I'm a Mermaid, Not a Merman

15

Danny and Sammy sat on his bed, just like they had hours earlier.

"So," Sammy asked, "how do you feel?"

Danny smiled. "I feel good. It wasn't actually all that bad."

"I apologize for Kyle's terrible jokes," Sammy said.

Danny laughed. "I guess... the hardest part was just kind of the awkwardness."

"Well," Sammy smiled, "that's a thing to do with it being the first date. It wasn't just your situation."

"Yeah, you're right," Danny said. "But it did get better as things went on."

He curled a lock of his hair around his index finger.

"I'm sorry that I've been so... anti-social," he said. "I want to get out and date more from now on."

"That's good to hear," Sammy said. "And don't beat yourself up about it - it's understandable with what you've been dealing with."

They were both quiet for a bit. They both knew what question was on their minds.

"I'm trying to decide whether I want to go out with Matt again," Danny said, responding to the question in a roundabout way. "I like him, but... I dunno, I felt like some things just didn't really click between us."

"You're afraid he'll want you to eat fish," Sammy teased.

"Maybe," he laughed.

Danny gripped the edge of his bedframe, and leaned forward, then back.

"I'm trying to decide how I feel about dating a guy though," he said more directly. "I wish I'd gone on some dates with girls before this so I could get an idea of how I'm feeling."

"You'll figure it out," Sammy said. "Wait till he's back from his trip and see how you're feeling then."

Danny smiled. "I'm... I'm glad that you were there with me. And I'm glad that you talked with me before we left. It... it means a lot to me."

Sammy just smiled and laced her fingers into Danny's, and they held each other's hand.

"And... and thanks for convincing me to wear the skirt and panties," he said.

"You liked them?" Sammy smiled.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I just... I like the way I look and feel right now. I like how feminine it is."

"Well you make a cute girl Danny."

Danny smiled. He didn't say anything for a while. He listened to the hum of the AC in the background.

"Sammy?" he eventually asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can I... can I ask you something...?"

"You can ask or talk to me about anything," she said.

Danny summoned his mental strength. This... was hard. He felt comfortable talking to Sammy about how he felt, that wasn't the problem exactly. It was just... this was something he shouldn't take lightly.

He took a deep breath.

"Sammy?" he asked, "do you... think I... I might be transgender?"

Sammy retained her smile. She sqeezed Danny's hand. "Do you think you are?"

Danny noticed that his body was quivering somewhat. He wasn't afraid or anything... he was just in a very intense emotional state.

Looking back, a lot had changed in him recently, but he recognized that much of it had been caused by deeper feelings going back. He felt like he'd always liked mermaids, and always wanted to be one. His mind kind of hid it away out of embarrassment, but he also felt like the idea of being a girl fascinated him.