Chapter 5: Get Off My Tail

The sun rose over the sunny Gold Coast the next day as Elayne cruised peacefully through reefs deep underwater in her mermaid form. She loved the freedom of her new mermaid form, it was better than anything else she'd experienced.

Her long white blonde and blue hair flowed behind her in the water, looking graceful and natural; at first she wasn't so sure about the hair but now that she thought about it, it kind of made sense and suited the rest of her mermaid form.

She rose up to the surface of the water and looked around, she wasn't far from the beach but no one was around, she had left the house early, far too tempted to have a swim again to sleep anymore. She was pretty sure Kayla and Charlotte were still asleep.

Diving back underwater she shot off in a jet of water around the coast until she was further along and near the docks where she could see the new café, she couldn't get too close though, there were a few people around the boardwalks.

She moved away behind some rocks, past the inlet, and went to the shore to dry herself off.

Drying herself off wasn't easy, unlike Roxie, she and the others didn't have the power to just steam dry. Her tail did seem to have this natural water absorbing quality though, meaning it dried fairly quickly, plus the Gold Coast heat helped.

Once she was a normal human again she walked up onto the path and headed back towards the café to take a closer look. As she walked she couldn't help feeling like she was being watched and she looked around, she saw one other person further down the path but he wasn't looking her way. Her mobile rang, making her jump slightly and she answered it.

'Hello' said Elayne feeling slightly paranoid.

'Elayne, it's me, Kayla, where are you?'

Elayne breathed a sigh 'sorry I just went for another swim, I couldn't resist.'

Kayla sounded relieved 'ok, just wish you'd told me.'

'I didn't want to wake you' Elayne replied 'sorry.'

'Well where are you, I'll come and join you' Kayla asked curiously.

Elayne sighed and looked around 'I'm not far from the new café…I'm thinking I might just find some breakfast nearby.'

'Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can' Kayla replied and then hung up.

As Elayne hung up her phone she felt that feeling again and turned to look behind her, someone had just moved out of view but she could swear that he or she had been following her a second ago.

Moving a little faster she headed over to the new café, closed as it was, it still had people around and just as she turned round the outside of the café she ran into someone and fell back to the floor.

'Oh god, I'm so sorry' said a male voice 'I…Elayne…is that you?'

Looking up at the guy with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing only a vest and dirty shorts, she frowned not sure where he knew her from.

'Evan' he said pointing at himself 'we have several classes together' he explained, he offered his hand to help her up and she took it.

'Um…right' she said but couldn't honestly remember him, and felt strangely guilty about that.

Evan grinned 'you don't remember me do you.'

'No I do' said Elayne, trying to be nice but it was pretty hopeless.

'It's ok' he replied 'you do seem fairly absorbed in your work most of the time.'

Deciding to change the subject she said 'so…what are you doing here?'

'Oh I'm helping them set up the new café, little extra money you know, café's got a lot of history to it they were saying, been owned by a lot of people over the years' Evan explained looking up at the building.

You have no idea Elayne thought to herself but decided not to say it out load.

'So why are you here' Evan asked, looking back at her.

'Me? Oh I was just…walking and…yeah' Elayne said trailing off, she was no good at talking to hot boys 'anyway…I have somewhere to be so…'

She turned to leave but heard Evan call to her 'see you around.'

Nodding she smiled awkwardly and continued walking, heading for a café further down where she could get something to eat and meet up with Kayla.

As Elayne sat outside a café, waiting for Kayla, she sighed, thinking about how she was going to break the news to people that she couldn't do surfing and swimming now.

'Hey sis' said Kayla as she finally arrived and sat down 'how is the new café looking, when do you think it'll be open?'

Shrugging Elayne looked back over her shoulder in the direction she'd come, towards the new café 'do you know a guy called Evan in our class?'

Kayla nodded 'yeah, he often sits behind us, why?'

'I saw him at the café, he's helping to fix it up.'

Seeing Elayne's face Kayla grinned 'don't tell me you've never noticed sis.'

'What' asked Elayne frowning.

'Oh my god, you are so oblivious, he's had his eye on you all over the place for years, at least since we were 13; constantly staring at your back in classes, watching you surfing on beaches, he swims at the pool probably to watch you swim' Kayla said laughing.

Elayne smiling slightly she said 'really, well he won't be able to do that now…not two of them anyway.'

Kayla nodded 'so what you want a drink?'

'Banana smoothie sounds good to me' Elayne replied, Kayla nodded and got up to go and get the drinks.

While she waited Elayne looked around, breathing in the salty sea air, looking across the road she saw a figure watching her from the boardwalk leading to the beach. She narrowed her eyes, was it the same guy from earlier?

'Ok' said Kayla, making her jump 'drinks are ordered' when Elayne didn't say anything she added 'something wrong sis?'

