Aquarina(mermaid graphic done by Jihan B. Jackson)

Chapter 3

When I had gotten a glance at the garden before, I would have never expected it to look like this. There was 2 or 3 big trees toward the back, one of which had a cushioned bench swing facing the rest of the garden, and on either side of the backyard were covered with patches of flowers ranging from orchid to sunflowers. Most of the flowers were colors of orange, red, yellow, pink and even a couple with purple. And in the middle of all that, there were two long tables, one full with food assortments like chips with salsa, and the other with chairs and tabletop filled with eating utensils. On top of that, there were lights with little white bulbs scattered all over the yard in a pretty decoration. Over all, the entire thing was beautiful. "Wow" I murmured under my breath, utterly amazed with this gorgeous scenery. These people completely went all out for this. To the max. I mean, come on. How many people think backyards are astounding, let alone pretty? But with this one, you'll never underestimate backyards again. You have to admit that's pretty cool, right?

While I was gawking at the yard, I didn't notice a man and woman come up to us with bright smiles on their faces. I turned to look at them. The man, who I presumed was Alex's dad, had dark hair coated with little gray hairs that was cut into a buzz cut and intense brown eyes. He was about the same height as my dad, a little shorter, so I'm guessing he's around 5'10. The woman was small and feminine, but she had a stance that screamed proud and I knew she was strong willed. She had an air around her that told she was capable of herself. Although she seemed tough, her brown eyes were soft and caring.

"Welcome. We are so happy to finally meet you guys and I hope we become good friends. I'm Raymond and this is my wife, Norma. We are Alex's parents. Would you like some refreshments? Alex can get them for you." Raymond said. As if on cue, Alex spoke politely after Raymond,"Of course, what would you guys like?" After we told her, Mom told me "Why don't you help Alex? Maybe you could get to know each other a little better. It will give you a chance to talk." "Sure" I hurried after Alex, who was already near the door.

Walking into the house, I found Alex in the kitchen with her back facing me. As I approached her, I spoke. "Hey do you need any help with those drinks?" "Oh sure, why don't you-" she didn't get to finish before ramming into me carrying a plastic cup of water. The water spilled over my hand and onto the floor. Our eyes widened for a split second before I dashed out of there and into the nearest room. Before turning around to rush out of there, I caught a quick glance of Alex. Her face held a shocked and.......knowing expression?

Ignoring the look on her face, I ran as fast as I could into the bathroom, barely having enough time to close the door before I fell to the ground with a thump. Turning upward with my belly up, I inwardly groaned. Blowing the hair away from my face with my mouth, I scolded myself. That was a way-too-close call.

Before I could continue my internal battle, Alex softly interrupted "Hey Aqua. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spill that on you." She continued, "Trust me, I know what it feels like." What does she mean? I thought. "I'd know that scared expression anywhere. I know because I've worn it myself many times before. I know what you go through and how hard it is to hide yourself when you change. But if you have no idea what I'm talking about then, just forget what I said. But if you do, I can show you . I can prove it if you open the door. Please." I pondered this in my mind. She's a mermaid, too? Well, only one way to know for sure. I reached up to open the door slightly. When I did, Alex was holding the now half full glass and looked down at me. "Wow, I love the color of your scales. Mine are just like them. But seriously, I'll pour it on myself so you can see for yourself. Trust me." Her expression turned serious at the end, showing she wasn't lying.

She raised the cup to pour it on her arm, but before she could, Norma walked in. "Oh, there you are honey. Where's Aqua?" Alex quickly placed the cup down on the table, but was careful to make sure the water didn't come in contact with her skin. That confused me. Why would she be afraid to get wet if her parents knew she's mermaid? "Oh, nothing. Aqua was cleaning up because a little water spilled on her." Alex replied. "Okay, I'll get the drinks. Are they all in the kitchen?" Norma asked. "Yes. Thanks Mom" Alex was quick to answer.

Once Norma was out of sight, Alex grabbed the cup and rushed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. "Whew, that was too close. I almost poured it on myself." "Why does it matter if you pour it on yourself?" I asked, unable to hide my confusion. Now it was her turn to be confused, "What do you mean? My parents can't know I'm a mermaid. They'd freak! Sometimes, I wonder how I've been able to keep it a secret for almost a year." she explained.

My eyes widened as the realization hit me like a hurricane. Alex was a Turned mermaid and has been one for a year! "You're a Turned." I whispered. I was so shocked. This is the first time I've ever encountered a Turned mermaid. Her eyebrows furrowed. "What is a Turned?" This girl really had no clue. "Turned is only one kind out of three mermaid species. I'm an Original." I calmly explained. "There are three? What do you mean by an Original? And I still don't know what a Turned is." She looked like she was gonna pass out because she was freaking out so much. She honestly looked frantic. But on the bright side, she at least looked a little excited. "Hold on, let me change first. Then we should probably talk about it, which I'm pretty sure you're dying to ask me a billion questions. Do you mind if we talk outside on the bench I saw earlier?" After she nodded, I held out my hand in front of me. I concentrated on evaporating the water on my skin, even though it wasn't necessary because it didn't take much effort after all the years of practicing it. I could do it with my eyes closed; it was that easy. Soon enough, steam rose from the scales on my tail. Alex was staring at my transformation the whole time. It looked like she was mesmerized by it. When I stood up, she squealed ,"I'm so happy I'm not the only one! You have no idea how relieved I am!" I chuckled and smiled at her. "And I'm happy I'll have a friend that's a mermaid outside my family. A Turned one at that!" "What?! Your family are mermaids too?! That's so cool!" I laughed, " Yup. Trust me. There's a lot more than that. I'll explain everything about mermaids. Think of it like um.....Mermaid 101."