Amongst The Water-Fresh Waters

Chapter 7: Finally 16! Part 1

Originally Published: 2013-2014. Updated July 2017; November 2019; July 3, 2020; September 25, 2021; August 7, 2023; August 26, 2023. 

      "So sixteen? You feel old yet?" Finn asks Kylie as he is walking back onto the shore with her. Distracted by the group of teenagers wrestling, she laughs nervously stumbling over her own feet.

      He quickly shifts his board to his left arm and links his arm under hers. "Woh. Steady now." He looks at her and grins. 

      Kylie looks up at him and smiles. "Don't need to sprain my ankle." Kylie jokes. Finn chuckles. "Wouldn't want that." He stares into her eyes for a moment and winks. Kylie chews on her bottom lip nervously but remains eye contact with him. 

     She blinks quickly and looks away shyly. "This board is bigger than I remember." She says struggling to get a good grip on it without it dragging on the ground.

     Finn nods at the board. "I can take it for ya." He says happily, his eyes lighting up. "That'd be great." She smiles at him shyly. "It's not super heavy, but it's awkward to carry when you are really short like me." She chuckles. "And these shorts collect too much water." She complains, trying to ignore her anxiety.

     Finn nods. "Yeah. I could understand that." He says stopping and taking her board out of her arms and tossing it over his other shoulder. He nods toward her Mermaid Scaled knee-length swimming shorts. "I still don't understand why you wear those. The shorts along with the one-piece have to weigh you down in the water." Finn's eyes widen and he stops abruptly. He looks at Kylie. "I absolutely didn't mean to say it like that." He looks at Kylie's blank face. "I mean, I didn't want you to think...." He stutters nervously. "I didn't mean it to sound like you should wear a two-piece." He says; feeling his cheeks flush. "I didn't mean it to sound like I was being a pervert or something." He says; finally getting himself together.

      Kylie shyly looks up at him. "I didn't take it that way." She smiles, amused he's nervous around her.

      She shrugs and continues walking. "It really doesn't weigh me down. But It's a pain when I get out. So much water clings to me." She rolls her eyes. "But my Grandma made me these shorts because other shorts in my size are too revealing and I could have gotten boy trunks, but, I couldn't find any ones that I'd wear in public." She rambles on ignoring the fact he's staring at her. She sighs and looks at two dogs fighting over a toy and she feels Finn still looking at her.

       "You are adorable." He unconsciously blurts out. Kylie's face quickly looks back at Finn. And he feels his face heat up and knows it has to be turning red. With wide eyes, he stares at Kylie's flushed face and his mouth twitches. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that." He apologizes

       Kylie sighs and shrugs nervously. "Probably not." Finn sighs. Kylie looks up at him and Finn feels his heart drop. "Ummmm..... let's go take these boards back and get food." Kylie smiles brightly at him and nods. "That sounds like a great idea." Finn smiles widely.