it. He grabbed his hat off the rock and put it on, then turned to watch Cleo read.

"You've got so much information here, Lewis! And you think you're getting close to a breakthrough?" She asked, excitement evident on her features.

"Yeah, I think I might be." He spoke softly. He hated to lie to them and get their hopes up even more. Maybe it wasn't technically a lie though. Him being a merman would be a pretty huge breakthrough. Just not the kind the girls would be expecting. "I just need to do a few more tests."

"Well, I have faith in you, Lewis. If anybody can figure out the science behind mermaids, it's you." She said, handing him back the notebook. "We'll leave you alone now so you can work."

He nodded at her and then waved as she rejoined Emma and Rikki. They all waved back at him as they started to walk away. As soon as they were out of earshot he let out a loud sigh of relief. He had dodged a bullet with that but he had to let it go for now. The big question had been answered; the Moon Pool had affected him in the same way it affected the girls. Now he had to learn everything he could about his newfound abilities. Find possible differences between him and the girls. His tail was a different color so who knew what else might differ between them.