Thank you, thank you to all my patient readers. I've been aching to write lately and I've finally made my way back to this story. I'm hoping it doesn't disappoint. It's more of a transition chapter, but it should still be enjoyable. Remember, reviews are love!

"Cody!" Jess flagged down his friend as he climbed out of his dad's truck.

Cody waved back and waited by the front doors for him. He'd been back at school for a couple weeks and was starting to get used to the stares. Clumps of students eyed him as they slipped inside the school. The first day back had almost driven him back to the ocean. He'd felt exposed and overly anxious, sure that any moment his secret would be discovered. In truth, everyone stared only because he had changed so much since he'd been in school last.

He'd left in April and now it was March, nearly a year later. He was extremely late to the school year and was struggling to catch up. Jess had dutifully collected all of his school work and had been working with him the last two months to get caught up, but it was a lot of material to cover. In his classes he struggled more than he had before, his grades showing just how far he had fallen behind. Jess tried to assure him he'd get it, but he doubted it would be anytime soon. He was already waiting for the summer.

Other than his educational struggles, his physical changes were obvious. He had slimmed down and gotten back his tan, but he just didn't look the same. Swimming in the ocean for nine months had broadened his shoulders, and given him a washboard stomach. He looked sixteen rather than his soon to be fourteen in a week. And an old sixteen-year-old at that. It was obvious that something had happened to him while he'd been away from school, he just hoped no one would figure out what.

Being mute wasn't helping anything either. He kept finding himself trying to speak out of habit, only to frown as no sound ever came out. His classmates, especially the swim team, stared at him when he used his tablet to speak for him in class. He'd gotten to using it less and less in the last few days to try and minimize the attention he was receiving. If only he could go back to the way his life had been a year ago.

"Hey!" Jess shrugged his gigantic book bag up higher on his back.

Keeping up with new appearances, Cody waved his hello.

"Did you understand the math assignment last night?" Jess opened the door as they walked inside.

Cody shook his head no and silently sighed. Then, doing what a former merman does best, he projected an image of him smacking his head against his math book in frustration.

In response, Jess laughed and smiled. "Yeah, I'm right there with ya."

Cody touched his friend's arm and motioned toward the office. 'My councilor wanted to see me before class.'

Nodding, Jess adjusted his bag again. "Okay, see you at lunch."

Smiling, Cody gave him a fist bump then headed down the side hallway. He councilor motioned him in and he sighed as he took a seat. He could only guess what this was going to be about.

Mr. Maury shut the door and sat down in front of his computer. "I've been talking with our principal, Mrs. Devin, and your parents about the progress you've made this last week."

Cody gave him a questioning look.

"The school district would like to know how your communication device is working." He motioned to Cody's bag. "Could you pull it out please?"

Giving an inward sigh, Cody pulled the tablet from his book bag. This device was what he used instead of an interpreter. While he was still learning sign language at school, he didn't know enough to have an interpreter at school. Besides, with the assistive communication the tablet provided, the school thought he might never need one.

He turned it on and started typing out his response.

"It.. makes.. me.. feel.. like.. a.. robot." The monotone and mechanical voice spoke each word as he typed it.

"Have you tried other voice settings?"

Cody frowned. "This.. is.. the.. best.. one."

Mr. Maury nodded. "You'll get faster at it and it'll start remembering your typing style and common phrases."

Shaking his head Cody was about to put it away.

"You should at least try to use it more." The councilor crossed his arms. "Some of your teachers have mentioned you have stopped bringing it out in class. When they ask you questions you refuse to answer." He sat farther forward, the picture of worry. "Others have noticed you only hang out with a couple friends when you used to be so outgoing."

Cody shook his head again. "I.. am.. fine." The voice held no emotion. "I.. am.. just.. adjusting.. to.. being.. back.. at.. school.. again."

"I know. Just promise me you'll try a little harder to use your resources." Mr. Maury sat back and made a note on his computer. "I'll talk to you again next week, okay?" His voice was kind and he smile his goodbye.

Getting up to leave, Cody kept the tablet in his hand. Mr. Maury meant well, but he just didn't get it.

In the hallways few students were left as the final bell to get to class had already rung. Great. Now he would be walking into English late and have everyone staring at him. He stopped at the drinking fountain to top off his water bottle, then slipped into his classroom.

"Mr. Griffin, please take your seat and start on the pop quiz."

It was then Cody knew it was going to be a long day.

-T-S-L-O-F-

Cody sat next to Sam at lunch, his head in his arms on the table. He was only half way through the day but he could already feel a huge headache forming behind his eyes. His three morning teachers had seemed determine to get him to talk more. Mr. Maury's doing, no doubt. He could still hear the snickers of the couple swim team guys when he'd been forced to use his tablet to answer a direct question.

"Hey, is he okay?" Jess plopped down across from them, his brown lunch bag hitting the table with a slight squish.

