Charlie burst through the back door of his home, kicking sand into the house as he stumbled inside. He slammed the door behind him, leaning on it as he worked to catch his breath.
"Charlie?"
Charlie's eyes popped open, still slightly wild as he looked around the room. His mother and father were both seated at the kitchen table, a mere six or seven feet away from him.
Rikki jumped up from her seat, rushing around the table to her son. "Are you alright? What's the matter?" She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, though her face remained concerned.
"Mom." Charlie took in a long, hard, pull of oxygen, fighting to steady his still-racing heart. "No, um, I'm fine." He swallowed, finally starting to regain his composure. "I just went for a jog… I'm tired." He released a long, steadying breath, resting his hands on his knees.
Zane stood, his eyes darting pointedly to Rikki before zeroing in on Charlie. "We're glad you're home." He nodded his head toward the living room, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Your mother and I need you to take a seat on the couch, Char. We need to talk to you."
"Now? Dad…" Charlie rolled his eyes. He knew he was being whiney and petulant, but too much had happened that day for him to act his age. He didn't want to talk about his parents' impending divorce, he didn't want to talk about what had happened to him out in the water, he just wanted to be alone to sort through everything in private. He pushed past Zane, freezing in his tracks when he reached the doorway.
Cleo and Lewis were already sitting in his living room, apparently waiting for him. What were they doing here? Were they here to help his parents announce their divorce?
"Sit down." Rikki's voice came from behind him. "Please." She gestured to the couch, taking a seat across the room for herself. Cleo and Lewis sat on the loveseat against the adjoining wall, leaving the couch wide open for him.
Clenching his jaw, Charlie angrily dropped down into the couch, joined a moment later by Zane. "Fine." He grumbled. "Let's get this over with."
"Charlie," Rikki began slowly, "You may have been noticing a few… changes lately. Do… do you know what I'm talking about?"
"C'mon, Mom-" Charlie protested.
Rikki raised her voice, continuing. "Funny things happening whenever you touch water?"
Charlie couldn't mask his shock. How could she know about that? He hadn't told a soul. He remained silent, though his eyes narrowed.
Cleo and Lewis shared a meaningful look with one another. "There's something… ah, well, something very important we need to talk to you about, Char." Lewis spoke up gently.
"Aren't we here to discuss my parents' divorce?" Charlie asked weakly.
"Divorce?" Zane shook his head, his eyes closed. "No, son. We are not getting a divorce. I'm sorry if that's what you thought…" His tone softened, becoming almost apologetic. "There's just… this thing that we need to-"
"Talk to me about, I get it." Charlie said uneasily, more worried now than ever. "Go."
Everyone in the room seemed to draw a collective breath as Rikki opened her mouth to speak. "I need to tell you a story, Charlie." She began, pacing the floor slowly as she pieced the words together.
The phone rang loudly, making everyone jump at the unexpected noise.
With a sigh, Zane stood and snatched it from the wall. "It's Will?" He frowned. "Will, what is it? We're in the middle of… what? We can't right now, you get me?" He paused, listening. "And how do you know this?" His eyes darted to Rikki's, who was listening with obvious curiosity. "And does it have to be now?"
Charlie spotted the opening and leapt for it. "Hey, if you guys have somewhere to be it's totally fine, I do too." He didn't know exactly what he was doing, he just knew he needed to get out of there.
"No Charlie, we need to talk to-" Rikki stopped as Zane began speaking in a low voice into the phone. She was clearly distracted as she tried to gesture to Zane, who was too preoccupied to notice.
"So we'll talk tonight, ok?" Charlie waved hastily to Cleo and Lewis as he made his way to the front door. "I promise. Tonight." Without giving them the chance to say another word, and knowing full well that he was only delaying the inevitable, Charlie darted out the door and ran to his car.
He drove away slowly, still trying to piece together what had just happened. This wasn't about divorce. His parents knew something. Cleo and Lewis knew something. He was furious with himself for running away, but he couldn't bring himself to turn back. He didn't even know why he'd run out. Didn't he want the answers? Didn't he want to know what was happening to him? He'd just panicked.
Charlie pulled off to the side of the road, breathing heavily. He couldn't go back home, not yet. He awkwardly managed to pull his phone from his pocket, thumbing through it as he looked for the right person to talk to.
"Callie."
He muttered the name aloud as it appeared on the screen. For some reason he felt just a little bit calmer as he read it aloud. It felt good to have heard from her last night.
"Callie." He decided, dialing the number almost involuntarily before holding the phone up to his ear. It rang and rang, and he had been just about ready to give up when he heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line.
"Callie? Hey!" He tried his hardest to sound light, natural, though the tightness in his voice gave him away. "Are you around to hang out?"
Twenty minutes later found Charlie walking down along the stretch of beach they used to hang out at as kids, looking for Callie. It wasn't long before he'd spotted her, lounging on a beach blanket in her usual shorts and purple tank top. "Hey, Cal!" He waved, jogging towards her.
