Chapter 1

Lyla closed her eyes as she recalled Zac telling her that he trusted her. She could envision his gaze perfectly... She remembered the feeling she felt when his gaze met hers fleetingly. She felt her heart racing as she imagined his hand holding hers. Despite the guilt churning within her, she couldn't help but feel pleased. A small smile crept on Lyla's face, and she opened her azure gaze. She was in Rita's grotto. Alone. No, that's not right, Lyla thought as she saw a certain white cat with incredibly milky yellow-green eyes. Poseidon lashed out his tail and cocked his head at Lyla, as if to say, tell him, tell him.

Lyla blushed. Maybe she was imagining that. Maybe it was just her self-conscience telling her that Poseidon wanted her to tell Zac that she was a mermaid. Ah, Zac, one of the complications in her life. Sure, he was sweet and had a boyishness that made Lyla smile, but... Lyla liked to think that they shared a connection... a special understanding with each other. Maybe she was kidding herself, but nevertheless, she enjoyed the feeling he gave her and—

Oh tides.

Why was she amusing herself with such traitorous thoughts? Lyla shook her head and sternly chastised herself in her head, Stop it. He's just a stupid land boy. And then, her self-conscience decided to tease her by saying something like, A stupid land boy with endless depths of brown for eyes and a smile that stirs butterflies in your stomach and draws hope into your heart. Lyla seethed her teeth but fought against chastising her self-conscience. It was weird enough without that.

"Lyla, it's a beautiful day. What're you doing here?"

Lyla turned and smiled at Rita. "Just thinking," she said, playing with a vial of who-knows-what absentmindedly.

"Can't you think outside?" the older mermaid inquired, but Lyla could see the amusement and affection in her gaze. Rita was such a great person—a good role model, a pleasant person to be around with. Lyla felt a wave of fondness for the older mermaid. Rita had been so kind to her. So kind to everyone. Out of all the mermaids ever, Lyla counted herself lucky to have Rita.

"Yes," Lyla responded, grinning. "But I might crash into something."

"Knowing you, I don't think that would happen."

"Maybe," Lyla half-consented. Lyla glanced absentmindedly on the ground.

"Lost in thought?"

"I keep thinking about—" Lyla cut herself off, embarrassed.

"Zac?" Rita guessed, the ghost of a smile on her face.

"Maybe."

"Lyla," Rita said, and Lyla cringed because she felt that Rita was going to chastise her. The tone sounded like it. Rita seemed almost hesitant. "Nixie and Sirena say that you want to tell Zac that you three are mermaids." Lyla didn't answer, which proved as much. "Lyla, you know you can't do that. You could expose the entire mer-world!"

"I know, I know," Lyla said, turning away dejectedly.

"Lyla... I know what it's like to—"

"I don't," Lyla said firmly. Rita smiled a little, like she was amused. "I don't," Lyla repeated. Oh who was she kidding? She wasn't convincing herself, let alone Rita. Lyla flushed a little. How did the older mermaid read her so well? "Can you really read me that well, or do you just believe what Nixie and Sirena say?"

"Your face lights up when he enters the room," Rita said with a small smile. "You watch his every move but not in the predatory kind of way. I can see the awe in your gaze, and I know you care about him." Rita shrugged softly. "Lyla, you might as well let go of him before you get seriously hurt. You belong in different worlds, and you know that."

"I know."

"You knowing isn't the same as you promising to leave him alone."

Lyla shot her a pained look. "I can't do that."

"I didn't think you'd say anything different, if you said anything at all, that is," Rita said.

Lyla stood up and shrugged helplessly. She said, "Tonight's a full moon. Zac wanted me, Nixie, and Sirena to be there... just in case anything happens to him."

"Did he ask the three of you or you in particular?" Rita said. When Lyla didn't answer, Rita shook her head and stroked Poseidon, who relaxed immediately at her touch. "Lyla," the older mermaid said, looking at Lyla in the eye, "you do realize that you can't... you can't get involved with him. Not like this. Besides, a relationship needs honesty."

"Zac's not honest with Evie," Lyla pointed out and immediately regretted the words.

"You are more or less saying that you're in love, Lyla," Rita murmured, a sad, distant look in her eyes. Lyla felt a sharp pang in her chest because she knew that Rita was thinking about Harry... Lyla swallowed hard. "You have it lucky, Lyla. You still have time to change the course of your life. Be careful, Lyla."

