A Merman's Tail

Chapter 4

As I grew up, I begged Mom and Dad to spend vacation by the water.  They understood it had become an obsession with me, but they didn't try to dissuade me.  Eventually they forgot all about my claim and Mitch, but it became our family's tradition to spend vacation at a beach house. My dream finally became a reality when Mom and Dad purchased a vacation beach house of our own and I could spend every waking minute by the water.  I became an extremely confident swimmer and started lifeguard training.  When I wasn't in the water I was on the water learning to surf and then getting my diving qualification.  I made friends of sorts with the beach bunnies who were passing through each Summer, but my real friends were those I went surfing and diving with.  One friend in particular came to mean a great deal to me. 

His name was Andrew, and while everyone else called him Andy, I was the only one who called him Drew.  He was my closest friend and the only one who had ever truly believed I had seen a Merboy.  It was more his background I think than anything else.  He was Irish and his Grandfather was one of the few people who still claimed to have seen the Loch Ness Monster!  He had no trouble accepting my claim when we'd been friends long enough for me to trust him with my embarrassing story and my belief that Mitch existed.

One day when I was 15, Drew and I were surfing.  We'd gone farther than usual and were out floating, waiting for a wave when I saw something familiar.  A flash of a large shape underneath my board.  I didn't know if Mitch would come up to speak to me with Drew around, so when the next wave came, I let Drew have it and floated some more.  I felt a gentle touch on my leg and looked down to see a beautiful face staring back at me.  It had been 5 years, I'd swam, surfed and dove the waters around the beach house but this was the first time I'd seen him again. 

"Mitch!" I exclaimed.

He grinned up at me and said, "Long time no see Scott!" 

"I was hoping I would see you again!" I assured him.  "I've been coming to the beach for the last 5 years hoping to see you, but you weren't around." 

"Yeah, my Dad kept me home for a while and I've been learning how to take over when he, Um retires." Mitch said with a grimace.

"Oh?" I asked.

"He's kind of a big deal where I'm from, but I don't really want his job." Mitch said, his arm holding my leg for stability as another wave rushed up and then under my board.

"I don't want to do anything other than be on the water." I said looking around me at the steadily roughening sea. 

"The wind's picking up though." He said.  "You'd better think about going in."

I didn't want to leave.  We'd only just found each other again and I wanted to spend more time with him, finding out about the things he had been doing since I saw him, his family, his Dad's job, everything.

"I don't want to leave." I said.

"You can't stay out here if this wind picks up any further." Mitch said frowning in concern.

He dipped his head back in the water, making his hair wet again and it seemed to make him shimmer.  I wondered how long he could stay out of the water without having to resubmerge.  It was a strange sensation, his hand holding me, looking down at his face and wanting to spend time with him.  I guess my feelings towards him disappearing again were stronger than I thought because when he said he had to leave, I reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't go."

"I have to Scott.  If I'm gone too long today they'll send someone to find me.  Especially when it's getting rougher."

"When can I see you again?  Where can we meet so we can talk more?" I asked.

Mitch scraped his bangs out of his eyes and looked up at me.  He frowned and then his eyes cleared and he said, "Do you know the bay two coves over with the large wreck?  The fishing boat?"  When I nodded he said, "I can be there tomorrow for three hours at least, as long as I bring home some of the seaweed that grows there.  If you help me collect it, we can spend the rest of the time together."

"You're on!" I said.

He nodded and grinned and then after a quick "Bye Scott!" was gone.