The Little Mermaid: Modernized

Aria

Aria

I walked toward this stranger who had made me feel like I wasn’t alone. I could feel someone watching me, and now I knew who. I studied him as I got closer and closer. He looked almost like one of those big muscled beach dudes I’d seen before. And I wasn’t impressed in the slightest by them. But...something about this guy, he was different. I didn’t know exactly how, or why, he just was. I looked at his face; it was the most handsome face I had ever seen. It was a perfect face, no imperfection anywhere. Who was he? I stopped a mere four feet from him. Oh, gah, he was gorgeous. I had to work to get my brain to function again.

“Um...Hi.”

“Hi.” Wow. His voice alone made me wildly curious. It sounded so melodic. Like a thousand singing voices just like his, all combined in this one word. It was wonderful. I realized that I probably looked like an idiot, just standing there gawking at him. He was looking slightly away, over his broad, muscled shoulder, trying his best to smother a smile. But I wanted to see.

“Are, uh, you having problems there?”

“Sorry, what?”

“You’re, uh, trying not to smile. What’s so funny?”

“Oh, ha, nothing. Sorry.”

“No, what is it? Really, tell me.”

“Well, it’s uh, just the look on your face just then. When you were staring at me.”

“I was not staring!”

“Oh, no, sorry, I think your word for it would be, uhh.....gawking. Yes, that’s it. You were gawking at me.”

I couldn’t say anything, my jaw dropped. I didn’t have any defense against this argument. But I could still try.

“I wasn’t gawking.” I mumbled.

He leaned forward, “Yes...yes, you were.” He replied with a hint of an amused look on his face.

I waved off that comment; something he said was just registering with me. I think your word for it would be... What did he mean by “your word”? Why would it be any different from his word? After all, he was the one who said it. Unless...no. No, I told my own mother that...but then, he was oddly different...and he hadn’t come out of the water yet. Unless he was...no, ew, that’s not it atall. Never. I glanced at him. He was amused again. Could he tell that I was having a debate with myself in my head? Wait, what was that? Did he just nod? Was that a nod just then? I stopped a gasp from escaping my lips. Could he really be a...and read my mind too? Did they actually exist?

I realized then that I had forgotten to ask for his name.

“Umm...I forgot to ask....”

“Yes? What is it?”

“I, uh, what’s your name?”

He paused, seeming to debate his own answer for a second. Then he replied, “Errik. With two r’s.”

“Oh, really? So, E-r-r-i-c?”

“Actually, no. E-r-r-i-k.”

“Oh, ok. Well that’s uh...different.”

“Ha ha, yes it is.” Oh gosh.....his laugh. It was beautiful. He gave me this expecting look. Like I was forgetting something.

“Did you forget something?”

“Like?”

“Ha ha, your name, please?”

“OH, right. I knew that, ha...ha.”

He gave me that look again.

“Darn it!...It’s uh...Aria. My name’s Aria”

“Aria...that’s a beautiful name. It’s like music.” I gasped. My name rolling off his tongue sounded like music. I loved it.

“Uh, yeah. My dad has a love of music, so he named me Aria. I guess he expected me to be a singer or something. I dunno’. I don’t sing much anyway, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”