Ariel

Ariel had been waiting for a chance to spend time with Eric, and now she finally had one. She sat in her room, repeatedly replaying the day's events in her mind. In English class, she had been partnered with Eric for a project. They had each picked entirely different movies and now had to find a way to connect them.

Ariel had chosen The Little Mermaid, a story she loved. It was about a girl who traded her fins for legs to be with her prince, only for him to fall for another princess, believing she was the one who had saved him. Ultimately, the little mermaid was given a choice—kill the prince and return to the sea or sacrifice herself. She couldn't harm him, so she leaped into the ocean, turning into sea foam, choosing his happiness over her own.

Ariel had always felt a deep connection to that story, especially now. Eric was dating Vanessa, and just like the little mermaid, Ariel felt like she was watching the person she cared about slip through her fingers. But unlike the mermaid in the story, Ariel wouldn't stand by and let it happen. She was determined to win Eric's heart and reveal Vanessa's true, cruel nature.

The only problem? Eric's movie was Transporter, an action-packed thriller, while hers was a romance. She had no idea how they would find similarities between the two.

The next morning, Ariel was getting ready for school, carefully applying lip gloss, when her phone chimed—a text from Eric.

Eric: Hey, want to work on our project at the public library after school?

Ariel's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. He texted her first. He actually texted her!

Her fingers trembled as she typed back, ok, sounds good!

She could barely contain her excitement, bouncing on her bed. It took her sister knocking on the door—loudly—to snap her back to reality.

"Ariel! What is going on in there?"

"Nothing!" Ariel called, quickly grabbing her backpack and rushing out the door. Today was going to be perfect.

Ariel could hardly focus on class. The hours crawled by painfully slow. Every subject, every lecture, and every assignment blurred together as she counted down the minutes until she could meet Eric.

Finally, the last bell rang. Ariel practically jumped from her seat, stuffing her books into her bag and heading for the door. Just as she was about to make her escape, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Hey, Ariel!"

She turned to see Sebastian, her ever loyal (and slightly overdramatic) friend, waving her over.

"What's up, Sebastian?"

"You know exactly what's up!" he huffed. "We have talent show practice. You're supposed to be working on your song!"

Ariel groaned. "Can't it wait? I have to meet Eric at the library. We have to work on our project."

Sebastian sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Girl, I swear, you have fish for brains sometimes. This talent show is your only shot at showing Eric what Vanessa is. But fine. Go ahead. I'll let it slide this time."

Ariel grinned, throwing her arms around him. "Thank you, Sebastian! I promise I'll work hard later. See you!"

Sebastian shook his head as she ran off, muttering under his breath, " Somebody's got to nail that girl's fins to the floor.

When Ariel arrived at the library, she scanned the quiet space until she spotted Eric. He was sitting at a table in the corner, his brows furrowed, staring intently at something. Ariel smiled to herself—until she noticed he wasn't looking at a paper. He was staring at his phone, a conflicted look on his face.

Vanessa.

A pang of disappointment settled in her chest. Of course, it had to be her.

Pushing the thought away, Ariel squared her shoulders and approached him.

"Hey, Eric," she said softly.

His head snapped up, and for a moment, their eyes locked. Ariel swore her heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, Ariel," he said, flashing a smile that made her stomach flip. "Sit down." He gestured to the chair beside him, and she quickly took the seat, feeling an excited flutter in her chest.

"So," she started, "what do you have so far?"

Eric let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Not much. I mean, our movies are completely different. Maybe I should pick another one?"

Ariel frowned. "We can't. We already told the teacher our choices." She smiled encouragingly. "Besides, don't you think finding similarities in two completely opposite stories will be more fun?"

Eric chuckled, shaking his head. "You really think so?"

"Of course!"

He smirked. "Alright, alright. You win. Let's get started."

And just like that, they got to work. Side by side. Ariel couldn't help but sneak glances at him occasionally, her heart soaring with every smile he gave her.

Maybe this project was the start of something more.

Eric

"Okay, from what we have, both movies involve people being saved." Eric leaned back in his chair, feeling a slight sense of accomplishment. He glanced at Ariel, who was studying their paper, her red hair falling into her face. He found himself staring for a moment, a warmth creeping up his neck. When she turned to face him, he quickly looked away.

"The Little Mermaid does," she agreed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "But Transporter has that scene between Frank and Lai. It's not really a love story, though." Her voice had a soft, almost playful lilt that made Eric's heart stutter for just a second.

"Then I guess we stick with both of them being about saving people," he said, trying to focus. "That's the best similarity we've got." He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that they hadn't found more.

"Not entirely true," Ariel countered, a knowing smile on her lips. "Both main characters break the rules they've always followed. And both stories have an element of suspense."

Eric blinked, considering her words. She's right about that, too. I never knew she was so bright.

As Ariel continued scribbling notes, Eric's gaze drifted across the room, his mind lingering on her words. That's when he remembered the scene in The Little Mermaid—when she was given the choice to kill the prince to save herself.

Oh… so that's what she meant by suspense.

He chuckled softly to himself. It wasn't the same suspense as Transporter, but he'd let it slide.

Ariel looked up, tilting her head in curiosity. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Eric replied quickly, shaking his head. "I think we're good for now. We just need to put it all together."

"Yeah, that's about it."

Eric glanced at the clock on the library wall and realized how late it had gotten. "It's getting late. I'll take you home."

Ariel hesitated. "It's okay, I can walk. I mean, it's not that—"

"No way." He stood, grabbing his jacket. "I won't let a lady walk home alone at this time of night. I'll walk you, or we can take my car."

Ariel bit her lip, then nodded. "Okay… but I'd actually like to walk. It's a really nice night."

Eric smiled, secretly pleased. A walk sounded perfect.

As they strolled through the quiet streets, Eric glanced at Ariel. She was looking up at the night sky, her eyes reflecting the soft glow of the stars. The moonlight made her hair shimmer, giving her an almost ethereal glow.

"It's so pretty tonight," she murmured, her voice filled with wonder.

Eric looked up, seeing the same sky he had seen a hundred times before. But right now, standing next to Ariel, it felt different—like it actually meant something.

Then, without warning, a strange feeling washed over him. It was the same feeling he'd had the first time he heard Vanessa sing—that pull, like something beyond his control was drawing him in.

No.

Eric clenched his jaw, forcing the thought away. He couldn't be feeling this. Not when he was with Vanessa.

And yet…

He watched Ariel more closely, noticing how she smiled, and her eyes seemed to hold entire worlds within them.

By the time they reached her house, Eric had barely said a word, lost in his thoughts.

"Well, this is it," Ariel said, turning to him. "Thank you for walking me home. I really appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure," Eric replied, smiling. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

She nodded before stepping inside, the door clicking shut behind her.

Eric turned to leave, but as he took his first step, a voice whispered in the back of his mind, "You should have kissed her."

His face grew warm. His heartbeat quickened.

Shaking his head, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away.

"I guess tonight," he muttered, "I can't fight these strange feelings."