Did you guys notice? My chapters are getting shorter and shorter… Well, I'm posting them all at like… day by day, so… um… like… this is going to be a long story with some useless chapters that are still interesting enough and like… yeah.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE LITTLE MERMAID, except for this fanfiction story plot and the made up characters.

Chapter 3: Crushes

That evening, after the visit from their grandfather, who was Ariel's dad, the girls were in their nightgowns, ready for bed. Each girl had a different color. Cat's was pale blue, Quellie's was lavender, Estar's was white, Ara's was light green, Anna's was bright red, Kanade's was yellow, and Melody's was pale pink. Everyone was chattering away, except for Cat. She was sitting on the bench in front of the window, gazing at the stars. Kanade took notice when she looked around the room after she saw Cat wasn't sitting on her bed chatting with Quellie like she usually does. She knew something was up. Every time something new happened to Cat, she'd sit and gaze into space, like she was then.

"Everything okay, Cat?" Kanade asked. Cat turned her head so fast that the bow in her hair nearly fell off.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. Kanade sat down beside her little sister.

"Usually this is where you sit when something pops up."

"No, really, I'm fine."

"Fine, then be that way. I'll ask Quellie."

"I heard my name!" Quellie squealed.

"Can you come over here, Quellie?" Kanade called.

"Coming!"

"So, Quellie, did anything unusual happen to Cat at the orphanage today?" Kanade asked in a teasing tone when Quellie sat down. An obvious grin spread across Quellie's face. Kanade sat, thinking for a moment. Then, a grin was on her face too. Cat got the hint.

Oh no! She thought. She saw me talking to Nathan… She knows I must like him! WHY NOW, OUT OF ALL TIMES, WHY NOW?

"Well," Quellie said, "She was talking to a guy. And she was going ALLLL flirty on him."

Cat looked down, swung her feet, and her cheeks flushed a bright red.

"OOOOOH. So this is about crushes and loooove," Kanade teased.

"Cat's got a crush, Cat's got a crush," Ara and Quellie sang, which made Cat's cheeks turn even brighter. When did SHE get here? Cat thought.

Everyone was circling around her. Cat was still looking down on her swinging feet; she didn't want to admit it, but she knew they had heard. They began swarming her with questions.

"Is he cute?" Anna asked.

"Is he kind?" Quellie asked.

"Is he funny?" Kanade laughed.

"DOES HE HAVE ANY OLDER BROTHERS?" Estar screamed. Kanade laughed at that joke and gave her sister a high five.

Everyone was talking at once and Cat's mind was spinning.

"Everyone, stop!" she screamed. Soon, there was silence.

Quellie's POV

Everyone stopped talking. That was the loudest I've ever heard Cat yell.

"Sorry, Cat. We're all just happy for you! Oh boy, your first crush!" Melody said.

"It IS your first crush and we're all REALLY excited!" Anna chimed in. "It's not every day this happens."

I sat down next to her.

"I know," Cat said, "I'm just uncomfortable with all this attention."

"We understand," I replied, "We've all been through this stage before. We're just trying to help you."

"Well, what you guys did wasn't helping me!"

"Sorry…"

"We just want to know what he's like so you knew what to do when you're around him," Ara added. Cat looked up for the first time… since I ratted her out.