The next morning I discover that for the first time in forever, the weather channel was right. I look out my window to see seaweed, debris and other things on the beach and in our yard. I walk downstairs and out on the beach. I'm walking alone the shore just as yesterday watching the choppy, rough waves when oof! Ive tripped. Again.
"What was thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!" I'm screaming and totally freaking out. I mean what would you do if a mermaid was laying right in front of you covered in seaweed?! I calm down just a tad and decide to touch the fin. As I do it moves and makes me feel all queasy and light headed. I don't know what to do! What are you supposed to do when your taking a casual walk on the beach and all of a sudden you trip over a live mermaid? I'm thinking about calling animal control when she starts to murmur.
"Woah! What happened to this beach it's covered in kelp and trash. Oh that's right! We had a storm! Haha! Silly me"
I've gotta get out of here, I think she's a little off and I'm scared and I don't think that mixes well. Figures I step on a can and she turns to see what made the sound.
"Oh! Why hello! I'm Shimmer! I come from the kingdom of Crystalia. What about you, strange looking mermaid?"
"I'm not a mermaid, I'm a human"
"Human? Oh dear. I'm not allowed to talk to you. But I can't go back so I might as well. Promise you won't kill me or eat me or grill me or sell me or experiment on me?"
"Hehe, promise. My name is Piper and I come from the city of Florida. "
"Sounds pretty!" She seems so friendly and sweet.
"So why are you washed up?"
"I don't know I just got washed up ,because I was trying to get away and then a big storm came and I got a big brainwashing and now I'm talking to you!"
"Why were you trying to get away?"
"Long story short. There's this evil siren queen who wants all the kingdom for herself, but I'm the next natural air to the thrown. So she's been trying to hunt me down, turn me into a servant, and gain all the royalty from me. But she needs my necklace, which I don't have! Oh no! What if she Has it? That means the kingdom is in danger! If I go back though, she'll kill off my whole family. Wait! She can't take my royalty away unless I become a servant under her spell. Which hasn't happened I think. So I think I'm ok!"
"Wow that's..tough"
"I know!"
I wonder if the necklace she lost is the necklace I found. It did look pretty mystical, and I found it right where she washed up. I don't want to give it to her yet though ,I want to see what it can do.
"Hey, if you need somewhere to go I have a pool at my house right over there."
"Oh that'd be swishy!" She looks concerned when she says it.
"It's salt water"
"Oh ok!" She says this relieved. I have no idea how I'm going to get her into the pool without anyone seeing me. I walk up the beach and find some fishing net and more seaweed. I figure this will do for now.
"Here wrap yourself head to toe..I mean fin, in this"
She wraps herself, I grab apart of the fishing net and haul her up the beach. It really looks like hauling in seaweed so I think I'm ok.
"You can unwrap now"
"Whew! Finally!" She unwraps but rolls into the pool while doing so.
"Um...are you ok!" I know she probably is and it's a stupid question, even though I"m saying this with a smile on my face. Which probably makes me look dumber and less concerned,
"Yeah I'm fine! I'm a mermaid ya know! I can uh-swim"
Then again she's pretty off to.
"Ok well I'm going to go now..."
"Wait! Let's get to know eachother!" I'm pretty sure I just heard her life story there on the beach, but this doesn't happen everyday so I guess it's worth listening to.
"What's your favorite color" she says this a little to anxiously.
"Ummm green and silver"
"Mines blue!"
"Favorite animal?"
"A horse, I ride them often"
"You mean a seahorse?"
"No, heh it's a tall animal, well some are short, and it has shirt shiny fun all over, with long hair and a long tail, 2 ears and eyes and four legs. They're really sweet and pretty"
"Like me?"
Wow, she's conceded to.
"Uh yeah, like you. What's yours"
"A dolphin! They're just so cute and sweet and lots of fun to play with!"
"That's nice"
"Is something bothering you? Your not very positive. Don't take that the wrong way!"
What other way is there to take it? But she's right, I'm not in the best mood. It's just that Brendan is probably off kissing little miss perfect and doesn't care one bit about me.
"Wow! He is cute! Is he your boyfriend?"
"WHAT?! no! And he never will be! How do you know I'm thinking about a guy?!"
"One it's written all over your face, two I can see people's thoughts. Not as clear as I was able to before with my necklace, but clear enough"
"That's insane. Ya know I've really gotta go! Bye!"
"See you tomorrow!"
I race up the stairs to find the necklace. She said something about it having powers so maybe it has the power to grant wishes. I can wish that Brendan would dump that bratty b-sorry excuse of a girlfriend and date me! I hold the necklace in my hand and wish.
I wish Brendan would break up with Delancey and date me and we'd love happily ever after
I put the necklace down and decide to text Brendan.
Hey!
.........
Hey what's up pips? I see you got my note

Yes I did, what are you up to?

