She loves the serene brutality of the ocean, loves the electric power she felt with each breath of wet, briny air.

Class ran long, Dee really dislikes the fact the teacher couldn't focus on the lesson enough to make sure her students were released on time. There was nothing she could do about it besides giving disapproving stares. Mindy is waiting outside the door, leaning against the wall typing rapidly on her phone. Her long black hair cradling her figure, manicured nails clacking. Delilah smiles at her friend who looks up once students started rushing out like a school of fish. Their eyes caught each other, green ones looking deeply at the dark haired woman.

Phone tucked into her purse, Mindy practically skips towards Dee. "Ready?" She called to the blonde. With a smile, Delilah nods happily and adjusts her bag on her shoulder whipping around to face the end of the corridor.

"Let's go," she mumbles softly, the hurry hidden behind her lazy river of a tone. Thoughts of the merman racing through her mind as she's desperate to drop off Mindy and dash to the beach shore. She debated letting her friend in on the secret but with this issue regarding her boyfriend, Johnny, Delilah didn't think she needed anymore stress.

"I swear, there's something off." Mindy mumbles under her breath as the two walk out towards the parking lot.

Delilah furrows her eye brows, "what do you mean?" She asks.

"You're quiet today. You're usually complaining about your parents." Mindy answers, eyes forward in thought.

Dee seriously pouts, "I don't complain about my parents." A flimsy lie that has no weight behind it.

The parking lot is vast, filled to capacity by shining cars with costly customizations. Not too different from the area that Dee and Mindy live in, but if you go south for a while and you'll hit the less expensive crowd. Mindy only heads down there when there's an organized rave or some new club. But both girls are way too comfortable with their middle class lifestyle making the south side of town rarely visited.

"Okay, maybe I do from time to time," she clicks the button to her Jeep key, it lights up near the back, "but it's not unfounded."

"I didn't say it isn't. It's just..." Mindy drawls out for more time to think about her next words. "Did something good happen?"

Delilah looks at Mindy, the dark haired girl blocked the sun from blinding Dee. "Why do you ask that?" She's confused, was that how she seemed today?

"I don't know, Dee." She huffed at the thought, "just as long as everything is okay."

This made Dee smile, of course her friend would worry about her well being. She can't really get annoyed with someone trying to look out for her with the little information she has. Delilah's eyes softens towards Mindy, "Everything is fine. Thank you, I promise."

Mindy smiles, "alright," her head titled with satisfaction. The two get into the jeep and drive away from the university, the blustery wind whipped through their hair tangling it as per usual on the coast. The salt in the air drying out strands making them catch each other more easily. Delilah hates having to brush all the small knots of up so she preemptively ties her hair up. This time, if Mindy wasn't going to tie her hair up then Dee would stick with her.

"Take me to Johnny's!" Mindy exclaims over the wind and the loud bumping of Billie. "I'm staying the night tonight!"

"Okay!" Dee tells back passing a couple of stores, she eyes each one before she spots the popular building. "Smoothie?" She gestures towards the blue stripped building standing proud beside fast food chains.

"Yeah! I've got time! Pull in!" Mindy sounds relieved, ready to finally get a good sugary drink of the day.

Whirlwind Smoothies is a new chain that popped up a decade ago. It spread on the coastline and went towards mainland, never leaving their respective states. It was popular because most drinks were spiked with one of the strongest energy drinks one could hope to drink. The taste mixed in with smoothies, shakes, and even blended coffees. Shortly coming out with unique drinks, the cotton candy shake that has real cotton candy coated on the paper straw. Sure, someone could get it "virgin" and enjoy the drink itself but where was the fun in that?

That sat in the drive thru, feeling antsy, Dee eyes the clock on her radio. Mindy doesn't notice but Dee's legs are shaking and her heart is pounding in her eyes. Mindy is reading the menu, she already knows what she's going to get but she'll scan it anyway. They pull up to the server with the touch screen in his hand. He's polite and they order their drinks, the server likes them so they find a 10% discount on their receipt.

"That's fucking awesome." Mindy exclaims before going back to sipping on her sugary drink. Caffeine, caffeine, caffeine. "Pretty privilege."

"Oh my god." Dee rolls her eyes, pretty privilege never crosses her mind. "Whatever."

They drive down the freeway and Mindy rambling on about Johnny. Of course, Dee is barely listening it's the same thing over and over. She focuses on the road head, itching to drop her friend off safely at home and then race to the beach before the sun sets.

Dropping off Mindy, Dee smiles at her as she jumps out of the car. Her bag falling at her hip and her phone clenched in her hands. Mindy gives her a small wave before shutting the door and walking to her house.

So, Dee sat there, in the diver's seat, and thought about her next move. She was worried that he wouldn't be there if she got there too late. That the merman wouldn't come back now that she knows his secret. Delilah almost felt disappointed by that thought already.