"Thanks," Lyla said, hoping her gratitude shone out of her eyes. Rita must've understood because she smiled. Lyla nodded and headed out of the grotto, to Rita's mer-cave. Maybe, maybe Lyla didn't have feelings for Zac. No. She was kidding to herself. Besides, Zac was with Evie. That wouldn't change any time soon. Lyla swallowed hard and dove into the water, ignoring the churning emotions inside of her.

But she could feel her heart breaking.

Lyla arrived at Zac's house and felt her heart racing immediately. She gritted her teeth. How did a land boy have so much power over her? It was infuriating but... in the best way. Much to her chagrin, Lyla knew how much she was affected by a land boy. It was embarrassing, but... hey... all girls got flustered and doe-eyed around their... No way. She was not thinking that word. But she knew she was thinking it. As much as she despised to admit it, she had a crush on Zac. Yes, how very land girl-like of her.

The door was open, and she lingered by the threshold, unsure. He noticed her almost immediately and beckoned her in. Lyla strode in and immediately admired the way his t-shirt hugged his body. Blushing, she turned away, hoping he wouldn't notice. "Hey..." she said. Wow, 'hey' is all you got? Lyla ignored her self-conscience. Shut up, she chastised her self-conscience, which made her blush even more.

"Hey." How did he make one word sound so cool? He smiled that annoyingly sweet smile at her that made Lyla feel like she was melting. She was pretty sure she was doing a perfect impersonation of a human traffic cone. "Thanks for coming," he said, smiling. "You know... I don't know how I could've made it here without you. You've been my rock through this whole... mess. And it's not like you even have to."

"Actually..." Lyla immediately closed her mouth and bit her lip as soon as she said the word. She gritted her teeth as Zac frowned at her. Oh, how was she going to dig herself out of this mess? "I mean..." Lyla started, but she realized that she had no idea what she could say to cover up her slip up.

"What're you talking about?" He was dangerously close to her now, but it wasn't his presence that affected her this time. She was too afraid of revealing what she so desperately wanted to tell him. His dark gaze seared into hers, and Lyla knew at once that she was going to give in and tell him. She didn't speak, and he looked frustrated. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do! How can you even ask that?" Lyla didn't mean to, but she was upset.

"Then why won't you tell me?"

Lyla groaned. "You'd hate me."

"I could never hate you, Lyla," he assured her, squeezing her hand briefly. His touch was as light as butterflies brushing against flesh, but it felt electric to Lyla. He smiled again, as if to reassure her. "I couldn't hate you if I wanted to."

"What if it's really big?"

"How big are we talking?"

"As big as you being a merman."

He frowned at that. "What exactly are you keeping from me?"

"I..." Lyla found herself unable to speak. She hugged her knees and closed her eyes, as if daring the ground to open up and swallow her. She didn't want to say it. She feared what Zac would say. She recalled his earlier words. I could never hate you. I couldn't hate you if I wanted to. Lyla took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you this before... I wasn't allowed to. Sirena and Nixie... they don't want me to..."

"And yet, you want to tell me something that'll get you in trouble?" Tides, his gaze was unnerving.

"Yeah..." Lyla took a deep breath and forced herself to look directly into Zac's eyes. "I'm... I'm a mermaid," she said. Or, at least, that's what she tried to say. It came out sounded garbled and distorted. Lyla took a deep breath and spoke clearly, "I'm a mermaid."

Zac's eyes widened so that Lyla could see the whites around his irises. He blanched so much that he looked more like a vampire. Then, he looked frustrated. He stood up, and Lyla looked at him, terribly resigned. He began to pace across the room, which didn't work very well with his height. Then, he whirled around and glared fiercely into Lyla's gaze. "How could you keep something like this from me?!" he yelled, and Lyla flinched. "I thought you were my friend. Friends don't keep secrets from each other."

"I told you," Lyla said meekly.

He exploded. "And you have the nerve to talk back?!" His gaze was cold. "You're not my friend."

