Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

On the day Louise Chatham’s new life began, the sky bore no premonitions. It was the clearest afternoon, not a cloud to mar the cerulean above nor a raindrop to stir the aquamarine seas. Only the fateful full moon could have foretold what would come next, but the light of day rendered its brilliance invisible. As Louise stood on her front porch, she knew nothing of the future, simply soaking in the warmth of the ephemeral summer.

It was three days before the start of the new school year. Gracie and Max were meant to pick her up on their way to Dove’s, the diner on the marina. It was one of the most popular teen hangouts, and served some of the best milkshakes on the Gold Coast. The three of them spent many a day there in summertime, sitting at their favorite booth and dropping coins in the jukebox. They’d still be able to go there during the school year, of course, but the tedious hours in class would occupy much of their free time. Thus, today was a sort of end-of-summer celebration.

Louise had been friends with Gracie and Max since Year Six, when she and her family moved to the Gold Coast from London. Louise’s father was originally from England, and his high-level finance job brought the family to London when Louise was five. Louise’s mother, however, was Australian, so Louise was born on the Gold Coast. She had spent nearly equal halves of her life in Australia and England, and as a result, she had a British accent that she couldn’t shake. Her accent—along with her impeccable grades, and the inexplicably strange way she had about her—made her stick out from her classmates. But Gracie and Max, friends since childhood, quickly welcomed Louise into their fold. They didn’t care that she was different. 

Louise heard a car honk, and watched as Max’s blue convertible pulled in front of her driveway. She squinted through the sunlight and saw Gracie and Max in the front seat, then smiled and waved at them. A pair of cat-eye sunglasses rested on her head, and she pulled them down to shade her eyes. She ran to the car and opened the back door.

“Thought you’d never get here,” Louise teased. She sat in the back and smoothed down her powder-blue skirt.

“Car wouldn’t start,” Max said, putting his foot on the gas. His convertible took off, and Gracie fastened a silk scarf around her black hair to prevent it being mussed by the wind.

“What’s the rush, Louise? Summer isn’t over yet.” Gracie turned around to face Louise, grinning. “In fact, it’s only getting better. I hear there’s a beach party on Mako Island tonight.”

“On Mako?” Louise echoed, raising her eyebrows. “Oh, it’s a long boat ride… I don’t know if my parents would let me.”

“Mine wouldn’t either,” Gracie replied, “but what if we go anyway?”

“And I reckon you’d want me to bring my boat out there, right?” Max smirked, glancing over at Gracie as he drove. 

“Please, Max?” Gracie gently reached out to touch Max’s arm, her hand lingering slightly. Max’s eyes widened in response. Louise noticed how the two of them acted around each other; there was a spark there that transcended friendship. She would never say anything to them, but they were too obvious. 

“Who’s throwing this beach party, anyway?” Louise asked.

“Karl and his mates, I heard,” Gracie answered. 

“Oh, not Karl ,” Louise groaned. Since she had moved back from London, Karl Anderson had given her quite a hard time, teasing her about anything he could think of. If she had to guess, he was jealous that she had received the highest grades last year instead of him. As his family had donated a large sum of money to the school, he felt entitled to be recognized as the best. 

“But I don’t care about them. Who says we’d have to give Karl even a morsel of our attention? I just think the three of us would have a good time. What do you say?”

“Well, I’ve never been to Mako before,” Louise replied, still skeptical, “but there’s always a first time, isn’t there? I’ll… I’ll go with you, Gracie.” She flashed a smile at her friend, who eagerly returned it. The two of them expectantly looked at Max, waiting for him to chime in.

Max sighed, turning into the Dove’s car park. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t take you girls? I’ll go, too. If only because I’m a scientist, and I want to see what makes Mako Island so intriguing.” 

The three of them walked into Dove’s and immediately found their usual booth, which was right by the jukebox. Louise recognized a few familiar faces; Harriet Kent and her friends occupied a large table near the front. They were in the midst of loudly relaying their orders to the waitress, who didn’t look pleased. Louise knew the waitress, too—she was Julia Dove, the daughter of the diner’s owner. As far as Louise knew, Dove’s had been in their family for generations. Louise couldn’t explain it, but she always had sort of a fluttery feeling in her chest when she saw Julia at the diner. She didn’t understand it, because to her, Julia was too blunt and headstrong. She had never particularly wanted to be her friend. Maybe she was just jealous that Julia could make the diner’s uniform, a plain pink dress with an apron, look pretty. 

Before too long, Julia came over to Louise, Gracie, and Max’s booth with a notepad. “What’ll it be?”

The three of them gave her their orders, not complete without a signature Dove’s milkshake for each of them. All the while, Julia chewed a piece of bubble gum, seemingly uninterested. 

“Are you going to the beach party tonight, Julia?” Gracie asked the blonde, offering a kind smile. Gracie tried to be nice to everyone, which was why she was fairly popular at South Coast High School.

“Which one?” Julia replied, a hint of intrigue in her voice.

“The one on Mako Island,” Gracie said.

“I’m working here tonight,” Julia said, casting her eyes downward. “Besides, Mako is a bore.”

A few girls at Harriet’s table snickered. Louise thought she heard something from Harriet’s mouth that sounded an awful lot like “diner trash”.

Julia whipped her head around, shooting daggers at the table of girls. The act immediately silenced all of them but Harriet. 

“Scared of Mako Island, Julia?” Harriet jeered, squinting her eyes. “Or are you just a square?”

Julia set her jaw, crossing her arms. “I’ll see you there tonight, Harriet,” she said. “Maybe you’ll regret your invitation.” Harriet only rolled her eyes, then continued sipping her strawberry milkshake. Julia pivoted to face Gracie and the others. “Any chance I could hitch a ride with you three?”

Max nodded reluctantly. “I’ve got room for one more on my boat. But it’ll be a tight fit.”

“What about the diner?” Louise asked Julia, curious how she’d escape her work duties for the night. 

“I’ll worry about that, Chatham,” Julia said. Her brows were furrowed, but her mouth curved into the slightest grin. “Um, I’ll put in your orders now.” 

“She’s peculiar,” Gracie said once Julia had gone into the kitchen, out of earshot. Max raised an eyebrow. “No, I mean that… she’s keen,” Gracie clarified. “Someone has to keep this place interesting. And someone has to put that Harriet in her place.”

“That’s right,” Max added, “Harriet thinks she owns the place. No, she thinks she owns the whole of the Gold Coast.”

Louise only nodded, unsure of what to say. Julia was rougher around the edges than she was used to, but maybe it was endearing.

It was surprisingly easy for Louise to sneak out of her house that night and into Max’s boat. He had already picked up Gracie and Julia beforehand, so the four of them began their trek to Mako Island. Louise wore her favorite bathing suit to the beach party, a royal blue one-piece with a sweetheart neckline. Gracie looked like a model in her bright yellow bathing suit, which contrasted her black hair and porcelain skin. Julia wore a fiery red, with an elegant flower print. Louise wondered why Julia had wanted to come with them tonight; didn’t she have other friends? Now that she was thinking about it, she couldn’t remember anyone with whom Julia hung around, but certainly there had to be someone.

The light of a bonfire on the beach was visible from several hundred feet away. As their boat neared the island, Louise could make out the faces of her classmates on the beach, drinks in hand and towels splayed on the sand. 

“Everyone looks pretty juiced,” Max remarked, anchoring his boat a few hundred feet away from the epicenter of the party. He pointed at Karl and his friends, who were all very inebriated, sloshing around in the water.

Louise, Gracie, Julia, and Max climbed out of the boat and started to walk towards the gathering. Louise felt out of place here, and slightly uncomfortable; no one would have expected her to come to something like this. She had a reputation as a bookworm, and nighttime beach parties didn’t fit the bill. But Gracie had wanted to come here, and she wasn’t going to abandon her best friend.

“I’m going to get a drink,” Julia announced. “Anyone coming with me?”

“I will.” Louise gulped, trying to appear nonchalant. If anything could make her less uncomfortable here, it would be some alcohol. 

“All right, Chatham.” Julia looked at Louise quizzically—certainly she wasn’t expecting that answer from her—but then shrugged, trudging towards the keg. Louise followed closely behind her, wondering if she’d regret it.

As it turned out, she already did regret it. Karl and his cronies were back at the keg for another drink, unsurprisingly; when they saw Louise, they had a field day.

“Never thought I’d see goody two-shoes here,” Karl taunted, laughing with the boy that stood next to him. His name was either Larry, or maybe Gary; Louise couldn’t remember. Harriet Kent was behind Karl, too; occasionally, the two of them went out. “But if what you did to get to the top of the class last year is true, maybe you’re not such a goody two-shoes after all.”

“W-what are you talking about?” Louise crossed her arms. She tried to glare back at him, but she knew it only translated as a fearful stare.

“I think you know,” Karl said, taking a threatening step towards Louise. “I think you’re a lot easier than everyone thinks, and maybe you opened your legs for the right person to get the right grade.”

Louise’s jaw dropped at the absurdity of the lie, but she couldn’t find the right words to defend herself. Her vision went blurry, and she started to feel faint. Harriet, Larry, and Karl started to snicker amongst themselves.

“Cut it out, Karl,” Julia snarled, stepping in between Karl and Louise. “If you want to convince everyone that you’re as smart as you think you are, you should learn to come up with better lies. No one would believe Chatham did that for a second.”

Louise gave Julia a grateful look, their eyes meeting for just a moment. She hadn’t expected Julia to stand up for her. Still, Louise wanted to be anywhere but here. When Julia wasn’t looking, distracted by her back-and-forth arguing with Karl and Harriet, Louise ran into the forest. She needed to be alone. In her flummoxed state, she didn’t pay much attention to how far into the trees she had gone. But it was getting darker and darker, and she was beginning to worry she wouldn’t be able to find her way back. She had been gone for who knew how long; her friends would be worrying by now. At least the moon was full, and it provided minimal light as she tried to find her way back to the beach. Suddenly, she felt herself bump into something, the impact making her fall to her knees. When she looked up, she realized it was Gracie. Julia was behind her.

“Louise!” Gracie gasped, then extended a hand to help her off the ground. When Louise stood up, Gracie wrapped her in a hug. “We were so worried. Are you all right?”

Louise nodded, brushing some dirt off her bathing suit. “Sort of. I think I’m a bit lost.” She looked over at Julia, managing a weak smile. “Thanks for defending me, Julia. What Karl said—”

“Don’t worry about it, Chatham,” Julia said. “We just need to find our way back to the beach.”

“Unfortunately, we’re a bit lost too,” Gracie admitted. The three of them started to scan their surroundings. But this was pure wilderness, and nothing seemed to indicate the right path.

“Where’s Max?” Louise asked. “He’d know what to do right now.” If she recalled correctly, he always kept a compass on his person. He had been a wilderness scout for years in his childhood, after all.

“Last I saw, he was fishing,” Gracie answered. “I wasn’t so keen on that, so I was talking to Irene Gilbert. But… when I saw you go into the woods, I followed to make sure you were all right.” 

“Thanks, Gracie,” Louise said, smiling at her friend. She looked behind her, into the depths of the woods. “I think I may have come from that way. We could try to retrace our steps?”

“Works for me,” Julia agreed.

Louise led the way through the trees. Eventually, the three of them came across a brook of sorts, divided by some large rocks. Or maybe it was a waterfall; it was hard to tell.

“I don’t remember seeing this,” Louise admitted.

“Great,” Julia sighed. “But it’s either this, or back the way we came.”

“We’ll need to jump to cross it,” Gracie pointed out. “It looks a bit slippery.”

Julia stood over the rocks, squinting her eyes at the water. “I’ll go first,” she declared, preparing her jump. “It can’t be that—” 

She was gone.

“Where did she go?” Louise panicked, crouching down to see where Julia had jumped. “Oh my gosh… there’s a cave down here.”

Gracie joined Louise near the cave’s entrance, trying to peer into it. “Julia! Are you okay?”

There was silence, then an echoing “I’m okay!”

“Thank God.” Gracie sighed in relief. “Can you climb up?”

“I don’t know, the tunnel is pitch-black,” Julia yelled. “But there’s something down here you have to see!”

Gracie turned to Louise, raising an eyebrow. “Like what?” she shouted to Julia.

“There might be a way to get back to the beach from here!”

“I’m coming down!” Gracie started to inch closer to the cave’s entrance. Before she could slide down into the cave, Louise grabbed her arm.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Louise asked. “What if we get trapped down there?”

Gracie bit her lip. “We’ve been stumbling around for ages. This might be the only way back.”

Louise considered their options for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. “We can go together.” She grabbed Gracie’s hand, and on the count of three, they pushed themselves down into the tunnel. The fall was bumpy and mildly terrifying, but it was thrilling, too. But when they reached the bottom of the dark cave, Julia was nowhere in sight.

“Julia, where are you?” Louise called out.

“In here!” Julia called back, clearly somewhere further into the cave. Louise and Gracie glanced at each other with apprehension, then followed the sound.

There Julia stood, at the edge of a radiant blue pool of water. This appeared to be another sort of cave, but the opening at the top resembled a volcano. Louise could see the night sky and its brilliant stars through the opening. This cave was majestic, nothing like she had ever seen before.

“What… is this place?” Gracie mused, gazing at the top of the cave. 

“I don’t know,” Julia replied, “but it’s…”

“Magical,” Louise finished. Something about the energy of this cave made her feel like she was home. It drew her in, and she wasn’t sure that she’d ever want to leave.

“I bet this pool connects to the ocean,” Julia said, dipping a foot into the water. “I hope you two are strong swimmers.”

“I am,” Louise said. She had taken swimming lessons back in London, at her parents’ behest. She sat on the cave floor and lowered herself into the pool. The water was surprisingly warm; it was comforting, in a way. Gracie and Julia followed suit.

But once the three of them had entered the water, the strangest thing started to happen. The water began to bubble and glow.

“What’s happening?” Gracie sputtered, her eyes widening at the unreal sight. “Why is the water bubbling?”

“I-I don’t know,” Louise quavered, wondering how this could be possible. By chance, she looked up and noticed that the full moon was passing over the top of the volcano at that very moment. 

“Maybe this place really is magical,” Julia said. The three of them treaded water, still in awe of the bubbling pool. After a minute, Julia cleared her throat. “It’s now or never. Make sure to take a deep breath.”

Louise and Gracie nodded at Julia, and submerged themselves in the water. They began to swim forward, into the depths of the water. Louise had to hold her breath for much longer than she would have liked to—about 20 seconds—but eventually, they reached the open waters. She resurfaced, gasping for breath, and was relieved to see the other two girls beside her.

“We have to swim to shore,” Gracie said, also out-of-breath. She started to swim away before Louise or Julia could respond. They shared a nervous glance, then followed. 

Within a few minutes, they made it to the sand, practically collapsing. Louise’s limbs were exhausted, and she didn’t know if she could have swum for a moment longer. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to walk much farther; she could hear the sound of a boat’s engine coming closer. She squinted and saw that it was Max.

“Where have you been?” Max called over the sound of the engine. “I’ve been circling the island for half an hour, searching for you all.”

Gracie ran to Max and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so glad you found us. It’s a long story, but we were lost in the forest.”

“And we found this strange cave,” Louise added, climbing into Max’s boat. “It had a magical sort of pool that connected to the ocean. That’s how we found our way back to the sand.”

“A magical pool, eh?” Max laughed and shook his head.

“It really was,” Julia said, joining the rest of them in the boat. Gracie nodded in agreement.

 “As a scientist, I have to disagree,” Max said. “Magic isn’t real.”

“Can you just take us home, Max?” Gracie pleaded. “I’ve had enough of the party for tonight. I’m sorry I dragged you all here in the first place.”

“It’s okay, Gracie,” Louise said. “We’re safe now. But maybe we should avoid Karl’s parties from now on.”

Julia was silent, staring out into the water. Louise studied her face, her furrowed brow, and wondered what troubled her.

“Are you all right, Julia?” She asked.

Julia met Louise’s eyes for a brief moment, then looked out at the sea again. “I used to be friends with Karl,” she said. “ And Harriet, if you can believe it. It was a long time ago, when we were only kids. Before they decided they were too good to be friends with the girl from the diner. Because their parents are surgeons and investment bankers, and my mum flips burgers.”

“I knew you back then, but I didn’t remember that,” Max said. “Well… you’re better off without those blockheads, anyway.”

“Thanks,” Julia replied. “I reckon I am.”

Julia surprised Louise that night. She was a lot different than the brutish girl Louise had expected. She was more assertive than most, but there was something softer inside her, too.

Louise and Gracie were together when their legs first turned to tails. The morning after the Mako party, Louise invited Gracie to her house so the two of them could have a swim in her pool. Thankfully, only the two of them were there, because any onlookers would have been shocked to see two teenage girls with golden mermaid tails.

For a moment, neither girl said a word. But then they screamed, looking at each other and then at themselves, astonished by the staggering weight of their new tails. A knowing, wide-eyed glance was all they needed to know that they were thinking of the same thing: Julia.

Perhaps the third mermaid had read Louise and Gracie’s minds, because she arrived at the Chatham house within the hour. The same thing had happened to her; she had grown a tail approximately ten seconds after touching water. Earlier that day, she had spilled some water on herself in the Dove’s supply room, and had to lock herself there until she dried off. 

“It’s the full moon,” Louise mused aloud. “It has to be the full moon.”

“What are you talking about?” Gracie asked, pacing around Louise’s living room.

“Remember when we were in that cave—no, in the pool,” Louise said, “and the water started bubbling? The full moon was overhead at that very moment.”

“We’re not werewolves,” Julia said. “Aren't they affected by the full moon?”

“In most folklore, yes, but… perhaps it affects mermaids, too,” Louise guessed.

“Is that what we are?” Gracie pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and sniffled. “Half-fish? Are we even human anymore?”

“We’re human right now, aren’t we?” Julia pointed out. “When we’re dry, at least.”

Louise couldn’t help but smile. “I never knew it was possible, but something magical has happened to us,” she said. "We're mermaids."

“Are you happy about this?” Gracie sobbed. “How can we ever have normal lives again? They’re going to send us to the circus!”

“It’s going to be okay, Gracie,” Louise reassured her. “As long as we keep this a secret. And as long as we’re there for each other.”

“Shouldn’t we tell Max?” Gracie asked. “He’s our best friend. I’ve known him my whole life.”

“For now,” Louise said, “this should be between the three of us.”

“You’re right, Chatham,” Julia agreed. “We hardly know anything about this… thing yet. It’s too risky to tell anyone.” 

Louise held out her pinkies. “We have to promise that, no matter what happens, we’re in this together. Deal?”

Gracie wiped away a tear, but then took Louise’s pinky. Julia did the same.

Chapter Text

“Gracie Montgomery, if you don’t come downstairs right now, we’re leaving without you!” Her mother’s voice echoed up the stairs.

Gracie wished they would leave without her. She was in a sticky situation. Having been a mermaid for less than 48 hours, she hadn’t thought that a spritz of perfume on her wrists would be enough to trigger a mermaid transformation. She was wrong. Here she was, laying on the floor, tail and all. She bubbled with anger as she thought about how frustrating it was that she had almost been ready, and a miniscule amount of water had ruined that. She’d never dry in time to go to mass with her family. 

It wasn’t that she particularly cared about what the priest had to say that day. She had been to enough Catholic masses that she could probably tell you exactly what would happen—in Latin, even. But she was starting to think that this strange new predicament of being a mermaid would interfere with her normal life, just as she had feared.

Gracie spotted a quilted blanket on her bed, just a few inches away, and managed to reach it. Frantically, she began to dry her tail in hopes that she would change back. She closed her eyes, sick of looking at her scales, and waited to regain her legs. After a few more seconds of patting herself with the quilt, it worked. She hopped to her feet, taking a quick look in the mirror before sprinting downstairs. Mary, her mother, sighed when she saw her. Robert, her father, checked his watch, raised an eyebrow, and opened the front door.

“Did your hair really take that long?” Claire, her fourteen year-old sister, taunted her. Gracie rolled her eyes as she walked outside to the car. The two of them teased each other the most, but they were also probably the closest of the sisters. 

“Quiet, Claire,” Gracie said with a hint of a smile. She turned to her parents. “I’m sorry I was so late. I… My Sunday clothes were too wrinkled. I had to find another dress to wear.”

Her father squinted at her yellow dress, which she had worn to church many times, but seemed to accept the lie. “All right,” he said in between puffs of his cigarette. “But I don’t want to see you being so late again. You’ve been a full member of this church for a couple years now, and you need to be a good role model for Ruth and Lucy.” Gracie glanced at her two youngest sisters, ages 8 and 11, respectively. Ruth stuck her tongue out when their mother wasn’t looking; Gracie only responded with a little huff of air. Her father began to drive, and Gracie lost herself in thought while Ruth and Lucy bickered about some trivial matter.

Gracie had been on thin ice with Robert and Mary for the last few days. The night of the Mako Island beach party, she had told them she’d be at Louise’s house watching a movie. She didn’t ask, but she knew they wouldn’t have allowed her to go to the party. Of course, that was the night that she, Louise, and Julia had to swim through the moon pool, so she returned with wet hair and smudged makeup. Gracie lied, naturally, and said she swam in the Chatham’s pool. Her parents believed it, if not with some skepticism, but they still weren’t happy she had stayed out so late. Gracie knew she would have to be on her best behavior if she didn’t want to alert them to the changes she had undergone. They could never know what she was; she couldn’t imagine what they would say. Would they even think she was human anymore? If they didn’t, would they be wrong? Gracie didn’t know the answer.

The Montgomery family found their usual pew near the altar, arriving at least fifteen minutes before the sermon began. Religion was central to their family, but Robert and Mary had elected to not send their children to Catholic school after age seven or so. There were plenty of Catholic schools in the area, but the tuition was far too costly for four children to attend through secondary school. Besides, they wanted them to learn to blend into the Gold Coast’s Protestant majority. 

Gracie was thankful to no longer attend Catholic school, because it meant she could go to school with Max. His family wasn’t very religious, so he went to public school. Even though they didn’t attend the same school for a few years, they had grown up only a few houses away from each other, so they had known each other for most of their lives. Gracie remembered hating the first few years of schooling she had without Max, and was thrilled when she could finally attend with him. 

Gracie’s parents liked having Max around, but they also would not-so-subtly remind Gracie that she should set her sights on a nice Catholic boy. In other words, she could never marry Maxwell Hamilton, and so there was no point in being with him only to break his heart later on. 

Gracie went through the motions at this Sunday’s mass, constantly thinking about that night on Mako and what had become of it. The only thing she paid close attention to was the Eucharist. When she took the communion wine, she made sure to part her lips enough so that it wouldn’t drip onto her skin. Here, she was human, and no one could know otherwise. 

“Did you see Jack O’Connell at church today?” Gracie’s mother asked her as they pulled into their driveway. “He’s handsome, isn’t he? You know, I’ve talked to his mother and you two—”

“If he’s so handsome, Claire can have him,” Gracie said curtly. “I’m not interested.”

“Fine by me,” Claire chimed in, a few paces behind the two of them.

Mary said nothing, but her eyes lingered on her daughter with a mix of worry and judgement. Gracie got out of the car and went to her room.

What sensible boy would want to be with a fish, anyway? Gracie was certain that Jack O’Connell wouldn’t. And even if Gracie could be with Max, there was no guarantee that he would accept what she had become, either. The more she ruminated, the more her hopelessness stirred inside her. 

There was a vase of orchids by Gracie’s bedside; she had bought the flowers a few days ago. Their porcelain white color had not yet been marred by the signs of decay. Gracie didn’t notice the water bubbling in the vase, her head tucked snugly underneath her pillow in an attempt to shut out the world and silence her thoughts. It was only when the vase began to vibrate back and forth on the table, the water thrashing inside it, that it caught Gracie’s attention. She gasped as she watched the water rise up in the vase until it hung midair. Following a hunch, she extended her hand forward, then brought it closer to her as if beckoning the water. The water followed her command, and it shocked Gracie so much that she involuntarily released her hand. What had floated in the air was now a puddle on her floor. Gracie stared at the puddle in disbelief. She had moved the water from afar. Could Julia and Louise control water like this too? Was this another aspect of being a mermaid? Regardless, Gracie wanted nothing of it. She shook her head, hurrying to clean the mess with a towel. 

Sure, Gracie had always liked being different. Unlike most others her age, she was perfectly content spending hours in an art museum, and she’d only wear clothes and jewelry that wouldn’t match that of anyone else. But these attributes didn’t prevent her from living a normal life. Being a mermaid, and especially controlling water like some kind of freak, was too much. She never wanted or imagined this for herself.

The floor was completely dry when Mary knocked on Gracie’s door and told her that she had a phone call. Gracie went to the rotary phone to take the call, noting that Lucy was watching television in the same room. If it was Louise or Julia calling, she couldn’t speak freely about anything mermaid-related.

“Hello?” Gracie answered, holding the phone close to her ear and cupping the speaker with her other hand.

“Gracie,” Louise said, her breathing heavy on the other line. “Something happened. You know, with…”

“I can’t talk about it here,” Gracie whispered, her eyes darting towards Lucy. The younger girl was still preoccupied with the television, but Gracie didn’t want to take the chance. “But I might know what you mean.”

“Really?” Louise replied. 

“Yes. I’ll come over as soon as I can,” Gracie said. Louise was an only child, so the two of them usually spent time at her house instead of Gracie’s. It wasn’t always convenient to have three sisters running around. Gracie put the phone back in its place and gathered her things before leaving for Louise’s house.

“I’m going to Louise’s, Mum,” Gracie called to Mary, who was sipping a cup of tea in the kitchen. “I won’t be long.” She didn’t wait for a response, knowing her mother would only try to stop her. Worse yet, she might resume the Jack O’Connell conversation. 

Gracie unlocked her mint-green bicycle and rode it to Louise’s house. She had to bike most places, as she couldn’t drive yet. Max’s birthday was earlier than most in their year, so he already had his license and frequently drove Gracie around town. But she couldn’t ask him to drive her to Louise’s without explaining why the two of them were meeting without him. In fact, Gracie had avoided Max since first discovering her tail. She could only imagine how difficult it would be to lie about the secret when she saw his face again.

The door was open, so Gracie walked into the Chatham house. Louise and Julia were already in the parlor when she arrived. There was a full glass of water on the table, and Louise’s brows lowered as she concentrated on it. She looked up when she saw Gracie.

“I told Julia I’d wait to show her until you came,” Louise said. Her mouth widened into a smile. “Watch the glass.” Louise pushed her hand forward, fingers stiffening. In an instant, the water in the glass became frozen solid. Julia turned it upside down, shaking it, and it didn’t spill. It was purely ice.

“Wow, that’s…” Gracie was at a loss for words. Louise seemed thrilled with her new gift, but Gracie couldn’t muster the same enthusiasm about hers.

“Want to see something even more impressive?” Julia grinned at Louise, as if challenging her. She started to curl her fingers into a fist, and not only did the ice melt, but it boiled within seconds. She smirked, releasing her hand, and the water went still. “I was making a milkshake at Dove’s, and I guess I rested my hand on the blender, and the milkshake started to boil. It was an accident, but… I’m having a ball now that I can control it.”

“Mine was an accident, too,” Louise added. “I was standing on the lawn today when the sprinklers went off. I put my hand over my face to shield myself, and all of the water froze before it could hit me.” She turned to Gracie. “So, Gracie, can you—”

“Yes, I can,” Gracie snapped, “and no, I don’t want to show you. I don’t ever want to use it unless I absolutely need to.”

“Gracie, what’s—” Louise started, taking a step closer to her. “We can figure this out together. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is that our lives have completely changed, and you two think it’s for the better,” Gracie spat. She could feel her face heating up. “I never asked for any of this. I’d never have gone to Mako that night if I’d known.”

Julia bit her lip, eyeing the glass of water on the table. “Gracie, the glass—”

Gracie kept going. “Don’t you two understand that this isn’t a good thing? That we’re stuck this way for the rest of our lives? I don’t—”

She was silenced by a burst of water that soared up to the ceiling and spattered on everything (and everyone) in the parlor. Dread filled her when she felt countless drops land on her skin. She, Louise, and Julia shared the same knowing glance. In no time, tails replaced their legs, and they fell to the ground.