Oh just hanging on the beach

By yourself?

Pretty much

What do you mean?

Well there's a few strangers here, no one I know

Oh

What r u doin?

Nothing

Well miss boring would u like to keep me company

Sure...

See ya in a few

I walk to the beach practically skipping I'm so excited! This could be it! This is wear he could kiss me and we live happily ever after! This could also be where I listen to him go on and on about Delancey. Shimmer taught me that if I have a positive outlook on things that it'll make it easier and I'll have a better time. I don't want to get my hopes up through. Feet in the sand, hair blowing in the wind I'm scouting the beach for Brendan. There's hardly anyone here and I can't find him. Great, he ditched me. What was it? Delancey need a guy to hold her shopping bags? She's got so much money she could probably hire a guy to do it. I'm about to walk back when someone knocks me over.
"We've got to stop running into eachother like this"
"Oh I see, I bump into you, you bump into me. Except yours is on purpose"
"Might've been, now were even"
"Your not the one who fell over...both times!"
"You knocked a hair out of place"
"Tragic" he smiles so I'm taking this as a good sign.
"So how are things?"
"Between me and Delancey?" I nod
"They're good." Before I can ask him what he means he interrupts.
"Speaking of dels she's got a party Friday if you wanna go"
"I don't think Delancey would want ME at HER party"
"What do you mean she adores you"
"Really?" I say sarcastically. The girl who looks at me like I'm old news and makes fun of me just totally adores me? Sure....
"Why are you so down?" He takes both my hands and I think I'm blushing.
"I'm not down!"
"You can tell people what they see and hear is wrong, but you know what you feel is right"
"What?"
"Poetry!"
"Ha! You write poetry?"
"Yeah all the time!"
"I don't believe you"
"You don't believe or trust anyone. Is that why you never talk in class?"
"Ah! You are so judgemental! Show some consideration of people feelings!"
"See something is bothering you, or you wouldn't have taken that so seriously"
"I don't think anyone laughs when people say their invisible"
"That's not what I said! I just- Nevermind"
"Ya know Brendan, or should I say Bren I thought you were more thoughtful than that but I guess I was wrong, your just as stuck up as Delancey"
"What? No pips I'm not like that!"
"Don't call me pips! And forget the party!"
"Ya know what? I tried to make friends with you, but you wont let me in! You don't let anyone in! So whatever Piper Taylor!"
I can't believe that just happened! Who was I kidding? To think Brendan would date me instead of Delancey? She's obviously much better than me! I'm storming into the house with a whirlwind of thoughts, thoughts that basically make me think I'm so stupid!
"Piper!" Ugh, what does that fish brain want now?!
"What?!"
"Ooooo someone had to many wipeouts"
'I don't surf."
"Whatever, what's wrong"
"It's personal"
"Oh please tell me!"
"Fine, that boy his name is Brendan. He just noticed me yesterday, he's got a perfect girlfriend, we were just texting and he invited me to the beach. Then we got in this fight because I was being to sensitive. He even invited me to a party but I told him to forget it."
"Oh piper you have to go!"
"Why would I do that he probably hates me!"
"Now I'm sure that's not true. Tell me, what makes this Delancey girl so perfect? What does she have that you don't?"
"Well besides a hot boyfriend, tons of cute clothes, money, beauty, humor, confidence, self esteem, fans/BFF'S, and a social life. Nothing."
" hahahaha!"
"What's so funny?"
"Your jealous of a snobby fake girl!"
"Why shouldn't I be she's perfect"
"No ones perfect"
"Well she is to everyone she meets!"
"She may come across that way, but there's got to be at least one flaw she has"
"She's mean to me"
"Well see, she doesn't have kindness. You can't consider yourself a nice person if your not nice to everyone. It's different when it comes to self defense though. Why is she mean to you? Did you threaten her?"
"No! Of course not! And I don't know why she just is."
"Well I say you go to her party"
"Why?"
" it'll show her that even though she's mean to you, you've got the nerve to show up to her party. Meaning you've got confidence"
"Your right. Maybe I will"
"Good! Now, why are you wearing my necklace?"
I've been caught. To be fair I didn't know, sure I had a hunch and figured it was hers, but I didn't completely know.
"Oh I didn't know this was yours!"
"It's fine, but now you've got a Mertoo"
"A what?"
"A Mertoo. It's a mermaid tattoo."
"Oh my gosh!" I must looked pretty freaked out, who wouldn't?
"Don't worry about it. Have you had nightmares or dreams of the ocean?"
"Well nightmares of the ocean are pretty common"
"Why is that?"
I sigh, about to tell her my life story.
"A few years ago when I was 6, my parents and I went on a boat. Little did we know that a huge storm was coming that night. There were waves crashing on the boat and parts of it broke. My dad tried to get us back in, but he couldn't the current was to strong. Eventually a big wave and some driftwood broke into the window of the room my dad was in. Glass cut him all over and the strong wave forced him to hit his head of the wheel which knocked him out. Straight after that a huge wave came and carried my mom and I off the boat out into the cold rough water. I hardly knew how to swim and my mom didn't know how. She was the first to go under. Minutes after that I found a rock or something to hold onto. But the waves kept coming , I saw the ship go under along with my dad. I couldn't hold on much longer so I let go. Someone found me washed up on the shore. I've been scared of the ocean ever since."