Lyla didn't move. She just stood there, very still. Lyla didn't cry very much at all. She had cried when her mother had died, but after that, she developed into her stoic, stubborn personality. But now, in front of Zac, Lyla felt tears bud in her eyes. She felt them streak down her cheeks, and she was powerless to prevent them from falling. Lyla's vision blurred, and she was scarcely aware when Zac actually drew her into his arms. She leaned into his chest and cried, shuddering the whole time.

"Lyla..." came his helpless answer.

She didn't speak. When she stopped crying, she just leaned into his chest, breathing in harsh, rapid breaths. Her fingers were shaking, and Lyla knew at once that while crying, she had let out everything she had kept inside of her for so long. Then, she turned to Zac. "You're still mad. I didn't expect anything else."

"I didn't expect you to cry. I didn't think you could."

"I cried. Once. When my mother died." Lyla's lip quivered as she spoke those words. She already had a meltdown, and she wasn't looking forward to another one. She breathed in deeply and tilted her head upwards just so that their eyes could meet. It was a fleeting moment, and she knew that Zac wasn't angry with her anymore. After all, why would you be mad with someone who was crying? Even if you were, you couldn't stay mad at them for long. "Thank you," she mumbled.

"For what? I made you cry."

It hurt Lyla to hear him so down, so guilty. Instead of murmuring reassuring words, Lyla inquired, "Do you forgive me?"

He paused for a heartbeat. Then, his gaze locked onto hers. The pressure was overwhelming—in the best way. Lyla found herself breathless as words passed through their gazes. He took a deep breath, and his gaze seemed so light, so reassuring. He seemed as breathless as her. Lyla could feel her heart pounding so loud that she could've sworn that he could've heard it. She thought that she had misheard him when he murmured, "Yes," but when their gazes met again, Lyla knew that he meant it.

"Where is she?" Nixie snapped. She glanced at Sirena, who shrugged helplessly. "She's probably with Zac," Nixie said, answering her own question. Sirena didn't deny it. Nixie and Sirena were currently at Rita's grotto. "Again," Nixie said, groaning. She watched Sirena play with Aquata's—now Sirena's—moon ring. The small band of silver complemented with a beautiful ocean-colored stone really set off Sirena's eyes.

"Well, she did say that Zac wanted us to be there for tonight," Sirena pointed out.

Tonight. Code work for full moon.

"Then let's head to Zac's," Nixie said with an exaggerated sigh. Okay, maybe not that exaggerated.

Nixie and Sirena stood up. A mischievous glint lit up Sirena's eyes. "Race you to Zac's!" Sirena challenged.

Nixie, never one to give up, rushed to Rita's mer-cave, Sirena a breath behind her. Both leapt into the water and zoomed to Zac's. Nixie just managed to beat Sirena. She propelled herself out of the water and grinned at Sirena. "See? So much faster than you," Nixie said, echoing something she had said before—back when their lives were easier.

"You are so not," Sirena said, catching on.

As soon as their tails dried, they rushed to Zac's house. The door was slightly ajar, and Nixie crossed the threshold. She skidded to a halt as she saw... Lyla and Zac. Zac was holding her, and Lyla was leaning into his chest. They had jumped apart when Nixie and Sirena had entered. No matter, Nixie had seen it. Nixie met Lyla's gaze daringly. "Well, you two, looks like you're getting along fine."

Lyla blushed and looked down, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Hey..."

"What did I just walk in on?" Nixie hissed to Lyla as she took a seat next to her.

"Nothing," Lyla hissed back, azure gaze revealing nothing.

"Thanks for coming," Zac said, still uncertain. "Finally," he added, as if he was trying to ease the tension. Then, he let out his breath frustratingly. "Well, it's getting late..." That was a not very well concealed lie. The sun had just begun to set. "I think we should try to... keep me out of the moonlight," he said. He turned to Lyla, who was uncharacteristically quiet. "Alright," Zac said, standing up.

Soon, every window was covered up. The only light in the room was the ceiling light. Nixie wondered if it just a coincidence, or if Lyla was deliberately avoiding Zac when covering up the windows. She couldn't avoid him much longer, and the two of the them sat down close to each other as Zac showed Lyla something on that tiny device of his. The apparatus with the annoyingly bright screen.

Nixie was sitting with Sirena, who looked mildly distracted. Nixie wanted to pursue the earlier topic about Lyla and Zac, and finally, after many heartbeats of blatant silence, Nixie whispered, "Did you see them? Earlier?" Nixie eyed Lyla and Zac to see if they had heard her words, but they were too busy caught up in a world of their own.

