Mermaid

'Hey, you know this is a nudist beach, don't you?'

'Yeah... That's why I'm here.'

'Oh really?'

'Not for any sinister reasons! I am a nudist.'

'Sorry, didn't mean to sound rude. It's just that I don't usually see a lot of young nudists. Most of 'em tend to be older. A lot older.'

'I know... Hey, so what about you? You're about my age.'

'It's for convenience, mainly. It's much less hassle as a mermaid when I can go for a swim and not have to worry about losing my bottoms.'

'You're a mermaid?'

'Yep. Human form, obviously. You'll see my tail when I go in the sea. Well, both of them.'

'...Right... Do you live on land then?'

'Yeah. There's the sea mermaids who stay there permanently, and then there's the land mermaids like me.'

'Oh, that's cool.'

'I have to swim in saltwater on the regular, though. You're one of the new kids, aren't you? At least, I can tell you're not from around here.'

'That's right. I've still got a lot to learn.'

'It's okay. Why'd you choose Isla Paradiso to move to, anyway? Any reason?'

'Mum's Hispanic, her parents were originally from here. And, well, we needed to get away. So far we haven't been disappointed!'

'Good. Where did you come from?'

'Sunset Valley.'

'Wow, that's a fair distance away. I hope you enjoy it here, anyway!'

'Thanks. What's your name?'

'Amos. You?'

'Zeus. It's nice to meet you.'

'You too. I've seen you around at school with your... siblings?'

'Yeah. We're triplets. Poor Mum!'

'Whoa, man, agreed! I'm no fan of babies at the best of times, but three at once might just drive me insane.'

'It was four at once, actually. My oldest brother gave birth on the same day.'

'Your oldest brother?'

'My nephew's an alien. It's cool. We're really good friends.'

'Heh, wow. If you're used to aliens then mermaids should be no big deal, no?'

'I knew mermaids lived here. I just hadn't met one before, that's all.'

'And now you have! Wanna go for a swim?'

'Sure.'

'Don't worry, I won't stare at you. Even though you are cute!'

'Thanks...'

'...Huh.'

*knock knock*

'Come in.'

'Hey, Aria. I'm gonna look for a film or something on TV. You wanna join me?'

'Oh, sure. What kind of thing are you hoping for? I'd rather skip anything too mushy and romantic.'

'Nah, I'm not into rom coms. I was thinking more meaningless violence and explosions.'

'Sounds good to me!'

'...So your brother's on a dating site, huh?'

'Yup. I set him up with it. I was worried he'd get lonely on his own so I encouraged him to try to find a girl. He didn't complain too much, so I guess he's open to the idea. Did he tell you then?'

'No, I found him on there myself. Despite what I just said about romance, I figured I may as well give it a go too. I mean, I'm not expecting anything out of it, but I might be able to laugh at some losers while I'm at it.'

'Aww. There's no shame in it, you know. Loads of people meet online these days.'

'I know, but it's not the same for me. I've never even been vaguely interested in anyone. This just removes the expectation of sex.'

'Isai is the same. He's never fancied anyone either. You never know though, this might open the door. And if all else fails, you could date each other! I bet you could win his love through belly rubs.'

'That's if he doesn't bite me. Come on, let's go look at these films.'