Gracie said nothing when she hit the floor. She dug her fingers into her long black hair, hiding her head in shame.

“Well, I suppose that’s your power,” Julia said to break the silence. She propped herself up on her elbows, as she had fallen backwards. 

“Gracie, I know it’s hard, but we’ll have to use our powers sometimes,” Louise reminded her. “We have to learn to control them. What if someone were to find out about us because we weren’t careful?”

“I reckon you’re right,” Gracie murmured, her eyes misty. “But… I’m still not happy to be a mermaid.”

“That’s all right,” Julia said, her consolation surprising Gracie. “In time, you’ll come around.”

Gracie was doubtful, but a rapping on the front door saved her from having to respond. The three mermaids looked at each other, panicked.

“My parents are meant to be out until dinnertime,” Louise whispered. “It’s not them.”

“Well, maybe it is,” Julia whispered, inching towards the door.

“What are we going to do?” Gracie looked at her tail, which wouldn’t dry anytime soon.

“Louise? Gracie? Are you there?” The mysterious visitor called through the door. It didn’t take long for the girls to recognize the familiar voice.

“Max,” Gracie breathed, both relieved and guilt-filled.

“Um… Could you come back later, Max?” Louise called back, her voice strained. “We’re a bit busy!”

“So you’re both in there? What’s going on? I haven’t seen either of you since Mako Island,” Max said. 

“Max, I-I’ll come out in a minute and talk to you,” Gracie said. “I can explain everything.” She shrugged at Louise and Julia. “I’ll figure something out,” she whispered to them. “But my tail…”

“Wait, I think I can help,” Julia said. She squinted, then reached out towards Gracie, who felt a strange tingling sensation on her tail. The droplets of water atop it dissipated into steam, filling the room with a misty haze. Sure enough, Gracie had her legs again. 

“See? These powers aren’t so bad after all,” Julia remarked. Soon after, she dried both her tail and Louise’s. All three girls were back to normal, any sign that they had tails erased.

“I’ll handle Max,” Gracie said. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Max stood on the porch, a puzzled expression on his face. His wavy copper hair shone in the afternoon sun.

“Hi, Gracie,” he said. He smiled when he saw her, but as he peered into the house, he raised an eyebrow. “Is that… Julia Dove?”

Gracie hurried to shut the door behind her, stepping onto the porch. “Well… yes,” she said. “Louise and I were… having a chat with her.”

“I didn’t know you were really friends,” Max said. “I mean, she came with us to Mako and everything, but… That’s what I’m here to talk to you about, actually.”

“What about Mako?” Gracie’s heart started to race.

“I haven’t seen you since that night,” Max replied. “I haven’t seen Louise either, come to think of it. Is everything all right?”

Gracie hated lying to Max—she could count on one hand the amount of times she had lied to him—but it was necessary now. “Of course,” she said. “Well… it’s complicated. To put it lightly, Louise has been having some girl problems . We didn’t think you would want to know about that.” She had to suppress a wince.

Max’s eyes flitted around, and then he cleared his throat. “I see. Um, I… Yes, I was going to go fishing today, and it’s getting late.” Gracie managed a tense smile. He had bought the lie, and now he wanted to get out of dodge. He started to leave, but only got to the top step of the porch stairs before turning around. “Um, Gracie? Do you want a ride to school tomorrow? I’ll be driving there, anyway, and you live next door, so—”

“You can pick me up at seven,” Gracie said, cutting off his rambling. He was cute when he was flustered, and she couldn’t help but to giggle. “It’d beat taking the bus.”

“All right.” Max’s gaze rested on Gracie just long enough for her to sense his adoration. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Gracie.”

“Goodbye, Max.” Gracie waved goodbye, watching as he walked down the driveway and drove off in a blue blur. As soon as he was out of sight, Gracie went back inside. Louise and Julia stared at her in anticipation.

“Well?” Louise demanded. “What did you tell him?”

Gracie bit her tongue to stifle a laugh. “Let’s just say he won’t be poking around our secret for a while.”

Max did pick Gracie up on the first day of school, and every day after that. Unfortunately, the two had no classes together—that was a first. 

“You wouldn’t want to be in my classes, anyway,” Max said as he walked her to her first class. “I signed up for geology this semester. You never liked that, did you?”

“I reckon I didn’t,” Gracie said. “Boring rock stuff.” The truth was that she’d be happy to take any class with Max. He had always been her anchor. But Gracie wondered if this was for the best, what with recent developments. The less time she spent with Max, the easier it would be to keep the secret from him.

Gracie did have maths with Louise, at least. This was a blessing, because while Gracie excelled in the arts and humanities, Louise was skilled in every subject. Gracie could always count on her when she needed someone with whom she could study.

 However, Karl and Harriet were there too. Karl sauntered into the classroom with his arm around Harriet, laughing with her and carrying her books. To any onlooker, he would have appeared an innocent golden child. That was how he maintained his popularity and resisted any repercussions for his behavior. He was a menace, but the only people he picked on outwardly were Louise and a few others. Most of his peers looked the other way. No one really knew or cared about the truth—except for Gracie and her friends.

Unfortunately, Gracie’s assigned seat was directly behind Karl’s. At least Harriet’s was in the back corner, so she couldn’t bother Gracie or Louise. She was preoccupied, anyway, deep in conversation with Mark Bennett. Gracie wasn’t sure if Karl and Harriet were going steady, but from the way Harriet twirled her flaxen ringlets while talking to Mark, Gracie guessed not.

Karl took his seat, then turned around when he noticed Gracie behind him. His expression was not visibly threatening, but he stared at her, and it made Gracie uncomfortable. She glared at him.

“What’d you think of my beach party, Grace ?” Karl asked, lingering on Gracie’s real name. He knew she hated when people called her that, as everyone in their year did.

“It was just lovely, Karl.” Gracie’s sarcasm was apparent. But then she leaned forward, setting her jaw to make it known that she was serious. “I heard about what you said to Louise. If you ever say anything like that again—”

He cocked his head, a slight grin appearing on his face. “It was all a joke, Gracie. Can’t you and your friend take a joke?” Karl spoke quietly, but Louise’s eyes darted towards him from across the classroom. She must have known something was wrong, because Gracie could tell she was uneasy. 

 “Nice try, Karl.” She scoffed. “You certainly know how to charm people.”

“I can’t say I care much about charming people like you,” Karl said. He retained his calm and composed expression, but his blue eyes were ice-cold. 

“People like me?” 

“You know what people I mean. My father says you’re all drunkards.”

Gracie gulped, in utter disbelief. Of course, everyone here knew that she and her family were Irish Catholics—and there were still a number of people in Australia who held prejudices against them—but it had been a long time since she had heard something so egregious. The absurdity of it made Gracie’s blood boil. Instinctively, she clenched her fist. 

She didn’t realize that the act would set off the sprinklers outside, but in a split second, a hurricane gushed out of the sprinklers and rained against the windows. No sprinkler could be this strong, not without magic. Gracie watched the spectacle with her jaw dropped. At first, she was unable to react, until she regained enough sense to release her fist. Just as soon as they had turned on, the sprinklers subsided.

Everyone in the classroom had watched the strange display, many of them still peering out the windows. Gracie was terrified that they would begin to accuse her, and she sunk deeper and deeper into her chair to brace herself. But only Louise turned to her, as she was the only one who truly knew what had happened. 

The teacher, a woman of about fifty named Mrs. Rollins, walked in as students continued to buzz about the impossible intensity of the sprinklers. She snapped her fingers to get their focus.

“Class has begun,” Mrs. Rollins declared, pushing up her glasses, “so stop chitter-chattering now. Please return to your seats and turn to page fifteen in your textbooks.”

Karl, who had run up to the windows when the water hit them, trotted back to his seat. But he glanced back at Gracie one last time before opening his book. It chilled her to the bone, and she turned her pages with shaking fingers.

Once the bell rang for next period, Gracie stormed out of the class. She could sense Louise following behind her, but didn’t want to talk about what had happened. Deep down, she was ashamed. But Louise ran after her until the two were side-by-side.

“Gracie, was that…” Louise cleared her throat. “With the sprinklers, was that you?”

“You know it was,” Gracie said, clipping her words. She shook her head. “I got angry at Karl, and I lost control. Please, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“It’s all right, Gracie,” Louise said. “You’ll learn how to control them. We’re all still learning.”

Gracie was silent for a while, only saying goodbye to Louise when they parted ways for their next class. For Gracie, it was art class, her absolute favorite. But her mood soured when she imagined a scenario in which she exploded all of the watercolors and grew a tail in front of everyone.

No such thing happened, but Gracie continued to think. In fact, she did her best thinking when she painted. Today, she painted a lone house on a verdant hill. She imagined living there, away from the world, where her secret would be in no danger. Stroking the brush on the canvas, building her ideal reality in watercolors, she realized what she needed to do.

She made a vow to herself to never use her powers again, accidentally or otherwise. Her grasp on her humanity was loosening, and she had to get it back.  

I am human. She repeated the mantra thousands of times in her head.

Chapter Text

When Julia Dove thought of mermaids, she thought of sirens with flowing tresses luring sailors to their deaths. (Growing up in a coastal town meant that those stories were ubiquitous.) The mermaids in the myths weren’t often fifteen year-old girls with otherwise human lives. That was why Julia had never imagined herself being a part of the mythology.

But now that she was, and there seemed to be no way to reverse it, she couldn’t say she didn’t find it fascinating. Would she even try to reverse it, given the chance? 

Julia had spent most of her life being the girl from the diner. It was where she spent most of her time, because she was obligated to spend most of her time there. And she worked there mostly without complaint, because her mother, Evelyn, needed her. Julia’s father had a sudden heart attack when she was nine, leaving the family without a father and the diner without an owner. Evelyn silently grieved—except for when Julia would hear her crying through the thin walls at night—but then she did what she had to, and she took over Dove’s. She couldn’t do it alone, though. 

That was where Julia came in. She had worked after-school shifts at the diner since she was eleven years old. If she had a dollar for every time she heard a customer say “Hey, kid, maybe I should be taking your order” or even a raised eyebrow that she could only assume was due to her young age, she and her mother would never have to work again. But she had no choice. She had two brothers—Peter, age 21, and Stevie, age 9—but the former skipped town when he was 17 and the latter was just a bit too young to start working. Everything was on her shoulders.

Julia thought about Peter a lot. She had an abundance of questions, too. Had he left because the stress of being the “man of the family” was too much for him? Or did he just not care about his mother and younger siblings? Did he even love them? Julia missed him terribly, but she felt angry and betrayed, too. She was too young and fragile for the mess he had left her. She had to grow up quickly, and simultaneously, she had to build up a resistance to life. A hard shell, she called it. And she had to fire back before she could be hit. She knew people thought she was truculent, cross, and maybe that was the truth. But it was all she had to protect herself. 

After that night on Mako Island, Julia wasn’t just the girl from the diner anymore. Of course, her life could still be dull and dismal. But the miraculous gift that Mako had given her made even the grey in her life seem vivid. She was a mermaid—even if nobody, save for Gracie and Louise, knew that. Her power lied not only in her tongue’s harsh words, but in her fire-wielding hands. 

Quite honestly, Julia loved being a mermaid. She knew Gracie didn’t, and she couldn’t blame her—from what she had gathered, Gracie’s parents were strict and possibly over-attentive—but Julia loved it. And maybe she loved it for the same reason that Gracie hated it. Evelyn was a good mother, but she was awfully busy with Dove’s, and she didn’t have the time to poke around in Julia’s business. That wasn’t always a good thing; sometimes Julia wished she had someone to prod her about the infinitesimal details of her life. But, when you had to keep the secret of being a teenage mermaid, having someone like Evelyn as a parent was the best case scenario.

Julia was also starting to form a habit of swimming to the moon pool each morning, before school started. She’d watch the sunset through the volcano’s opening, soaking in the magic of her surroundings. And sometimes she’d experiment with her powers. She could argue it was for the sake of honing her skills, to gain control, but mostly it provided enjoyment.

One of these mornings, while she treaded water in the moon pool, she noticed a current of water coming her way. As she watched, she saw that the current preceded her fellow blonde mermaid, Louise. Her entrance surprised Julia. Sometimes she and Louise found themselves swimming at night, but Louise never came to Mako at this hour.

“Chatham,” Julia said, raising an eyebrow. The two of them hadn’t spent much time alone since the beach party. Usually, Gracie was around, too. But Julia liked Louise. In the past, she thought Louise was eccentric, perhaps a tad prissy due to her pursuit of academics. But Julia always thought she had a good heart. And she had seen, since the beach party, that Louise wasn’t prissy at all. 

“Oh, hi, Julia,” Louise said. “Do you always come here in the morning?”

“I do,” Julia replied. “For the last few weeks, at least.” She remembered then that it had been nearly a month since they became mermaids. Time had passed so quickly, it felt like yesterday. “And you?”

“I prefer night swims, myself.” Louise smiled. “But the sunrise is so beautiful in the morning. I thought I might get a better view of it here.” She gazed at the sky, which was painted with shades of orange and yellow and blue. 

Meanwhile, Julia studied her features: her doe-like eyes framed with long lashes, her full lips, her softly arched eyebrows. She had known of Louise ever since she had moved to the Gold Coast from England, but she never really looked at her before. A month ago, she had barely talked to Louise, and now, they shared a secret that would bond them for life. 

“Maybe we can convince Gracie to join us sometime,” Julia suggested. “Is she still flipping her wig about being a mermaid?” Of the three of them, Gracie was the one who swam least frequently. She was still hell-bent on resisting the new changes in her life.

“Not today,” Louise said. “Last night, Max finally asked her to the school dance.”

“That would do the trick.” Julia grinned at her. 

“I can’t believe he waited so long. The dance is tonight!” Louise ran her hands through her damp hair, chuckling.

“Classic Max,” Julia said. He still didn’t know about their secret, but he did hang around the three mermaids quite often. Julia was fond of both his sense of humor and his many blunders. “Hey, I didn’t know they were going steady.”

“They’re not,” Louise countered. “Well, they should be, and both of them wish they were, but they aren’t.”

“Why not?” Julia asked. “That seems—”
“Absurd? You’re right. But Gracie’s parents wouldn’t be too keen on that idea, and now that she’s a mermaid… She’ll never say yes to him. It would be too hard for her.” Louise shook her head. “For now, they’ll be each other’s dates, but… not like that.”

“Well, Laurence Mancini is my date, and we’re just friends,” Julia pointed out. When Laurence wasn’t out making waves in the Gold Coast’s surfing scene, he worked part-time at Dove’s. The two of them had been casual friends for about a year. She knew he wasn’t romantically interested in her—and if she were being honest, she doubted that he was romantically interested in any woman. She didn’t care, though; he was a nice fellow, and he made working at the diner bearable. “Do you have a date?”

“I suppose I do,” Louise answered, frowning. “My neighbor, Jonathan Ford, asked me. I said yes.”

“Did you mention that already?” Julia asked, taking note of Louise’s demeanor. “You sound… disappointed.”

“No, I didn’t.” Louise sighed, but then she smiled. “If I had, Gracie would have talked about it for a week. I’ve never… had a date before. And I’ve certainly never had a date to a school dance.” She rested her elbows on the edge of the moon pool. “I’m not disappointed—Jonathan’s neat, and all, and I should be on cloud nine—but I don’t fancy him the way he fancies me.”

“Oh.” For a minute, Julia didn’t know what to say. “Well, is there another boy you fancy?”

Louise shrugged. “No, not at the moment. But even if I did, I’m a mermaid now, and…” Her mouth twitched, as if she wanted to say something else but decided against it. “I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll find the right boy, someday.”

“Blokes are stupid, anyway,” Julia told her. “Don’t trouble yourself over it.”

Louise cracked a smile. “I reckon you’re right.” Their eyes lingered on each other for a split-second, before she glanced at her bare wrist. Then, a look of panic washed over her face. “Oh, no, I forgot that my watch disappears when I transform. Do you think we’ll be late to school?”

“Cool your jets, Chatham.” Julia looked up at the sunrise, which had faded into a cerulean sky. “You’ve been here for… ten minutes, maybe?”

“You’re right.” Louise sighed in relief. She submerged herself deeper into the water, so that her shoulders were under the surface. “It’s just that we have a maths test today.”

“I’d bet money that you’re the only person who’s worried about it,” Julia said, “and yet you’re the person who should worry the least.” 

Louise blushed, but shared a laugh with Julia. “Maybe,” she conceded.

Julia started to swim towards the where the moon pool met the ocean. “But I’ve been here for far too long, anyway,” she said, looking back at Louise. “Are you coming?”

Louise nodded, and began to follow after her. The two of them swam out into the ocean, then took off at the speed of light. 

School would have been business as usual, except that biology brought an unexpected development. Julia hated the class, often using the time to catch up on sleep. That day, however, Mr. Wilson assigned a new project. DNA models, or something of the sort. Worse yet, it was to be collaborative, and he would place students into pairs. Julia groaned; none of her current friends were in the same biology class as her, but an old friend was. Karl Anderson. Julia prayed that the universe would spare her, just for once. She tapped her fingers as the teacher read out the names in each pair, dreading hers in particular.

“Julia Dove and”— Please, no— “Karl Anderson.” 

Julia clenched her fists. She could practically see the smugness emanating from the mousy brown hairs on Karl’s head. He wasn’t going to make this easy on her. He turned around and shot her a fleeting glare.

After class, Karl waited for Julia by the door, like a puma ready to pounce. Before she could step outside, he had his hand on her shoulder. She reluctantly stopped in her tracks.

“Julia Dove,” he said. He put a hand on his chin, as if he were thinking.

Julia forced a passive-aggressive smile. “That’s my name. Don’t wear it out, Karl.”

“I know, I’m just… remembering old times.” His lips curved upwards, but his eyes remained cold. “I just want to say… I care about this project. I’m trying to become top of the class, you know. As long as Louise Chatham doesn’t beat me to the punch.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “Did you ever consider that she’s much smarter than you?” 

“Listen here, Dove ,” Karl threatened, “You’d better not ruin this project to help Louise stay on top.”

“Ha!” Julia couldn’t help but laugh at his accusation. She hadn’t even thought of that, though she wished she had. “Chatham doesn’t need her stupid cronies to help her. That’s all you.” 

Karl continued to glower. “Fine. Come to my house after school on Monday so we can work on the DNA model. You remember the address, don’t you?”

I wish I didn’t, Julia thought. She nodded, then pushed her way past him. He was insufferable. Absolutely insufferable.

She had no idea what was in store. And she really had no idea that, not too far in the future, she’d find him more than tolerable.

“Smile for the camera, Lulu!” Julia watched as Louise’s mother, Victoria, fussed over her daughter and Jonathan Ford. The two of them stood by the stairs, Jonathan’s arms around the waist of Louise’s navy blue dress as she stood in front of him. Louise had anything but a smile on her face, but at her mother’s insistence, she forced one.

“Mum, haven’t we taken enough pictures?” Louise protested, clenching her fist. “Won’t you run out of film?”

“Just one more, darling,” Victoria said, eliciting a sigh from Louise. Julia knew that the Chathams were well-off from the size of their home, but she could hear it in Victoria’s voice, too. She had a cultivated accent, the kind that only wealthy Australian ladies had. 

Julia looked over at her date, Laurence, who shuddered at the scene in front of them. “Look at him, all over her like a rash,” he said, referring to Jonathan. “Poor Louise.”

Using her most proper tone of voice, Julia decided to step in. “Mrs. Chatham, might we take a few pictures with all three couples?”

“Oh, of course,” Victoria replied. “That is why you’ve all come here before the dance, isn’t it?” 

Victoria practically dragged Julia and Laurence along and situated them next to Louise and Jonathan. Julia smoothed the fabric of her short-sleeved coral dress—she was miffed that she had to wear a dress, finding that most of them were far outside her style, but at least this one wasn’t too frou-frou. 

“Lulu, huh?” Julia whispered. She half-smiled at Louise, trying to offer her sympathy.  “You never told me you had a nickname.”

Louise put her palm over her face in embarrassment. “My mum started calling me that when I was a baby, and she hasn’t stopped.”

During the picture-taking chaos, Gracie and Max were talking in the corner of the Chatham’s foyer. She wore a stunning mint green dress with a sweetheart neckline, and he hardly took his eyes off her. Once Victoria located them, she led them to the staircase, where they stood next to Julia and Laurence.

“Oh, you all look perfect,” Victoria cooed. Camera flashing, she took a photo of all six teens. “Donald,” she called to her husband, “you simply must come downstairs and see Louise and her friends before they leave!”

Donald Chatham began to clomp downstairs in his loafers, departing from what Julia assumed was his study. She hadn’t yet met Louise’s father, but he was more or less what she expected. She could see that he had greyish hair and looked just as prim and proper as the rest of his family. The look in his eyes wasn’t unkind, but it wasn’t incredibly lively, either. Maybe he was worn down from work.

Donald nodded cordially at Louise and her friends. “Well, have a splendid time at the dance,” he said, his voice colored with a posh English accent. “And stay out of trouble.” 

“You know me, Mr. Chatham,” Jonathan assured him, a cheesy grin on his face. “I’ll have Louise back home by ten.” Somehow, his tone was both squeaky-clean and sleazy at the same time. Julia hated it. Donald seemed placated by that response, though, and headed into the kitchen to make tea. Victoria followed him, seemingly thrilled with the pictures she had captured.

Just before the dance, the three girls and their dates piled into Jonathan’s luxury car and drove to the high school. Dozens of others were arriving at the same time as them; seldom would anyone miss a dance. They followed the crowd of people inside to the school gym, which had been decorated with streamers and balloons. In the back of the gym was a table with refreshments. It was dark, but Julia recognized many of her classmates there, dancing to the uptempo rock-and-roll music.

“Can you believe your mum let us blow off our shifts at the diner tonight?” Laurence asked Julia while they took a break to grab some fruit punch. They often worked around this time, so it was unusual that they had been able to take the night off for the dance.

Julia scoffed, carefully taking a sip of her fruit punch to prevent it from touching her skin. “She only let us because you asked. If I had, she probably would have said no.”

“Are you telling me I’m Evelyn Dove’s favorite employee?” Laurence asked, faux-gasping.

“You’re one of them,” Julia admitted. “You always show up on time.” She tightened her fingers around her plastic cup. “And so do I, but that doesn’t count in her eyes. I’m her daughter—I have to be there.”

Laurence put his hand on Julia’s shoulder. “Not tonight, you don’t. Come on, let’s get back to the party.” He started to lead her back to the throng of students. But a figure in the corner of the room caught Julia’s eye. It was Karl, alone. Julia assumed he brought Harriet to the dance, so the sight surprised her. But when she scanned the room, she saw Harriet with Mark Bennett. 

“Back in a minute, Laurence,” she said. She took a step in Karl’s direction.

“You’re going to talk to him?” Laurence asked, following Julia’s eyes to Karl.

“Why… yes. We’re partners in biology,” Julia explained half-heartedly.

Without waiting for a response, she treaded towards Karl. As she looked closer, she saw he had a drink in his hand. From the way he puckered and winced when he drank it, she doubted it was merely fruit punch. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt sorry for him. 

“Well, you’re a wet rag tonight,” Julia commented.

“Get lost, Julia.” Karl turned away, his face leaning against the brick wall.

Julia pivoted to face Karl again, to his annoyance. “Is it Harriet?” she asked.

Karl glanced in Harriet and Mark’s direction. The two of them looked smitten as they danced together. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. 

Julia let out a half-laugh. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

Karl took a deep breath. “I can’t… No, I don’t want t-to talk about it. Why do you care, anyway?” His drunken state made his words run together.

“I don’t ,” Julia rushed to say. He’d never let her hear the end of it. “I was just the person who happened to notice you looking all bummed out in the corner.” 

Karl was silent for a moment, but then he started to chuckle.

“What?” Julia snapped.

“R-remember the pranks we used to pull on my father?” Karl slurred, still grinning. Julia nodded; she remembered most things about their early friendship. Karl continued, “We put vinegar in his c-coffee one time. He was so mad, his f-face turned red.”

Julia couldn’t help but smile back. “He didn’t like me very much.” She thought for a moment. “I reckon you two have that in common, these days.”

Karl opened his mouth, then rapidly closed it. He took another gulp of his drink—Julia peered into the red cup and saw that it was a clear liquid. After a few seconds, it was evident that Karl had nothing left to say, so Julia began to leave him. The boy who seemed to have everything was more tortured than she previously imagined. Again, she felt a twist of sympathy for him, without knowing why.

Julia searched for Laurence on the dance floor, and noticed him making eyes at some stud a few feet away. Apparently, her intuitions about him proved to be true. She said hello to him again, and when he asked about Karl, she used the excuse of their shared science project. He accepted it with no fewer questions, and they resumed dancing again. He kept glancing in the direction of the handsome gentleman near them; Julia smiled to herself. 

Eventually, a love song started to play, and each couple around them took the cue to slow dance. Julia and Laurence shrugged at one another—they knew their friendship was that, and nothing more—and stepped to the side. Both of them grimaced, then discreetly laughed, when they saw Harriet and Mark swapping spit on the dance floor.

Julia spotted Max and Gracie slow dancing together, and she wondered if it might finally lead to something more between the two of them. She didn’t know how the logistics of it would work—Max didn’t know Gracie was a mermaid, and she couldn’t tell him—but she did think that the two of them would make an adorable couple.

Next to Max and Gracie was Louise and her… unfortunate date. Jonathan had his hands practically plastered to Louise’s hips, and she looked miserable. Julia watched with widened eyes as Jonathan, ever-clueless, leaned in to kiss her. Louise bolted towards the gym doors before anything could happen, disappearing from sight. Julia felt a strange sense of relief in the knowledge that they hadn’t kissed; then, she realized that she had better make sure Louise was all right. She ran through the gym doors, but when she scanned the hallways, she couldn’t find Louise. She wandered the hallways looking for the girl, but to no avail. Finally, she heard the clacking of heels, followed by a giggle.

“Louise?” Julia called out. “Is that you?” She rounded a corner and found her standing there. 

“Julia, you must come outside with me and look at the full moon,” Louise pleaded. “I saw its brilliance through that open window.” She pointed, but Julia had the sense not to look. She knew something was wrong.

“Louise, what’s wrong with you?” Julia snapped her fingers in front of Louise’s eyes, but it was as if she were in a trance.

“Come to Mako Island with me,” Louise said, her voice sugary-sweet. “We can be there together, in the moon pool.” She took Julia’s hand, their fingers interlacing, and started to drag her along. Louise’s hand was colder, much colder, than usual.

Julia shook her head, stopping in her tracks. “I’m going to find Gracie.”

“Oh, she can come with us too!” Louise clapped her hands. “But it can just be the two of us, if you’d like.”

“No, we’re not going to Mako,” Julia refused. “We’ll go back to the gym.” She started to lead Louise in that direction.

“No, no,” Louise protested, kicking up her heels. “That terrible human boy will be waiting for me there. I don’t want him, Julia, I want you.” The back of her hand grazed Julia’s arm; now, it was freezing to the touch.

Julia blinked, unsure if she had correctly understood Louise. “W-what?”

“We can be together on Mako, it’s the only place,” Louise said, batting her eyes. “Let me show you the moonlight.”

“Don’t be silly, Chatham.” Julia took in a pinched breath. She told herself Louise didn’t really feel this way; she wasn’t herself tonight. The moonlight… of course. “The moon is full tonight,” she thought aloud. “And it was full when we turned into mermaids. What if…”

“Oh, it’s sooo beautiful,” Louise marveled. 

“Snap out of it, Louise!” Julia implored. But she knew that wouldn’t help Louise. “Stay here. Don’t move a muscle.” She took off down the hallway, resolving to find Gracie so that the two of them could bring Louise home. But she knew nothing of Louise’s predicament. How long would it last? And would she and Gracie fall victim to the same “moon trance”? 

Gracie and Max were still slow dancing, eyes locked, when Julia barged in. She had to tap on Gracie’s shoulder before the brunette even noticed her presence. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Julia quipped. Gracie whipped her head around to face Julia, looking a bit miffed. “All right, so I am. But Louise is in trouble, and I need your help, Gracie.”