"Yeah," Sirena murmured. Then, in an almost embarrassed voice, Sirena added, "I think it's cute. They look at each other in a similar—if not the same—way David and I look at each other." Nixie made a face, and Sirena shook her head. "But I don't suppose you'd understand. I wouldn't expect you to." Then, Sirena said, almost comically, "You aren't a romantic."

"No, I'm not," Nixie agreed.

The sky darkened, and Nixie could see the light disappearing from behind the covered windows. She knew that the moon was rising. Nixie watched Zac put the tiny device with the glowing screen down. Nixie and Sirena stood up, approaching the door. Sirena beckoned Lyla to come, and Lyla reluctantly got up and strode over to them. Nixie stared at her disapprovingly. "You spend too much time with that land boy," she hissed.

Lyla blatantly ignored her and focused on Zac, whose breathing had grown harsh and rapid. He was shaking, albeit a little, and his fingers were drumming the desk in front of him in an irritated way. Nixie noticed Lyla's fingers curled into a certain position. Nixie frowned. Why was she—

"What're you doing?" Nixie demanded.

"Nothing," Lyla denied. "He's fighting the pull of moon by himself."

"Yeah, sure," Nixie retorted sharply. She noted that Lyla didn't try to help Zac anymore. At least, when Nixie wasn't watching. She could've sworn that she had seen Lyla try to help him when Nixie's head was turned. But Nixie had something called a peripheral vision, and she certainly wasn't stupid. Lyla probably knew that Nixie was onto her, but if she did, she made no acknowledgement about it.

"Lyla," Zac called out suddenly, and much to Nixie's annoyance and disapproval, Lyla hurried over to Zac, face compassionate, and she clasped his hands. Nixie shuddered. Honestly, how did it come to this? When Zac called for her, she came to him like her life depended on it. It was ridiculous, not to mention stupid.

"I'm here," she said. "Stay strong."

"What's she doing?" Nixie asked Sirena.

"Maybe Lyla can stop Zac from going to Mako," Sirena answered.

"The pull of the moon verses the land boy." Nixie shook her head. "He's doomed."

Nixie watched in disgust as Lyla continued to murmur encouraging words to Zac. Lyla's azure gaze was sparkling with passion and determination as she whispered to Zac. He nodded sometimes, and his shaking had eased. Nixie shook her head. She still thought that they should let Zac take the trident. Honestly, what was a stupid stick with points going to do?

Nixie used her powers to remove one of the coverings from a window. Moonlight streamed in, and Zac leapt out of his seat. Immediately, he strode over to the moonlight. The rays struck him, and it seemed as if he was almost glowing. Nixie could see the moon reflecting in his gaze. "What did you do?" Lyla yelled at her, gaze furious.

"I'm sorry," Nixie said, shrugging.

The group watched as Zac opened the door with his powers. He ran outside, Lyla at his heels. Nixie exchanged a glance with Sirena before running after them. She heard and saw the splashes of Lyla and Zac, and Nixie turned to Sirena. Sirena nodded discreetly, and they jumped in simultaneously, streaming after Lyla and Zac to Mako Island. With the moon shining brightly over their heads, Nixie couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake.

Zac propelled himself out of the water. His legs appeared once his tail was completely dry. He felt someone—maybe Lyla—running after him as he raced towards the land entrance on Mako. He heard her call his name, but he ignored her. Getting the trident was his number one priority. But, some part of him, wanted to turn around and run to Lyla. But that part was weak, and Zac couldn't bring himself to. He continued running towards the land entrance. He heard Lyla yell his name again, and Zac was almost blinded with rage. He turned around and thrust his hand at her. An invisible force flung her back, and Zac raced into the land entrance.

He raced inside the land entrance, and he heard feet thundering after him. Three pairs. Lyla, Sirena, and Nixie. No matter. They were too late. Zac's fingertips brushed against the trident symbol, and it glowed. Before even a heartbeat had passed, Zac was facing a large pool of water. His heart leapt. He was closer to the trident than ever. Zac turned as the shapes of Lyla, Nixie, and Sirena materialized. Lyla looked pleadingly at him, but he leapt into the pool of water.