"Who takes care of you?"
"My brother, he's not old enough. I mean i live with my grandparents, but they don't talk to me. They blame me for my mothers death"
"How is it your fault? You didn't know how to swim"
"I could have, if I had payed more attention in the lessons my mother paid so much for"
"I'm so sorry pip."
"It's ok. Past is in the past. I did have a dream about a storm in the ocean, drowning, a scary lady with sharp teeth. A shark. But then just like that it stopped and the water was soft and smooth. Sun shining down, Small swell, a dolphin a soft blue glow"

She looks like she's thinking long and hard about this. After what seems like forever I've got something to complain about.
"Ow!"
"What is it?"
"My legs they hurt and my feet have cramps!"
"Oh dear"
"What do you mean oh dear. How do I make it stop?!"
I get up and stomp around expecting that to help, but I slip and fall into the water.
Something's going on around me, I'm underwater but I can move. Colors. Flashing all around me spinning and circling around my paralyzed body. A big flash blinds me and the next thing I know, I'm still underwater. Except now I'm breathing, and now as I look down I have a tail. I'm freaking out, how'd this happen?! How can I breathe underwater? This isn't possible! I must be dreaming, maybe I hit my head on the side of the pool and I'm experiencing some hallucination or something. I'm not, because here's shimmer trying snap me back into reality and calm me down.
"Piper! It's ok! Your a mermaid because the necklace has powers! I promise it's ok!"
I'm breathing so heavily it's hard to speak, but I utter a few words out.
"How...how is this...possible" I say breathlessly.
"I told you, the necklace it has powers. They say it's powers work differently on other kinds. In your case, it makes humans. Unhuman."
"Ok..this isn't so bad. I'm a mermaid. I have a tail and it's purple and shimmery and feels weird. I'll get used to it. Everything's ok"
"There's that positive spirit! Now let's swim!"
After a few hours of mastering a tail I think I've got this under control. I discovered that I can transform back into a human.