“Louise is in trouble?” Max repeated, visibly concerned. “I’m sure I can help, too, whatever it is.” Julia knew he and Louise had been friends for a long time, and that he wouldn’t let this go easily. She mentally kicked herself for not inventing a good lie to get Gracie’s attention instead—truth be damned. Perhaps she’d have to change her approach.

Max started to leave the dance floor, but Julia put up a hand to stop him. “If too many of us go, it’ll only overwhelm Louise,” she explained. Max’s face fell.

“I think I understand, Julia,” Gracie said, her eyes darting between Julia and her date. Thankfully, she realized that Louise was dealing with a problem of the mermaid variety. “Max, I’m sure she would appreciate you wanting to help, but… it’s just that Louise is dealing with something that you can’t help with.”

“Oh.” Max pressed his lips together. “Is this what you mentioned before?”

“Why… yes,” Gracie said. “It’s precisely what I mentioned before.” Julia made a mental note to later ask Gracie what she “mentioned” to Max.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Max said, taking a step back. “Will you be back, Gracie?”

Gracie looked at Julia for her answer. Julia shook her head, guessing that this wouldn’t be easy to handle. “I’m not sure, Max,” Gracie finally answered. 

“We should go now,” Julia urged her, hastily leading her out of the gym while a bewildered Max watched. 

Once they were in the hallway, away from the other students, Gracie started to panic. “Julia, you have me worried. What’s really happened to Louise?”

“I don’t know, exactly,” Julia admitted as they raced through the halls. “But she’s acting… strange. She won’t stop talking about the full moon, and how she wants to swim to Mako Island. It’s as if she’s—” She cut herself off when she realized that Louise wasn’t where she left her. “Oh, of course.”

“What?”

“She’s gone.” Julia sighed. “She must have already gone to Mako. She simply couldn’t wait, could she?” She squinted at the lockers nearby; they looked to be covered with a thin layer of frost. “And look at the lockers! Her ice powers must be out of control.” Julia scrunched her hand to steam the ice away. 

“What’s made her act like this?” Gracie pondered, fanning the steam away. The two of them sat against the wall, unsure of their next move.

“There’s a full moon tonight,” Julia said. “According to Louise, there is. I haven’t seen it. And the night of the beach party on Mako? There was a full moon then, too.” 

“What are you saying?”

“As mermaids, we might be connected to the full moon.”

“So that would explain Louise’s strange behavior?” Gracie bit her lip, then cried out. “Oh, being a mermaid is becoming worse by the day!”

“Don’t be dramatic,” Julia replied. “We’re going to be all right.”

“But how will we help Louise?” Gracie asked. “If you’re right, then we’ll be useless if we see the moon.”

Julia had to admit that she raised a good point. “There’s only one way we can be sure.” She gestured to the outdoors. “If you don’t go, I will . Louise is alone on Mako Island, and…”

Gracie inhaled deeply. “No, I’ll go with you.” The two of them stood up and continued through the hallways until they found an exit. 

The last thing Julia could remember was stepping one foot onto the pavement —just before she saw the silver luminescence of the satellite itself.

“You were right about the full moon, Julia,” Gracie said. “I can’t remember anything that happened after we saw it.” The two of them, plus Louise, sat in a booth in the back of Dove’s. Julia was technically working, but it wasn’t a particularly busy time for the diner. Besides, her mum was busy taking inventory and wouldn’t notice her slacking. 

“Jonathan Ford didn’t try to kiss me, did he?” Louise put her face in her hands. “That’s the last thing I remember.”

“Oh, you remembered correctly,” Julia teased Louise. “But you ran away before he actually did it.”

“What happened to us last night?” Gracie picked at her nails. “We woke up in the moon pool cave this morning, and I…” She let out a long sigh. “My parents are never going to forgive Max. When I finally got home, it took me hours to convince them that he and I hadn’t committed ‘mortal sins.’”

“All I know is that Chatham wouldn’t stop gabbing about the moon,” Julia said. “She was like a zombie.” She felt a pinch in her chest when she thought about what else Louise had said—that she wanted Julia. Did she really mean that? She couldn’t, Julia rationalized. Louise was hardly herself at the time, so it didn’t matter.

“Well, it’s clear what we need to do,” Louise said, clasping her hands. “We can’t look at the full moon ever again.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Julia replied. “What, should we become recluses once a month?”

“It’s the only choice we have,” Louise insisted. “We’ll board up the windows, if we have to.”

“But how will we explain all of that to our families?” Gracie asked. “Mine are already thinking of shipping me away, I’m sure of it.”

Just then, Evelyn Dove passed by. She smiled at the girls, but it didn’t quite reach her weary grey eyes. “Julia, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, a cigarette between her fingers.

Julia nodded, and followed her mother to the break room. “Not here to bust me for slacking on the job, are you?” Either that, or her mother was aware that she didn’t come home last night. Although Julia would bet anything that she passed out on the couch before midnight.

Evelyn chuckled, shaking her head. “For once, no.” She pursed her lips, hesitating before she spoke again. “I just wanted to ask if you were all right, Julia.”

Julia didn’t know the answer to that question. “Why shouldn’t I be?” she replied.

 “Well, I’m glad you have new friends now,” Evelyn said, “and they seem to make you happy. But you seem… different.”

“I am,” Julia agreed. She wagged her eyebrows before cracking a joke. “I’m not a girl anymore, I’m a woman. We had that talk a few years ago, remember?”

Evelyn laughed at the joke, but turned serious again. “Really, Julia, you can tell me anything.”

You’re too busy to ever listen to me, Julia thought, not that I can tell you about my being a mermaid, anyway. She hated to admit it, but she resented her mother. It wasn’t Evelyn’s fault—the years following Julia’s father’s death had been exhausting and painful. For a while, Julia wondered if the pain would ever cease. Becoming friends with Louise and Gracie, and sharing such a marvelous secret, was the closest thing she had ever felt to that cessation. 

“I promise that I’m all right,” Julia maintained. “I really am.” It wasn’t a lie; though the full moon posed a new challenge, being a mermaid also provided a new sense of hope.

Evelyn accepted that, even if some doubt persisted in her countenance. “Good, Julia.” She patted her daughter’s shoulder. “Now, you really should get back to work. A customer is waiting to order at the counter.”

Julia smiled at her mother and reluctantly went behind the counter. She huffed at the sight of Karl, who sat in one of the swivel chairs while he mulled over a menu. He had dark circles under his eyes.

“I’ve been waiting here for”—he checked his watch, then slyly grinned—“three minutes. I always thought Dove’s had the best service in town.”

“Only for the customers that merit it,” Julia fired back. She was in no mood for his repartee. She pulled out a notepad from her apron. “What’ll it be?”

“Double cheeseburger, extra ketchup,” Karl ordered. “To go.”

Julia didn’t bother to scribble down his order. She delivered it directly to the kitchen—at this hour, only Chef Leon was there—and brought it out to Karl within a few minutes. She took his crumpled wad of cash—really, for such a rich boy, you’d think his money would be in better shape—and smoothed each bill while putting them in the register. 

“Goodbye, Karl,” she said, her voice monotone, and began to walk back to Louise and Gracie’s booth. 

“I’ll see you on Monday,” Karl said. “Our science project, remember?”

“Oh, I do,” Julia said. “I simply can’t wait.” 

“Perhaps we’ll make a good team.” Karl smirked as took his food and left the diner. 

This was going to be hell.

Chapter Text

“Do you think Julia has been acting peculiar lately?” Louise asked Gracie. It was a Saturday morning, and the two of them had swum to the moon pool. Julia said she would meet them there, but she still hadn’t arrived after ten minutes. Louise wasn’t surprised, though; Julia had been late to most of their moon pool meetings in the last week.

“Hard to say,” Gracie replied. “Julia was a fiery girl even before she got her powers.”

“There’s the thing,” Louise said. “I can’t put my finger on it, exactly, but she’s been much… quieter, perhaps?”

“What do you mean?” Gracie cocked her head.

“Well, remember the other day?” Louise leaned against the rocky wall of the moon pool. “Harriet said something rude to Julia in the canteen. But she didn’t fight back! She just sat there in a daze, with a smile on her face.”

“That was strange,” Gracie agreed. “She’s always ready with a comeback for Harriet. What could possibly make her act like—” She gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. “Oh, I think I know.” 

“What?” Louise asked, as Gracie’s mouth curved into a small smile.

“I think Julia has a secret boyfriend.”

Louise’s heart sank. “No, that can’t be it. She’d never do that… would she?” Images of Julia and some faceless boyfriend flashed through her mind. She tried to push them away.

“Love is the only thing that changes people like that,” Gracie explained. She paused for a moment, thoughtful, as if someone in her own life came to mind. “Oh, I’m dying to know who it is. Maybe… Laurence? No, definitely not him…”

“How can you be sure?” Louise cut off Gracie’s giddy rambling. “Maybe there’s some other explanation. Either way, I wouldn’t like the idea of it. Our secret could be exposed!”

“As long as she doesn’t tell him she’s a mermaid, why not let her have a bit of fun?” Gracie shrugged. “You almost sound jealous, Louise.”

“W-what? I am not, ” Louise sputtered. “I only care about keeping the secret safe.” She couldn’t believe that Gracie wasn’t more upset about the idea of Julia having a boyfriend, and how risky that would be. Maybe it was because Gracie, herself, practically had a boyfriend in Max. They weren’t going steady, but they might as well have been.

“So do I,” Gracie said, her tone serious now. “Believe me, I don’t want anyone to know I’m… Anyway, I could be completely wrong. The only person who can say for sure is—”

A head of long, blonde hair emerged from the water. “Sorry I’m late, girls,” Julia said with a smile. “I had a night shift at the diner last night, and I couldn’t help but wake up later this morning.”

For some reason, Louise didn’t believe her. What if she was with her “secret boyfriend” last night instead of working at the diner? Gracie’s hypothesis was beginning to drive her crazy. Worst of all, Louise knew that protecting the secret wasn’t the only reason she cared. Deep down, the reason was something else, something she couldn’t admit. But perhaps Julia wasn’t acting so different after all, and Louise had simply misread her behavior. Yes, that was it. Louise hoped to forget it and move on.

“It’s all right, Julia.” Gracie stole a furtive glance at Louise; clearly, they had thought the same thing. Louise rolled her eyes at Gracie when Julia wasn’t looking.

“Say, I can’t believe you’re here.” Julia turned to the brunette. “You never used to swim to the moon pool with us.”

Gracie sighed, looking into the distance. “I can’t change the fact that I’m a mermaid, can’t I? I might as well spend time with my best friends.” She tensed up before adding, “But I won’t use my powers.”

“Why not?” Louise asked. “Sure, having a tail can be a pain… But, at the very least, we have incredible powers to go with it.”

“I don’t know,” Gracie said. “Perhaps it’s irrational. My powers, they… They seem to be another thing to hide.”

“Suit yourself,” Julia replied, nonchalant. Then, she grinned. “Some kid at the diner was giving me lip yesterday, so I boiled his milkshake when he wasn’t looking.”

“Julia!” Louise gasped. She started to laugh at the mental image of that scene. “Oh, you really should be more careful.” 

“No harm done,” Julia protested, “just an ankle-biter put in his place.” Louise smiled at her; what she had just described sounded like the Julia she knew. Maybe she and Gracie were wrong about her “peculiar” behavior.

“Well, either way,” Gracie started, “can we forget the mermaid talk? I hear there’s a good movie playing at the drive-in tonight.”

“I’d be keen on going,” Louise replied. “Are you going to invite Max?”
Gracie scrunched her eyebrows. “Maybe. It’s been hard to keep everything from him.” She looked over at Julia. “Will you come, Julia?”

Julia bit her lip. “I don’t think I can.” She offered no other details at first, but when the other two mermaids stared at her, she buckled. “What are you two, detectives? I have to work again tonight. You know how my mum is.”

“Of course, we understand.” Louise tried to mask her suspicion. Maybe Julia was really telling the truth, but she couldn’t quite believe that.

The three of them stayed in the moon pool for a while longer, but by midday, they had parted ways. Louise decided to swim around the area after the others had left, hoping to clear her head. She first kept close to the ocean floor, swimming slowly to admire the vibrant reefs. But then she ascended, closer to the surface, feeling almost weightless as she accelerated. 

Speeding through the water, Louise nearly missed the sinking boat. From her vantage point, it was a shadow on the ocean surface. However, she had the unexplainable instinct to stop; when she looked up, she realized that the hull was descending. It was filled with water, and someone was inside.

It was an open fishing boat, and had likely been underwater for a few minutes. With the help of the few rays of light that illuminated the murky waters, Louise could see a man of about fifty who lay unconscious at the helm. He wouldn’t stand a chance unless she pulled him to shore. She put two fingers to his pulse point, sensing a heartbeat; if she acted quickly, she could save him. Was the trek even possible? She could only try. But what if he saw her tail? She grimaced, knowing that she had no choice. She couldn’t let someone die. She locked her arms underneath his, and with all of her strength, hoisted him out of the boat and to the ocean surface. He was still out cold; Louise was thankful he wouldn’t see her tail, but his life hung by a thread. With every passing second, he drew closer to death.

It took all of her energy, but Louise dragged the fisherman through the water for what felt like eons. Finally, they reached the shore, and she brought him to the most secluded part of the beach. She’d have to dry off before she resuscitated the man, wasting precious moments. 

Helplessly, she lay in the warm sand. She wished Julia were there to evaporate the water that lingered on her tail, but fanning herself would have to do. Once she regained her legs, she ran to the fisherman, checking his pulse once again. She could sense no movement under her fingertips—she had to perform CPR. Luckily, she had learned it when she was thirteen. (It was a skill that had made her one of the Gold Coast’s most reliable, sought-after babysitters.) Mustering her last morsel of energy, she started the chest compressions, alternating them with rescue breaths. After a few minutes, nothing happened; Louise feared he might be gone for good. But then he started to cough.

“Who—” He gasped for air, then sat up abruptly. He looked sickly and green, his beard tangled. “Who are you?”

“I’m Louise Chatham,” she said. “You were drowning, and I brought you to shore.” She hadn’t yet formulated her story, so she had to be vague. All she knew was that she couldn’t tell him the truth. 

“I remember, now. I thought I would meet my end, but you saved old Atticus’ life.” He started to chuckle and cough simultaneously. Louise helped him to his feet, hoping he wouldn’t remember anything else. 

At once, Atticus became very serious. “A sea monster—” The man hacked a few more times. “There was a s-sea monster,” he said, trembling. “It grabbed me… In fact, it might have saved my life.”

Louise’s eyes widened as she realized he must have seen her tail. “You lost oxygen,” she explained, helping him to his feet. “Are you sure you didn’t see a shark?” 

“I know what I saw, lassie,” he insisted. “In my decades of fishing, I’ve seen every creature of the deep… This was a sea monster. I caught a glimpse of its golden scales, and—”

“You must be in shock, Atticus. I-I’m going to take you to the hospital.”

“No, no, that won’t be necessary,” Atticus protested. “I wasn’t hurt; that sea monster just gave me a good scare. Why, I don’t think I’ve ever been so frightened in my life!”

It was apparent that Atticus wouldn’t stop talking about the “sea monster” anytime soon, but at least he didn't seem to be injured. Once Louise was assured that the fisherman would be all right, they parted ways and she started to run home. But she didn’t even make it off the beach. Unfortunately, the Gold Coast’s finest reporters had already gotten wind of Atticus’s near-death experience—and Louise’s “heroic rescue”. The last thing she wanted was to talk to a reporter, but one of them caught her off guard.

“Excuse me, miss? Are you Louise Chatham?” A dapper man, wearing a fedora, sauntered up to Louise. She recognized him from somewhere. Behind him was a man holding a camera. 

 She realized then that she knew him from the local news. Warily, she took a step back. “Yes, I am. Why do you ask?”

“I’m Samuel Wolfe from Channel Nine. I’d like to ask you some questions about your rescuing Atticus Hancock today,” the reporter said. There was a mischievous glint in his eye. “Everyone wants to know about the girl who so bravely saved him. Could you spare a minute for an interview?” A gaggle of kids was starting to gather behind her; from their jumping and waving, she guessed that they were trying to get on television. 

Louise gulped, sensing that she wouldn’t like where this was going. “Um, I don’t quite know if I—”

“Wonderful!” Samuel ignored her discomfort, obviously hoping for a good story. He shoved a microphone at her face. “How does it feel to be a hero, Louise?”

“I-I don’t feel like that,” she said, twitching a bit. She realized she had never been on television before, that this would be the first time. She hoped that this wouldn’t air, but she knew it likely would. She also knew Samuel wouldn’t leave her alone until he got information from her, so she decided to go with the simplest explanation. “I just saw him in the surf and dragged him to shore.” 

Samuel nodded, but he appeared skeptical. “Mr. Hancock told us something big, a monster, saved him,” he continued in his deep, resounding news-voice. “But his boat sank about 30 kilometers offshore. How did he make it back?”

“I’m not sure,” Louise replied, smiling nervously. “But I didn’t see any sea monsters out there.” 

“Hmph.” Samuel narrowed his eyes at Louise. Her vague answers must have irritated him. Reporters didn’t like it when people dodged their questions, and they certainly didn’t like it when people lied. But Louise had no other choice. While he consulted with his cameraman about angles and whatnot, she took the opportunity to make a getaway. She had to prevent him from asking any further questions.

Louise wondered how much Atticus had been running his mouth about the “sea monster” he saw. Would people make the connection that she was the fearsome monster? Given her squeaky-clean track record, she found that idea unlikely, but she was still uneasy. Especially after that impromptu interview. 

Samuel Wolfe had cornered her; it made Louise wonder if others would be searching for her as well, looking for a juicy soundbite. All she knew was that she wouldn’t give the others a single word—and if she opened her mouth, it would be to vehemently deny the rumors of a “sea monster” lurking around the Gold Coast.

“You saved a fisherman from drowning?” Gracie’s jaw dropped. Louise had called her and Julia to her house right away after the ordeal. “D-did he see your tail?”

Louise shushed her, knowing that her parents were downstairs. She was afraid they would hear. “No. Well, yes. Well, sort of,” Louise babbled. She breathed in, then continued, “but he thinks he’s seen a sea monster. I tried to convince him that he was only hallucinating, but it sounds like he’s already told everyone about his theories.” She ran her hands through her hair, mussing the neat ringlets. “Oh, what have I done? I had to save his life, but what if everyone finds out about us?”

“What you have to do is deny, deny, deny,” Julia said. “And don’t answer too many questions.”
Louise winced. “It might be too late for that. Samuel Wolfe from Channel Nine asked me some questions on the beach—”

“What?” Gracie yelped.

“I told him that I saw Atticus struggling in the surf, and that I dragged him to shore,” Louise explained. “That’s what I told Atticus, too.”

“Well, he doesn’t think you’re the sea monster, does he?” Gracie inquired. “You were only a Good Samaritan who saw him drowning. Isn’t that what he thinks?”

“You’re right,” Louise said. “No one will know. I promise I’ll keep the secret safe.”

“We know that. You did the right thing, Louise,” Julia affirmed. “You couldn’t have let him drown.”

“I know,” Louise said, “but I feel so rotten. Especially after Samuel’s questions.”

“You shouldn’t.” Gracie patted her on the shoulder. “I bet you’ll feel better when we go to the drive-in tonight. You’re still coming, aren’t you?” 

“I don’t really know,” Louise muttered. “Maybe.”

“We can’t let being mermaids get in the way of our normal lives,” Gracie said. “Right, Julia?” She winked at Louise, clearly referencing Julia’s hypothetical secret boyfriend. Louise directed a death glare at Gracie in return. She wasn’t convinced that the boyfriend existed, anyway.

“Um, right.” Julia blinked a few times. She opened her mouth to say something else, but didn’t. 

The girls were interrupted by Victoria Chatham’s voice coming from downstairs. “Lulu, dear! You’re on television!”

Louise’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Her friends looked similarly concerned. “Oh, no,” she groaned. The three of them ran out of Louise’s room and down the stairs. Sure enough, Louise’s face flashed on the television in black-and-white before cutting to a fedora-clad Samuel Wolfe.

The girls watched the screen with bated breath as Samuel’s segment played.  Naturally, he had also interviewed Atticus Hancock, and the fisherman was adamant that a sea monster had saved him. Then, Louise’s interview came on. 

“Lulu, you saved that man?” Victoria regarded her daughter with shock and enthusiasm. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Well done, Louise. I knew that CPR training would pay off,” Donald commented matter-of-factly. He went back to reading the newspaper in his recliner. 

“It’s really much ado about nothing,” Louise said, attempting to shrug off her mother’s zeal.

“Nonsense! We should celebrate your good deed tonight.” Victoria began to flit around, and Louise could see the cogs turning in her mother’s mind. She would not let this go easily.

“I’m going to the movies tonight,” Louise countered. “Maybe another time, mum.”

Victoria huffed and crossed her arms, then abruptly straightened. “Oh, sweet Lulu. You’re much too humble. But I reckon you get that from me… Don’t you think, Donald?” Her father nodded from his recliner, engrossed in the newspaper.

“Wait a minute… Louise, Julia, look!” Gracie cut through Victoria’s chattering. “Is that… Karl?”

Louise hurried to the television. Sure enough, Samuel was interviewing Karl. He had a stupidly smug look on his face, and it made Louise’s stomach drop. Whatever he had to contribute couldn’t be good.

“I believe that old fisherman,” Karl said, shaking his fist, “because I’ve seen that sea monster myself!”

“No you haven't!” Louise yelled at the television, as if he could hear her. She turned to the others. “Why does Samuel Wolfe care what Karl has to say? He wasn’t at the beach today.”

“He probably bought the interview with his father’s money.” Gracie scoffed, momentarily looking away from the screen in disgust. “What a liar.”

“But I’m here to tell you folks,” Karl continued, “that you have nothing to fear. The sea monster might be terrorizing the Gold Coast, but rest assured, I will not stop until it’s caught.” His face twisted with rage, but a second later, it regained its charm-like quality.

Louise pulled Gracie and Julia into the hallway so that her parents couldn’t hear their conversation. “This is terrible,” she whispered. “Karl is hunting us. And it’s all my fault.”

“Don’t blame anything Karl does on yourself,” Gracie said. 

Louise noticed that Julia had been oddly silent. Normally, she would have found about fifteen ways to insult Karl by now. “Julia? Are you okay?”

“Of course I am,” Julia replied, but her timing was too fast not to be defensive. “I’m just worried about… everything.”

“So am I,” Louise sniffled. She couldn’t help it; Karl’s involvement signaled a catastrophe ahead. 

“I have to go,” Julia announced abruptly. She started to walk away, but Louise put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

“Why? Going to the ‘diner’ again?” Louise interrogated. She couldn’t pretend anymore; something was wrong with Julia.

Julia frowned, and she appeared to contemplate her words before answering. “It’s nearly evening. I have to work soon,” she said. Without waiting for a response, she walked away.

Louise went to the drive-in movie for no more than half an hour. She couldn’t stand being the third wheel to Gracie and Max, and besides, Max kept asking her about the alleged sea monster. Even he had bought into the craze. He wanted to know if she had caught a glimpse of it, because he was determined to do some research. That would be the cherry on top.

“I told you,” Louise snapped, “I didn’t see anything. Why will no one believe me?” She ignored a sympathetic look from Gracie and climbed out of Max’s car.

“Louise, wait!” Max called out. “I’m sorry. I won’t ask about it again. You’ll have to forgive me, sometimes my scientific curiosity takes over.”

Louise put her hand on the car door, about to close it, but stopped herself. “It’s all right, Max. I just remembered there’s something I need to do.”

“I hope you’re not going to do homework,” Gracie teased. The situation with Karl had her worried before, but being with Max put her back into good spirits. Louise wished she could say the same.

“No, not that,” Louise said. “I’ll tell you later, I promise.” And she meant that; she just had to do this alone. She made her way through the lines of cars and exited the parking lot of the drive-in.

At this moment, she sincerely wished she had a car of her own to drive to Dove’s Diner. Normally, she’d get there by swimming to the marina, but the drive-in was nowhere near the water. Her human legs would have to take her there.

All Louise wanted to do was to see if Julia was really at the diner like she said she would be. She hoped she’d be proven wrong. She really did. She hoped she’d run into the diner and see Julia’s beautiful blue eyes staring back at her from across the counter, and that she could finally put her suspicions to rest. She had to know.

When Louise pushed against the door of Dove’s and stepped inside, it was Laurence that stood where she expected Julia to be. That didn’t mean anything, though; maybe she was in the break room. She’d ask him.

“Hey, Louise,” he greeted her, flashing his kind and blindingly-white smile at her. “Anything I can get for ya?”

“I was just…” Louise took a few seconds to catch her breath. “I was wondering if Julia was here? She said she would be. I need to… give her something.”

“Julia’s not working tonight,” Laurence replied. “In fact, she practically begged me to cover this shift.”

Louise felt like a deflated balloon. “Do you know where she is?” 

“I’m sorry, she didn’t tell me,” Laurence said. Louise had no reason to doubt him; he seemed genuinely confused, like she was. “If you have something to give her, though, you can leave it in the break room. I’ll let her know it’s there.”

Louise didn’t really have anything to give Julia, but she decided to take him up on that offer anyway. She might as well follow through with her lie. She walked into the break room—it was really a large closet with a couple of chairs, some buckets, shelves, and a bulletin board—and slumped onto one of the chairs. Julia lied to her and Gracie, but why? What was the point of keeping secrets when the three of them already shared the most important secret?

Louise buried her face in her hands, until she could only see black. She sensed the onset of tears. She cared so much for Julia; her chest stung with betrayal. After a few minutes, she knew Laurence would start asking questions about why she had been in the break room for so long. She sat up and wiped away her tears. But that was when she noticed something sticking out from underneath a shelf.

She crouched down to get a better view of it, and saw that it was red and heart-shaped, with a red rose on the back. A valentine. Grasping it between her fingers, she turned it over and read its contents.

Dear Julia,

I haven’t stopped thinking about you since our last date. Will you be mine?

I love you,

Karl

Horror-struck, Louise dropped the valentine. She watched as it floated through the air and landed on the floor. She knew something was wrong, but what she had just found was a million times worse than what she had imagined. Julia’s secret boyfriend was Karl? But she hated him! The boy was truly dreadful; even his valentine was lackluster. Louise could have written something infinitely more heartfelt; all of the things she’d say flew through her head at once. She felt nauseous at the thought of her friend being with that birdbrain. Julia’s strange behavior was beginning to make sense—especially how she said nothing snarky when she saw Karl on the news—but Louise still had so many questions. 

Before Louise stormed out of the diner, she took the valentine with her. She’d show it to Julia and demand that she explained everything. 

Chapter Text

“Karl Anderson? How could you, Julia?” Louise spat. In her hand was the valentine that Karl gave to Julia. “You’re risking everything, and… for what? Some stupid rich boy?”

“You don’t understand,” Julia said. She crossed her arms, staring at the tranquil cobalt water in the moon pool. She wanted to jump in, let the water envelop her, escape this mess. She was furious that Louise and Gracie had found the valentine—it was hers, and they had no right to read it. They must have found it at the diner somewhere; she recalled that she had gone there after receiving Karl’s valentine.

“What’s there to understand, Julia?” Gracie’s green eyes crackled with anger. “Karl is a terrible person. He’s picked on Louise for years, and… D-do you even know what he said to me a couple months ago? I thought you hated him, Julia!”

“I did,” Julia admitted. She could still remember the raw vitriol she used to have for Karl, and the way that everything he did infuriated her. “When I started to fall for him, I couldn’t believe it either. But we were partners for a biology assignment, and I got to know him, and… You’re underestimating him. The obnoxious stuff is an act most of the time. He’s not the person you both think he is!” The volume of her voice had risen, little-by-little, and by the end she could hear her words reverberate against the walls of the cave.

Louise’s expression was somber, a frown pulling at her red lips. Julia hated to see her like that, but didn’t know how to make her friend understand. “People don’t change that quickly, Julia,” Louise said softly. “And besides, you’re putting us in danger. Karl’s determined to find the ‘evil sea monster’, isn’t he? If he finds out you’re a mermaid, he’ll make the connection. He’s a smart boy.”