"Hey, Jess." Sam picked at her pizza.

Cody didn't respond or move. He was preoccupied with pretending he was in the middle of the ocean somewhere.

"So I was thinking about our group project for history. If you two want to meet at my house tonight, I've got some ideas." Sam nudged Cody. "I'll even have my dad make some of his famous chocolate chip cookies."

"Definitely count me in!" Jess took a giant bite out of his sandwich.

'Not tonight.' Cody finally lifted his head and looked at Sam. 'I need to go for a swim after school and get rid of this stress.'

Sam frowned. "In the ocean?"

Jess took another bit and looked around them to make sure no one was paying attention.

'Well I can't swim in the bathtub.' He frowned and started picking at his own pizza slice.

"Why not use my pool?" Sam watched Jess as he kept an eye out for ease droppers. Anyone listening would wonder at the one sided conversation.

Cody sighed. He guessed that would be fine. It was probably for the best anyway. Since his last swim in the ocean a month ago, he'd been sticking to strictly fresh water. His stomach had started to tug the closer he got to it and his legs and arms itched more than usual if he touched it. He feared if he started spending more time in it, he'd end up going through the transformation process again like he had last time. Somedays it was tempting to go back to his underwater home, especially on miserable days like this.

'Will you both swim with me?' He stared at his only two friends.

"Only if you promise we'll work on some homework before hand." Sam squeezed his hand.

'Deal.'

"Good news." Jess sipped his drink. "I won't even need swim floats this time."

Cody smiled and laughed, his laughter echoing in their heads. He'd gotten better at controlling it so it didn't project to everyone around him. He was grateful for his friends. He stared at Sam and gave her hand a gentle tug.

'Thanks Sam.' He looked at his best friend. 'Thanks Jess.'

"Hey, what are human friends for?"

-T-S-L-O-F-

"So Cody will put together the slideshow, Jess will be in charge of gathering cool facts and resources, and I'll be the presenter." Sam shut her notebook.

The three friends sat outside in the cool evening air, their homework sprawled across the desk table in front of them.

'Sounds good.' Cody scratched at his legs absentmindedly as they began to pack away their schoolwork. A moment later he stood and walked toward the pool. He and Jess had come dressed in swim shorts. Sam slipped inside to change as the two boys pulled off their shirts.

Jess had grown taller and slightly fuller in the last year, not nearly as lanky as he had been. Cody could swear his friend was now tanner than him. It was probably from all the time he spent snorkeling in the ocean doing his surveying and researching. He surprised Cody by jumping straight into the deep end and start swimming laps at ease.

Walking up behind her boyfriend, Sam took his hand and kissed his cheek.

'When did Jess become such a swimmer?' Cody slipped into the water, Sam right next to him.

"A few months after you left. He was determined to keep up with you when you go back."

'He should try out for the swim team.' Cody pushed farther into the deep end. His legs tingled and his hands ached. He knew his toes were still webbed, but the water did nothing to elicit any more changes.

"I think he's just happy to know his chances of drowning have greatly diminished." Sam laughed and dropped his hand. Taking a deep breath, she slipped underwater.

For a few moments Cody was content to just float and watch. He was serious about Jess trying out for the team. Sam was as fast as ever, but now Jess was easily keeping pace with her. Cody stared down at his feet and sighed. The webbing between his toes was slightly silver and glimmered in the pool lights. Just as his tail had in the moonlight in the ocean. He reached back and felt the permanent smattering of scales that reached a couple inches up from the base of his spine. He looked human, but he feared these two things would give him away some day. That and the fact that he could still easily outswim anyone and hold his breathe for long periods of time. He liked to pretend he was human and there to stay. Deep, deep down Cody knew he was still just a merman playing at being human. Eventually, though he didn't know when, he'd have to stop pretending.

"Hey, Cody!" Jess called to him from the other end of the pool. "You want to race us?"

Sam floated nearby Jess, a wide tooth grin plastered on her face.

'You may be fast,' Cody smile and ducked underwater. His voice carried just as easily under the surface. 'I can still outswim you.'

He gave two solid kicks with his feet, his legs working in tandem like his tail would have. Like a torpedo he shot forward and popped up in front of his friends, splashing water all over them.

Jess sputtered and Sam splashed him back, laughing.

"No fair!" Jess cried.

Laughing they started a game of tag, splashing around in the early evening. Try as they might, neither Jess nor Sam could catch Cody. He practically swam circles around his friends, happy to have this carefree moment to just be with two people who accepted him fully.

No one noticed the lone figure standing just out of view behind some bushes. He watched the trio joke around, a sneer on his face. He knew something was up, and he was going to figure it out. This time, he wouldn't let Cody get away.

DUN, DUN, DUN! I think it was about time I added a bit of intrigue. I've been doing research about different resources for disabilities. I though having technology to help would be an easier plot device anyway.

Happy reading!