She perked up, blinking as she looked around for the voice. "Here!" She sat up on her knees, gesturing for him to sit. "Pull up a piece of beach, slick."
"Hey." He dropped down onto his knees facing her, settling into the warm sand. "Thanks for meeting me."
"No sweat, jet." Callie stretched both arms over her head. "Take a load off, get comfy." She grinned. "Want to grab a swim?"
"No." Charlie answered too quickly, raising one hand to massage his throbbing temple. "Let's just talk… here, ok?"
"Sure thing." Callie rolled her shoulders in a big circle before laying back on her elbows, her long legs stretched out in front of her on the towel.
Charlie sat in silence for several minutes before Callie took in a deep breath and spoke.
"Ok." Her voice was clear over the crashing of the waves. "Spill. What's wrong?"
"Can't a guy call up his not-related cousin at…" He checked his phone. "4:35 just to say hi?" His face betrayed him, and he couldn't quite make his voice sound light or carefree. He sighed. "You always know."
"When something's bothering you?" Callie raised her eyebrows playfully. "Yeah, it's a damn gift."
"Shut up." Charlie smiled genuinely for the first time in hours. He readjusted, laying down on his back with his head resting on Callie's stomach like a pillow.
"Poor baby." Callie said, only teasing a little. "Bad day?"
Charlie's eyes opened, blinded by the beating sun. "Weird day." He said quietly, half-hoping Callie hadn't heard him.
For a while the pair just laid there in silence, both looking up at the sky and breathing deeply. The sun grew hot, almost to a scorch, but neither moved to shield themselves.
Callie spoke finally. "You want to tell me about it?"
Charlie knew instantly that he'd come to the right person. He had always been able to talk to Callie; she always knew when to push and when to let him work up to it.
"I do." Charlie nodded. "But you're going to think I'm losing it."
"Try me." Callie challenged, furrowed her brow.
"Ok… " Charlie took in a deep breath. "It's, well… it's water." He began.
"Alright…" Callie prompted, reaching to grab her drink out of the sand.
"No, listen." Charlie's mind raced as he searched for the right words. "It's really weird, Cal. And I'm not making this up; something is happening to me. It's whenever I touch water, at least, I think it's only happening in the water…" He continued rambling, working up the courage to shoot a look at Callie.
Callie was just staring out at the ocean, not visibly reacting to what he was saying. Her right hand dropped down to Charlie's brown hair, toying with it absently.
"It's really strange…" Charlie continued. "I was swimming today, training, and- get this- I forgot to breathe, Cal. I didn't come up for air for five whole minutes without realizing it. And when I was swimming the water felt good, like it was powering me along, and I know I sound completely insane right now…" He let his voice trail off, closing his eyes tightly as he listened to his own words. He sounded ridiculous.
"Charlie…" Callie began slowly, hesitantly. "Has your mother… um, talked to you yet?"
The hairs on the back of Charlie's neck stood on end at her question. "No." He answered after a moment of thought. He rolled onto his side so that he could face Callie. "How did you know? How does everyone seem to know that my parents need to talk to me? What does that have to do with what's happening to me?" He panted, momentarily out of steam.
Callie looked at him for a long time without saying anything, her eyes examining him. Thoughtfully, she rolled to her stomach, resting her head on her crossed arms without breaking eye contact.
"I shouldn't be the one talking to you about this." Callie tried to keep her tone easy, but the stiffness was evident.
For the first time since all of the bizarre stuff had started, Charlie found himself growing worried. Scared. Was he sick? Did mental illness run in his family? "Do you know what's going on?" He waited impatiently as Callie took her time answering.
"Yes." She answered finally.
Charlie flipped to his elbows, nudging Callie. "So…?"
More silence.
"Callie?"
"Hm?" Callie didn't seem to have noticed his anxiety.
Charlie moved in as close to her as he could. "C'mon, Cal. Tell me."
Calllie's blue eyes met Charlie's, but she pulled back after just a few seconds. "Trust me, dude. You'd never believe me."
"Try me." Charlie echoed her words from just a minute ago. He wasn't willing to let her off the hook, not when he was so close to an answer. "Please. Talk to me." He pleaded.
Callie sighed as she pushed herself up to sit cross-legged, mirrored by Charlie. She leaned forward, lowering her voice. "My mom would kill me, I'm not supposed to talk about it. But you are going to get the talk. Soon, too, it's sounds like."
"Now." Charlie crossed his arms, his voice firm.
"You aren't going to believe me." Callie shook her head seriously.
"I swear." Charlie leaned in close, so close he could feel her breath on his face. "I will."
"I'm not joking." Callie's voice grew eerily quiet. "This is serious stuff. Like, we're talking old-time, family secret-type stuff. And if I tell you, it's all going to sound like this ridiculous joke because it's so impossible, and you're going to think it's just me messing with you, but it might just be some of the most important information you'll ever hear, and I'm not sure I'm ready for the pressure of telling you something so-"
"Callie, for fuck's sake." Charlie spoke louder than he'd meant to, his exasperation hitting its limit. "Tell me. What's going on?"