Julia’s hurt began to bubble inside her. Did her friends really think she was that stupid? “I know he will,” she said. “I’m going to tell him who I am. If he asks questions about the sea monster, I’ll tell him that it was me—that I dragged that fisherman to the surf, where you found him. Other than that, I won’t say a word about either of you. And once he knows there’s no sea monster, he’ll stop pushing to find it. He’d never want to hurt me.” 

“You don’t know that, Julia,” Louise snapped. “Just because he’s shown a morsel of human decency doesn’t mean you can trust him!”

“Even Max doesn’t know about us, and he’s one of our best friends,” Gracie added. “You were the one who said it would be too risky to tell him, remember?”

“That was then,” Julia insisted, straightening her back. “I trust him. He—he told me he loves me. I can’t hide this from him anymore. Being a mermaid is so important to me—you both know that—and that’s why I want him to know who I really am.”

 “There’s no telling what he’ll do when he finds out,” Louise said. “This is our secret, too, and I am begging you not to tell him. Please, Julia… I know it’s hard, but we all have to make sacrifices.”

“I can’t believe this,” Julia huffed. What grand sacrifices had Louise and Gracie made? What a bunch of hypocrites. Besides, Gracie was the one who was always telling them that being mermaids shouldn’t prevent them from being normal girls. “I don’t interfere in your lives, so stay out of mine.” 

“Julia, if you do this, and Karl turns on you…” Louise’s words came out as barely more than a croak. “Gracie and I have to protect ourselves.” 

Julia shook her head. “Good friends don’t give each other ultimatums.” She yanked the valentine from Louise’s hands and placed it back in her pocket, where it would be safe.

Then she dove into the water. 

The first time Julia went to Karl’s house was a few days after the dance (and the full moon debacle). Thinking about it filled her with dread, and maybe anticipation too. The conversation she and Karl had at the school dance was strange and unexpected—it was one of the few times she had seen him hurting. He had seemed real, not the silver spoon faux-bad boy he tried to be.

Karl’s house was three stories tall and porcelain-white; it was probably built a century ago. It looked just the way she remembered it, give or take some elaborate new gardening. Most striking were the rose-filled trellises, covered in thick green vines, that lined the walkway to the front door. His family was so rich that they paid someone to maintain the gardens, whereas Julia’s house had but a few scrappy shrubs in front. Julia wondered, then, what Karl would be like if he hadn’t grown up in wealth. If he had grown up like she did, with only the bare essentials. Would he have cast her out? Would they still be friends?

When Julia arrived, the grey-haired housekeeper answered the door. She brought her to the study, where Karl—surprisingly—already had gathered some materials for the project. He must have been serious about trying to best Louise’s grades. She was glad he had taken initiative; she didn’t have extra money to spare for supplies. It felt like every penny went towards keeping the diner alive. She knocked on the side of the door a few times to get his attention, and he rolled his eyes when he noticed her. 

“You’re here, great,” Karl deadpanned. 

Julia took a seat at the table. “Yeah, I am. Let’s get this over with, why don’t we?”

“Fine by me,” Karl fired back. “So, we have to make a DNA model and write a report about our work. I can write the report, and you can start on the model.” From the way he emphasized their separate roles, Julia knew he really meant I don’t trust you to write the report, because that’s the hard part. 

“Is color-coding too much for you to handle?” Julia quipped, sifting through some neon pipe cleaners. “I’m perfectly fine making the DNA model, if that’s the case.” 

Karl didn’t respond, but he shot a dirty look at her. The two of them worked quietly for a while, the silence uncomfortable and stifling like a humid haze. While Karl’s fingers fluttered at the typewriter, Julia decided to do her best to finish the project in a timely manner. Her skills in the visual arts were lacking (that was Gracie’s forte), but she would create something presentable. Plus, though she normally didn’t give much thought to her grades, she could use a high score on this project. Her biology grade was slipping dangerously low, and having to repeat the class would be a nightmare.

After about twenty minutes of pure silence, Karl stepped away from the typewriter and stood up to scrutinize what Julia had been working on. Without asking, he took it out of her hand and squinted at it.

“Hmm. Not bad, Dove,” he said, and Julia was surprised at his mild compliment. Until he continued, “Except that you’ve paired all the wrong chemical bases. You and Louise really are conspiring against me, aren’t you?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Julia snickered, shoving the instruction sheet at him. She wasn’t the most academically inclined, but she wouldn’t have him demean her hard work. “See the instructions for yourself. I’m not wrong, you are. But I reckon that’s hard for you to hear, since no one has ever said those words to you before.”

Karl glowered at her, then ran his eyes over the instruction sheet. He let out a resigned sigh. “You’re right. I suppose.” Barely audible, he muttered a quick “sorry”.

Julia’s eyebrows shot up at Karl’s half-apology. That was more than she ever expected from him. “Uh… All right, then. Can I see the report you’ve been writing?” Karl motioned to the already-typed pages, and Julia briefly read through them. They were boring, but correct. “It looks…”

“Julia,” Karl said, before she could finish. He closed his eyes. “What are we doing?”

“Working on a biology project,” Julia answered dryly. “I wouldn’t be here, otherwise.”

“That’s just it,” Karl said. “We used to be friends. You used to come here every day.”

“But I don’t anymore,” Julia retorted. “And whose fault is that?”

“Mine,” Karl admitted. Julia never thought she’d hear him say that. “Do you remember,” Karl said, “what we talked about at the dance?”

“I remember, but I can’t believe you do,” Julia replied. Seeing the full moon wiped the memory of anything that happened thereafter, but she clearly remembered everything that happened beforehand. In her mind, she could still hear Karl’s drunken voice as he talked about Harriet—and a fond memory from their childhood together. “Why do you mention it?”

“You asked me if I was upset about Harriet Kent and Mark Bennett going to the dance together,” Karl recalled. “The truth is that I was upset, but… it was complicated. It hurt that she didn’t want me anymore. My father always told me that having a pretty, refined girl on my arm would reflect well on my character. Or my image, rather. He’s always thinking about that sort of thing. And… so I chose Harriet. I liked her, but I didn’t love her.”

“Well, I reckon it’s better that she went with Mark, then.” Julia sensed a sudden tension in the room, different from how the silence felt. Uncomfortable, she looked down at the table and pretended to be very interested in the woodwork.

“It’s not only that,” Karl continued. Julia could feel his heavy gaze on her, but she didn’t meet his eyes. “I liked someone else—I’ve liked her for a long time. And I’ve tried to hide it for just as long. Maybe that’s why I stopped being friends with her when we were kids.”

Julia knew exactly who he was referring to, but she had to be sure. “Who?” Her heart started to flutter.

The two of them inched closer to one another. Julia couldn’t believe what was happening, or what she was doing. Julia Dove from five minutes ago would have yelled at herself, but now… She ignored her inner warning sirens, and their lips touched. They kissed for only a few seconds before Julia’s sensibilities kicked in. She pushed him away and ran out the door. There was no way she was going to stick around and have a conversation about what they had just done. Their project was mostly finished, anyway; save for finishing touches, her work was done.

Julia lay awake that entire night thinking about the kiss. She replayed it thousands of times in her head. She was horrified, but simultaneously intrigued. She couldn’t say that she didn’t enjoy it. There was an unlikely spark between her and Karl, one that she had been willfully blind to before.

The only problem was that no one could know. Louise and Gracie definitely couldn’t. But it was just a kiss—she and Karl weren’t suddenly going steady, or anything of the sort.

Julia tried to avoid Karl for the entirety of the next day at school. They had biology together, of course, but he sat far in front of her, and she fled the classroom when the bell rang. She avoided her friends, too, because she was worried she’d somehow give away her own secret. When she opened her locker near the end of the day, though, a note fell out. 

Meet me at Devil’s Hill after school. I want to talk about last night. —K

Karl must have caught onto Julia’s avoidance and slipped the note in her locker. Julia smirked at the mention of Devil’s Hill—it was a secluded spot by the beach, occasionally used by teens who wanted to make out. Of course he’d want to meet there. She folded up the note and tucked it in her pocket so that no one would see. After her last class, she snuck out one of the school building’s back doors and made her way to Devil’s Hill. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far a walk.

He wasn’t there when she arrived, and when fifteen minutes passed, she almost got up to leave. But he came before she did.

“Karl,” Julia said, not sure how else to greet him.

“Last night, Julia…” Karl trailed off. For a second, Julia thought he might take it all back and tell her to buzz off. But he didn’t. He stepped closer to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her again. She was caught off-guard, but she kissed him back. 

Finally, she pulled away. “Why did you tell me to come here, Karl? Was it just to make out?” Sure, he was kind of a player, but she doubted that was the only reason.

“Give me more credit, Julia. Yes, I wanted to kiss you again,” Karl said, with a boyish grin, “but I also wanted to ask if you’d come over tonight.”

“What, to finish the project?” Julia snorted. 

“No,” Karl replied. “Dinner. Seven o’clock.” Then he added, “The old man won’t be home tonight, so don’t worry about him. And I know you think he doesn’t like you, but don’t take that personally. He doesn’t like his own son very much.”

“I won’t,” Julia said. “So, are you asking me on… a date?” She started to blush. She hated that she liked the idea of a date with Karl.

“You could say that.” Karl grinned. He took her hand, and she looked into his eyes. They were kind, a warm sky blue, not the icy grey she remembered. 

“I will, on one condition.” Julia set her jaw. “My friends can’t know. Especially not Louise. Or Gracie.” They’d flip out if they heard even a whiff. Besides, it wasn’t as if Julia had shown him her tail. It was none of their business.

“I won’t tell yours if you don’t tell mine,” Karl agreed. 

“Deal,” Julia said. Tentatively, she planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.” She walked off, not wanting to give him too much at once. This was all too new to her. 

Julia stopped at the diner before going home. Her mother was behind the counter, ringing up a customer. Once she was done, Julia joined her behind the counter.

“Mum, if I work now, can I take the night off?” Julia asked. “I have a… school function at seven.”

“Is it important?” Evelyn sounded reluctant to heed her daughter’s request.

“...Yes?” Julia figured she had to add to her lie a bit. “It’s mandatory.”

“Then, of course,” Evelyn replied. “You know I don’t want you to put the diner above school.” That wasn’t quite true—Julia had skipped homework many a night in favor of working—but at least her request had worked. Evelyn sighed, wiping down the counter with a cloth. “Maybe Earl will take a shift in your place… I’ll call him now.” She went to the phone, leaving Julia to her own devices. 

Julia went home and frantically started to get ready for her dinner with Karl. She settled on a cream-colored blouse and a flowery long skirt. She had never really dated anyone before, nor had she ever been to a romantic dinner. There was a tourist boy she had kissed a few times last summer, but their fling fizzled out as soon as he left town.

When Julia knocked on Karl’s door that night, it was he that answered, not the housekeeper. His hair had a lot of gel in it, as if he had spent a long time trying to perfect it. He smiled at Julia when he saw her, and it took her a second to get used to that. Usually, Karl greeted her with a frown. He led her into the dining room, where candles and a fancy roast chicken awaited them. The lights were slightly dimmed, too.

“Do you often invite girls over for secret romantic dinners?” Julia joked.

“Just the ones I really like,” Karl replied, pulling out Julia’s chair for her. She sat down, and he took the seat opposite hers. “But I’m not seeing any other girls, if that’s what you mean.”

“And I’m not seeing any other guys,” Julia said. The two of them picked awkwardly at their meals for a few minutes, unsure of how to proceed. “So, did you cook this yourself?” Julia said, breaking the silence.

“No, Dorothy did,” Karl replied. Julia guessed that was the housekeeper’s name. “I can’t cook a thing. What about you, though? You probably cook all the time at the diner.”

“Not exactly,” Julia said. “We have chefs for that. I’m just a waitress, mostly.” She grimaced as she remembered the last time Karl came to the diner. He was rude, but… was that his way of flirting?

The two of them chatted over dinner for about an hour and a half before Julia decided to leave. It wasn’t that she didn’t fancy him; it was that she did, and it was scaring her. 

Karl wanted her to stay for longer. “Come on, let’s go for a swim. You’ve seen the pool—the water’s incredible.”

Julia was firm with him. “I can’t Karl. But I’ll see you tomorrow.” She didn’t want to move too fast. Besides, she couldn’t swim with him unless she wanted him to find out she had a tail. Still, she kissed him before she left, her heart thumping the entire way home.

And that was how it started. They’d find ways to have clandestine meetings; sometimes at Karl’s house, sometimes at Devil’s Hill, sometimes in the back row of the old movie theater. They’d go to the beach at night, when no one was around to see them, but Julia was adamant that they didn’t go into the water. There were a few close calls when it came to water; sometimes Julia would have to make a quick getaway if anything spilled onto her, but nothing serious. She wished she could tell him so that she didn’t have to hide. Instead, he could support her.

Their relationship wasn’t strictly defined, but the two of them had a mutual understanding that they weren’t dating anyone else. But then Karl gave her that valentine. He asked her to “be his”, he signed it “Love, Karl”—and Julia knew their relationship was no longer nebulous. It was something. She knew that she loved him, too. And she didn’t want to hide her true self from him anymore. She was even thinking of a way to tell Louise and Gracie about her relationship (and intentions to reveal her tail). She expected them to be hesitant, but not as averse as they had been.

She didn’t care. The decision was hers to make, and if they wanted to cut her off, so be it. She was going to tell Karl she was a mermaid. Not the Karl that Louise and Gracie thought they knew, but the Karl that Julia had come to love.

It was six in the morning—the only time that the pier wouldn’t be filled with onlookers. She had asked Karl to meet her there because she had to tell him something important. He was already there when she arrived, and he grinned when she walked up to him.

“Hi, Julia,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss. “Well, you got me up at the crack of dawn for this rendez-vous. What did you want to tell me?”

Julia fiddled with the fabric of her skirt. “It’s something about me. It’s important to my life, and I want you to know about it, too. Because I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Karl took her hands. “You can tell me, I promise.”

“All right.” Julia shut her eyes. “I’m a mermaid.” When Karl said nothing, she opened them. There was a look in his eyes that she didn’t recognize, and she thought maybe he didn’t believe her. “I only have my tail when I touch water. And... I can boil water, too.” She gestured to the water surrounding the pier, and slowly curled her fingers inward. The two of them watched as the water started to bubble.

Karl took a step back, as if he were scared. “When were you going to tell me this?” he hissed. Julia felt her insides turn to jelly, as if she might faint.

“W-when I thought the time was right,” Julia stammered. She retrieved the valentine from her pocket and held it out to him.“Y-you gave me this, and I…” 

“I gave you this,” Karl said, ripping the valentine from her grasp, “not a fish.” The distinction between the two was clear. He didn’t see Julia as a person anymore—and certainly not as his girlfriend. “It all makes sense now—why you wouldn’t touch water…” he trailed off.

Julia blinked away tears, but otherwise stood very still. She was in shock—she hadn’t expected Karl’s reaction in the slightest. What if her friends were right, and Karl hadn’t changed at all? 

“I need time to think,” Karl muttered, throwing the valentine to the ground. But the horrified—no, embarrassed look in his eyes told Julia he had already made up his mind. She watched hopelessly as he walked down the pier, getting smaller and smaller. Until he was gone. She sank to the ground and buried her face in her knees as she cried. After a while, she feared that someone might walk by and see her, so she dove off the pier and sped towards Mako Island. The moon pool always made her feel better, anyway.

“Julia?” She heard Louise’s voice as she surfaced. Both of her friends were already there. Immediately, Julia tried to dive under and turn around, but a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her. 

“What’s wrong?” Gracie asked delicately. Julia shook her head, wanting nothing less than to tell them. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she hoped that her already-wet face would conceal it.

“You told him,” Louise said. It wasn’t really a question. 

“And it didn’t go well,” Gracie finished.

“What, are you going to say ‘I told you so?’” Julia cried out. “I already feel rotten. I don’t need your righteous—”

“No, Julia,” Louise interrupted, “of course not. We just want to be there for you.” 

“I thought you said I’d be on my own if this happened,” Julia reminded her, wiping her eyes.

“I didn’t mean it,” Louise said. “I just wanted to stop you from telling him. I—We both care about you so much.”

“I care about you, too,” Julia replied, her gaze fixed on Louise. All three of them were the best of friends, of course, but she and Louise had a special bond, somehow. That’s why she could tell that she had hurt Louise, which tore her apart.

“Well, what should we do now?” Gracie asked. “Is Karl going to… tell everyone?” She bit her lip nervously.

“He doesn’t know you two are mermaids, but he might tell people about me. I don’t know.” Julia winced, replaying his reaction in her mind. “He was so upset…. He called me a ‘fish’, a-and he took back his valentine.”

Gracie gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “That’s terrible! You’ll be better off without him, Julia. At least you know that now.”

“He doesn’t deserve you,” Louise agreed. She looked aghast, but then her expression softened. “Julia… Whatever happens, we’re here for you.”

“Thank you guys,” Julia said, her throat dry. She pulled the two of them in for a hug. 

Several weeks passed, and Karl was suspiciously quiet. He said nothing to, or about, Julia. He had even curtailed his sea monster-talk. Julia was heartbroken about their breakup, but also relieved that Karl had kept her secret. Louise, however, kept saying that it felt like the “eye of a hurricane”. Julia had to agree that Karl’s silence was out-of-character for him. But if Karl hadn’t tried to expose her secret yet, he likely had no intentions of doing so.

Julia was beginning to fall back into her normal rhythm—or at least, “normal” for a mermaid—when Karl called her. She was starting to work regularly at the diner again, after some time off. Evelyn, upon noticing her daughter’s glum state, had let her skip most of her shifts. But working again was just what Julia needed to function after weeks of heartbreak.

When the phone rang, Julia was chatting with Louise and Gracie at the counter. She told them she’d be back in a minute, then answered the phone. “Dove’s Diner, this is Julia,” she said. She figured someone was calling about catering, and whatnot. “How may I help you?” 

“Julia,” a male voice breathed into the phone. “I didn’t know if I’d reach you.” 

The connection was a bit fuzzy, so Julia didn’t recognize the voice. It sounded familiar, though. “Who is this?”

“You haven't forgotten me already, have you?” It was Karl. It was his voice, as clear as day. He chuckled on the other line. 

“What do you want, Karl?” Julia turned her back to her friends so they wouldn’t hear the call. “I thought I was just a fish to you.”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t understand before,” Karl said. “The way I reacted—it was awful. But I want to talk to you now. Please, let me make it up to you.” He paused for a moment; Julia could hear his breathing. “I still love you.”

Those four words were enough to make Julia weak in the knees. “Where?” she whispered. 

“The pier,” Karl said. “Tomorrow. Same time as before.” The other line clicked, and all Julia heard was the dial tone.

Slowly, she walked back to her friends. She contemplated lying, but decided that it was better if they knew. The three of them weren’t meant to keep secrets from each other.

“It was Karl,” Julia said. “H-he wants to meet me tomorrow.”

“You’re not going to, right?” Gracie asked, with a hint of doubt. When Julia didn’t answer, Gracie and Louise shared a knowing look.

“He said he understands now,” Julia told them, a smile spreading across her face. “He wants to talk about everything. I think—I think we might get back together.” 

“Julia, you can’t!” Louise pleaded. “What if he’s trying to trick you?”

Julia’s face fell. “You didn’t hear his voice on the phone. He still loves me, and I… I still love him. I have to go. If I don’t, I’ll regret it forever.”

And so she went.

But Julia’s first mistake was swimming to the pier. She thought it would be fine. Karl knew she was a mermaid, and he said he understood. That had to be enough.

Karl stood over her as she surfaced, tail and all. She beamed when she saw him—everything she felt for him came flooding back at once. But there was a sinister quality to his demeanor. For a second, Julia couldn’t figure out why. Then, she saw the camera in his hands. A blinding flash in her eyes. Her scrambling to escape, and realizing it was futile. He had taken a picture of her tail; he had all the evidence he needed to prove that she was a mermaid.

“Hey!” Louise shouted. Gracie was behind her, too. Louise smacked the camera out of Karl’s hands, and it soared into the water. 

“You’re going to regret that,” Karl threatened, lunging at Louise. Then, he started to laugh. “Of course. You’re the one who saved Atticus Hancock, aren’t you? I never bought your innocent ‘I found him in the surf’ spiel. No way he would have survived when his boat sank 30 kilometers from shore.” Then, he looked at Gracie. “And I bet you’re one of them, too. I’m going to tell everyone that there’s no ‘sea monster’—just three mermaids.”

For once, Louise didn’t cower in Karl’s wake; she stood tall. “No one will believe you,” she said. “Not without that.” She gestured to the water, where his camera had already sunken into the deep. All that remained were a few bubbles from where it made contact with the water.

“We’ll see,” Karl said, storming away. 

Once he had gone, Julia called up to her friends from the water. “How did you find me?”

“We followed you,” Gracie said. “And I’m glad we did.”

“Me, too,” Julia admitted. The sting of Karl’s betrayal was starting to sink in. “I can’t believe I trusted him.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Louise said, comforting her. “He manipulated you.”

Julia choked back her tears. “He’ll never do it again.”

The days that followed were some of the hardest of her life. She felt discarded, useless. She would have felt unloved, too, if not for her friends. Even so, she wondered if she’d ever meet someone who accepted her being a mermaid, and who didn’t try to exploit her.

Then, the full moon came. Julia, Louise, and Gracie were ready this time; at least planning for it gave Julia a distraction. The three of them took over Louise’s house that night, as her parents were away in Ibiza or Mallorca or somewhere equally fancy. They closed the drapes and locked the doors to ensure that no moonlight could get in. 

“I don’t see how the full moon has any chance now,” Gracie commented, stepping back to admire their handiwork. Julia moped on the couch. 

“It doesn’t,” Louise agreed. “We’ve become pretty good at being mermaids, haven’t we?” She glanced at Julia, who had seldom spoken the entire night. “Are you all right, Julia?”

“Splendid,” Julia said sarcastically. She didn’t feel like a good mermaid; she had endangered herself and her friends. But becoming a mermaid was the best thing that had ever happened to her; plus, it had brought her closer to Louise and Gracie. She couldn’t lose that, and the thought was too much to bear. She needed to take a minute to herself. “Um… I’ll be right back.”

Julia excused herself and went to the powder room. She would have splashed some water on her face to help clear her head, but that was a luxury reserved for non-mermaids. Instead, she stared at herself in the mirror. Frankly, she looked a bit ragged, with prominent dark circles and mussed curls. The last few days had not been kind to her. 

What she also saw in the mirror was that the drapes didn’t entirely cover the powder room window. She sighed, making a mental note to tape up some trashy magazine pages on the windows next time. But as she went to adjust the drape, the foreboding moon came into view.

When Julia saw it, something immediately changed, as if her atoms had rearranged within her. But it wasn’t the same as how she had felt at the school dance. Unlike then, she knew she was still conscious, that she would remember everything. But her emotions became heightened, and so did her powers.

She was angry. She wanted revenge.

One goal formulated in her mind. No, one person: Karl. He had to pay for what he did. And Julia would make him. Unable to control herself, Julia stomped out of the bathroom and made her way to the front door.

“Where are you going?” Louise cried out, trying to stop her. “Julia, you can’t leave!”

“Yes, I can,” Julia snarled. “I’m going to find Karl. I’m going to avenge myself.”

“D-did you see the full moon?” Gracie asked.

Julia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.” The house began to rattle; she was involuntarily boiling the water in the pipes. They would burst if she didn’t leave soon. “You’re not safe while I’m here. I have to go now.” Before her friends could protest further, she opened the door a crack and quickly shut it behind her. The full moon had control of her consciousness, but some of her regular self remained. She didn’t want them to see the full moon, lest it overpower them as well. Most of all, she was afraid that her uninhibited powers would hurt them.

The Chatham’s house wasn’t far from the water, so Julia wasted no time diving in. She knew she could reach Karl’s house faster if she swam. When she reached her destination, she hoisted herself out of the water and steamed the water off her tail. She’d need her legs tonight.

Julia had enough sense to hide behind a bush. All she could think about, however, was destruction. She thrust out both of her arms and closed her hands into fists, boiling the water in Karl’s pool. Within a few minutes, the water level was next to nothing. A few lights were on in the Anderson house, but no one seemed to notice that the pool was evaporating. Julia decided that her revenge had to be more immediate. She turned her attention to the water vapor that lingered in the air inside the house, honing in on each individual molecule. She knew she could manipulate it. Slowly but surely, she started to raise the temperature. 

“What are you doing?” Julia heard Gracie’s hushed yell. She pivoted and found her two friends standing behind her. The fading regular-Julia that remained inside her wondered how they had avoided the effects of the full moon. Maybe this full moon only targets the heartbroken, she thought bitterly.

“Let me finish this,” Julia commanded, the full moon’s power regaining its hold on her. “I’m going to teach him a lesson.”

“No, you’re going to hurt him,” Louise corrected her. “I hate him for what he did to you—and for what he’s done to all of us, in the past—but don’t do something you’ll regret, Julia.”

Julia set her jaw, sensing the increasing intensity of heat inside the house. Karl and his father were home, it turned out; they sprinted around, panicking at the rising temperature. They didn’t notice her. She could go all the way; she could give in to her darkest temptations. The full moon was begging her to give in. 

“You already evaporated his pool,” Louise pointed out, glancing at the spiraling steam that was once chlorinated water. “Do you really want to injure him? Is that you?” Louise took Julia’s red-hot hands into hers. “I know you’re in there, Julia. Just… look at me, please. Please. ”

It was Louise’s eyes that entreated Julia to stop. The moon spell had broken, no longer in control of Julia, and she collapsed. Louise caught her before she hit the ground.

“I’m sorry,” Julia whispered, half-closing her eyes as Louise cradled her head. 

Gracie had watched Julia and Louise’s entire exchange with wide, unblinking eyes. Finally, she spoke up. “That bush… it’s on fire,” she said. “Louise, can you put it out?”

“I can’t,” Louise replied. “You have to douse it with some water. And besides, I need to cool her down.” She placed a hand on Julia’s forehead, beaded with sweat. Her head had felt fiery enough to explode before, but Louise calmed the heat with a gentle touch. 

Gracie was reluctant to put out the flames, but with a deep sigh, she raised her hand to move the meager supply of water that remained in the pool. With a flick of her wrist, it splashed the bushes and extinguished the fire.

Wearily, Julia looked up at Louise. “Thank you, Chatham,” she croaked. “I don’t know… w-what I would have done.”

Louise smiled. “You’re a good person, Julia. The full moon was controlling you, but I guessed that all you needed was a mental anchor. I was right.”

That’s you, to me, Julia thought.

As time continued to remove Julia from her relationship with Karl, it also healed what had broken inside her. She never forgot the love she had for Karl, nor what he did to her, but the emotions faded until they were nothing but dust. 

The only permanent force in Julia’s life would be fire, the agent of destruction and rebirth.

Chapter Text

To the surprise of no one, Karl took the first chance he had to run his mouth about the three mermaids. They were the answer to his tireless sea monster hunt, after all. 

Gracie had been dreading this moment ever since she and Louise confronted Karl at the pier. She hoped that Julia’s fire powers had scared him off; after all, Julia easily could have killed him that night. But Gracie also knew that Karl’s ego was too big for him to not share what he had discovered. He launched his verbal attack in the canteen, the day after a moonstruck Julia had tried to burn down Karl’s house in retaliation.

“Hey, you three,” Karl shouted at Gracie, Louise, and Julia from across the room. Max was with them, too, and they were walking to their usual lunch table. 

The three mermaids turned around, giving each other worried glances. Gracie watched as Julia went pale, but said nothing.

“What, Karl?” Louise replied curtly. She stepped in front of the others, as if protecting them.

“Listen up, everyone,” Karl bellowed, gathering the attention of everyone in the canteen. “These girls are living a lie. They have a secret that they don’t want me to tell you.” The room’s silence was palpable. Gracie winced as Karl took a deep breath, preparing to say the next part. “They’re mermaids. And they have powers. ”

Laughter erupted in the canteen. Everyone was pointing, guffawing, and jeering at him. From nerds to jocks to Karl’s mates alike, it seemed that no one believed him. Gracie sighed in relief, but Julia stood there frozen. She was probably reliving everything Karl had done to her.