Well the days finally here. The day of the party. When I show Delancey Hollister how much confidence a wallflower can have. I'm scrummaging through my closet trying to find something to wear. Delancey has a pool so I'm assuming I should wear a bathing suit underneath my dress. Should I wear a dress? I think so. My hand hits something hard, shaking away the pain I pull a box out of the pile of clothes. When I open it I see pictures. Pictures of my mom and dad together. On their wedding day, their first date, their honeymoon, their first kiss, their first hug, their first everything. I find pockets of my grandparents and me and my brother. I find a corsage, bouquet and scrapbook. Underneath all of that I find a sundress. It's made of silk and is the color of the Caribbean Sea water. It has beads and shells that enhance the necklace. It has one strap that goes over my shoulder and crosses over my back, it's covered in shells and beads as well. On the bottom of the dress is a small palm tree and sail boat on an island, It's very small though almost unoticeable. Then I find a pair of shell earrings that go with it. I decide this is what I'm going to wear to the party. I try it on and surprisingly it fits perfectly and the earrings finish it off. I pull my hair up into a half up- half down do and curl it into loose curls. I also put in a beaded barrette over the hair bow to hide it. My side bangs curled frame my face and I apply a shimmery sheer white eyeshadow, mascara and pale pink lip gloss. I find a pair of flip flops that go with the dress and hurry down the stairs. That's when I realize I don't have a ride. What am I supposed to do now? I don't have any friends so it's not like I can get a ride. My brother isn't home and neither are my grandparents. I run to the backyard complaining about it all to shimmer.
"It's ok piper! I can get you a ride!"
"How?"
She whistles so loudly I have to cover my ears.
"Go to the beach and when you see a fin, get in!"
"In the ocean? Shimmer you know I'm afraid-"
"You'll be fine, besides they can swim in the knee deep zone"
"Ok, wait but I'll get wet"
"Wear my necklace, just make a wish and you'll be dry!"
"Thank you so much shimmer! I could never repay you!"
I sprint to the beach and look around when I see 2 smiling dolphins playing in the knee deep zone. I cautiously approach them and they splash me with their fins, playing around of course. I grab a dorsal fin of each dolphin and prepare myself for a big night.
"Let's go you guys!"
They swim very fast and I'm getting soaked and so is my perfected hair, but I still have shimmers wishing necklace so I think I'll be fine. It doesn't occur to me that the dolphins knew exactly where to go until were in front on Delancey's house.
"So smart! Thanks so much cuties!"
I step onto the shore and watch them swim away.
I run up the beach and find a bush to hide behind. No I'm not having a shy moment, I'm just afraid that if I go out in public and wish into a necklace to be dry and all of sudden go from soaking wet to dry people might think I'm a maniac. So I go behind a tall healthy looking bush and wish into the necklace. Do I feel silly? Yes. Do I care? Not really.
I wish to be dry again
Just like that I'm dry! This is so cool! I fix my hair and dress and walk in the gates to find girls in short shorts and cropped tube tops. Some are even wearing big hoop earrings, pumps and a pony tail. And here I am in my cute little dress, but I don't care. It's my mothers dress and I love it. That's the key to looking great isn't it? To look your best is to feel your best. Meaning to wear what you are happy in, gives you confidence. So I strut in there...stared down by lots of people. I'm trying to find Brendan, but I can't see him anywhere! I whiz by people and find him kissing Delancey. Wow. Oh wait, why do I care we got in a fight so why should he have feelings for me? I walk up behind him and tap him on the shoulder.
"Hey pips! So glad you decided to come after all"
"Bren! You invited her?!"
"Well yeah, figured that'd be alright with you since you guys are good friends"
Yeah that's what we are.
"Right! Your so thoughtful Bren! Well piper I don't see a lot of people you could talk to...so...."
"That's alright! She can hang out with us!"
"Yes.she.can! Haha!" She's seems very bothered, but whatever she's a brat. She goes off to talk to her friends. Probably to gossip about me and make fun of me.
"Hey pip, I'm really sorry about what I said yesterday. That wasn't fair to you"
"No it's fine, I over reaacted." I say with a reassuring smile.
"So how you liking the party?"
"Oh! It's great! I feel a little over dressed, but hey! Whatever"
"Ha! I think most of the girls here are a little underdressed"
"Like Delancey" he looks hurt for some reason. He went from smiling to a disappointed look. Then he gets up and starts to walk away.
"Hey Brendan! What is it? Did I say something?"
"What do you have against Delancey huh? It seems every time you talk, it's a biting comment towards her, or if I say something about people you direct it towards her. Why?"
I stand there unsure what to say.
"Ya know, Delancey is a great girl. I know she can be mean sometimes but if you got to know her you'd like her. And I can't help thinking that your jealous of her"
"I'm not jealous!"
"Then why all the comments!"
"Ya know what Brendan? I'll tell you why all the comments. Ever since middle school Delancey has made my life miserable. Finding ways to embarrass me, giving me bad attention, making fun of me, talking about me, acting like she's so superior and I'm so...not! And never will be!" Just then Delancey comes up behind me.
"Your right, you never will be"
When I turn around 2 guys pour a huge bowl of punch over my head and people start throwing food at me yelling mean comments. Then someone throws me into the pool. Which is when it hits me. I'm wearing the necklace. Meaning I'm about to grow a tail in front of all these people. I rapidly swim out of the water and I'm at the gate. I look back and see Brendan...laughing. Jerk!
I run back home, crying and I can't stop. I start to think about all those people laughing at me. How the only reason Brendan invited me was to embarrass me. How the embarrassment and bullying will never stop. How my grandparents wouldn't do anything about it. How my parents would. How my parents died. The numbness that comes right before the transformation starts to edge through my legs starting at my feet. I fall and watch my skin turn to scales. It's actually quite scary and weird. I feel like an extra-terrestrial. It's heavier on land, but my house is 6 houses down and there's a couple walking on the beach. The only place to go is the ocean.

