Cherry Meets the Little Mermaid

chapter 7

Jessica was still with Ariel's sisters as they dolled her up. "Are you done yet?" she asked.

"Almost!" Attina smiled, then looked to her sisters. "Okay, what do we put in her hair? A crown?"

"A shell?" Alana suggested.

"A scrunchy?" Adella suggested.

"A cute hat?" Adriana suggested.

"This is gonna be a long day." Jessica groaned.

Arista came behind Jessica and put in a starfish barrette. "Here, this should do."

Jessica looked in the mirror then and smiled. "Wow, that is a good one!"

Arista smirked to her sisters in victory. This caused for the rest of the girls to groan out of defeat. Arista and Jessica then hugged each other with a laugh together.

Meanwhile, Flounder was still leading the others to the surprise he was talking about.

"Oh, come on, Flounder, could you just tell us what it is?" Atticus asked.

"You'll see," Flounder chuckled. "It's a surprise."

"Ugh, this better be worth it..." Darla got tired of waiting as she followed along.

"Oh, trust me, it will be." Flounder smiled.

Flounder made them close their eyes and led them into the grotto, once he got into a good spot, he smiled. "Okay!" he called for them to show they could look now.

And when they saw what Flounder's surprise was, it made Ariel smile. It had been the statue of Eric that was washed away now under the sea with them.

"That's your surprise?" Urchin asked.

"It's mostly for Ariel." Flounder explained.

"Oh, Flounder!" Ariel hugged her best friend. "Flounder, you're the best! It looks just like him!"

"Yeah, it even has his eyes." Darla said.

"Why, Eric?" Ariel talked with the statue like the boy of her dreams was right there with her. "Run away with you? It's all so sudden!"

'Well, at least she's happy.' Urchin thought to himself.

Darla was surprised that Urchin wasn't immaturely disgusted for a change, but she said nothing. Ariel smiled, but she gasped. The others turned and saw Triton was standing there and looked aggressively unhappy.

"Daddy!" Ariel gasped.

"Oh, crud." Atticus groaned.

Flounder took Atticus, Darla, and Urchin and hid with them behind a treasure chest.

"Is it true you rescued a human from drowning?" Triton demanded.

"Daddy, I had to." Ariel frowned.

"Contact between the human world and the merworld is strictly forbidden, Ariel!" Triton scolded. "You know that! Everyone knows that!"

"He would've died!" Ariel tried to defend.

"One less human to worry about!" Triton retorted.

"You don't even know him." Ariel said, glaring at her father.

"Please, stop and listen!" Urchin added, also glaring to Triton.

"Yeah!" Darla added, doing the same.

"You stay out of this!" Triton glared to the meddling others.

"Uncle Triton, stop!" Atticus scolded his uncle. "You of all people should know better! My own mother chose to become a human and look at where it got her, her own brother-in-law is bullying his own daughter being in love with a human!"