'Do you see that guy over there' Elayne asked pointing to the figure by the boardwalk.

Kayla looked and nodded 'yeah, do you know him?'

Elayne shook her head 'no, I can't even see his face clearly but I swear he's been following me since I got out of the water.'

'He didn't see you did he' Kayla said quickly.

Elayne gave her a sister a look, a do I look stupid look 'no of course not, I was careful.'

The two of them continued to look, uncertainly at the figure 'he gives me the creeps' Elayne said.

The figure turned and left, heading onto the beach, he seemed to have given up…for now.

Roxie and Becka walked along the beach, keeping away from the water despite numerous cat calls by guys to try and get them in.

As two guys passed between them they both looked at Becka and whistled, Becka seemed to not even hear them but Roxie just stared as they walked off 'do you even have ears?'

'Huh' said Becka looking at her sister, clearly in a world of her own.

'You have some admirers' Roxie said jerking her thumb back at the guys.

Becka turned red 'oh…that.'

'You are so oblivious, you get the attention of every guy within 20 feet' Roxie argued.

'So not true…really?'

Roxie nodded 'really, ever since you turned 15, don't you notice?'

'I'm a little preoccupied' Becka explained 'I was just thinking about my parents…my mom; I'd really like to learn about her.'

Roxie put an arm around her 'we'll find a way; we all want to know things.'

Just then a figure bumped into the two girls 'sorry' he said 'I…' but he seemed to have lost his voice.

The two girls didn't recognise him, he was tall, dark haired with an average tan and dark eyes 'no problem' Roxie said, stepping aside to keep walking but she stopped when he tapped her on the shoulder.

'You…I'm sorry, it's just…you look like someone I used to know' the guy said still staring at them with amazement.

'Um…sorry I don't know you' Roxie said 'you must be mistaken.'

That evening the four girls were over at Charlotte's, as they nearly always were, and were preparing for dinner. While Charlotte and Kayla worked in the kitchen the other three sat in the lounge room talking.

'So Kayla says you ran into Evan today' Roxie teased Elayne.

Elayne glared over at her sister 'um…yeah, he was helping with the café.'

'Can't believe you had no idea he liked you' Roxie replied laughing.

'My mind isn't always on boys, unlike some people' Elayne replied, trying to sound mature and serious.

Roxie laughed 'don't know why not, besides it is hard not too, with friends like you and a sister who is a magnet.'

Becka didn't have anything to say to that, she just went red and pretended she couldn't hear her sister 'look sis, despite what you think, I'm not good with guys, never have been.'

'Yeah…that is obvious' Roxie smiled as she sat back.

A knock on the front door got their attention 'oh god if that is Sophie…' Charlotte said sounding irritated at the very thought.

'No she would knock a lot harder' Roxie said casually.

Kayla left the kitchen and went to open the door she opened it and after a brief conversation with someone none of them could see a guy came inside, Roxie and Becka recognised him as the man from the beach. Elayne also suddenly had the feeling this was the guy that had been following her, he fitted the general shape and silhouette.

'My god' the guy said looking round at the four girls, and his eyes finally came to rest on Elayne 'you…Emma.'

Charlotte came out of the kitchen and almost dropped the bowl she was carrying 'Ash! Oh my god, Ash I thought…you're alive…you're here…'

Ash looked back at her 'Charlotte…hi…I'm very confused.'

Charlotte sighed, not sure how to explain this to him 'do you know about what happened?'

'I only just learned about it…I've been abroad, I came back as fast as I could…but who…are they' he asked looking at the girls around him.

'Ash' Charlotte said 'meet Kayla the daughter of Cleo and Lewis, Roxie the daughter of Rikki and Zane, Elayne the daughter of Emma and an unknown man…and Becka the daughter of Bella and Will.'

'Who was that last one?'

'Ah, I see you never met Bella and Will and either, well that makes two of us' Charlotte replied 'Bella was…she was one as well, if you understand what I'm saying.'

Ash frowned for a moment then blinked and said 'oh, that…right.'

'You know the secret' Elayne asked frowning 'what they were?'

Ash nodded 'Emma told me, she and I were dating many years ago…but we broke up and then she went sailing around the world with her family, so I never saw her again, by the time she came back I had left.'

'So you're not my father' Elayne said, slightly sad.

Ash shook his head 'no, I wasn't even aware the girls had kids.'

'Why were you stalking me earlier' Elayne asked, frowning slightly.

'I'm sorry about that, I just didn't know what to think I saw four girls, three looked almost exactly like friends of mine from years ago…it just made no sense; I knew they were…different and had powers so perhaps it was still them…I just wasn't sure.'

Charlotte looked around at the girls 'well I feel I can trust you Ash, the girls are mermaids now as well but it needs to be kept a secret can I count on you to help us with that?'

Ash nodded 'of course, anything I can do to help just let me know.'