"Let me go!!! Leave me alone! Help!!!" I call for piper, but she's still at the party. I was awoken by 2 strange, but large octopus. They wrap their tentacles around me and spray me with their ink. Which is when I drift into a long deep sleep.

When I awake I'm somewhere dark underwater. It's like a cave. The rocks are black and all the coral and seaweed appears dead. The waters got an eerie feeling to it and It feels as if I'm being watched.
"Hello shimmer. How nice to see you"
The siren queen. She speaks in a deep evil like voice only a siren can speak in.
"Hello Athena"
"You sound angry, why would you be upset with me hmm?"
"Oh I don't know, kidnapping people doesn't seem to make you very many friends does it?"
"Oh I don't need friends, I just need one thing. Your necklace. Hand it over shimmer"
"I don't have it!"
"Then where could it be!"
"I left it with someone"
"Did you leave it with your human friend? What's her name again? Piper?"
"Maybe I did! And how do you know about her!"
"I've been watching you through this. I watched you make friends with a human and venture into her home! Your father won't be Happy when he hears about that"
"My father won't be happy when he hears about this!"
"But he won't. I'll have taken control of the kingdom by then and won't have to answer to him. For he will be my prisoner. Along with the rest of your family!"
She hurls some sort of dust towards me and it takes over my body. I look at my skin and find it pale, a black streak in my hair, a black beated looking tail and sharp teeth. I'm her prisoner, just like she said I'd be. Now I'm under her control and it's like I'm in a trance because I can't stop singing this song and I'm doing whatever she tells me to do. I see no way out of this. Then again I can't see in the dark.
Shimmer has been taken by the siren queen, Athena, find her she needs the necklace.
Oh my Gosh! I dive into the water and don't even acknowledge the fact that I have a tail, I just swim fearlessly deeper into the ocean. I'm unaware of the dangers that lye within the ocean, but there's something inside, something like a spark that's igniting and driving me on to find shimmer no matter what the cost. The whisperers are leading me and telling me to follow the voice, but I hear no voice. They tell me to stop for a moment and listen. So I do and that's when I hear it. It's the same song my mother used to sing to herself when we were on the ship. She said it was a siren song and it calms all merfolk and human even the ocean down. I used to sing it in my dreams while the boat was rocking back and forth.
My heart is pierced by Cupid
I disdain all glittering gold
There is nothing can console me
But my jolly sailor bold
I swim where the voice gets louder and where the ocean grows darker and quieter. Eventually I come upon a cave, I hear a voice echoing throughout the cave so this must be where shimmer is. Every which way I turn in the cave scares me. Every corner could hold a terrifying monster, a shark, or sirens. I feel like the rocks might collapse or that dead mermaids hands may reach through the walls and take me in. It's a wild thought, but I'm paranoid. The next corner I turn holds shimmer.
She's different. First off she's singing the most haunting saddest song I've ever heard. My mother sang it differently. Shimmer sings it with a frown and a far off look in her eyes. She has a black streak in her hair, a black beaten tail, a black Mertoo, dark eye make up, red eyes, sharp teeth, and very pale skin. It's looks as if all life has been drained out of her. She seems to be in a trance, the way she never blinks, and does everything repetitively. Then I hear someone speak.
"You must be piper"
"Who are you"
"I'm Athena, shimmer come stand by me and greet our guest"
Shimmer slowly swims to Athena's side and says to me
" Welcome to Athena's kingdom, Athena is the greatest ruler of all oceans, no one is above her, give her what she wants and you can leave"
"Oh shimmer what happened? I'll fix this somehow"
She only stares at me with no expression ,never blinking. Then she starts to sing the song again, but at a whisper.
"As shimmer said, give me what I want and you can leave"
