The First Lost Boy (Wattys 2017) ON HOLD

f i v e

They were walking through the trees again, leaves crackling under their feet every time they took a step. It echoed and bounced off the bark stumps, filling the awkward silence that had appeared the moment the both of them realized how close Harry had been to Gwenevieve. He kept reasoning with himself that he hadn't really known what he was doing, maybe just trying to comfort her? At least that was the excuse he was telling himself. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Harry found her attractive or that he thought her skin looked soft and just wanted an excuse to touch it. That wasn't why he did it. Not at all.

Gwenevieve was frowning at Harry's back, baffled as to why he had ripped his hands away from her like she was about to catch fire. Her eyebrows pinched together when she noticed Harry scurry further away whenever Gwen came too close to him. She didn't know what she had done and why it had seemed like Harry couldn't stand to be close to her now. Did I smell? Was I that unattractive to him? She found herself asking and with those thoughts in her head, she was suddenly okay with the increasing space between them.

"We're here." Harry said and Gwen was pulled from her thoughts, looking up expectantly at Harry to see him standing at the end of the trees. He turned to look back at her, waiting for her to catch up to him. She stumbled over a few rocks, her cheeks burning with embarrassment when she did and she kept her head ducked down until she finally reached Harry. She tentatively raised her head to look at him but he was already staring into another direction. Following his line of vision, an audible gasp escaped her lips when she saw the small lake. It was crystal clear blue, the sun reflecting off the water and the sound of the waterfall splashing over the small cliff of rocks. She wanted to admire the beauty of it, but another source of beauty had caught her attention when she heard the echo of giggles that bounced off the rocks and trees surrounding them.

She craned her head around Harry's shoulder, gaze moving to land on three girls who were half perched onto a large rock. They were lying on their stomachs, chins resting in their palms and Gwen's mouth just about dropped when she saw a fin curl up behind one of the girl's head. A mermaid? But they didn't exist? Gwen thought, her eyes wide with disbelief. She could only stare at them, struck by the beauty and allure they possessed. One of them had hair the color of snow, eyes that matched the crystal water, while another had jet black hair that had a blue hue to it. Her eyes were a darker blue, long lashes that curled and made them pop. And the last girl, the one who's fin had lifted behind her and who was obviously staring at Harry, had strawberry blonde hair with light brown eyes and a bone structure that was fierce. Gwenevieve felt average in comparison to them, especially to her that she found herself wanting to hide away. They were thee definition of gorgeous.

"Harry." The strawberry blonde called out happily, her eyes filling with something Gwen recognized as lust while Harry mistook it for friendliness.

"Hello Venus." He greeted her with a smile, his eyes sliding over to the other two girls lying beside her. "Hi Sirena. Hi June."

The two girls giggled at his recognition and Harry merely smiled, turning to look over his should at Gwenevieve who was trying to hide behind him. He didn't think about what he was doing when he pressed his palm to her lower back and lightly pushed her forward so she could be seen. "Ladies, this is Gwenevieve. A lost girl."

The three mermaids had stopped giggling immediately when they saw Gwen, attitudes changing to the point it were noticeable to her. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet beneath the girls scrutinizing gazes but remembered her manners as she lifted a hand and waved timidly. "Hello."

Venus's eyes narrowed at Gwen, her gaze moving over her tentatively when her nose scrunched up in a look of disgust. Gwen felt offended and she bit her tongue to keep from saying anything rude when a rush of irritation filled her. She didn't think the mermaid had a right to judge her, especially when the mermaid was the one with scales and a fin.