I'm a Mermaid, Not a Merman

25

Cindy and Sammy, mermaid sisters, pulled up to the curb in front of Lucy's house to accomplish their mission.

A familiar pickup truck was also parked in front. The tailgate was down and Matt was sitting on it, waiting for them.

Cindy waved to him, and he waved back. When she got out of the car, she had an awkward moment, wondering if she should greet with a hug. He went in for a fist bump instead. Much easier.

"So we just go in through the back gate?" Matt asked.

"Yeah," Cindy said.

They were quiet for a moment as they walked across the lawn.

"So you came out to your family last night?" he asked.

"Yeah," she smiled.

"I guess they took it well then?"

"Yeah," she said. "And also, I might be coming to Aspen Ridge in the Fall."

"Hey," Matt smiled, fist bumping her again, "that's sweet."

Cindy led the way through the gate.

"The legends were true!" Liam lunged up on to the edge of the pool with his tail on. "Cindy has brought us a new guy to make into a merman!"

Matt recoiled a bit from Liam's enthusiasm. Cindy just let out a giggle. "You'll get used to Liam. He can be enthusiastic."

"And I pride myself on it," he grinned.

Liam pulled himself out of the pool. Matt stared as Liam revealed his blue merman tail. Matt seemed to be thinking "why on earth did I agree to this?"

"So," Liam said, "what's goin' on Cindy? You jump ship on Saturday with no warning, and then come back on Monday with two merfolk-to-be? What's going on?"

Cindy closed her eyes, and took slow, steady, deep breaths.

"I need you guys to be serious for a moment," she said.

Liam's smile turned to a more neutral expression. The others swam to the steps of the pool near where Liam was. Cindy waited.

"You guys... you guys are my friends."

"Yeah," Lucy and several of the others said in agreement.

"Well," Cindy said, "I... I feel really bad. I've been... I've been hiding something from you since we met."

"I... I think I know," Lucy said. "I... I felt like when you first reached out to me, it was a little sus. Your account didn't have any photos or anything. I asked you about your high school, and certain questions, and decided that you were indeed, a high schooler, and not some creeper in his 40s."

Cindy looked down at the ground. "Yeah Lucy. Yeah. You're right."

"Why all the secrecy?" Lucy asked.

All of their eyes were locked on her when she glanced back up. They stared, blinking in silence.

This was it.

"When I first messaged you Lucy.... I was a guy."

Everyone gasped, or made similar reactions. That was of course, except Liam who characteristically burst out laughing. Not the reaction Cindy would have wanted, but at least she knew he wasn't laughing in a mocking way. Liam just laughed at everything.

"Wow," he said, the first one to speak. "That's... that's really interesting! That was not what I was expecting. But... dang, that makes a lot of sense."

"So," Lucy said, "you said that when you messaged me you were a boy. So you're saying..."

Cindy breathed deep. "Yes. I'm transgender."