“They look pretty human to me,” Max pointed out, joining in on the laughter. Gracie examined his expression; he looked genuinely confused by Karl’s statement. 

“I-it’s only when they’re swimming,” Karl tried to explain, but it was lost on his peers. Thankfully, he seemed to be a bit confused about the logistics of being a mermaid. If he knew that even a drop of water could turn legs into a tail, wouldn’t he mention that? 

Harriet stood up and strutted over to Karl, hands on her hips. “Those three losers?” She scoffed at Karl’s accusation. “I don’t believe it. They’re too square to be mermaids. Besides, you’re just mad that you haven’t found that stupid sea monster—which I reckon doesn’t even exist.”

One of Karl’s cronies, Larry, sneered along with Harriet. “Just admit it, Karl,” Larry said, “that sea monster hunt was all malarkey. You never even saw the damn thing, did you?”

“I can prove everything,” Karl insisted, his eyes widening. “Well, I had a photograph, a-and—”

“This is why I stopped letting you take me on dates, Karl,” Harriet interrupted, recoiling in disgust. The canteen crowd had a field day with that response, the “oohs” and chatter increasing in volume. She continued, “Can’t you accept that you’re not as smart as Louise? Sure, she’s a nerd and a priss—” Harriet narrowed her eyes at Louise—“but she’s not a sea monster. Or a mermaid, for that matter.” 

Karl looked genuinely wounded. “Wait, Harriet—” he reached out to her, but she pushed him away.

“You’re such a sore loser.” Harriet shook her head, snickering at him. Mark Bennett got up and walked her back to the table they were sitting at. They whispered and pointed at Karl the whole way there. He stared at the floor, probably shocked that no one had believed him. Everyone thought he was crazy. Ironically, he was actually telling the truth. But he’d never be able to prove it.

“Beat it, Karl,” Gracie spat, once the crowd had dispersed. 

“Yeah, leave them alone,” Max chimed in. “Don’t you have better things to do than to make up lies about my friends?” Gracie glanced up at him gratefully. Even though she knew Karl’s accusation wasn’t a lie, Max meant well.

Karl set his jaw, and his eyes were filled with rage. “I know I’m not crazy,” he said, storming away.

“That was really close,” Louise whispered to Gracie, so that Max wouldn’t hear.

“I know,” Gracie whispered back.

“Well,” Max said once the four of them were seated, “Karl’s even more full of baloney than I thought.” Gracie and Louise shrugged at each other, feigning ignorance. Julia remained very still, in a sort of a trance. “But where did he even get those ideas?”

“He’s just jealous of Louise,” Gracie tried to explain.

“Y-yeah,” Louise stuttered. Gracie knew lying didn’t always come easily to her. “You know, since I’m at the top of the class.”

“Huh.” Max stroked his chin, skeptical. “It’s just… mermaids? Why would he lie about that, specifically? It doesn’t make sense.” 

“Karl doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Gracie reminded him. She cleared her throat. “I reckon we should just forget about it. How about we stop by the diner after school today?”

Max nodded, but Gracie knew him like the back of her hand. The wheels in his head were still turning, she was sure of it. But he didn’t bring up the subject again—not for a few months, anyway.

Several moons had passed since Karl had tried to expose the well-kept secret of the mermaids, subsequently breaking Julia’s heart. It took time, but Gracie noticed that Julia was beginning to heal, trading sullen reticence for her usual fiery wit. In those months, the three mermaids had spent almost all of their time together; that meant that Max was frequently left out of the loop. And he had noticed.

Gracie was in the midst of painting the volcano on Mako Island when Max stopped by her house. At one time, it would have been commonplace for him to drop by, but now there was an unspoken distance between them.

Claire answered the door and led Max up to Gracie’s room. “Keep the door open, remember,” Claire taunted them. That was their parents’ rule: no boys allowed in unless the door was kept open. Gracie knew that Claire found that rule just as silly as she did (and probably broke it once a week), but she would take any opportunity to goad her. 

Gracie rolled her eyes and shooed her sister away. Once Claire was gone, Gracie closed the door in defiance. 

“What brings you by, Max?” Gracie asked him.

“Do I always need a reason?” Max joked. Nevertheless, his eyes looked a bit sad. “I… I just feel like I don’t see you at all. Not anymore.”

“That’s not true,” Gracie replied, on the defensive. “I see you at school every day.”
“No, I see you and Julia and Louise at school every day,” he corrected. “Without me.”

Gracie crossed her arms. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Did I… do something to make you upset?” Max’s lip quivered. It broke Gracie’s heart to see him so sad. “If I did, I’m truly sorry. You can tell me, I promise—”

“You didn’t,” Gracie assured him, putting her hand on his shoulder. She quickly retracted it, afraid to let herself get too close. What she felt for Max—she couldn’t feel it, that was all. He could never know about her.

“Then what’s wrong?” Max asked. “You… You’re hiding something from me. All three of you. Is that it?”
Gracie put her head in her hands. “No, I…” She cleared her throat. “Actually, yes. I don’t want to lie to you, but I can’t tell you, either.” She wanted desperately to tell Max about everything, but Louise and Julia wouldn’t agree to it. Especially not after the disastrous situation with Karl. Gracie knew that Max was a million times the man that Karl was—he had been her best friend for years, and she trusted him with her life—but she didn’t want to betray her friends. And Julia was just starting to move on from Karl’s betrayal.

“Please, Gracie,” Max said, holding out his hands. Slowly, Gracie took them in hers. “You can tell me what’s the matter. I only want to help you. You’re my best friend. At least… I hope you still are.”

“You are,” Gracie whispered, looking up at him. But she knew they’d continue to grow apart as long as he didn’t know she and the others were mermaids. Just then, she thought of a plan. There was a way Max could find out without Gracie telling him. “I can’t tell you the secret,” she said, “but I won’t stop you from trying to figure it out.”

“What do you mean?”

“You might be the only person in the world that can figure it out,” Gracie explained. Max was a scientist at heart; when he wanted to figure something out, or prove a hypothesis, he would stop at nothing. She pointedly glanced at her painting of Mako Island, its image not quite finished but clearly identifiable. “I know you can.”

Max followed her line of vision, then walked over to the easel, squinting at each brushstroke. “Mako Island,” he whispered. He turned back to Gracie. “Your secret has something to do with Mako Island?” Gracie pressed her lips together, neither confirming nor denying his guess. “Of course… that night at the beach party. When you, Louise, and Julia got lost in the woods. Something changed, didn’t it?”

Gracie looked away. “I can’t say anything else,” she told him. “I shouldn’t.” She was already risking breaking the trust of the other two mermaids.

“That’s okay.” Max smiled at her. “Whatever it is, I won’t tell a soul about it, all right?”

“I know.” Gracie smiled back. “I know you won’t.” She walked him out, wondering if he’d really learn the truth. Part of her wanted him to stay in the dark—what if he never looked at her the same once he knew? But part of her wanted him to know. She imagined that not having to hide the secret from him would lift the weight from her shoulders.

“You didn’t keep the door open,” Claire said to Gracie once he had gone. She was sitting in front of the television.

“Oh, what’s it to you?” Gracie retorted. “Do you want me to tell Mum and Dad that you snuck out to see a movie with Grant Kingsley last week? Or was it that Joshua character that took you out? I’ve lost track.”

That was enough to silence Claire for a second. “There’s nothing wrong with going on a date every now and then. At least I haven’t been obsessed with Max for my whole life.”

“I am not—” Gracie huffed at the absurdity of what her sister said. “I am not obsessed with him. He’s just my friend.”

“Yeah, right,” Claire replied, “a friend that you’re in love with.”

“You don’t know what that word means,” Gracie told her. “You’re too young.”

“I’m only a year younger than you,” Claire said. 

“Well, you can’t have it both ways. You’re just as bratty as you were five years ago, but you want everyone to think you’re the epitome of maturity.”

Claire leaned back, sulking. “You didn’t used to be so cross, you know. Now all you do is paint in your room and run off with your stupid friends.”

“You’re impossible, Claire.” Gracie shook her head. Perhaps she had been too harsh, but someone had to put Claire in her place. And their parents never did. No, they only had criticism for Gracie, who bore every responsibility as the oldest child.

Gracie and Claire’s argument was interrupted by their two younger sisters. “Come back here, Ruthie!” Lucy yelled as she ran through the house, chasing Ruth. “That’s mine!” 

In the chaos, Ruth bumped into Gracie and spilled the orange juice she was holding. Of course, it spilled all over Gracie’s white blouse—and her skin. 

“Oh, look what you’ve done!” Gracie groaned, hurrying up the stairs to her room. The stain that the juice would leave was only secondary in her mind; she was worried her sisters might see her tail. Luckily, she made it into her room in the nick of time, falling to the floor as her tail could no longer keep her upright. 

“I’m sorry, Gracie!” Ruth shouted through the door.

Gracie was quite irritated, but she knew that it was only an accident. “It’s all right, Ruthie,” she said, trying to sound calm. “Just… don’t come in. I’ll need a few minutes to clean myself up.”

Having to live with three younger sisters would be a Herculean task for anyone, let alone a teenage mermaid. 

When Max Hamilton heard Karl’s accusation that his best friends were mermaids, he had no reason to believe it. Mermaids were magic, he was a scientist, and history told him that most magical phenomena could be explained by science. Sure, he knew his fair share of mermaid folklore, and that such stories had existed for centuries, but he also knew that they didn’t exist. Sometimes, a shipwreck was just a shipwreck. 

And that was why he had never really believed Karl’s “sea monster” sighting, either. It was intriguing to imagine a monster haunting the deep blue, but chances were that Karl had seen a whale and embellished it in his own mind. Maybe, just maybe, Karl had spotted undiscovered marine life, but it was unlikely. Still, even that would be more plausible than the existence of mermaids.

So, when Gracie and Louise started to distance themselves from him after the beach party on Mako—and subsequently became fast friends with Julia Dove, of all people—he didn’t have a single idea as to why. They had become secretive and insular, and he couldn’t get to the bottom of it. Michael, his older brother, told him that they probably didn’t want to hang around with him anymore because he was a boy. He reckoned that they only wanted to indulge in “silly teenage girl talk”, and that Max couldn’t expect for their friendships to stay the same forever. Maybe that last part held some truth, but Max still thought that his brother’s opinion was far too reductive. 

He was back to square one. All he knew was that Gracie, Julia, and Louise shared a secret. They were hiding something. Only, he didn’t know what it was. If they didn’t want to share it with him, they must have had a reason—and he didn’t know how to ask. Over the course of several months, he watched as the lot of them grew farther and farther apart, but did nothing about it.

Until he finally worked up the courage to confront Gracie about their secrecy. The truth was, while he cared about the others, he couldn’t live with losing Gracie. She was something else entirely to him. Yes, they had grown up together, they had been best friends for years, but it was more than that. He knew he had romantic feelings for her, having admitted that to himself years ago. He also suspected she felt the same, though for whatever reason, she wouldn’t say it. 

Regardless, Gracie wanted him to know the secret. Whatever it was. And he was going to honor that.

The next day at school, he paid no attention to the lessons. Not even in biology, which was the only class where he really excelled. He was preoccupied with the mystery of Gracie Montgomery. He sorted through his memories, thinking back to that night on Mako Island. It was the weekend before school began for the year, and they had all gone to the beach party. Louise ran into the forest, and Julia and Gracie followed. They were lost for ages before Max finally found them in the water that surrounded the island. How had they gotten there from the forest? Something about a… cave? Yes, that was it. Max knew that if he could find that cave, he’d be one step closer to the truth. 

As the final bell rang, he and his three friends left the building together. But then they started to whisper about something and parted from Max. Their voices were too hushed for him to hear what they were saying, but he guessed it had something to do with the secret. At any rate, he had been planning to take his boat to Mako to find the cave, so he went straight to the dock. He’d be on the island soon enough.

When he arrived on Mako’s shore, where the beach party had taken place, he decided to work his way into the forest. It was risky, he knew that. He had done some studies of Mako Island’s vegetation before, but he had stayed pretty close to the shore. This would be uncharted territory. As he stumbled through the woods, he tied some ribbons around trees to mark where he had already been. That would be his failsafe if he got lost. 

After about half an hour, he found something interesting. There was a brook, and the only way to traverse it was by walking over slippery stones. He wondered if he should attempt to cross it or turn back. As he looked closer at the brook, though, he noticed a large hole in the ground. He shouted into it, and his voice echoed. From the way the sound reverberated, the hole had to be deep. What if this was the way into the cave? He wasn’t sure, but it was the best lead he had.

From his bag of equipment, Max retrieved a rope and tied it around a stick at the base of the cave’s opening. If he was going to investigate further, he had to be careful. Slowly, he shimmied down the cave using the rope. Its length was a few inches too short, so when he ran out of rope, he fell onto the cave floor.

When Max stood up, dusting off his clothes, he looked up and saw that the ceiling of the cave was several feet taller than him. It would easily allow him to walk through. From the small amount of light that filtered in from above, he could see that the cave had another opening that led somewhere else. But as he inched closer, he heard that he wasn’t alone. Three girls’ voices echoed against the walls. He had a pretty good guess about who those girls were.

Max knew he was on the precipice of his friends’ secret, and that there would be no going back. He stepped further into the cave, following the voices. 

What he found was a shock to his scientific mind. Julia, Louise, and Gracie were in a large pool of water, and they had tails. They looked like—

“Max?” Julia was the first to notice him. She widened her eyes, looking at the other girls in alarm. Max stepped towards them cautiously, not sure if he could trust his own vision. If it was real, then it was magic. 

“Max—er, it’s not—” Louise stammered, as if attempting to deny the obvious. 

Gracie beamed at Max, extending a hand towards him. “You found us,” she said. While Louise and Julia were frozen in panic, Gracie seemed elated. Max knelt down to be level with her, and took her hand.

“I… A-are you—” Max sputtered. He spun around to look at the rest of his surroundings. It appeared to be the inside of a volcano. That made sense; he had learned about Mako Island’s dormant volcano in school. But the cave was the least of his worries. 

“How did this happen?” he asked. The three mermaids shared a knowing glance. “How is this possible? Mermaids aren’t… real.” The statement sounded ridiculous to him as soon as it left his mouth. 

“Well, we are,” Julia retorted. “How did you find us?”

“Julia, it’s all right,” Gracie reassured her. “I-I don’t know how he found us—” her eyes flitted towards Max—“but he’s not going to hurt us. He’s our friend.”

Louise gulped. “We can’t risk our secret again. Not after Karl.” Julia frowned, and Max wondered what he had missed there.

“He’s not Karl,” Gracie said, “and anyway, he’s already found us.” She looked up at Max. “The secret’s out. We might as well tell you the whole story, now that we’re all here. There’s… a lot to tell you about.”

 “I gathered that,” Max said. He stared at their golden-orange tails once again.  “I’m ready to listen.” 

“You three really are mermaids. And it happened here,” Max said, in awe. “I can’t believe Karl was right.” The four of them sat on the cave floor, next to the moon pool. When the girls had hoisted themselves out of the water, Julia dried them off. It was only natural that Gracie and Louise show him their powers as well. From there, they told him just about everything there was to know. Max’s brain was scrambled from the information he had learned, but he also felt a great sense of clarity.

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” Julia grumbled. She and Louise giggled at each other. Max could tell that Karl had hurt her, but at least she now had a good sense of humor about it. 

“Karl was partially right,” Gracie explained, “but he doesn’t know the entire story. Only bits and pieces of it. You’re the first to know everything, save for us.”

“Let me see if I have it right,” Max said. “This… pool of water started bubbling on the night of a full moon.” He gestured towards what the girls had called the “moon pool.” He continued, “It turned you into mermaids, so whenever you touch water, you grow tails. But when you’re dry, your legs come back. You can’t look at the full moon, because you’ll flip your lid. And each of you has a different power.” He racked his brain. “Karl knows about you, sort of. And…”

“And Louise was the one who saved that fisherman from drowning,” Julia added, making Louise blush. 

“That makes sense, too,” Max said. “I didn’t believe in that sea monster-talk, but I didn’t know how the fisherman could have made it to shore when his boat sank so far away.” He tried to remember other discrepancies that might be better explained now. “And the school dance, when you had to run off to help Louise, what happened then?”

“Full moon fever,” Gracie replied. “In fact, all three of us saw the moon that night. That was why I never came back to the dance, Max.”

“Oh.” Max had been hurt by Gracie leaving the dance at the time, but he understood now.

“I’m sorry to have done that,” Gracie added, looking sheepish.

“It’s all right.” Max said. He glanced at Julia and Louise. “Gracie, could I… talk to you? Alone?” 

Gracie nodded. Julia and Louise took the hint, and said goodbye. Then, they dove into the moon pool. They left a trail of bubbles as they swam into the ocean at light speed. They hadn’t yet mentioned that they could speed-swim, so Max gaped at the sight for a moment. Then, he looked back at Gracie.

“I never would have guessed that this was your secret all along,” Max told her. “To think, all this time, you’ve had those powers and I didn’t even know it.”

“I try my hardest not to use them,” Gracie admitted. “I never asked to be a mermaid, you know.”

“That’s true, but I think your gift is incredible,” Max said.

“Maybe,” Gracie replied. She fiddled with the bow in her hair. “Would you… ever think about studying the moon pool? Would you figure out why this happened to us?”

“Of course,” Max agreed. “If that’s what you want, I’d be glad to do it. Besides, my curiosity is too great to not research this place.”

“Thank you,” Gracie said, exhaling. “It’s just… been so difficult. I’ve had to hide it from everyone, including my family.”

Tentatively, Max pulled her in for a hug. Gracie was tense, but eventually she relaxed in his arms. “I can only imagine. But I’m glad I know the truth now.”

“I am, too,” Gracie said, resting her head on his shoulder. “I was… afraid to tell you.”

“Why?” Max asked. “Sure, I couldn’t believe it at first—I’m still having a hard time believing it—but it doesn’t matter to me.”

“I thought that you’d never look at me the same,” Gracie mumbled, averting her eyes. “I worried you might think I was a freak.”

“A freak?” Max repeated, chuckling. “Gracie, I’m sixteen years old, and I spend all my free time studying bugs, fish, and vegetation. If you’re a freak, then I’m a double-freak.”

That got a grin out of Gracie. “It really doesn’t matter?”

“Of course it doesn’t,” Max said. “Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you.” He abruptly closed his mouth after letting that slip. He had never talked about his non-platonic feelings for Gracie aloud.

“The way you feel about me?” Gracie’s eyebrows twitched. “Do you mean…” She trailed off, her face lighting up a bit.

“Yes, that’s what I mean,” Max confessed. “I’ve felt like that for a long time. I-I hope it’s the same way you feel.”

“Max,” Gracie whispered. “I do feel that way, too. I always have.” I always have. The words bounced around in Max’s mind. Still, there was a hint of reluctance in her expression.

“You don’t have to hide anything from me,” Max said, trying to mollify her fears. “Not anymore. And maybe your parents wouldn’t be too keen on the idea of us together, but I’ll talk to them. I promise. I’m not Catholic, but they like me, don't you think?”

“I know.” Gracie laughed, but then she became serious. “I don’t want to pretend anymore, either.” She stepped closer, cupping Max’s face in her hands. “I don’t want to make excuses for why I can’t be with you. I… I love you, Max.” 

Max’s heart was racing. He pressed his lips to hers, burying his hands in her black hair. They had been vague until this moment, but the time for ambiguity had passed. “I love you too, Gracie,” Max whispered. It was so freeing to finally say the words, and to know that they were reciprocated.

He had always thought that love was enough. He’d learn, one day, that it wasn't. Not always. But for now, he and Gracie loved each other. Whatever the future held, he was none the wiser.

Chapter Text

Gracie had imagined for a long time what it might be like to be Max’s girlfriend, and she was right by almost all accounts. He was a gentleman, carrying her books as they walked home from school. She told him she was perfectly fine carrying them herself, but he insisted. She smiled to herself as she watched him struggle a bit, as he had to carry double the amount of books. But he wanted to take care of her, and she let him. In return, he sat still for her while she sketched and painted him. Of course she knew his face well—she had even sketched him before—but it was different now. As she studied him, she re-learned everything: the shape of his jawline, the shadow of his deep-set eyes. And now, instead of keeping each other at arm's length, they held hands at school and kissed when they parted each day. Being around him made her feel warm, and she didn’t know how she had lived without that sensation before.

The only thing Gracie hadn’t accounted for in her daydreams was the fact that she was a mermaid, and that he knew about it. He accepted it, and he embraced it. Unfortunately for her, Max liked to talk about it much more than she did. She’d try to change the subject when she could. Sometimes, he didn’t get the hint. 

“We should go to the moon pool tonight,” Max said. School had ended for the day, and they had gone to the Hamilton’s house. They had planned to do homework in Max’s room, but unsurprisingly, they were distracted by each other. “I ought to do some tests on your powers.”

“Maybe we could do something else?” The question was sharp and curt. “You know I don’t like to use my powers.” Gracie lit a cigarette, held it between two fingers, breathing in the smoke. She usually didn’t like to smoke. But this week, she had already burned through two packs. Max opened his mouth to say something, then quickly shut it. 

Gracie added, “It’s just, sometimes I want to forget that I’m a mermaid. That’s all.”

“Of course,” Max said, taking her free hand. “I just want to get to the bottom of this. How about this—I run just a few tests, and then I take you out for the most human dinner there ever was?”

Gracie couldn’t help but grin. “It’s a date.” She sighed, upset that she had snapped at Max even though he had good intentions. “I want to get to the bottom of this, too,” she said. “And I know you want to help.” 

“I do,” Max affirmed. “I really do. It can’t be easy for you.”

It wasn’t. Gracie still wished for a cure every day. “What have you found out so far?” she asked him.

“Well, the water in the moon pool has the same makeup as any other water,” Max explained. “At least, when the pool is inactive. But, as we know, the full moon changes it somehow, in a way that science can’t explain. At least, not yet. For now, it truly is… magic.”

“Oh.” Gracie couldn’t hide her disappointment.

“But the full moon is in a week or so, and it’d be the perfect time to measure the magnetism of the cave,” Max continued passionately. “I just got this new magnetometer—a makeshift one, anyway—and I’ll bet that the magnetism will change while the moon pool is active. I’ve only just started looking, so there’s no telling what I’ll find.”

“That’s… that’s wonderful.” Gracie lowered her head. It sounded like Max had only scratched the surface. He was a dedicated scientist, but even he wasn’t a miracle worker. 

“Hey, I’ll keep working on it,” Max told her, noticing her sullen face. “But I’m also going to make sure that you three are safe from the full moon. Do you know where you’re going to hide out for the night?”

“Louise offered her place,” Gracie said. “We’re starting to get the hang of it, I think.”

“Well, as long as Julia doesn’t try to burn down Karl’s house again,” Max said. “Although, perhaps she should have.”

“Perhaps,” Gracie echoed, chucking. “Really, it’ll be nice to have you there. I know Louise and Julia will appreciate it.” She frowned. “I only wish that we didn’t have to be afraid of the full moon in the first place.”

“You don’t have to,” Max assured her, squeezing her hand. “After I’ve made sure that the three of you will be safe, I’ll head to Mako Island for my research. Then, I’ll come right back and check on you. I promise.”

“Thank you, Max.” Gracie beamed at him. He loved her so much, and he accepted her. Gracie wished that she could do the same for herself.

“Of course, Gracie. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty for dinner, all right?” 

“Six. Take me to Devil’s Hill first,” Gracie half-joked. Max rolled his eyes, but she knew he was considering the proposition.

Before she went home, Max walked her to his front porch. The two kissed each other goodbye. It was careless, considering their proximity to the Montgomery house, though Gracie didn’t think much of it. But when they pulled away, Gracie looked over to her house and saw her parents standing in the front yard. It was nearing dusk, so her father must have returned from work. Their eyes were wide; Robert and Mary saw them kissing. Gracie winced, aware of the conversation that was surely coming. But it had to happen sooner or later. Her relationship with Max wasn’t a secret, and her parents were bound to find out about it.

“Inside, young lady,” Robert commanded. 

Gracie did as he asked, frowning the whole way.

“When were you planning to tell us about this?” Mary fretted once they were inside. “My daughter, with Max Hamilton? Oh, dear Lord, I hope you haven’t committed—”

“No, I haven’t,” Gracie interrupted before her mother could finish that embarrassing sentence. “And why should you care if I’m going steady with Max? I thought you both were fond of him. I’ve known him all my life.”

“Gracie, you know we have no problem with Max,” Robert reminded her. “But unless you can convince that boy to convert to Catholicism, you’d be wise to see someone else.”

“I can’t believe this,” Gracie spat. Her parents were so overdramatic, and so rigid in their rules. 

“Watch your tone,” Robert said.

“It shouldn’t matter,” Gracie said, ignoring him. “We’re hardly getting married at this age. Can’t I make my own decisions?”

“You can,” Mary said, “but it’s your responsibility, especially as our eldest daughter, to make the right ones.”

Gracie was tired of her parents using that line against her. “Are you going to prevent me from seeing him?” she asked outright. Her parents shared a glance.

“Not quite,” Mary told her, “but you’re going to come to a luncheon with me on the twentieth. It’s at the church.” When Gracie stared at her blankly, she elaborated. “Jack O’Connell will be there.”

“Oh, not Jack O’Connell,” Gracie groaned. She simply shook her head, then stomped upstairs without a response. She could make no promises that she’d even attend the luncheon. She wasn’t going to let her mother (and probably Jack’s mother) play matchmaker when she was already going steady with the boy she had loved since… forever. 

“I heard everything,” Claire said from the bathroom as Gracie walked by. Gracie stopped in her tracks. The door was open, and she could see her sister applying a beauty cream. It was bright green. She looked like she had escaped from the set of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Gracie crossed her arms. “And?”
“I still can’t believe you fancy Max over Jack O’Connell,” Claire said, continuing to dab at her skin. 

“I’m not of the mind to quarrel right now, Claire,” Gracie said.

Claire turned on the sink and started to wash the green gunk from her hands. “Neither am I. But, will you do me a favor? Mum asked me to take Ruthie and Lucy to a pool party on Saturday, but I can’t.”

“Why not?” Gracie asked. 

“I have a date at the same time,” Claire said, giggling.

“I’m shocked,” Gracie replied, her voice monotone. “Why should I have to take them to the pool?”

“Because I’ll go to the luncheon in your place,” Claire offered. “It’s perfect, isn’t it?”

“I can’t,” Gracie told her. Pools were out of the question, unless she wanted to get splashed. “I’m… busy.” It was a meager lie, but it was all she had.

“Gracie, come on,” Claire pleaded. “Won’t you just—”

“No!” Gracie snapped. “I have enough responsibilities as it is. You’ll have to reschedule your date.”

“Ugh!” Claire, immature as she was, splashed some of the sink water onto Gracie. It was hardly enough to drench her, but it meant that she’d have to make a quick getaway.

Gracie wasted none of her breath on last-minute jabs at Claire and instead ran to her room, closing the door behind her. She let out a little huff as she fell onto the floor, tail and all. 

She really hoped that Max could find a cure. Or, at the very least, something that would make life as a mermaid more bearable. 

The dreaded luncheon fell on the day of the full moon. Gracie, unable to muster a good enough excuse, was obligated to attend with her mother. As promised, Jack O’Connell was present, and he wasted no time in flirting with Gracie. Sure, he was conventionally attractive—tall, with sandy blond hair and green eyes—but as far as personalities went, he was quite a dud. When Gracie became too uncomfortable, she slipped away to the church bathroom. She hid there for the duration of the luncheon. Mary chastised Gracie for her insolence, but forgot about the incident soon enough.

But Gracie had no time to worry about her mother’s matchmaking. She had to go to Louise’s house before the full moon rose. 

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t convince my parents to leave the house tonight,” Louise told the other two girls, laying a couple of sleeping bags on her bedroom floor. “We’ll have to sequester ourselves to my room.”

“It’s all right, I’ve brought plenty of entertainment,” Julia said, presenting a stack of what appeared to be teen magazines from the dollar store. “I hope you’ve been hankering to learn the best way to curl your hair with rollers.” She threw the magazines onto Louise’s bed.

