You Changed Me (gxg) (Title not set)

Chapter 2

Me: *Stands up*

My back: Snap, crackle, pop, bitch!

Sorry, that was random, but it's true. Also, the book I mentioned last chapter (To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandria Christo) is a real book and I definitely recommend it. It's about sirens. Meet the two main characters:

Lira: "In one move, I plunge my fist into the prince's chest and pull out his heart."

Elian: "Technically, I'm a murderer, but I like to think that's one of my better qualities."

Other than that, enjoy chapter! 2 :)

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"Shit."

I groaned as I came to. Peeling my heavy eyelids open, I stared at a blue sky, the sun leaving me blind for a moment. My eyes shut on their own accord and I filled my lungs with salty air as I sighed, and my latest memories came crashing back in my mind. Finally summoning enough self-control to move my limbs, I sat up and surveyed my surroundings.

The island was a small spit of land, some thirty meters wide, with a small--but deep lagoon--at its center. Rising, I walked on the wet sand to the shore. Even though I hadn't been here in the Phoenix islands for long, I could tell this island was a smaller counterpart of Kanton. I walked back to the lagoon, finally noticing my bare feet, my flip-flops having fallen off in the ocean.

I stood at the edge of the lagoon, the sand turned to mud and making the water murky. The small waves lapped at my toes as I gazed into its murky depths. Scales glinted under the surface and I unconsciously leaned forward to peer closer.

Suddenly, a long tail erupted from the lagoon, startling me away from it as water rained down on me.

When I looked back at the pool, piercing, sea-green eyes glared into my own. I gulped and blinked, but the hallucination didn't leave me when my eyes opened. I inched closer before my brain could stop me.

The eyes rose farther out of the water, exposing a girl with fair, freckled skin and a head of copper hair. She hissed, showing her fanged teeth. Going closer still, I saw her hair floating under the water, covering her chest, and a long tail, scales mixing with skin where it met at her hips. In a bold move of stupidity, I sat a few feet from the lagoon. I gulped before whispering,

"Did you save me?"

She nodded once.

Seeing this as an invitation to keep talking, I asked, "Are you real?"

She rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless. I started inching closer to her "Can I touch you tail?"

The mermaid--I guess--hissed loudly enough to shock me away from the pool and disappeared under its surface.

Getting over the shock, I felt heat rise in my cheeks. I had been so stupid! I sat a few feet away from the lagoon, waiting for the girl to resurface. When she did some time later, she was glaring at me. I looked away from her fiery gaze sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," I said honestly, finally meeting her eyes.

It took another moment for her to nod, make a small smile claim my lips. "Do you speak English?" I asked, secretly dying with curiosity to know if she could only understand me and not talk.

She nodded.

"May I have your name?" This time I was sure to be polite and not reach towards her as I did when asking about her tail.

She shook her head and a frown pulled at my lips. "Then what can I call you?" I asked, to which she shrugged. She looked at me expectantly. I gulped. "Talia?"

A grimace flashed onto her face and I quickly continued, "Sarah?" She shook her head.

This time I thought for a bit longer. I gasped and said excitedly, "Nadia!" She thought for a moment before smiling a little and nodding. I grinned.

"If that makes you happy, Nadia it is," she said in a heavily-accented voice.

"Well, I'm Clarke. Nice to meet you, I guess." After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, I summoned the courage to ask, "Why did you save me?"

Nadia seemed to shrug. "My brother would have killed you if my mom didn't get to you first. They loathe your kind."

"... And you don't?" I ventured to ask.

She smirked softly, causing my stomach to clench in fear. "I do, but I pity anything they catch."

"Well, thank you, I guess." I rubbed the back of my neck and looked around, frowning. "Do you know which island this is?"

"It is McKean. It is one of the smallest and often floods. At its tallest, it is five meters above the water. At least, that is what the humans say. And now I need a favor--a life for a life." She looked straight into my eyes. "The tide was high when I rescued you and went out while I was sleeping and now I am trapped in this tidepool. I have never tried it, but it is said that if I go on land, I will turn into sand. So, will you--" she grimaced, as if already hating her words "--help me?"

I stared in shock, unable to respond for a moment. Just as I opened my mouth, a loud siren blared. My head whipped towards the shore where the noise was, distantly hearing a splash from the lagoon. But the sound was vague, the only thing on my mind was that I was rescued.

Turning to reply to Nadia, I was met with a still pool. I kneeled over, putting my hand in the water. Another hand slipped into it and I whispered an "I'll help you." before squeezing it lightly and it slipped from my grasp. I ran towards the ship, relief painting a beaming smile on my face. I could go back to Kanton.

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How do you like "Nadia" so far?? What do you think of her? I'd love to hear your thoughts. There's a photo above of how I imagined her (kind of).

I'm sorry these chapters are kind of short, I was supposed to plan the entire book and write a few chapters before posting anything, but that didn't really work out.

I'm excited to hear what you think! See you next time, everyone!