The silence seemed almost louder than the crashing waves as Callie took in a long, slow breath of oxygen while composing her answer.
"Our parents are best friends, right?" She asked finally.
"Right…" Charlie didn't know where she was going with this, but he wasn't about to stop her to ask questions.
"Your parents, Rikki and Zane, my parents, Cleo and Lewis, plus Aunt Bella and Uncle Will." Callie continued. "They've all been close friends since they were kids."
"Callie, where are you going with this?" Charlie couldn't keep the words from escaping his lips.
"Hold your horses, I'm getting there." Callie swatted his shoulder. "My parents had three kids, my two sisters and me. Both of my sisters are older than me, that's why I already know about it. Lucy and Ellie each got the talk, but it turned out that Ellie didn't need it-"
"Callie!" Charlie lost it. "The point, get to it. Please."
Callie clenched her jaw, swallowing hard. "Our mothers are mermaids." She said clearly, waiting for Charlie's response."
Charlie didn't know whether to laugh or get really angry. "Shut up." He sat up, annoyed with himself for thinking she knew anything about what was going on.
"I'm not joking." Callie continued matter-of-factly. "They weren't born that way, they changed when they were kids. Bella too. Zane, Will, and Dad know all about it. When my parents got pregnant with Lucy, they didn't know what was going to happen. Like, whether she'd have a fin or not." Callie kept talking, even though Charlie's eye rolling was obnoxious.
"When Ellie was born, they all thought she'd turned out normal. They weren't going to tell us anything about it. Then came, Lucy, then you, then me. All the kids of the mermaids, perfectly human." Her voice dropped low again. "Then, right before Lucy's eighteenth birthday, she started acting funny in the water. "Of course, we didn't know anything about our parents, or mermaids, or magic, or any of that stuff, so none of us had a clue what was going on. Then…" She leaned in, finally gaining Charlie's full attention. "Lucy transformed. Like, all the way from human to mermaid, man. It was terrifying. I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself." She shook her head, lost in thought. "Anyway, my mom came home and caught us in the pool. She calmed Lucy down and explained everything to us, then swore us each to secrecy. Poor dad, he was pretty surprised."
Charlie held up one hand to pause Callie's speaking, his head beginning to pound. "So…" He spoke very slowly. "You're telling me that my mom is a mermaid… and that I'm going to be one too?"
"Maybe you will, maybe you won't." Callie shrugged, looking down at the sand. "My sister Ellie never changed, and she's years older than Lucy was when she changed. You're actually a little late, I'll bet your folks thought you were in the clear."
"And… you?" Charlie frowned, not believing that he was taking this seriously.
"Nope." Callie shook her head. "One hundred percent human, so far."
"And they thought, what? That they wouldn't ever have to tell us if we didn't turn?" Charlie brows knit together.
"Our parents decided onto to tell the secret to family members who needed to know. Ellie and I only know because of Lucy, no one else knows. Although…" She looked down at her shoes, suddenly awkward. "It does sound like you're, um, going to need to know soon. If you're showing signs…"
The only sound for several seconds was the waves crashing onto the beach as the pair looked out over the water.
"This isn't real." Charlie spoke up calmly.
"Yes it is." Callie's simple reply came a moment later.
"No it isn't." Charlie stood abruptly, sending sand flying. "Just stop it, ok? I'm sorry I came to you."
"Look," Callie was instantly standing, her hands gripping Charlie's shoulders as she faced him. "I know this all sounds insane, ok? I mean, I'm a reasonably intelligent human being, I know the difference between reality and fantasy and I promise I am completely aware of the fact that mermaids are supposed to be the stuff of sailor stories and old fairy tales, but this is real Charlie. Your mom can prove it to you."
Charlie nodded angrily, wrenching out of her grip. "Right. That's what my mom is going to talk to me about, huh? Am I right?"
"Well, yeah." Callie tried to get Charlie to meet her eyes. "You're showing signs, Char. A lot of them. More than Lucy showed, sounds like. You need to get ready for the change."
"You said Ellie didn't change." Charlie shoved his hands forcefully into his pockets.
"But Lucy did. And she showed symptoms. Several of the same ones, too, for the most part. Forgetting to breathe, the whole water-feels-so-good thing, I remember it." Callie nodded vehemently.
Charlie's stomach clenched painfully. He hadn't even told her about how quickly he'd dried after swimming, or how the water had seemed to move in slow motion at his command.
"This is ridiculous." Charlie pulled back, turning to stalk back to his car.
"Charlie, wait!" Callie caught him by the elbow, pulling him in so that he could hear her whisper harshly. "If this is really what's going on, then you could change change any day now. Anytime you touch water, Charlie. You've got to be careful." Her eyes were open wide, worried as they explored his.
Charlie leaned in, lowering his voice to match hers. "I came to you because I trusted you, and you're just filling my head with some bullshit story. Just leave me alone." He stormed away, not bothering to look back at her expression.