Once he was completely encompassed him, he felt home at once. Then, his powerful tail flicked through the water, steering Zac closer to the object floating in the water: the trident. He grabbed the trident once he got within reach. Then, he turned to see Lyla, Sirena, and Nixie—with tails. Zac's eyes widened. He knew that Lyla had told him that she, Sirena, and Nixie were mermaids, but... it was kind of shocking to see them with tails. He met Lyla's gaze, and her pleading gaze seemed to say, play along, please play along. Zac, unsure of what to do, held the trident out in front of him. Lyla grabbed it, but her gaze told him that she didn't actually want it. Something happened, and the trident crackled with electricity or something. And—

They were shoved out of the pool.

Zac was breathing heavily as he gazed at Lyla and her friends. "Zac," she began, gaze pleading, and Zac froze, every nerve locked up in denial. She moved closer to him and breathed, "Are you okay?" His gaze widened in astonishment, but he felt touched, touched that she truly cared about him. She didn't seem to notice Nixie and Sirena behind her.

"Yeah..." Then, he sagged. "You really have a tail..." he breathed in awe.

Nixie and Sirena looked baffled. Then, they whispered to one another, and their gazes darkened. Uh oh. Zac guessed that that meant trouble. Then, he realized that he had blown it for Lyla. He stifled a groan and headed out of the entrance, Lyla, Sirena, and Nixie right behind him. When they were outside, he glanced back at her. "I'll see you around..." he said, smiling a little at her. He left, wondering if she knew anything at all about him as she was a... a mermaid. The word felt weird on his tongue. To find that he wasn't alone... it was... the best feeling in the world.

Sirena glanced at Nixie and Lyla. Lyla blatantly refused to look at them, and instead, she ran and dove into the water. Sirena exchanged a glance with Nixie, and they followed her, heading to Rita's. By the time Sirena and Nixie propelled themselves up in Rita's mer-cave, Lyla was already inside the grotto. Sirena swallowed uncomfortably as her tail dried. Then, she stood up, wobbling a little. Then, she and Nixie raced to the grotto. Rita was there, and her eyes widened as she took in the mix of emotions.

"You sold us out!" Nixie yelled at Lyla. The rage that she had held back for so long had now exploded.

Lyla didn't deny it. She didn't even say anything. Rita's eyes widened with concern. "What happened?" the older mermaid asked. She had been holding Poseidon, but she put the cat down as she appraised the three of them carefully. The cat's milky yellow-green eyes flashed in annoyance, and he slunk off to some corner. "Did... did you guys go to Mako?"

"Yeah, we went to Mako," Nixie said. She shot Lyla a look of betrayal. "And Lyla obviously told Zac that we were mermaids before because he wasn't surprised at all!" That wasn't true. Zac looked surprised, but now, Sirena assumed that it was because he had never seen mermaids before. And he wasn't angry with them, too. That was a major clue. Sirena and Nixie had pieced together the pieces and discovered what Lyla had done.

"It was an accident!" Lyla argued.

"How do you accidentally tell someone that you're a mermaid?!" Nixie demanded incredulously.

"It just..." Lyla frowned. "It just happened."

Nixie glared at Lyla with such the utmost loathing, but Sirena felt unsure. They still had Zac's trust, and they had a better chance of getting rid of his powers now that he knew that they were mermaids. "Well," Sirena said, uncertain, "Zac still trusts us. I mean, it's not all bad. I mean, I know that Lyla shouldn't have told Zac, but... it worked out pretty well."

"Exactly," Lyla retorted.

"Jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk," Nixie said, shooting Sirena a look of betrayal.

"After all, when we tell him that the pod left because he became a merman, he'll agree to get rid of his powers, and the pod can come back," Sirena added, ignoring Nixie's burning gaze. "And everything will be back to the way it was!" Sirena exclaimed excitedly.

"Jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk," Nixie continued, glaring at Sirena now instead of Lyla.

"Rita..?" Lyla said, turning to the older mermaid for guidance.

"Well, I suppose there's no harm done," Rita said after a heartbeat. She frowned a little. "I mean, if he trusts you... I don't think he'd blackmail me or anything. I mean, he's bound to figure out that I'm not really your aunt." Then, Rita's gaze darkened. "Does Zac have the trident?"