“We ought to learn,” Gracie groaned. She went over to the windows and drew the curtains, so that they wouldn’t see the moon. “We can never go to a hair salon again, you know that? What do you think will happen when they start shampooing and rinsing our hair?”

“Maybe we can’t go to a hair salon,” Julia said, “but we can swim at light speed. Not a lot of girls can say that. Anyway, Gracie, where’s your lover? I thought he’d be here to moon-proof the place.”

“Oh, don’t call him that,” Gracie said, blushing. “And he should be here soon.”

“I can’t believe you two are finally going steady,” Louise bubbled. “How are things going?”

“Well, I never thought someone could be so caring,” Gracie said. “But sometimes I think he cares a bit too much.”

“I wish I could say that about the boys I’ve dated,” Julia quipped. 

“What do you mean?” Louise asked.

“Sometimes, all he wants to talk about is mermaids,” Gracie said. “I did ask him to research us, but… I don’t like to be reminded of it all the time.”

Louise and Julia glanced at each other, but before either could comment, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get that,” Louise said. “I’ve got to explain to my parents why Max is here, even though we’re having a sleepover.”

“What are you going to say?” Julia asked.

“I don’t know,” Louise admitted, running downstairs. Gracie heard Victoria Chatham’s loud chatter, then Louise and Max’s voices, but the sound was muffled. Within a few minutes, Louise returned to her bedroom with Max close behind her.

“He’s dropping off some science textbooks,” Louise explained, winking badly. “My mother isn’t very hard to fool.” 

“You’ve done well,” Max said, taking a look around. He produced a few squares of cardboard from his backpack. “But I’ll go check on the bathroom. Better seal up the windows.”

“He certainly is prepared,” Julia said once he had left the room. “But I don’t see the problem, Gracie. Aren’t you glad that he’s helping us?”
“And that he knows the secret?” Louise added.

“I am,” Gracie conceded. “But…” She trailed off. They wouldn’t understand.

When Max returned, he planted a kiss on Gracie’s cheek and gathered his things. “I’m going to take the boat to Mako now,” he said. “The moon hasn’t risen yet, according to my calculations, but stay inside. I’ll sneak in through the window later to check on you.”

“Thanks, Max.” Gracie smiled at him.

“Don’t fall into the moon pool!” Julia called out as he left. “There are enough mermaids as it is.” She and Louise started to giggle.

But in Max’s hurry to leave before moonrise, he had left the bedroom door ajar. Perhaps there was a window in the hallway that they hadn’t accounted for—or perhaps fate was simply working against Gracie that night. There was a full glass of water on Louise’s dresser. It must have caught the light just the right way, because Gracie saw the moon’s reflection in it.

Her pupils dilated, and her hands began to tremble. She could sense all of the water in the room, even in the whole house. Involuntarily, she twisted her wrist and sent the water in the glass up in the air. Then, it hurtled towards her. 

“Gracie, what did you—” Louise cried out, but it was too late. The water had touched Gracie’s skin, and she flopped to the ground.

“This is right,” Gracie said, her lips moving on their own. The moon had split her consciousness into two halves, both dueling for control. The real, human side of Gracie was furious that she had seen the moon and wanted her legs back. But the moonstruck mermaid side was winning. It started to take over, and the last thing Gracie remembered was extending her arm to use her powers. 

“I’ve been trying to dry us for hours. At this rate, our scales are going to shrivel up and fall off. I sure hope we don’t stay like this forever.”

It was Julia’s voice that roused Gracie the next morning. She awoke with a gasp, feeling her surroundings with her hands to figure out where she was. She was splayed out on Louise’s bed—the last place she could remember being. And she still had her tail.

“What happened?” Gracie shouted. She rubbed her eyes, and saw that Louise and Julia were on the floor, also sporting golden tails. Something had gone wrong. She looked to her right and noticed Max kneeling at her bedside.

“Gracie, you’re awake!” Max’s face lit up. “We were worried. You… you saw the full moon last night, as you might have guessed.”

“And you turned all three of us into mermaids,” Louise added, looking down at her tail. “Julia tried to dry us off with her powers, but it didn’t work.”

“And our good old scientist friend didn’t show up for hours,” Julia said, gesturing to Max. “Once he got here, you kept telling him to bring us to Mako Island. He was the only one that was able to calm you down.”

“I’m…” Gracie was filled with horror. “I’m so sorry. I should have been more careful.”

“We’ve all been moonstruck, Gracie,” Louise reminded her. “Besides, the full moon works in mysterious ways.”

“Don’t apologize, Gracie,” Max said. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t here the entire night. I should have stayed.” He hung his head.

“Max, I… I know you wanted to research the moon pool. I asked you to.” Gracie ran a hand over her scales. “Oh, but what are we going to do about our tails?”

“Well, maybe the full moon hasn’t set,” Max wondered aloud. “It’s still early. Maybe they’ll go away when—”

Just then, Victoria Chatham called up the stairs. “Lulu! Julia! Gracie! I have breakfast in bed for you!” Gracie could hear her footsteps, as well as the clattering of dishes on food trays.

“That won’t be necessary, Mum!” Louise shouted. She inched towards the door, presumably to lock it, but her tail stopped her from getting very far. “Max, hide!” she whispered. Max scrambled to find a hiding spot. At the last moment, he rolled under the bed.

“Nonsense! I’m coming in,” Victoria insisted. The three mermaids winced; this was it, wasn’t it? But as the doorknob jiggled, Gracie felt herself transforming back. 

“I even brought orange juice, Lulu,” Victoria said as she barreled through the door with small trays. “Your favorite!”

“How thoughtful, Mum.” Louise smiled through clenched teeth. She stood up, her legs wobbling a bit. “You’ll be on your way, then?”

“Oh,” Victoria said, picking up on Louise’s tone, “I hope I didn’t intrude upon any girl talk. Well, carry on!” She handed a tray to each girl and scooted out the door. There was a collective sigh of relief when she was gone.

“Whew! That was too close,” Max said, coming out from his hiding place. “The moon must have set.”

“I’m glad it did,” Louise said. “My mother would have had the shock of her life!” She and Julia started to dig into the waffles on their plates. Gracie also tried to eat, but found that she wasn’t hungry. She set aside her tray of food.

While Max and her friends laughed about their close call, Gracie sat there frozen. She had really thought that they would be stuck with tails forever. She had just been the embodiment of her worst fear.

Now, more than ever, she was determined to put an end to all of this. She didn’t know how, but it had to be soon.

Louise and Julia were in their own little world—they were always like that, these days—but Max noticed her silence. He walked over to the bed, taking a spot next to her. 

“It’s going to be okay, Gracie,” he said softly. 

Gracie put her head in her hands. “I don’t know if it will,” she whimpered. “You have to help me—us. Please, Max, find a cure.”

“It makes me sad that you think you need to be cured,” he said. “You’re perfect to me.” He rubbed her back to calm her down. “But if that’s what you want, I’ll do what I can. I love you, and I want you to be happy.”

“I love you, too.” Gracie buried her head in his shoulder. Max was the only thing that made this burden easier to bear. But she was beginning to wonder if, eventually, that wouldn’t be enough.

Louise didn’t know it at the time, but the full moon was the worst thing that could have happened to Gracie. It was a threat to her humanity, and it sent her spiraling. She seldom swam to Mako with Louise and Julia anymore. Louise mistakenly assumed she was spending more time with Max; the two of them had just started going steady. It made sense, and it was easier to swallow than the truth. 

Now, by default, it was only Julia that swam with her. And after a while, it wasn’t just swimming anymore. Louise would help Julia with her homework, or the two of them would go to the new drive-in movie theater. Louise knew it was dangerous, doomed, to spend so much time alone with Julia. It had taken far too long for Louise to realize it, but the way she wanted Julia was the way she could never want Jonathan Ford, or any boy for that matter. It was more accurate to say that she needed Julia. Of course, she could never act on her feelings, not if she wanted to keep Julia in her life. But it was becoming impossible to push the feelings down, to recede into herself whenever desire cascaded over her. 

For that reason, Louise definitely shouldn’t have agreed to see a romance film at the drive-in with Julia. But Julia was the one who had asked, and Louise didn’t want to say no. Perhaps she wanted to spare her friend’s feelings; perhaps, selfishly, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be in Julia’s presence. But what harm could seeing a movie beget, anyway?

Julia had recently gotten her driver’s license, so she took them to the drive-in theater that night. She parked her mother’s red pick-up truck so that the cargo bed faced the movie projector. Julia brought the popcorn (and a couple of malts from the diner), while Louise brought some picnic blankets, pillows, napkins, and even a pair of opera glasses for optimal movie viewing. It was a clear night, hundreds of stars delicately dotting the sky above. Louise traced the constellations she knew with her eyes. She couldn’t help but think that she wanted to be here forever, in Julia’s company. That was the danger of being around Julia; it was so easy. Easy to exist, and just as easy to slip up.

“You’re so prepared, Chatham.” Julia chuckled as she watched Louise unpack everything she had brought. “Don’t you ever get tired of that?”

“Tired of what?” Louise replied. She sat back, taking a sip of her malt.

“Being prepared.” Julia shrugged, as if it were obvious.

“Why should I? It’s the only way to handle everything that life throws into our paths,” Louise explained matter-of-factly. She’d always been prepared and dependable, her whole life. It was something on which she prided herself. She reckoned that was why she had done so well in school.

“But there’s no fun in that,” Julia said. “You can’t prevent everything unexpected, and you shouldn’t try. What if we hadn’t become mermaids?”

Louise sat very still. “I don’t know, Jules. I hadn’t thought about that. But I’m glad it happened.”

“So am I. You know, I’ve never been a part of something like this before. I’ve never really felt… special.”

“But you are,” Louise blurted, closing her mouth when she realized it was too emphatic. She tried to change the subject. “Erm, I mean… I’m just grateful that it’s brought us together.”

“Me, too.” Julia smiled, then became pensive. “If we hadn’t become mermaids… Do you think we would have ever been friends?” 

“I don’t think so,” Louise admitted. She shuddered to think of a life without all of this—no, most importantly, without Julia. But it was true that being mermaids brought them together. “I would have seen you at the diner, and I would have thought you were sort of a rebel… but I wouldn’t have known anything else about you. The little things, I mean. I wouldn’t have known that you’ve seen just about every movie, or that you hate blue cheese.”

Julia smirked, chewing on a few kernels of popcorn. “And I wouldn’t have known that you can name every country, and its capital, or that you’re secretly a bit of a rebel yourself. And that you’re brave, even though you don’t think you are.” Louise’s face turned red. 

“All I would’ve known,” Julia continued, “is that you were the smart girl from England. Oh, and you won the spelling bee in Year Seven and Year Eight. I would have remembered that.”

“You would’ve?” Louise raised both of her eyebrows, and Julia nodded. “I hardly remember it myself. Except, one of my winning words was… ‘echidna’, I think.” Louise also remembered Karl being the runner-up. Soon after, and not by mere coincidence, he started to make fun of her.

“Of course I do,” Julia said. The projector started to flicker. “All right, the movie’s about to start. Let’s see if it’s any good.” She leaned her back against one of the pillows Louise had brought.

Louise was keenly aware of her proximity to Julia for the entire movie. Their hands brushed against each other a few times, and it shouldn’t have driven her crazy, but it did. There were so many factors Louise wished she could control: the world, Julia’s feelings, herself. Oh, how she wished Julia were really her date tonight, just like any of the other couples watching the movie from their cars. Maybe she was powerful—she could turn the parking lot into an ice rink if she wanted to—but she wasn’t powerful enough to change any of that. Her predicament must have been getting worse, she thought. She couldn’t even stand to be alone with Julia for a couple hours without thinking about how much she wanted her.

“I don’t think that movie will win any awards,” Louise said at the end, “but I still quite liked it.”

“So did I,” Julia agreed. “I want a love like that someday.”

“Me too.” Louise said innocently. “But it’d have to be the right person, and I can’t—” She turned away, having said too much.

“You can’t—what?” Julia asked.

“Nothing,” Louise replied quickly. She hoped Julia would move on.

“Why don’t you reckon you can ever be in love?”

“Because I can’t be with the right person. Ever.” Louise could feel a tear beginning to emerge.

“Why not?” Julia pressed, her voice indicating that this was a question she knew the answer to. Louise could feel Julia’s eyes boring into her.

“I think you know why.” Louise’s words came out as little more than a murmur. She fiddled with the lace on her blush-pink skirt. “You know what I am. Don’t you?”

Julia’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t respond. “I think I do,” she finally whispered, her eyebrows furrowed. 

The two of them remained still for a minute. Then they packed up their things, and Julia drove Louise home. For once, Julia had nothing to say. Neither did Louise. She was sure that she had wrecked everything.

When she returned home, her mum was in the lounge room reading a Better Homes magazine. She tried to sneak past, not in the state for a conversation, but Victoria noticed her presence.

“How was the movie, Lulu?” Victoria asked her. Louise cringed at the use of her childhood nickname, but knew her mother would never relent. She found it too adorable, apparently.

“It was great,” Louise replied, attempting to infuse some cheeriness into her voice. She barely prevented it from breaking.

“Remind me again, who accompanied you?”

“I went with Julia.” Louise fought the frown that threatened to overtake her face. 

Initially, Victoria didn’t understand why Louise began spending so much time with Julia, or how Julia had so quickly become a part of Louise, Gracie, and Max’s tight-knit group. The only real explanation included the existence of mermaids, so Louise dodged her mum’s questions whenever she could. Her parents could never know about her being a mermaid. She was their only child, their shining gem, and the fact that she sometimes had a tail would irreparably wreck their perception of her. Louise, herself, wasn’t ashamed of being a mermaid, but it was best they didn’t know. They wouldn’t understand.

“Oh, right,” Victoria said. “I thought it might have been Jonathan Ford. You two looked darling in those pictures from the school dance. Why don’t you call him soon?”

“Maybe,” Louise mumbled. Her mother nodded, satisfied, and resumed reading her magazine. 

Louise trudged up to her room and locked the door. She stared at the wall for a few minutes before she finally broke down. Julia knew, partially because of Louise’s carelessness. Maybe she even knew how Louise felt about her. There was no guarantee that she’d still want to be friends with a girl like Louise, whether they both had tails or not. 

After wrestling with the idea for an hour, Louise decided to take matters into her own hands. She had to know what Julia was thinking, if she was disgusted or put off or if she didn’t even care at all. She went over to her rotary phone and dialed Julia’s phone number—she knew it by heart—and prayed that Julia was the one who answered.

“Louise?” Julia’s voice was soft and a bit raspy.

“Julia.” Louise exhaled, not even sure what she would say next. “I… Will you meet me at the moon pool? Tonight? I need to talk to you.”

The other line was silent for a few seconds. Then Julia spoke. No one-liners or wisecracks, just “I’ll leave now.” There was a click as she hung up. Louise couldn’t figure out if she sounded angry or just pensive. Maybe seeing her in person would grant her some clarity. 

Louise snuck past her mother, who had fallen asleep, and left through the back door. Their house was right on the water, so Louise dove in. She wasted no time, mustering all of her speed on the way to Mako Island. She was the first to get there, and was grateful that she’d have a few extra minutes to compose herself. She pulled herself out of the water, dried off, and waited. Her knees quivered from anxiety. She wrapped her arms around them to stop the shaking.

Julia swam into the moon pool a few minutes later. Louise extended an arm to help her out, before realizing that once she got wet, it would be futile. Julia hoisted herself out and instantly steam-dried her tail. 

“Hi,” Julia said, sitting next to Louise on the cave’s floor. 

“Hi.” Louise was unable to say much else, and felt foolish. She was the one who had called Julia, after all.

“You want to tell me something,” Julia reminded her. She shifted her body to face Louise. “Right?”

Louise nodded. “I…” Her throat was dry, so she had to clear her throat before she spoke again. “I wanted to know if you… If you hate me for what I said tonight.”

Julia’s eyes widened, just the slightest bit. “If I hate you?” She leaned closer to Louise. “I could never hate you, Chatham.”

“Really?” Louise couldn’t believe what Julia was saying. “But you understood what I told you tonight, didn’t you?”

Julia inhaled through her nose. “I think I understand everything.” Everything. How much did everything mean?

Louise couldn’t stand to be vague anymore. “If you really mean that, then you know that I want to be with you,” she said. There it was. Even if she’d ruined everything, she didn’t have to carry that burden around anymore. She could be sure that Julia knew about her feelings.

“I know,” Julia whispered. There were mere inches between the two of them. “Can I… Can I kiss you?”

Louise’s breath hitched. She’d imagined this moment before, but as part of a guilty, inconceivable reverie. Now, it was real. She rested one of her hands on Julia’s shoulder, then leaned in to kiss her. It was gentle, tentative, until Julia wrapped her arm around Louise’s back and lowered both of them closer to the ground. It wasn’t the most comfortable, the cave floor offering little cushion, but Louise couldn’t bring herself to care. She was only focused on Julia, reading the subtle movements of Julia’s hips and listening to her soft whispers. It wasn’t long before she started to tug at the fabric of Julia’s shirt; Julia took the hint and pulled it over her head. They lost themselves in each other, and in the safety of the moon pool. Here, the outside world had no bearing on them. 

Three days would pass before they’d dare to see each other again. Every waking hour, Julia occupied Louise’s thoughts. The reverse was also true.

Chapter Text

If Max couldn’t find a way to make Gracie human again, the least he could do was to help her accept what she had become.

Gracie had been so withdrawn, especially after the last full moon, and Max knew that there could be only one reason for her sorrow. But maybe, if she were reminded of what being a mermaid had given her—two best friends and a unique power—she could learn to love her new life. He’d handcraft three lockets, each slightly different. Even if Gracie didn’t like the locket, perhaps she could appreciate that it was one-of-a-kind. (Or, three-of-a-kind.) Max knew she hated jewelry that was mass-produced, that you could find anywhere.

Max scraped together all the money he could find to procure the materials for each locket. His family got by all right, but they weren’t going to fork over the money. In fact, his father would probably just tell him to stop making jewelry, and that he should get a job like a real man. But he didn’t have time for that, not when Gracie was getting closer to the edge every day. Luckily, Max found some crumpled bills tucked away in his closet. That, combined with the money from rare shells that he reluctantly pawned off, would be enough for the supplies.

He first needed sterling silver for the pendant, and a matching chain. He’d also need three gemstones, each representing one of the girl’s powers. For Julia, he chose a ruby stone that matched the fire she could wield. For Louise, he chose a white crystal that symbolized the opposite—ice and snow. Finally, for Gracie, he chose a bright sapphire, a token of her connection to and control over water.

Once Max had put together each piece of the locket, he stepped back and examined his work. It was almost perfect, but it was missing something. He decided to carve three waves on the back of each locket. Naturally, he labored over Gracie’s locket the longest; it was the most dear to him. When it was done, he held up Gracie’s pendant to the light and admired how the sapphire gleamed in the rays of sun. 

Max decided that he’d give Gracie her locket first. He called her, asking her to meet him at the beach because he had a present. Before he left, he carefully placed the locket into a tiny box. She arrived at the beach before he did, wearing a white dress that was striking against her raven-black locks and red lips.

“Could that be what I think it is?” Gracie joked once she saw the small box. 

“Not quite,” Max said, his face turning red. Not yet, he thought. But I hope I can give you a ring one day. He placed the box in Gracie’s palm and let her open it.

Gracie took out the locket and let it dangle in the air. She was silent at first, and Max worried that she didn’t like it. But then she looked up at him with great adoration.

“This is beautiful, Max,” Gracie gushed. “It’s exactly my style. Where did you find it?”

“I didn’t,” Max replied, grinning. “I made it.”

Gracie brushed her thumb over the silver pendant. “It’s so intricate. You must have spent so much time perfecting it. Oh, I have to show Louise and Julia!”

“All in good time,” Max said. “I wanted to show you your locket first, but I actually made three of them. One for each of you, and each has a different gemstone. The sapphire in yours represents your power. You know, controlling water.” Gracie flinched a bit—Max knew she didn’t like to be reminded—but she still seemed enamored with the locket. 

“I may be biased, but yours is my favorite,” Max continued. “But I made three because you, Julia, and Louise share something incredible, and there ought to be something to commemorate that.”

“Max…” Gracie beamed at him. “Thank you. It’s lovely. Will you help me put it on?”

“Of course,” Max said. He stepped behind Gracie, and she lifted up her hair so that he could clasp the locket around her neck. 

Gracie turned around once it was fastened, feeling where the pendant sat on her collarbone. She wrapped her arms around Max, and in that moment, all he could think was that he’d never love anyone else this way. For him, there would only ever be Gracie.

“Max,” Gracie said, her voice bringing him gently out of his reverie. “Will you swim with me?”

“Swim with you?” Max’s eyes widened at the suggestion. The idea of Gracie willingly exposing herself to water, especially these days, was surprising. But maybe the locket had given her some perspective on being a mermaid. At least, that was what he thought.

“Yeah.” Gracie’s mouth curved into a lopsided smile. She must have recognized his surprise.

Max nodded. “I’d love to.”

The two of them first stopped at his house so that he could collect his scuba gear. Max could hold his breath for a long time, but he wagered that Gracie had him beat in that area. Then, they found a secluded spot on the beach so that Gracie could jump into the water without suspicion. 

Max’s goggles gave him a clear underwater view, and he watched as Gracie’s legs turned into a tail. They set off into the open seas, though Gracie was naturally a lot faster than Max. She frequently had to stop so that he could catch up. But he didn’t mind. It dawned on him that he had never actually seen Gracie swimming. Not in the ocean, anyway. He had seen her swim in and out of the moon pool, but he had always been on land. But to see her swimming underwater, so untethered from the world above, was to see her with new eyes.

Later that day, the two of them went back to Max’s house to phone Louise and Julia. They called the two girls to the moon pool, so that Max could give them the new lockets. 

Louise and Julia fawned over the lockets as soon as they got them, admiring the subtle differences between each of them. The two blondes helped each other put their lockets on. Max noticed that they seemed closer than usual. He knew that they were best friends, and that they shared a special bond, but something was different now. He just didn’t know what it was. Julia’s hand lingered on Louise’s neck as she fastened the locket’s clasp—too long to ignore it. The two of them kept whispering to each other, too. He and Gracie glanced at each other, and it was evident that Gracie noticed Louise and Julia’s sudden closeness. He didn’t make much of it, though. Like his brother Michael was always telling him, teenage girls were peculiar. Especially when they were best friends.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Julia said, opening her ruby locket to reveal an empty inside. “We don’t have any pictures in these lockets. Why don’t we take one?”

“Great minds think alike,” Max said. “I brought my camera.” He got his bag and rummaged through it until he found his camera, already loaded with film. The three of them stood against the cave wall and posed for a couple of pictures, laughing as Julia cracked jokes to make them smile.  

“Let’s take a picture with our tails,” Louise said. “We’ll tuck it away in our lockets—it’ll be our secret.”

“We had better not lose these, then,” Julia quipped. 

“We wouldn’t want the wrong person to find them,” Gracie added.

“Promise me this, then,” Louise said. “We’ll guard these lockets, and the secret, forever. And we’ll always protect each other.” 

“I couldn’t promise anything less for my two best friends,” Gracie said. Max smiled as she pulled Louise and Julia into a hug. Max had seen Gracie isolate herself from the two of them for too long, but it seemed that she had finally reached a turning point.

The three girls then jumped into the moon pool so that Max could take a picture of them in their mermaid form. The camera flashed, and he knew that this photo would be the winner. The three of them looked so happy. 

Their happiness should have lasted forever. If the universe was righteous, it would have. But the universe was cruel. It pushed and pulled people into darkness, wounding them all the way there.

They’d grow apart, but the silver of their lockets would outlast them, a relic of what once existed.

Though Gracie was content at the time, Max continued to research Mako Island and its peculiar moon pool. The girls were still owed an explanation for what had happened. Besides, his scientific brain wouldn’t let him abandon such a fascinating place. He didn’t find much. All he had were flimsy theories. However, for the first time in months, he had hope that Gracie could accept that she was a mermaid. Maybe she wouldn’t need any of his theories to be the right one.

Right under Gracie and Max’s noses, Julia was falling in love with Louise Chatham. There were a million little things that made Julia realize it. There was the way Louise bit her lip when she concentrated on something important to her. There were all the times Louise protectively stepped in front of Julia when they passed Karl in the hallways. There was her impossibly intelligent brain and even purer heart. There wasn’t one thing in particular that triggered the revelation; it happened slowly, softly, like the pitter-patter of an evening rainfall. But it was love, Julia knew that. She had felt it for Karl, but not like she did now. It was the strongest emotion she had felt, that wasn’t rage, in quite a long time. 

Julia and Louise avoided each other entirely during the three days that followed their first kiss. What they had done at the moon pool had been so much, so quickly, and Julia was still wrapping her head around it. But on the third night, Julia couldn’t take it anymore. She summoned the nerve to call Louise and told her to come over. She knew her mother would be working a late shift at the diner, and that her brother Stevie would already be asleep. No one would ask questions.

Julia found Louise at her door ten minutes after their phone call. They didn’t say much; Julia didn’t have the courage, and she suspected the same was true for Louise. It terrified Julia that she couldn’t voice her thoughts like she usually did. She was blunt by nature, but what she had with Louise was too delicate for her to screw up. So, that night, neither of them talked much at all. They found themselves in Julia’s bedroom, communicating only with their hands. Then, before daybreak, Louise left. Julia’s heart continued to race after Louise had gone; she didn’t sleep a wink. None of this felt real.

Most of their clandestine meetings followed the same pattern. Those were the only times they didn’t have to pretend or hide, and thus, they’d waste little time on words. Usually, they’d go to one of their bedrooms. If they were feeling a little bolder, one of them might suggest the moon pool. But they’d only go there in the dead of night, shielded by darkness. There was an unspoken agreement that Gracie couldn’t know about the two of them. She already shared their greatest secret—being a mermaid—but this was different. Julia and Louise were two girls, and Julia wasn’t sure that even Gracie would understand.

Julia and Louise were something to each other, but it could not be defined. The night they first kissed, Louise had said she wanted Julia. The latter’s only response had been a kiss—she hadn’t known what to say. But she knew, fervently, that she felt the same about Louise. Still, she was afraid. If anyone knew, their lives could be ruined. This town wouldn’t be forgiving. But if their relationship was nebulous, relegated only to trysts, it wouldn’t feel real. Maybe it would feel safer. Safer, however, wasn’t exactly what Julia wanted. She was dissatisfied.

Her face must have indicated as much during one of her shifts at Dove’s, because Laurence noticed.

“What’s got you down?” Laurence asked as he swept the floor. 

Julia looked around before she answered. She wanted to make sure no one was listening, especially not Evelyn, who was taking inventory in the back room. But she was far out of earshot. As for customers, it was three o’clock, so there were only a few in the diner. 

“It’s… not that I’m down,” Julia said. She turned to face Laurence. “I’m… I’ve gotten myself into something, and it’s maybe the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Only, I’m not sure what it is.”

Laurence blinked at her. “Can you repeat that?”

Julia sighed, leaning against a counter. “That didn’t make much sense, did it?” Laurence shook his head. “The thing is,” Julia continued, “I’ve started seeing someone. We’re not going steady, but sh—I mean, he isn’t seeing anyone else. And neither am I. Still, I don’t know what we are. I don’t know what I am to… him.”

“Him, huh?” Laurence raised an eyebrow. Julia’s face turned red, and she turned away so that he wouldn’t see. “I don’t know everything, Julia Dove, but I do know you pretty well. We’ve spent far too much time together in this diner for me not to know you well. And to me…” He leaned in closer. “It sounds like you love ‘him.’”

“I do,” Julia admitted, shaking a bit. It was freeing to say it out loud. “I don’t know what to do about it.”

“You want my advice?” Laurence lowered his voice. “Just talk to her. Then you’ll know.” 

Julia’s eyes widened at the use of “her”. She should have known he would figure it out. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to say a word,” Laurence said. Julia exhaled in relief, though she never thought he would betray her secret. He was a little too perceptive, but he was also a good friend. “There’s a reason I know these things, Julia. Let’s just say I’ve got a ‘her’ myself.”

