Ari Callahan has no idea how to talk to boys -- or how to talk to anyone for that matter. Enter Zac, the cute new guy in town who won't stop texting her. But is his interest real, or does he have a hidden agenda? ***** Found as a young child washed up on the beach, 17-year-old Ari Callahan has never uttered a word out loud to anyone -- not even her adoptive family. Psychologists have diagnosed her with a condition called selective mutism, but Ari can't help identifying with her namesake character, Ariel, the little mermaid in the fairytale whose voice was stolen by a sea witch. Mermaid-obsession aside, Ari's silence makes socializing tough. She's never had a boyfriend or been asked out on a date. Not until Zac, the confident new arrival in town, asks for her number. But Zac has his own reasons for texting with Ari. He's part of a movement to sabotage the artificial music app called SirenSong, threatening to render human singing obsolete. Zac's collaborators have scoured the globe in search of a singing voice perfect enough to break the SirenSong spell, and their search has led them straight to Ari's beachside town. Will her relationship with Zac help Ari find her voice and unlock the secrets of her origins? Or will he use her and leave her high and dry? Title: Ari and Zac (formerly The Mermaid Hypothesis) Content Warning: This story contains references to selective mutism, suicidal thoughts, and early childhood trauma.

One. One kiss did what no one suspected. One kiss killed Lyne Parker. One kiss sent Pierre to a police academy. One kiss put a knife at Gabriella's throat. One kiss ruined a perfect pack of werewolves. All of Lyne's life, she was perfect. That is, until Rachel's party.

"I can't take this anymore!" I cried out as I shoved my face into his cold leather suit. "Can't take what?" Chat asked as he screwed his eyebrows in confusion. "The pain?" "I guess you could say that." "Well your mom gave you some pain pills if-" "No!" I shouted, interrupting him. "I don't think some measly pills can save me from this!" "From what?" Chat asked impatiently. "From you Chat." I yelled back, "I keep drowning in your eyes and I'm not even sure if I want to stop" _______________________ Idk how to write descriptions.... And it will be a long time before the story actually matches this description But I hope you enjoy the story