"No," Lyla said, not bothering to conceal her relief over the matter. "The trident is still in the pool of water that was in the land entrance."

"Lyla, what you did was risky," Rita said, gaze serious. "You could've—"

"I know, I know," Lyla said. "Nixie already chewed me out."

"What you did was serious, Lyla," Rita said. "You got lucky this time." Then, Rita smiled a little. "Though only the tides know why..."

"I know," Sirena said, hiding a smile.

"I do, too," Nixie added with a bit of disdain. "I've known it for some time."

Lyla blushed a little, so it was clear to Sirena that Lyla knew why, too. Lyla shook her head. "We're getting distracted from the point," she said, neatly avoiding an answer. It wasn't what Lyla said but what she didn't say. Sirena could read it, and she was pretty sure she wasn't the only one: I would rather face chastisement and punishment than being teased about my so far platonic relationship with Zac. It was pretty obvious.

"It's not wrong to love someone," Rita said, and Lyla groaned, burying her face in her hands. Sirena hid a smile. She saw the amusement in Rita's gaze. Rita wanted to tease Lyla. "But you do realize that your relationship with Zac has to be remain platonic, right?"

"Why would I want it to be more than platonic?" Lyla inquired, her answer muffled.

Nixie gawked sarcastically at her. "Oh, I wonder why. It's not like when Sirena and I arrived at Zac's, you two weren't sitting so close and hugging each other like the world depended on it." That was an exaggeration, but... Nixie was Nixie, and she looked like she was enjoying this conversation whereas Lyla blanched and ignored her.

"What?" Rita said. This was news to her.

"Nothing," Lyla said quickly.

Rita's eyes flashed, which meant something like, Lyla, we're going to have a very long talk later about your feelings for Zac. Rita didn't bother to hide her displeasure, though. "Lyla, you can't—"

"He was comforting me," Lyla said forcefully.

"And why would he need to do that?" Nixie asked sarcastically.

Lyla went uncharacteristically silent. She blatantly refused to meet anyone's eyes. It was news to Sirena that Lyla would need comforting. They all fell into an awkward silence. Nixie looked reproachful as she gazed at Lyla, but there was uncertainty in there somewhere. Sirena shifted uncomfortably, and she looked at Poseidon. The white cat was sitting on his haunches, and his milky yellow-green optics flicked around the room. The cat delicately licked a paw before wrapping his tail neatly around his paws.

"But things turned out okay," Lyla said after the long spam of silence. She still refused to look at anyone.

"Because we got lucky," Nixie said, scoffing.

"Do you trust him enough to keep our secret?" Rita inquired.

Lyla met their gazes boldly, her trust in Zac shining through her gaze. "I trust him with my life."

"Then if we're exposed, I'll blame it on you," Nixie said.

"Fair enough," Lyla said. "But he won't."

"We only have your and his word for that," Nixie said. "And that word has been turned into a question."

"He won't," Lyla insisted. "I know he won't."

"And where's your proof?" Nixie demanded incredulously.

"I know him, Nixie," Lyla said fiercely. "He wouldn't do this. Besides, he would be more or less revealing his own secret if he did. We're fine."

"So you say."

There was no doubt that Lyla meant her words. She really did trust Zac that much. Sirena swallowed hard. Nixie was particularly hostile towards Lyla. Would Lyla's friendship with Zac tear the three of them apart? And if it did, what else would happen? Sirena recalled her earlier words: I trust him with my life. Sirena couldn't help but feel uneasy. Lyla trusted Zac with her life...

Zac obviously trusted Lyla. Yes, he had been the most forthcoming to her... He had asked her to be there tonight, and Lyla had told them that Zac had invited them. Did Zac trust Lyla with his life? Sirena turned to meet Lyla's eyes. Lyla was frowning a little, but something in her eyes told Sirena that she was thinking of Zac. Not that that would be much of a surprise.

No doubt it was going to be an interesting few days...

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that—I'm a die hard Zyla shipper. Anyways, since this story isn't WC, it's obviously going to be a three-shot, but... I'm making each chapter 5000+ words just because I really wanted to write something like this. But I'm sticking to my promises. It will be a three-shot, and it'll probably end up with 15,000+words. Anyway, reviews are appreciated (criticism and praise) though not necessary. But who doesn't like reviews? ;)