“A ‘her?’” Julia repeated, laughing with him. “Don’t tell me she’s another surfer.”

“Maybe she is.” Laurence shrugged, but his smirk gave him away.

“But, really, Laurence…” Julia’s tone became more serious. “Thank you. I’m going to take your advice.” She hugged Laurence, content in the knowledge that at least he understood.

At that moment, Evelyn Dove emerged from the back room. “I hope you two aren’t that distraught about your work here,” she said.

Julia pulled away from Laurence, wiping a tear from her eye that she hadn’t realized was there. “No, Mum,” Julia said, “not yet.”

“Oh, don’t worry about her,” Laurence said to Evelyn. “We’re living the dream.”

Evelyn chuckled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. In fact, there were prominent dark circles under them, and Julia wondered how much sleep her mother had gotten the night before. She had always worked hard, but she looked wearier than usual.

“I’m glad to hear it, Laurence,” Evelyn said. She turned to her daughter. “Julia, can you check on Stevie?”

“What do you mean, check on Stevie?” Julia asked. “He’s not here, is he?”

“Yes, he is,” Evelyn said. “He’s sitting around the corner, doing his homework.” Julia peered past a wall and saw her brother sitting at a booth, engrossed in a maths book. “Just make sure that he takes a break,” Evelyn said. “His teacher has been giving him extra homework because he’s so good at the regular assignments.” Before Julia could protest, Evelyn walked to the back room.

“What kid wants to do extra homework?” Julia grumbled. She walked over to her little brother and sat at the booth across from him. He didn’t look up until she tapped on the table.

“Stephen,” she said, “Mum says to take a break from your maths homework.”

“I don’t need to,” Stevie replied, pushing up his glasses with one finger. “I like it.”

“I reckon someone in this family had to be the smart one,” Julia muttered. He could be a little bother sometimes. Deep down, though, she thought Stevie was a really sweet kid. And as far as little brothers went, she was lucky to have him. She had tried to be a good older sister to him, especially after Peter left. “Whatever floats your boat,” Julia said. “Hey, Stevie, you didn’t hear what Laurence and I were talking about, did you?”

“Sure did.” Stevie penciled something into his maths book. “You have a secret boyfriend, and Laurence has a secret surfer girlfriend.”

“I, uh…” Julia didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Don’t worry, though, Julia. I won’t tell anyone.” Stevie smiled, revealing a few missing teeth.

“Good,” Julia said. She knew he was being sincere. “But next time, don’t listen to my conversations. Got it?”

Stevie acted like he didn’t hear her, which was ironic. Julia chuckled to herself and walked back to the counter.

“He’s a good kid,” Laurence said to her.

“Yes, he is,” Julia said. “Weird, and a bit nosy, but good.”

Laurence met Julia’s eyes.  “Remember what I said, all right?”

Julia thought of Louise and couldn’t help but smile. “I will.” 

Julia didn’t wait very long before she took Laurence’s advice. There was still daylight, so she walked over to Louise’s house. When they met like this, it was usually at night, but Julia didn’t want to hide anymore. Taking in a shaky breath, she rang the doorbell and hoped Louise would answer. And she did. 

“Jules,” Louise said, her face lighting up. “You can come in. My mum and dad are at some function, so… it’ll just be us.” She ushered Julia through the doorway, and then they took a seat in the parlor.

“Louise, I…” Julia looked down at her clasped hands, afraid to start the conversation she desperately wanted to have. She was the type of girl to let her emotions simmer until they boiled over and burned down everything around her. She wasn’t used to having conversations like this. And she certainly wasn’t used to being gentle. “Do you know what you are to me?” It came out differently than she intended, but it got to the point. She summoned the courage to look up again and locked eyes with Louise.

“What?” Louise gulped. 

“I… I’ve never been with someone like you,” Julia said, “and I’ve never been very good at telling people what I feel. But you—” Julia got choked up and had to stop talking for a moment. “I don’t remember what it was like before I loved you. I can’t.”

“You—” Louise’s blue eyes were wide and unblinking. “You love me?”

Julia stood up from her chair and walked over to Louise. “I love you.” She took Louise’s hands in hers.

“I love you, too.” Louise beamed, standing up to face Julia. “I didn’t know that you… I wasn’t sure what we were. What you wanted. But I didn’t want to lose you.”

“I didn’t, either,” Julia admitted. “But… I know that I want to be your girlfriend.” Louise’s breath hitched. “Perhaps we’ll be the only ones that know it. But I want that more than I can even tell you.”

Louise cupped Julia’s face with her hands. “I’m so happy I found you. And I want to be your girlfriend, too.” She kissed Julia, and though they had kissed a dozen times before, this one made Julia feel whole. Her legs still shook for minutes after they pulled away.

“Do you want to go for a swim?” Julia asked Louise. Maybe the world wasn’t ready for Julia to take Louise out, at least, not yet. But the world had no jurisdiction underwater.

“Yeah, that would be fun.” Louise grinned, but then she furrowed her brows. “Julia, what about Gracie? And Max? What do you think they’d say?”

Julia shook her head. “I don’t know. But I reckon it’s best that they don’t know, at least for now.”

“I hate lying to them,” Louise said, “but you’re right.”

It was nearly evening by the time the two of them went swimming, and so the golden-orange sunset cast its glow on the water. They stayed as close to the surface as they could without being seen, bathing in the light. And when Louise took Julia’s hand, neither of them let go.

Julia’s newfound relationship with Louise was sort of a daydream, and she found herself getting lost in it. When Julia wasn’t at school, or the diner, or with Gracie and Max, she was with Louise. She had a frequent presence at the Chatham house, and if Louise’s parents weren’t so oblivious, they would have been suspicious. That was the thing about this world they lived in—it was unforgiving, but it simultaneously protected people like Louise and Julia. Most people could never fathom two women being together, so they’d sooner accept the explanation that they were simply best friends. 

But maybe that explanation wasn’t enough for Gracie, because she knew Julia and Louise better than anyone. After Max gave the three of them their lockets, Julia noticed that Gracie was asking a lot more questions. She wasn’t suspicious, per se, but she must have known something had changed.

“You seem to be in good spirits,” Gracie remarked one day. They were alone in the art room, where Gracie was sketching Julia for another art project. Max was usually Gracie’s model for these things, but he wasn’t always the best at sitting still, so he welcomed Julia taking his place.

“Do I?” Julia tried to hide a smirk. “I reckon everything’s going well in my life. Working at the diner isn’t as unbearable as it used to be, I’m not failing any classes, and I have three friends who are pretty all right.” Gracie rolled her eyes. “Okay, more than all right,” Julia joked.

“That’s true,” Gracie said. “I don’t know. I’m just glad you aren’t, you know, setting things on fire. I’m glad that you’re happy.”

“‘Not setting things on fire’ is a low bar, even for me,” Julia replied, snorting. “But I am happy.” She ran her thumb over her silver locket.

“Louise seems happy, too,” Gracie said. “You two are together a lot. I hope I’m not spending so much time with Max that you feel left out.”

“No, that’s not it at all,” Julia replied. “Don’t worry. Anyway, you and Max are great together. We’re really glad you two are going steady.” She thought of ways she could change the subject. “How’s he doing?”
“Well, he’s glad I’m sketching you today,” Gracie said. “I know he loves when I sketch and paint him, but I think that’s because he loves the finished product. He doesn’t love sitting in the same chair for hours.” Gracie fondly laughed to herself and made some quick pencil strokes on the paper.

After another half an hour, Gracie decided she was satisfied with the sketch. The two of them walked home from school, parting ways when Julia reached her house. She figured she’d call Louise, but first, she’d see if her mum was home. 

Evelyn wasn’t there, presumably still at the diner, but Stevie was in the parlor doing his homework. Julia ruffled his hair when she walked past him, getting nothing more than a little grunt in response. He continued doing his homework without interruption. Julia wished her older brother, Peter, had been more like Stevie. What would her life have been like if he had been ambitious and driven, instead of a deadbeat who abandoned his family at the first chance?

Julia fought back tears—really, she was embarrassed that thinking about Peter could still make her cry—and went into the kitchen, where the phone was. She was about to reach for it and call Louise, but a strange little bottle on the counter caught her eye. She picked it up, turning it over in her hands, and heard what sounded like pills rattling around inside. Evelyn Dove’s name was on the bottle.

Maybe the pills were for a headache. Sure, Julia thought, that had to be it. She’d know if something really were wrong with her mother, wouldn’t she? 

But Evelyn could skillfully hide her own pain for the sake of others. Julia knew that better than anyone.

Chapter Text

The weight of the silver pendant on Gracie’s chest grew harder to bear by the day. When Max had given her the locket, she had wanted so badly to love it—not only that, but to finally accept what she was. She had tried, she really had, with every fiber of her being. But she just couldn’t. The locket was beautiful, labored upon tirelessly by Max, and she’d never deny that. It was a small token of his infinite love. And Gracie loved Max, too. It hurt her, how deeply she loved him. But she could no longer feign satisfaction with this life.

Keeping the secret from her family was the hardest part. She already walked on eggshells around them, under the pressure of fulfilling her responsibilities and being a good role model for her three younger sisters. Evidently, she wasn’t very good at either of those, considering she was going steady with Max against her parents’ wishes. Her parents still weren’t very pleased with their relationship. If they knew she was a mermaid… Well, Gracie couldn’t imagine what they would think. Half of her didn’t want to care—she had spent a good part of her life defying her parents, trying to be a free spirit—but the other half still wanted their approval. She needed them to approve of her, however silly that was. 

And, of course, there was Claire. She and Gracie had been so close when they were younger. They had secrets between the two of them, secrets that no one else in the family knew. They were only a year apart in age, after all; with their raven-black hair and green eyes, people used to say they looked like twins. They had once been something of a matching set, but not anymore. Claire’s quarrelsome adolescent nature had contributed to them growing apart, sure. But Gracie wondered how much of it could be blamed on herself. She knew she had isolated herself from everyone, and especially Claire, after becoming a mermaid. She had been too wrapped up in her own life, and there wasn’t much she could do about it. She was always on guard, fearing things as innocuous as water and the moon. 

But Gracie knew Claire needed her. Perhaps, being a middle child, she had been left to her own devices far too often. She frequently ran off with strange boys, some of them much older. She’d return with smudged lipstick, a bruised neck, a leather jacket that clearly wasn’t hers draped around her shoulders. Claire was smart, but she wasn’t always the most careful. And if one night, she didn’t come home from one of her dates, Gracie would never forgive herself. But Gracie didn’t know how to be there for her. Claire didn’t confide in her anymore. Gracie wondered if it was too late to fix that.

Max was oblivious to Gracie’s misery. He didn’t—wouldn’t—understand. He asked her to swim with him just about every day, and he talked about mermaids and Mako Island nonstop. The only thing he wouldn’t do was research a cure. Gracie tried to nudge him in the right direction, but failed by all accounts.

“Have you, you know, found out what makes this place magical?” Gracie asked him one day when they were sitting by the moon pool. Naturally, she had swum there, but left the water as soon as possible. She hadn’t even wanted to meet there, but it was the one place they could get some privacy. 

“Not quite,” Max said, rubbing his neck. “It’s one helluva place, though, isn’t it? To think we might be the only ones who know about it…”

“I reckon it is,” Gracie replied halfheartedly. “I mean, have you found out if there’s a way to—well, reverse—the magic?”

“Gracie, I thought you had…” Max trailed off. “I thought you were happier these days.”

“I… That’s not an answer, Max.” Gracie fiddled with her locket. “So, you haven’t found a way to change us back?”

Max’s breath hitched. “No, I haven’t,” he said after a tense silence.

“I don’t know if I believe you.” Gracie stared up at the volcano’s opening, unable to look at Max. “You’re not the one who has to live with a tail. If there’s a cure, I have the right to know.”

“Gracie, what’s gotten into you?” Max’s voice raised, and she could hear the pain therein. She hated to be like this with him. She didn’t want to hurt him. But she couldn’t take it anymore.

Gracie stood up, her hands shaking. “When I look at you,” she started, “I see everything I’ve lost. My sister, a normal adolescence, humanity—”

“Your sister? W-what are you talking about?” Max sputtered. “And a normal adolescence? Since when have you ever wanted to be normal? I’ve always liked you because you’re not afraid to be unique. Why would you want to be like everyone else?”

“You don’t understand,” Gracie cried out. “And even you can’t deny that I’m barely human.” Her eyes were starting to water. “Just… I want you to go.” She knelt down by the pool, as if showing him the way out. It was cruel. She hated herself for it. 

“Gracie,” Max whispered, reaching out to her. There was still a meager hope in his eyes. She wouldn’t take his hand; instead, she unclasped her locket. She felt its weight in her palm, taking one last look, and then tossed it into the moon pool. 

Gracie looked back up at Max. If there was a moment when he lost all hope, that was it. The look on his face would haunt her forever.

“I can’t,” Gracie whispered back. Wincing, she dove into the water, being the first to leave so that she didn’t have to bear seeing him go. Her tears were indistinguishable from the saltwater as she swam back to the mainland.

Gracie wasn’t done; she had to finish the terrible, yet necessary, thing she had started. She knew Max wouldn’t be home yet, as her swimming speed could beat his boat by at least twenty minutes. She had to find his research. Gracie knew Max better than anyone—she knew that he had discovered something that he didn’t want her to know about. She couldn’t be sure, but she hoped it was a cure.

It wasn’t hard to get into his room. She knocked on the door to the Hamilton’s house and greeted Michael with a smile, so he gladly let her in. She told him she was picking up a science book for Max. Michael didn’t question it. It felt so wrong to lie like this, but she knew she had to if she wanted the truth.  

Max’s research papers were haphazardly stuffed into a huge briefcase. She smiled fondly to herself as she thought of Max’s lack of organization, but it quickly turned into a bittersweet frown. If she thought of his face, she wouldn’t be able to go through with this. She shook her head and started to rifle through the papers, scanning over the barely intelligible scribbles. But after about ten minutes, something caught her eye.

Gracie smoothed out the crumpled paper and read it aloud to herself. “Planetary alignment… Once in fifty years… Powerful enough to…” What did that say? Max really needed to improve his penmanship. But when she squinted, she realized she had found what she was looking for. Powerful enough to reverse the effects of the mermaid transformation. Permanently.

Gracie swallowed, then folded up the paper and tucked it away in her skirt pocket. She knew what she had to do.

Unbeknownst to Gracie’s peril, Louise found herself lost in a world where Julia Dove was the center of everything. 

There was a time where she never could have considered the thought. Then, there was a time where she had accepted what she felt for Julia, but never dreamed that it would be requited. And, at last, there was the beautiful now, where Julia was hers and she was Julia’s. 

Everyone could see Louise’s joy. Even her mother could see it. Of course, she assumed it was a boy—little did she know. 

“Oh, my Lulu finally has a boyfriend!” Victoria sighed, wrapping her arms around her daughter. “There’s nothing else that could make you smile so. But won’t you tell me his name?”

“You’ll meet him someday, Mum,” Louise told her, grinning. The irony was that Victoria had already met Julia—many times. “I know you will. He… he does make me smile an awful lot.”

Louise didn’t know if she could ever tell her mother the full truth, but in a way, this was still nice. She thought of telling her mother a male name—maybe “James”, the name Julia used when she sent Louise love letters—but she didn’t want to press her luck. She didn’t want her mum to ask too many questions. For now, this was enough.

Everything was blurring around the space that Julia had carved out in Louise’s life. It wasn’t that Louise didn’t care about school, or her family, or Gracie and Max, but the clearest thing in her mind was Julia. She’d notice things that Julia would find funny and would make a mental note to mention it to her later. She’d walk by the shops and see a red dress in the window, and she’d think about how well Julia would wear it. And whenever they parted, Louise would long to see her again.

“I can’t believe you’re real,” Louise said to Julia one night while they lay in the latter’s bed. It was usually safer for them to be together in the Dove house; Evelyn was home far less than Louise’s parents. 

“I promise I am.” Julia had her arms wrapped around Louise’s torso, but she inched even closer. “Can’t you feel me?”

“That’s not what I mean.” Chuckling, Louise turned over to face Julia. “I can’t believe you’re really here with me.”

“Well, you’re not my least favorite company,” Julia joked. “You could say I’ve… taken a liking to spending time with you.”

“Oh, really?” Louise teased. “Might I remind you, it was you who called me tonight. I think you’re smitten, Dove.”

Julia was silent for a moment as she stared into Louise’s eyes. “I…” Julia revealed the slightest grin, but quickly looked away. Louise often wondered what was going on behind those ocean blues, what she was thinking—Julia had been a closed book for so long and had only just started to open up. “I don’t know how I ever got someone so wonderful.”

Louise didn’t have anything to say to that. She kissed Julia, lacing her fingers into her golden hair. It all felt like a perpetual dream state. 

But it was soon broken when Gracie came to the two of them the next day, presenting an uncrumpled paper in her outstretched hand. Louise read it over first, but she didn’t quite understand what this meant for Gracie. Well, for all of them.

“A planetary alignment that can… reverse the transformation?” Louise repeated the words on the paper. “Gracie, why are you…” Her stomach dropped as she began to put the pieces together. She had thought Gracie was finally happy with what she was, but she was wrong. Very wrong.

“Can I see?” Julia asked, and Louise handed her the paper. She quickly scanned the page, then looked up at Gracie. “So, you’ve… I reckon you’ve finally found your cure.”

“Not me,” Gracie said. “This is Max’s research.”
“Does he know you’ve seen this?” Louise asked, already with the sneaking suspicion that Max didn’t know.

“I… It doesn’t matter. The full moon is tomorrow, and I have to do this. It’s my one chance to… change. To be who I want to be again.” Perhaps out of habit, Gracie’s hand lightly brushed against her collarbone, where her locket should have been—but Louise noticed that it wasn’t there.

“Where’s your locket?” Louise said.

“It’s gone. I couldn’t stand to wear it any longer.” Gracie didn’t make eye contact with her, and Louise felt smacked with betrayal. 

“Are you sure that this is going to work?” Julia asked. Her tone was more ambivalent than Louise would have expected. It wasn’t a condemnation, at the very least, and Louise didn’t know what to think of that. 

“I’m not certain,” Gracie said, “But I have to try.”

“How can you do this to us?” Louise’s eyes began to well up. “Doesn’t our friendship mean anything to you?”

“Of c-course it does.” Gracie’s voice quavered. “But I don’t want to be a mermaid anymore. I can’t. It’s become too difficult for me. I thought I had to be this way for the rest of my life, and so I tried to make peace with it, but I simply couldn’t. I want to be human again, so badly, and now I might… I might be able to.”

“Gracie… ” That was all Louise could manage through her tears. 

Meanwhile, Julia just stared at the ground, and Louise wondered how she could say nothing at a time like this. Wasn’t Julia, out of the three of them, the one who loved being a mermaid the most? Wouldn’t she fight to keep their trio intact, as it was meant to be?

“Tell her this is a mistake, Julia,” Louise pleaded, placing a hand on Julia’s shoulder. 

“I think she’s made up her mind, Lou,” Julia said. 

Gracie took one step closer to Louise. “I’m sorry. But I have to do this.” She squeezed Louise’s hand, her guilt-filled green eyes meeting Louise’s for a split second, then walked out the door.

“I want to go for a swim,” Louise said to Julia once Gracie had gone. “Will you come with me?”

Julia nodded, and the two of them left the Dove house and walked to the pier. Louise jumped into the cold water, hoping it would help her clear her head so she could figure out what to do. 

The two of them swam to the moon pool. Louise was the first to surface, so she rested on the floor of the volcano while she waited for Julia.

“Louise,” Julia said, swimming up next to her. “Are you… all right?”

“I don’t know,” Louise answered. “I think Gracie is going to make the biggest mistake of her life.” 

“Maybe she is.”

“How can you be so nonchalant? You love being a mermaid as much as I do. Perhaps even more.” 

“I do love it,” Julia said. “But I suppose… I can see why Gracie doesn’t. Why it’s been hard for her. Because even though there are things I love, being a mermaid isn’t easy. It’s extraordinary, but it isn’t easy.” She sounded sheepish, and Louise wondered if she was holding something back, but she brushed it off for the time being. 

“I know it isn’t,” Louise admitted. But she didn’t want things to be easy anymore. She used to shy away from what scared her, but now, she wanted adventure. 

“I want to run away with you,” Louise blurted. “Well, maybe I want to finish school first, but after we graduate—I want to travel the world with you. We could do it, you know, without even buying a plane ticket. Our tails could get us anywhere.”

Julia bit her lip, hesitating too long for the answer to be a definitive yes, of course. 

“Julia, what’s wrong?” Louise asked softly. 

Julia reached out and took Louise’s hand. “Louise, you don’t know how much I’d love to run away with you,” she said. “But I can’t.”

Louise only stared at her, praying for some reasonable explanation.

“My mum is sick,” Julia said. “I found her medicine, and she won’t tell me how bad it is, but she’s getting worse by the day. I’ll need to stick around the Gold Coast for a while. To take care of her, but also to take care of the diner when she… When she’s…”

“Julia,” Louise whispered. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“I only just found out, myself,” Julia said. “My family will need me. Stevie is going to need me, most of all. They need my undivided attention, and ever since Gracie came to us today, I’ve been thinking…” 

“What?” The direction Julia was going in was beginning to terrify Louise.

“I think that maybe it’d be better if I weren’t a mermaid.” Julia gulped, not daring to look at Louise.

“Jules.” Louise tightened her grip on Julia’s hand. “You don’t know what you’re saying.” It was bad enough that Gracie was abandoning her, but now to hear this—that the girl she loved might relinquish the thing that bonded the two of them the most—it was unbearable.

“Being a mermaid… It was beautiful, but I always got the sense that it wouldn’t last forever. Just like most beautiful things in my life,” Julia continued.

“Were you going to tell me?” Louise’s heart was racing. “Or were you just going to go with Gracie and…”

“Of course I would have told you. I-I don’t even know what I’m going to do yet,” Julia said. “I have to think about it.”

“You don’t have to give this up,” Louise said. “You’re right, this is beautiful, and we’ve come so far—”

“But I can’t keep ignoring what I have to do,” Julia said. “Since my father died, and since my brother Peter left us, I’ve had to be an adult. And now, more than ever, I owe it to my mum to take care of us. But if I swim around all day and lose my head whenever it rains and run off with you, then I can’t do that.”

“Am I just a burden to you?” Louise spat. “I thought you loved me.”

“I do,” Julia said. “Louise, you don’t understand—”

“No, I reckon I understand perfectly,” Louise said. “I know you feel like you're drowning—I'd never try to deny that. But I would have been there by your side, through everything. It... It sounds like you don’t even want that. Like you don’t want me.” 

“I want you,” Julia said, “but I can’t be what you want me to be. And you deserve someone that’s everything you need, that isn’t going to hurt you.”

You’ve already hurt me, Louise thought. But she couldn’t get the words out. She shook her head and started to turn around. “Goodbye, Julia.” She dove underwater, Julia’s pained expression burned into her mind, and swam away as fast as her tail could take her.

On the day of the planetary alignment, Gracie went to the moon pool hours before the full moon rose. She was afraid that she’d see the moon too early if she roamed around outside, and that its power would somehow make her change her mind. The effects of the full moon were never the same twice, and there was no telling what might happen. But behind the walls of the volcano, most of the outside world was blocked out. That way, she wouldn’t see the moon until it really mattered. 

And perhaps she was afraid that if she wasn’t exactly where she needed to be, she’d lose her courage. Make no mistake; she wanted her humanity back. But she wasn’t naïve. She knew that in regaining her humanity, she’d lose what she loved. Who she loved, rather. She could hardly bear to think his name. But she knew that once she did this, whatever they had would be finished.

For hours, Gracie waited there in solitude. She had expected to be alone; Louise and Julia loved being mermaids. There wasn’t a chance that they’d give it up, was there? She did, however, wonder if Max would come to Mako and try to stop her. Part of her wanted him to come, to tear her away from the water. It was a fleeting thought, and as each passing minute faded into nothingness, she lost all hope. Gracie had alienated Max. He wouldn’t come for her. Now, she hoped that he was as far away from Mako Island as he possibly could be.

Gracie couldn’t stop each memory of him from replaying in her mind like a film reel. She had known him for years, long before she and her friends had ever stumbled upon the moon pool, and yet this place felt like their beginning and end. This was the place they had first kissed. Gracie brushed her fingers over her lips, her heart aching when she realized she would likely never kiss Max again. And this was the place where she had broken his heart, not long ago. Her locket was somewhere at the bottom of the moon pool, right where she had thrown it. It was out of sight, but not out of mind. She could feel a cavity on her chest, where its silver pendant should have hung.

And then she thought of Louise and Julia. She didn’t deserve to have them as her best friends. She didn’t deserve Louise’s support, heart of gold, or dependable intelligence that could get them out of any situation. Nor did she deserve Julia’s steadfast loyalty and sense of humor that could brighten the gloomiest of days. Both of them had stuck by her side, even when she lashed out. Would they want to see her after this, either? Would they ever forgive her?

Gracie watched as the light that shone in from the cave’s opening was snuffed out by dusk, then by the indigo blanket of night. The moon would make its entrance soon enough. The thought filled her with dread, terror, anticipation, elation. 

Gracie thought she’d have to wait alone. But not long after nightfall, the appearance of two figures swimming into the moon pool startled Gracie. It was… Louise and Julia?

“What are you doing here?” Gracie asked them once they had surfaced. “I thought—”

“We’re joining you,” Julia said, starting to hoist herself out of the water. “At least, I am.” She turned to Louise, and Gracie couldn’t help but notice the tenderness in her expression. “I didn’t expect you to be here, either. Are you here to try to convince us otherwise?”

 Louise shook her head, her face somber. “No. I’m going to give it all up, too. I’ve realized…” She fixed her gaze on Julia. “It’s not worth it to be a mermaid if it’s not with you.” Gracie wondered about the implications of that statement. It sounded like “you” referred to just Julia, not Julia and Gracie.

“I want you both to know,” Gracie told them, “that I never chose this because I didn’t care about you. It was always about my own shortcomings. And I… I’m sorry.” She wished she could tell Max she was sorry, too. She wished she was here. But he wasn’t, and it was her fault.

“I’m sorry, too,” said Julia. “But my mum is sick, and this is… It’s just for the best.” She glanced at Louise again. “I’m sorry that things couldn’t stay the way they were. I loved it—” her voice broke—“and I loved you. I still do.” 

The three girls sat in silence for several seconds. The soft lapping of the water in the moon pool was the only sound. What powerful water it was, that it could grant something so extraordinary and then take it away. 

Before long, the water began to bubble. Gracie looked up, and saw the full moon slowly coming into view. 

“Well, it’s time,” Julia said. “On the count of three?”

The three girls looked at each other and nodded. Gracie took Louise’s hand, and Louise took Julia’s. 

One. Two. Three.

They jumped into the water. 

It was the strangest sensation; Gracie’s legs became a tail, but seconds later, they became legs once more. It was as if she was flickering back and forth, torn between mermaid and human.

Finally, her legs returned—and remained. 

That night, three mermaids entered the moon pool. Not a single one left.

Chapter Text

Despite the fact that they were still next-door neighbors, Gracie didn’t speak to Max for over a year. It wasn’t for a lack of trying on his part. 

Max had come to her house the day after the planetary alignment had taken away her tail. Somehow, he knew Gracie had found his research. She probably hadn’t covered her tracks well enough, but did that even matter now? Gracie knew that when she gave up her tail, she might as well have given up Max, too. 

“I’m sure you’re furious with me,” Gracie guessed. “You know what I’ve done.” Her words echoed in the silence of the parlor room. Her entire family was gone, having taken a trip to the beach; they didn’t bother to invite her, figuring she’d decline anyway. Ironically, she didn’t have to decline anymore—there was no reason to fear water’s power over her, now that she was human again. Nonetheless, she was glad that her family wouldn’t be there to hear this conversation.

“No. Not furious,” Max said. “I’m… heartbroken.” Hearing how he paused between the words, as if he couldn’t even get them out, was enough to break Gracie, too.