She decided to hurry off, going over the speed limit and racing just to get the abandoned beach. A beach where no one but her was desperate to get to. The empty sandy shore and crashing waves, the smell of sea salt in the air and the nibbling chill of the night. Delilah found her heaven and she wanted to included a historical discovery.

Out of all the people in the world, a 20-something woman with no special qualities or experience found the greatest and most monumental creature in history. She smiled big, gripping her steering wheel, he was so beautiful. Blue, almost blending into the ocean, tail that sprinkled into a translucent fluke. She wanted to see the rest of him, to get a close look and touch him. To see how he feels, how he reacts, and how he communicates.

It only took 15 minutes to reach the beach, the bare road void of any people, cars, or activity. The few shops that stayed were empty and abandoned. Dee parked anywhere she wanted, sliding out of the car while bringing her bag. Once again, she's wearing another bikini under her school outfit. This time it was pink with frills, her last clean swim suit. Taking off her slacks and dress-y shirt, Dee scrambles on her shorts and grabs her tote bag stuffed with a towel, a book, and an underwater disposable camera.

It's nostalgia she feels when her bare feet platter across the sand. Crunching between her toes and the warm the sand brings when boiling in the sun. Looking out to the horizon, the sun not ready to set just yet. She smiles, she made it before he did. Or maybe he was hiding from her. After all this time getting to know her, she surprised the merman didn't have faith in her. Maybe it's her arrogance showing, thinking that he would automatically trust the human.

She still waited there, plopping onto the sand and pulling out her book. She read, she actually wasn't reading once again. The same sentence over and over, this was not relaxing. Her body itched to jump in the water, Delilah knew she was not patient at all.

"You're not entitled to his time." She whispers to herself, peeking over the book to spy on the area he would be splashing. There's nothing. She's staring harshly, aggressively, and determined. There's still nothing. Delilah checks the time on her phone, it's only been 10 minutes. Dee huffs, looking at the sea again. "Fuck this."

Delilah grabs her camera, shaking off her shorts, and she dashes into the water. Her feet splashing as she runs. The water gets deeper and soon she can't run anymore. The freezing cold water numbs her as she starts swimming, cutting through the resisting water. Watch out for the small waves that come crashing through. It isn't until the waves stop forming she'll reach her destination. These waters are not shark infested but it is also not forbidden from sharks. They don't do anything, it's the jelly fish Dee is the most worried about.

She kicks underneath the water, floating as the water sloshes her side to side. "Hello?" She called out, taking her camera from her tightly gripped hands, making sure the camera strap is on her wrist. "Are you there?"

She wanted for a moment, no response, so she dove under the water and swam her hardest. She didn't make too far, she pointed her camera downwards. Took a picture. She swam back up, taking in new air. And then dove back down swimming further down. She took another picture and then swam back up to the surface.

"Hello?" She called out. "Please, if you're comfortable, please come out. I'd like to meet you." She never lied.

The ocean was almost silent, the distant waves rolling into shore. She waited, swimming, keeping herself up. She pulled her hand up, capturing the surface with one hand, the sun shining behind the horizon as it begins to set. She's swimming, her limbs are getting tired but it wasn't time for her to go back yet.

She's kicking before she feels something caress her foot. It sends shivers up her legs and then a hand grips onto her ankles pulling her underneath before she had any time to process. As she's yanked deep underneath the surface, not too far away to swim back up. She sees the merman, his pale face inches of hers, his eyes blue and piercing. Dee didn't have enough time to get all the air she needed before being sunken.

Delilah looks at the merman, her eyes wide as her lungs are burning for oxygen. The girl points at her throat, at her nose but the merman doesn't seem to understand. He tilts his head and points at his nose. Dee shakes her head and smiles amused, too happy to care that the pressure is pounding in her skull. The merman isn't holding onto Dee anymore, so she parts from him and kicks her way to the surface.

A gust of wind hits her face once she breaks through the surface, her lungs feel with air and Dee breaks out into manic laughter. It was a screaming laughter of excitement. The sun almost half way disappeared, she breathes in another deep breath. Diving back down she starts feeling the heaviness in her body. She sees the merman, hand still gripped tightly to the camera, thankful that the strap still connected to her wrist.

There he was, in all of his glory. The merman's ultramarine tail, the surface texture that of a starfish and the fluke of his tail pellucid. His bare skin pale especially as the sun falls into the night and his hair as dark as abyssal seas. He was practically camouflaged, hidden within the glassy colors of the vast ocean.

Delilah watched as he swam unbridledly around several dozen feet below her. She smiled at the energy, adjusting her camera in front of her and snapping a quick picture hoping that she's be able to see a glimpse of him. The man looks at her, his eyes almond shaped, skintight gills on his neck. Dee's eyes widen, a smile invading her face, she thought this was the most marvelous experience she's ever had.

The burning in her lungs forced her to go up for air once again. Breaking through the surface of salt waters, she gasps in chilly air. The salt burning her eyes, she should've brought goggles. She could feel the salty water burning her throat and her body almost unable to move through the water anymore. Her burning eyes were heavy but the adrenaline was still pumping and the merman was still underneath the water.

