Water Heart: The Lost Mermaid

Chapter One

Chapter One

''Is this a drink? Or a chemical explosive?'' Georgia Andrews joked as she stared at the beverage in front of her.

Her eyes wandered from the brownish liquid in the glass to the smoke slowly drifting upwards. Following it like it was the most interesting sight around her, which wasn't untrue, she caught the face of her friend, Alyssa Marks, smirking from behind the bar. ''So, is anyone going to be brave enough to try? Or am I'm passing it along to the next person? It's not like I have limited options at this party.''

Georgia glanced over her shoulder about to make a mental note of how many people were in attendance, only to quit the second she realised it was a pointless attempt. The open bar looked out towards a fully packed beach, filled to the brim with partygoers of all ages. While many families with young children played in the calm sea waves brushing onto the sand, there was no shortage of teenagers and young adults dancing to the booming music. She couldn't tell where the night sky ended and the horizon of the sea began. The stars blanketing the heavens reflected on the water's surface, mixing with the lights coming from people's phones.

Her attention was brought back to the bar when she felt someone lean over and take the glass she hesitated over.

''I'll do it.'' Alex Braff announced. Before he could even lift his arm, another hand grasped his. ''Hey...''

''No!'' David Jason said while throwing a sharp glare in Alex's face.

Georgia watched the lover's quarrel in amusement, not even caring that it was the drink she ordered that was at the centre of this argument.

Alex groaned. ''Oh, come on...''

''No, I am not going to drag your corpse back home again.''

''No one will be dragging any corpses tonight. Unless any of you have any dark secrets you wish to share?'' he grinned mischievously and looked at his friends one by one. Alyssa held her hands up to suggest her innocence and Georgia ran her fingers over her heart as if carving a cross. All of them carried a smile, except for David, who seemed to be a second away from burying his head in his hands to hide the shame.

They heard someone approach. ''What did I miss?'' Portia Derrick inquired to the group. She was unsure whom to ask personally, as each face carried an expression that told her a different story.

Georgia tapped on the glass of the drink still in her friend's hand. ''Alex is about to try this vaping cocktail.''

Portia bit her bottom lip to suppress a chuckle. ''Uh oh, should I get an ambulance ready?''

''Am I really that much of a lightweight?'' Alex asked.

The group was unanimous in their answer. ''Yes.''

Alex's shoulders slouched and he narrowed his eyes at them. Despite being the in the minority in the belief regarding his confidence, he almost broke into a smile when they started laughing. His lip started to curl into a smile, suggesting he was going along with the banter.

However, he had other ideas.

Once he felt his boyfriend's grip on his arm loosen ever so slightly, he took them by surprise and raised the glass to his lips. They couldn't stop him, only managing to gasp sharply as he downed the drink in one go and slammed the glass back down on the bar. He grimaced for a split-second. With a shake of his head, he snapped his fingers jubilantly. ''Boom, how about them apples?''

David rubbed his temple with his fingers, trying to massage the frustration out of his system. ''I hate you. I love you, and I hate you.''

Alyssa retrieved the empty glass and placed it in the sink, never taking her eyes off of Alex. ''How long should we give him?''