“I’m…” Gracie fidgeted with the fabric of her skirt. “I’m sorry, Max. For hurting you.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Max said. “All I ever wanted to do was to help you, but… I don’t think I knew how.”

“No. You didn’t,” Gracie agreed, shaking her head. “I felt like one of your science experiments, half the time. Was that the reason you wanted to be with me? Because I was… different?”

“Of course not. I love you, whether you’re a mermaid or not. I love the girl I’ve known my whole life, long before any of this happened.” Max reached his hand out, and Gracie contemplated whether to take it or not.

“I don’t want to give up on this, Gracie,” Max continued. “Or on you.” The way he looked at her, even after what she had done—it was pure love, and Gracie doubted she’d ever see that again, not from anyone. Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating his copper hair, and the beauty of the kind soul in front of Gracie made her dizzy. 

But Max didn’t deserve to be complicated by someone like her.

“I’m not going to make you happy,” Gracie croaked, her throat dry. “I don’t think I know how. You should give up on me.”

“That’s a cop-out, Gracie.” Max scoffed. “Don’t sabotage yourself like this.”

“I’m doing what’s right,” Gracie told him. “Goodbye, Max.” He slowly retracted his hand, sending daggers through Gracie’s heart.

“Goodbye, Gracie.” Max stood up, his wide eyes taking in Gracie, as if he’d never get to look at her this way again. Then he left without another word.

Gracie sat entirely still, afraid that if she moved, it would cement the moment into reality. She eventually crumbled, curling up into a ball on the sofa and sobbing into the cushion. 

It wasn’t just Max that Gracie lost. She seldom talked to Louise or Julia, either. The three of them weren’t on bad terms, per se, but there was an unspoken understanding that things would never go back to the way they were. Perhaps that was for the best. There was much Gracie didn’t miss about being a mermaid, but the times she shared with her two best friends were some of the fondest moments of her life. That was lost forever, and seeing them would only serve as a painful reminder. 

With few people Gracie felt close to, Claire became her best friend once again. Her sister finally started to confide in her, and Gracie managed to talk her out of quite a few no-good boyfriends. Gracie threw herself into painting, too. The only thing that inspired her to paint was the sea, which puzzled her, because she hated to think about it outside the art studio. But, day by day, she’d fill the canvas with misty ocean scenes. Not that she showed them to anyone—she had alienated the one person she’d want to see her art.

The last time Gracie ever saw him was the night before he left for university. That evening, she had been fighting with her parents over what she was actually going to do with her life. She hadn’t the faintest idea—all she knew for certain was that she wasn’t going to marry Jack O’Connell like her parents wanted. She couldn’t believe they’d been pushing that dud of a man on her for the better part of two years. 

Amidst the yelling, Gracie had gone out to her front porch to get some air, and that was where she saw him. Max was on his porch, too, staring up at the stars. Two urges overtook Gracie: one, to go inside and forget she saw him, and two, to talk to him. For whatever foolish reason, she chose the second. Her legs trembled as she walked over to his house. He must have been deep in thought, because he didn’t notice her until she stepped on a twig. Its dry snapping sound alerted him, and his eyes locked with hers.

“I haven’t seen this many stars in years,” Max said. “Must be a clear night.” It was such a casual thing to say, as if they were simple acquaintances, as if they didn’t share a complicated history.

Gracie looked up; he was right. She noticed a full moon above them, too. That sight still caused her heart to race, even if it meant nothing to her life now. 

“It is.” Gracie stood there awkwardly for a moment, before daring to sit next to him on the creaky wooden porch. “Did you… come out here to stargaze?” She really needed to think of something better to say, seeing as she was the one approaching him, but this would do for now.

“Sort of.” Max shrugged. “I’m just thinking. And taking this place in before I leave.”

“You’re leaving?” Gracie asked, cocking her head. It was news to her.

“Tomorrow,” Max said. “I’m going to Sydney to study marine biology. You… didn’t hear?” 

“I guess not.” Gracie wrapped her arms around her knees. At one time, she would’ve been the first to hear this kind of news. But she didn’t have that privilege anymore. “Well, congratulations, Max. I know you’re going to be great.”

Max offered her a half-hearted smile. They sat in palpable silence after that, neither of them sure what to say. 

It was Max who finally broke the silence. “Gracie.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you,” he said. She blinked a few times, his bluntness catching her off guard. “I don’t know if that makes you think I’m pathetic, or… if it’s wrong. I just needed you to know that.”

Gracie inhaled, still in the midst of processing what he had just said. She hadn’t stopped thinking about him, either, when it really came down to it. He was always in the back of her mind, even when she tried to forget. 

She didn’t say that, though. She just kissed him, without thinking much about it. His hands naturally found their place on her waist, as if a year and a half hadn’t passed since the last time they did this. She slowly started to lay back on the porch, but the splintering wood beneath her was uncomfortable. That, combined with her fear of a neighbor seeing them kissing under the golden porch light, convinced her to ask if they could go inside. Max nodded, and they crept up to his room. Thankfully, his parents were the type to be asleep already, so there was no risk of running into them. 

Max didn’t bother to turn on the light when they reached his bedroom. He knew just as well as Gracie that they weren’t there to talk. The two of them resumed where they had left off, and before long, Gracie started to tug at the hem of Max’s shirt. 

“Are you sure?” he asked her, eyebrows raised.

“Yes,” she told him. Deep down, she knew she’d never see him again. Maybe she thought this night would be contained within itself, that her impulsivity wouldn’t catch up with her.

Gracie woke before morning fell, Max by her side. He was still asleep, and she hoped not to wake him. After the night they had shared, she had a sense of finality. She had nothing left to say to him. She ran back to her house, but she didn’t stop running. She haphazardly packed a bag, scribbled out a note for her family, and left it on the kitchen counter. Essentially, it said I’m sorry, but I have to leave. There wasn’t a way to make it sound any nicer than it was. She also wrote a note just for Claire, with instructions not to share it, that she slipped under her sister’s door. And then she took the first train she could find, to anywhere that wasn’t the Gold Coast. She still didn’t know what she’d do with her life, but there was no future for her here.

Gracie ended up planting roots in Adelaide. She took some odd jobs to get by—mainly, she waited tables, but she gave modeling a try. She often did shoots for a beachwear company, and that was where she met Cyrus Watsford. He worked in advertising there, and it didn’t take long for her to catch his eye. She liked him, too—he was cute, and he was kind to her, unlike some of the higher-ups at the company. But she’d be lying if she said his financial stability didn’t draw her in, too. Stability was exactly what she craved.

Not long after they began going steady, Gracie found out she was pregnant. Cyrus was a stand-up guy, so he proposed the next day. They threw together a small wedding, the guests comprising Cyrus’s parents and a few friends they had made in Adelaide. 

Gracie named their baby Annette. She first chose the name because she simply liked it, but she later found out that it had the same meaning as her given name, Grace. Maybe Annette would be just like her, but Gracie hoped she’d be better. She hoped her daughter could avoid the same mistakes she’d made.

Cyrus was a wonderful father to Annette. But Gracie, for the rest of her life, would wonder if Annette was really his. It was possible, with the timing of Gracie’s last encounter with Max, that their tryst could have produced Annette. Annette had Cyrus’s golden blond hair, sure, but her eyes bore an uncanny resemblance to Max’s. And when Annette gave birth to her only daughter, Charlotte, Gracie’s suspicions were further confirmed. Charlotte had that shade of coppery-auburn hair that only belonged to one other person Gracie knew.

Cyrus died just before Charlotte was born, so Gracie never confessed any of it to him. She never told Annette what she suspected, either. The two of them had a strained relationship already. Gracie could see the red flags in Annette’s fiancé from miles away, and begged her not to marry him—but it was no use. And when he ran off, it only drove Annette further from her mother. The only good thing that came from that union, Gracie thought, was Charlotte. She reminded Gracie so much of herself. She was so creative, so imaginative, smart as a whip for such a little girl. 

Oddly, when Gracie spent time with her granddaughter, she found herself telling stories of mermaids and the sea. Perhaps Gracie finally felt safe to return to her old memories, in a way she hadn’t been when she was raising Annette. In hindsight, she could see how wrong she had been about her life back then. She was so young, and so wrong about many things. The years she had been a mermaid were filled with hate—for herself, and her condition—but Gracie had been surrounded by love, too. It was a beautiful, intricate paradox. Now, in her fifties, she could accept these truths simultaneously. 

Julia lost her mother when she was nineteen. She had spent the last three years taking care of her, through ailing health. At the same time, she had to continue running the diner. It was a miracle that she passed Year Twelve. She had no time for schoolwork, but she suspected that a few teachers were making an exception for her, as they knew what her family situation was.

Naturally, Julia had to stay on the Gold Coast after graduation; she was the only one of her former friends that didn’t leave. She had some contact with Gracie during the last couple years of high school, but after graduation, she never heard from Gracie again. No one had heard from her—not even her family. It was rumored that she had skipped town to break into the modeling industry, but no one knew for sure. 

Max certainly didn’t. He had gone to Sydney for university, but he’d occasionally stop in the diner during summer breaks. He and Julia caught up over milkshakes a few times, and he seemed to be doing well. He was already doing research as an undergraduate, and Julia didn’t know much about academia, but that sounded impressive. But whenever Julia would ask him if he was going steady with anyone, he’d get this cloudy look in his eyes, and the answer was always “no.” He never moved on from Gracie, that was certain. 

And then there was Louise. She disappeared after graduation, too. If Julia had to bet, Louise was in Europe somewhere. Or maybe she had gone to America. Julia knew that Louise wanted adventure, and she wasn’t going to stop until she found it. Julia wished she could have gone with her. At the very least, she wished Louise was here with her, right now. But she had let Louise go, and she was going to have to live with that. Easier said than done.

When Evelyn died, ownership of the diner automatically transferred to Julia. She had a choice—she could sell it to one of the interested buyers, or she could try to keep running it. She decided, for the sake of both of her late parents, that she’d keep the diner. That way, she could keep their memory alive. She owed that to Stevie, too. Her heart broke for her brother. They were both orphans, but Stevie was so young. He hardly ever knew his father—he hardly ever knew his older brother, for that matter. And now Evelyn was gone.

By some miracle, Julia had managed to get custody of Stevie. Otherwise, he’d have ended up in the foster care system, and that was unthinkable. Stevie was all Julia had. She had lost nearly everyone she cared about, and she wasn’t going to fail him now. 

Julia didn’t have many friends left in town, either, but she did have Laurence. He briefly stopped working at the diner after high school, but when he realized that surfing wasn’t exactly a lucrative business, he came back. 

“I just need to get back on my feet,” Laurence said. “At least, until I make it big.” 

“Sure, Laurence.” Julia teased, laughing and rolling her eyes. “I hear surfing’s where the big bucks are.”

“Hey, you can make a lot of money from winning the national competitions,” Laurence retorted, chuckling along with her. “Not that I have, but… I’m getting there.”

At first, Julia hadn’t wanted to tell Laurence about what happened with Louise—even at his insistence—but eventually, she buckled. Of course, she had to leave out the detail that they were once mermaids, but she told him everything else.

“I blew it,” Julia told him one day in the break room. “She loved me, and I ruined everything. Now, she’s probably halfway across the world, and I’ll never see her again.” 

“Do you still love her?” Laurence asked her.

Yes. Painfully yes, Julia thought.

“I don’t know what good that does now,” Julia said. She put her head between her hands. “I have to stop thinking about her. I reckon we couldn’t have been together, regardless. The world isn’t kind to people like us, Laurence.”

“Believe me, I know how you feel,” he said. “But, Julia—denying the beautiful thing you once had isn’t going to ease the pain. You loved her, and she’s gone, but you loved her all the same. And one day, it won’t hurt when you think about her.”

Doubtful, Julia thought, gritting her teeth. 

Julia never forgot about Louise, but she did meet someone else when she was twenty-seven. His name was Bram Miller, and he was a dentist. He was thirty, with curly brown locks and a face of freckles. They met while Julia was working in the diner; he’d come in about once a week, order a milkshake, and make conversation with her. Julia couldn’t figure out why a dentist would come in for a milkshake as often as he did, because sugar was meant to be bad for teeth. But then it dawned on her that he was coming in to see her, and that their weekly conversations were his attempt at flirting.

They married a few years later, and moved into a house more spacious than Julia ever could have imagined as a youngster. Being a dentist, Bram was able to set up a nice life for them. Julia brought in a considerable amount of money of her own; in the last ten years or so, she had been able to financially stabilize the diner. They were turning better profits than ever before. Julia ran the place for decades, only relinquishing ownership when she retired. She had kept Dove’s legacy alive for years, but eventually, she had to let it go. She and Bram never had children to pass the diner onto, so there was no hope that it could stay in the family, either. She sold the property to a man named Wilfred in the nineties, and he told her the property was in good hands. The last she heard, it had become a café. 

Not long after Julia sold Dove’s Diner, she fell ill. She was sixty-four, it was terminal, and there wasn’t much she could do. In those final months, she spent much time reflecting on her life.

Julia could not shake the tendency to divide her life into two parts: the first before Louise, and the second after her. And she remembered little that occurred in the “before”. Because even though she’d never be with Louise again, the love never faded. She sequestered it, deep into her psyche, but it never faded. Not one bit. She loved Bram, too, and that could coexist with the space that Louise would forever occupy in her mind. She was happy. But she’d be lying to herself if she tried to pretend that she was satisfied. 

Bram, however, was the first person Julia couldn’t push away, and so he was the one holding her hand during her last days. She wasn’t very old. Her mother hadn’t been very old, either. Julia wondered what her mother would say now, if she’d be proud. She wondered if she’d see her mother again, or even her father. She could only remember the contours of his face from the few photographs of him that remained. Her life would have been a wholly different one if he had lived. That wasn’t lost on Julia. She wondered if she’d have still become a mermaid. She wondered if not becoming one would have spared her the pain of losing everything.

But her last decision was that she wouldn’t take it back. Any of it. She knew that now, and she could rest with that knowledge.

Louise made good on her plan to travel the world after graduation. Only, she had to do it without a tail, which meant she had to travel by air and not by sea. And she had to do it without Julia Dove.

Louise hadn’t seen much of Julia since that last night in the moon pool. She kept to herself, even in their school’s small hallways. And as she shared no classes with Julia, there was no reason for them to speak. Julia had made herself clear enough; she didn’t want to be with Louise anymore. 

Louise wished she could say the same about Julia. Every time she passed the diner, she felt the urge to run in, to catch even the shortest glimpse of Julia’s face. She restrained herself, but it made her chest ache. Julia was gone, but she was everywhere. Louise’s brain often tricked her into thinking that every pretty blonde passing by was her. It was agony. 

The locket that hung from Louise’s neck was a constant reminder of what she had lost, but she couldn’t stand to remove it, either. She could understand why Gracie had tossed her own into the ocean blue, but for Louise to do the same… She was afraid that she’d forget all of the good, too. Because, when it came down to it, she had loved being a mermaid. She had made peace with remaining a mermaid her whole life. She had only given it up because it wouldn’t be worth it anymore—not if Julia wasn’t by her side. Exploring the ocean, swimming to depths no human could ever understand, invigorated her—but knowing Julia was swimming next to her, and being able to reach for her hand underwater, was what she hated to lose the most. 

Maybe Julia still felt the same, because whenever Louise did catch a glimpse of her in the hallways, her silver locket refracted the light. Why did she still wear it? It was blinding, brazen. Julia had pushed Louise away, but did some part of her still yearn for the past? Did she cling to the locket like Louise did, so that she’d never forget? Louise would wonder for the rest of her life. But she’d never know, because if Julia secretly still wanted her, she never said it. 

(For what it was worth, if Julia had ever tried to come back to her, Louise would have said yes. Unequivocally, yes.)

To no one’s surprise, Louise graduated with the highest marks. She knew Karl would have hated to see that, but he and his family moved to Rose Bay after Year 11, and she hadn’t seen him since. His absence was a relief; even though Louise and her friends were no longer mermaids, it made her uneasy that Karl knew the truth about them (even if no one cared to listen to his theories). It made Louise sick to think about him, after what he had done to Julia. At any rate, good riddance.

Louise set off on her travels that summer. For once, she didn’t plan every minute detail, much to the chagrin of her worrying mother. But she told her parents that she’d call them once a week, a promise she mostly stuck to. First, she drifted around Southern Europe. Sipping Palo de Mallorca on the Mediterranean seaside, salt in her hair, she wondered how anyone could be content staying put for their whole lives. Now that she had seen another corner of the world, she had to see it all. 

And, while she frowned every time this thought surfaced, she had to admit that it was easier without a tail. When it started pouring rain at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, she wondered what she’d have done if she were still a mermaid. The planetary alignment had taken her powers—a loss that tugged at her every day—but maybe it had taken a burden, too. Maybe Gracie and Julia hadn’t been entirely wrong. 

Louise made her way to America in the third year of her travels. She was supposed to return to the Gold Coast after two, but she knew that her hometown’s familiar sights would bog her down. But new places were enticing; she could ascribe none of her own memories to them. None of her own meaning. All that defined them was history, and history was impersonal. It couldn’t reopen her old wounds. 

Louise missed her family, but perhaps it was better that they didn’t see the ways in which she had changed. She was hardly open about her sexuality—but she had a name for it, now. 

In Los Angeles, the lesbian bar scene was beginning to flourish. That October, in the dead of night, she came across one marked with a neon Club Ruby sign and wandered in. Immediately, she was struck with awe. Outside of Julia and herself, she had never seen two women in love; here was a room full of them, bathed in the red light of the bar. And they were of every age. Was it possible that someone like her could live a long, fulfilling life, loving another woman? 

Evidently, Louise had been standing in the doorway for longer than she realized. Two women in their mid-fifties walked up to her, hand-in-hand. One of them was tall with blonde ringlets and red lipstick; the other was much shorter, with closely-cropped black-grey hair, sporting a men’s jacket. 

“You can come sit down, you know,” the shorter one said with a friendly grin, beckoning for Louise to join them. “Never been here before, I take it?” The blonde put a hand on Louise’s back to guide her as they walked, a gesture Louise appreciated in the dimly-lit, crowded bar. 

“Um… No, I haven’t,” Louise said. “I’m not from around here.” 

“I do hear an accent,” the blonde woman said. “Are you from England, then?”

“Sort of,” Louise started to explain as the three of them sat at a booth in the back. “I was born there, but I moved to Australia when I was ten.”

“Well, lucky for you, you’ve come to the best spot in Los Angeles,” said the shorter one. “I’m Marty, and this is my wife, Joan.” 

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Louise.” She extended her hand to shake theirs; they looked at each other and chuckled, but shook her hand nonetheless. That was too formal, she thought. Being in this place made her nervous. It felt like she was on the verge of something important. 

“You said you two are… married?” Louise asked, curious how they could be wives. It wasn’t legal for two women to marry anywhere, as far as she knew.

“In our book, yes,” Joan said, grabbing Marty’s hand across the table. Louise noticed an amethyst ring on her finger. “For the last twenty-five years, Marty’s been my wife.”

“Some folks get a piece of paper to prove they’re married,” Marty added. “But we don’t need that. We’re married, just the same.” She gestured to the bartender and ordered them all a round.

Louise smiled at Marty’s proclamation, and the idea that marriage could be in the hands of two people who loved each other—without permission from anyone.

The three of them talked all through the night. Louise told them who she was, and how she had found her way to Los Angeles. They quickly caught on to the fact that there was someone in Louise’s past that haunted her, and that she was trying to escape the memories through travel. Older folks were perceptive, she reckoned.

So she told them about Julia, sparing the mermaid-related details. It was cathartic; besides Julia, they were the only two people in the world that knew the story. Telling them felt like exhaling a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. 

They invited her to come back to Club Ruby the next night, and so she did. That conversation was the first time she had ever heard the word “lesbian” applied to herself, as Marty suggested Louise might be one. That word had once seemed so daunting, but Louise knew now that it was her, and how could she have denied it for so long? 

Louise left Los Angeles the next week, but she insisted on getting Joan and Marty’s mailing address, so that she could send them letters and postcards. Meeting the two of them gave her hope. Perhaps, one day, she’d find a love like that. Although, she reckoned she already had. But the planets had aligned in the worst way, and stole it from her. 

That wasn’t to say that Louise didn’t meet other women. In fact, her favorite postcard she ever sent came from London, where she met Bobbie. If there were ever someone who could fill the void that Julia left, it was Bobbie. 

 Louise was twenty-one, staying with some family on her father’s side, when she met the young musician. She stopped by a jazz club in Soho one night; a raspy, yet angelic melody convinced her to stay. Louise sat at the bar, ordered a whiskey on ice, and watched the woman that the voice belonged to. The singer wore a shimmering black dress that accentuated her long legs; dark brown coils framed her high cheekbones. She was singing some jazz standard, but Louise didn’t hear a word of it, only watching as her scarlet lips formed each vowel. What captivated Louise the most was how the singer took a drag of her cigarette during the instrumental interludes. She radiated nonchalant confidence. 

In these days, Louise was bolder, a far cry from the demure girl she had once been. She didn’t think twice about talking to the jazz singer after her set, complimenting her renditions. Sure, it was risky to approach a woman without knowing which team she played for—but Louise had a good feeling. And she was right on the money.

Louise learned that the singer’s name was Bobbie, and that she had lived in London her whole life. Cheekily, Bobbie invited Louise back to her flat. One night turned into many, and suddenly, replanting her roots in London didn’t sound so bad to Louise. She told her English family that she’d be moving in with a “friend”, and that she would no longer need to stay with them. Louise called her parents back in Australia and gave them a similar story, and they accepted it without much explanation—though they pleaded with her to come home every now and then. She told them she would, but she intentionally didn’t make a concrete plan. Nonetheless, she carried the guilt of avoiding them.

Louise never stayed in one place for long, but she knew she was going to call London home for a while. It was fitting, anyway; she had already spent years of her life here. She belonged in England as much as she belonged in Australia. Perhaps this was really where she was meant to be, because someone here wanted her.

Finally, Louise could send a postcard to Marty and Joan and tell them she wasn’t alone. In the envelope, she attached a photo of her and Bobbie, having developed the film a few days prior. They took it in Bobbie’s dressing room at the jazz club, white mirror lights visible in the foreground, and she was kissing Louise on the cheek. 

I think I’ll stay in London for a long time, the card read. Here’s a photo of me and Bobbie. One of our mutual friends took the picture; there’s a few people here that know about us. They’re like us, too. It’s nice, not having to hide all the time. It reminds me of when I met you two. With love from London, Louise Chatham

A few weeks later, Louise received a postcard in response. On the front was a picture of the Santa Monica Pier. And on the back:

We knew you’d make it, kid. If you and Bobbie ever come out to Los Angeles, you have a place to stay. 

Louise and Bobbie did visit the older couple every few years, catching up over drinks at the Club Ruby, the place where it all began. Other than that, Louise and Bobbie mostly stayed in London; the latter’s entire family lived there, and she was close to them. And while Bobbie’s parents didn’t know the true nature of the relationship, they at least accepted Louise as a friend to her daughter. They invited Louise to their family’s Sunday dinners, welcoming her as if she was a part of them.

It was likely the happiest time of Louise’s life. Not the most thrilling, or wild, but the happiest. Because life with Bobbie was simple, uncomplicated. She was a lot of fun to be around—her witty demeanor was what drew Louise in to begin with—and it was easy, secure, to be with her. 

Until Louise had to return to the Gold Coast. Finally, after years of tactful avoidance, she was obligated to return. Her father was ailing, and her mother couldn’t take care of him on her own. Louise had to move back home, for good. And she couldn’t convince Bobbie to come with her. Louise held back tears the whole flight home, but she understood. Bobbie had her own family in England, after all. She couldn’t force her to move light years from them, and that was that. 

A few months after Louise’s father passed, Louise sold their house. Her mother moved to a retirement village shortly after his death, so Louise would be the only one living there, and that didn’t make sense. Besides, the house was a lot to pay for, especially since Louise didn’t have a stable source of income. She had gotten by in London, living off odd jobs and her family’s old money, but that was running out. Perhaps she should have become a secretary like the sensible girls she grew up with—but it was too late now. And she didn’t regret her travels, not one bit.

Louise began working at an antique store to save up money for a houseboat. She couldn’t be bothered to rent a flat, or find another house. And since it seemed like she’d be in Australia for the foreseeable future, at least she could live somewhere with a bit of adventure built in.

That was how the Lorelei came to be. The boat was named after the mermaid from German folklore (a subtle homage to her past). She loved that she could wake up on the marina, the squawking of silver gulls her alarm. Her backyard was the sea, and she looked upon it each night, salt breeze tousling her hair. Alone, on the ocean, there was peace.

Often, when Louise would run into people she had known for a long time, they would ask if she was married. She wasn’t, of course, though she felt a bit like a divorcée after leaving Bobbie. What they meant, though, was if she belonged to a man. So, almost impulsively, she decided to tell people that she had a husband. When they’d ask where he was, she’d say he was away on business. (She had her fun coming up with ridiculous backstories for said husband; sometimes he was a birdwatcher, other times he was a jetsetting bank executive.) Mostly, she lied for self-preservation. She figured if everyone thought she was married, they’d be less suspicious. She seemed kooky enough, on her little houseboat, with a newfound habit of saying and doing and wearing whatever she wanted. Rumors were already spreading that she was a witch; she didn’t want to ruffle too many feathers in this town. 

Louise never saw Julia, or Gracie, again. As for Max, she saw him fishing on the pier one day and had the courage to say hello. She invited him aboard the Lorelei for tea, and he begrudgingly obliged. He was a lot less smiley than he had been as a teen, and much more grumbly, but Louise could tell it was a front to protect himself. Regardless, he warmed up to her, and they started talking about “those days”. The mermaid days, that is. She confessed to him, finally, that she and Julia had been in love back then. He told her he was surprised, but that it made sense. He didn’t talk about Gracie much, but the way his eyes lit up when he did was enough for Louise to know that his feelings hadn’t faded. 

She had no clue as to Gracie’s whereabouts—it seemed no one, in the entirety of the Gold Coast, knew. She must have skipped town decades ago and never looked back. 

As for Julia... She couldn't be far; Dove’s Diner was still standing until the early nineties. Louise had no good excuse for this, but she never went in. She told herself that maybe Julia wasn’t working there anymore, that maybe one of her kids (if they existed) had taken it over. But even then, Louise could have found her if she had wanted to. And when the diner changed ownership and became a cyber café, Louise kicked herself for not trying. Still, what could she say? Julia, she reckoned, was probably happy now—without her. She probably had a husband. A real one, at that. What could be done?

Louise tried not to think about her, distracting herself with anything else. And she was mostly successful, until she saw something that transported her right back to the fifties. At the marine park, she saw a brunette girl wearing an all-too-familiar locket. Gracie’s locket. The girl panicked at the slightest drop of water. It was too big a coincidence to mean nothing.

As it turned out, the brunette girl and her two friends—Cleo, Emma, and Rikki—were a trio of mermaids, transformed under the full moon at Mako Island. Just like Louise and her friends had been. Maybe those lockets had a way of finding each other, because Rikki found the ruby-red locket that once belonged to Julia. When Rikki showed it to Louise, the latter nearly felt the air leave her lungs. The locket came from Julia’s estate, they told her. Julia was gone. Louise did the mental calculation—she couldn’t have been older than sixty-four. How could she already be gone? 

Another truth emerged in Louise's mind: Julia held onto the locket through her dying days. She hadn't forgotten. Louise spilled her tears over photo albums that night, and all she could think was I never forgot you, either. She should have looked for Julia, she should have tried to make amends. She thought that she was respecting what Julia wanted, but what if... What if time could have smoothed over the rift between them?

In her mourning, Louise decided that it was only right to reunite her locket with the others. She gave it to Emma, who was much like the girl that Louise used to be, with her ice powers and perfectionism. 

The lockets, that silver triptych, had been fractured—but it was now whole. Louise and her friends had sealed their fates, but maybe these three girls could make it. 

No one had been there to mentor Louise and her friends all those years ago. She wondered how they might have turned out with a healthy dose of wisdom and guidance. Louise hardly had all the answers, and didn’t think of herself as the mentoring type, but… 

She’d do what she could. And maybe, just maybe, these three new mermaids would be all right.