"I'm not leaving without shimmer"
"I'll see to that, now give me the necklace"
I hesitate ,but I know my next move.
I remove the necklace and swim in front of Athena and shimmer. Then I quickly place it around shimmers neck and she stops singing.
"You fool! What are you doing?"
"Your not a queen Athena and your not welcome to the ocean"
"How dare you trespass into my home and talk to me that way"
"You kidnapped shimmer and were about to kill her family weren't you? That way you could claim the crown! Well it's to late, because you don't have the necklace!"
"Well see about that"
She's swimming ferociously towards shimmer, but I grab a rock and hit her head with it. Blood fills the cave and I'm shaking out of my skin. But all evil must die. I look over at shimmer whose eyes, teeth, skin, hair and tail have thankfully returned back to normal.
Shimmer and I hug eachother and she's got a smile bigger than the moon, we happily swim back to her palace. There we find hundreds maybe thousands of mermaids and mermen sitting on coral stools cushioned with sponges. I look around astonished at the place. The kingdom is made of colorful coral, the floor is sand, sea creatures make up statues that fill the long hallways and rooms. Seaweed and sea flowers are meshed into curtains that frame the sea glass windows. Driftwood is used to support the glass dome above the place. Shells cover the walls and gold creates large doors. What amazes me is the hundreds of lights hanging from the wooden support beams, but they aren't just lights. They're huge candles burning underwater, and each flicker sends what appears to be sparkles through the water. We swim down a long path to a tall golden throne embellished with shells, sea glass and crystals. There sits shimmers father, Neptune. I learned about him in history class. Shimmer ours out the whole story and her family and merfolk are stunned. But the people support her by giving her family jewels and food. Her father and mother turn to me.
"Piper, what you have done is something we could never repay you for. Please Exocet this pendant as our token of appreciation. You may visit anytime you like, thank you again"
I bow and shimmer pulls me off to the side. I tell her everything that happened at the party.
"Oh I'm so sorry it's all my fault!"
"No it's not, it helped me realize what a jerk Brendan is"
"Wait piper! Don't think he's a jerk! I know you still like him, I just know it! Just because he laughed doesn't mean he was behind all this. Here take this. Whenever your feeling down. Make a wish. Goodbye piper I hope to see you soon."
"You will, I promise"
Shimmers eyes fill with tears and she gives me a huge hug, I have to pry her off to keep her from suffocating me. We say our last goodbyes and I swim away.
I walk back on shore when I see someone wrote a note In the sand.
I'm sorry Clumsy P


-Clumsy B
I know just who wrote it. I walk onto my front porch and see him sitting there holding a flower. It's a hibiscus, the most beautiful shade of pink with not wilts at all.
"Hey clumsy B"
"So clumsy P got my note?"
"I guess she did"
It's pretty awkward, maybe he knows he hurt me!
"Looks piper I'm so sorry"
"You know that's the second time you've said that to me in 3 or 4 days"
"I know and I want you to know that i mean it I really do, can you forgive me?"
"You laughed at me! You saw me when no one else did and I trusted you! Only to find out it was all apart of your game"
"Game?! No! Piper I swear I didn't have anything to do with that! It was all Delancey"
"Delancey, figures"
"Yeah she really is a bratty, mean person. Can't believe i thought better of her. Of course that's the thing with me, I try to see the best of everyone, but I guess some people don't give their best"
"She's your girl-" but the look on his face tells me that what I'm about to say isn't true.
"You broke up with her?"
"Yeah, she just wasn't for me and I realized there are better people out there" he's right in front of me, practically 5 inches apart. He places the flower behind my ear and does the unthinkable.
He kisses me.
At last I've reached me goal and I didn't even have to use a wish!