She went to go dive underneath again but she saw a bobbling head instead. Six hundred feet away was his eyes staring at her, watching her move and deliberate. The rest of him, his nose and below, stayed hidden underneath. She smiled softly, as welcoming and gentle as she could possibly muster. She felt so tired already.

Can he breathe? Is he solely dependent on the oxygen in the water? Her arms are moving in front of her holding her up along with her kicking legs. The merman was slowly approaching, as he got closer Delilah could finally see his glacier eyes intimidating.

The merman approached her, holding out his soft, smooth hand. The sun already gone, it was hard to see his body underneath the dark waters. Stars already revealing themselves, the North Star shining its brightest tonight.

Delilah slinked her wet hands into his, he moves forward and grips her forearm encouraging her to hold onto his. Turning around, the merman swims swiftly and smoothly along the current of the waves letting it take them closer to shore. Dee was happy to grip the muscles of this humanoid creature, getting to feel his skin and hold into his anatomy tightly.

The merman led Delilah to the rock, the ones she stood tall on as she screamed out to the ocean. He let her grab onto the rocks letting him go. It was the closest to the shore that she's ever seen him. His tail more visible in these depths. With enigmatic wonder, she marveled at his figure. The tail long and seemingly never ending. Her amazement never ceasing even as the creature himself stared at her with innocent curiosity.

Dee, unthinkingly, captured a meaningless instinctual picture with her camera. The flash going off startling the creature. He backed up, hitting the rocks behind them and letting out a hiss. His entire face and neck out of the water unwillingly, the grills on his neck quickly flattened out into a seal of skin giving him a more human feel. He can breathe safely out of the water, meaning that there was some sort of mammal in his DNA. He surely wasn't fully a fish.

"I'm sorry." She exclaimed, hold out her head unconsciously as she were going to cradle his injury. But the merman just stared , eyes dilated and threatened. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Delilah felt bad, it was a tense moment of silence. She was worried that the merman would swim off and never return. In a panic, she looked around for another that could signal to this creature that she was sorry.

Surprisingly, maybe it was luck granted by a god, she spotted a dried out sand dollar. Just like the ones you'd find on the shore but this one was almost embedded in the upper part of the rock. So, Dee kick her legs as strong as she could, grabbing onto rock pulling herself up. Her feet finally gripped the sides barely helping her push higher and the waves crashed into the rocks splashing her back side. She quickly quickly grabs the sand dollar and lets herself fall back into the water with a small splash.

The merman watched her, his eyes never leaving any of her actions. Dee faced him, flipping her long wet hair out of the way of her face, guilty presenting the sand dollar as a gift. She let out a gentle "I'm sorry" that she knew he probably couldn't understand.

His eyes soften at the gesture, carefully accepting the sand dollar from her dainty hands. He examines it, looking at the dried out sea creature. The merman seemed to still find it pretty just like humans do. He holds onto it preciously and gives her a more relaxed demeanor. The smile was like a thank you and it was than enough for her heart to flutter.

Delilah was going to ask if she could touch his tail, thinking about how she would be able to help him understand her request. Instead, he suddenly disappeared, swimming deeper than she could see. But it wasn't even minutes before he came to the surface but this time with something in his other hand.

A shell, one of most pinkest pale color she seen on one. It turned into an almost beige color as it reached its end. Dee caressed the ripples of the shell before accepting it excitedly from him. "Thank you." She continued to speak to him, hoping he would catch onto some words and say something. A hopeful thought.

The merman shifts a bit, maybe he was uncomfortable now but he expression remained gentle and calm. He looks out to the sea, the horizon dark and littered with stars. Looking back, he glanced back at Dee with a guileless smile, one that stole her loyalty. With an almost universal apologetic look, he held his sea dollar close and tight before diving away without so much of a goodbye.

Thinking it was too soon, she scrambled after him trying to get him to stop, "wait, please." He didn't hear or he didn't understand, and Dee watched him swim away. His tail disappearing into the deep waters. The oscillation of the waves bobbing her body as she waits in hope he might return. Silence filled the air, only the crashing sea water speaks. She stares thinking he might be staring back. But she only sees her own reflection, light green eyes staring back at her. Her hair sticking to her face like a wet dog, she felt a bit embarrassed.

Sighing, she began to swim back to shore, the waves pulling her towards the shallow end helped her aching muscles a lot. It wasn't long until her feet was able to walk on the mushy floor. Sea weed prickling the bottom of her feet, she shivered the more her skin was exposed to the chilly air. Goosebumps littered across her entire body. Delilah sauntered across the beach towards her things on the ground. This time she ended up much more further away from her little nest than last time.

She let her bottom plop on the sand, with a childish smile on her face, she dazed out towards the horizon. The chill numbing her skin and she held onto the pink shell, playing with its edges. Thinking, wishing it hadn't ended to soon. And she spend most of the night watching the waves roll onto shore and the moon glisten over the water.