The mermaid of Coral Cove

Chapter 1 New home

"Hi, my name is Arina. If you were to look at me with just a glance you would see a normal everyday girl, brown hair, blue eyes, freckles... You get the point. But I have a secret... I'm a mermaid. And I have been ever since birth.

It all started 13 years ago, my Mum, a beautiful mermaid, met my Dad, a lonely fisherman. They married and had two children, me, and my sister. Our lives were pretty normal, we had just moved to the tiny town of Oceanport, Maine, and settling in to a new home, new school, and making new friends isn't exactly a walk in the park. But I'm doing alright!

My Dad carried the last box from the moving van inside our new home and set it on the kitchen table. I was sketching in a small notebook when my dad rapped his knuckles on the table sharply, I looked up at him, "what?" I asked.

"Why don't you go make some friends and explore the neighborhood." he replied.

"Because I'm shy and don't need friends to be happy." I sighed.

"Of course you do! Friends are good to have." Dad lifted me out of my chair and pushed me out the front door gently.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "why doesn't April have to go outside!" I scowled.

"Because she's outside already." My dad yelled over his shoulder as he shut the front door. I sighed and walked down towards where I thought the docks might be. A seagull cried overhead and I started to smell fish. A few fishing boats where coming in with their catch. Men waited to grab the ropes they threw down from the decks, tying them with complicated knots to hold the boats in place. I stood and watched them for awhile before continuing on down the wharf.

A girl about my age came out of a shop and smiled. I smiled back and waved. "Hey! Aren't you new here?" the girl asked, she had red ginger hair and freckles like me. "Yea my family just moved here from Georgia." I said. "I'm Arina."

The girl smiled and stuck out her hand for me to shake, "I'm Amber."

I took her hand and shook it. "Friends?" I asked. "Friends." Amber smiled.