All she could think about the whole day was seeing Mara again tomorrow. She hardly paid attention to anything else as she went about her day. At school, she gazed out the window toward the sea, wondering what her friend was up to; what were mermaid ceremonies like? She wished she could go to one, but knew that would be impossible. When school let out, she was the first one to the ferry. The ferry man gave her a cheerful wave and hello, but she barely even glanced at him, which made him frown.

"What's got your head in the clouds, miss?" he asked, making Mayumi jump out of her daydreams. She looked at the aging man and flushed. What could she tell him? Would he be shocked? Most everyone talked as if the merfolk were abnormal, bad even, but she knew that was not true. This mad was very kind. Maybe he would understand? How could anyone possibly think mermaids were creatures to be feared?

"N-nothing Old Pete," she muttered. Old Pete was what everyone called him and the name really fit. He was probably in his 90s, though he sure looked older. His skin looked like decades old parchment paper. Regardless of how old he looked, he still had a youthful sparkle in his soft brown eyes and he always had a smile, and a story about the old days.

"Mmhmm, I bet," Old Pete said with a barking laugh. "Young girls these days. Always thinking about boys." 

"I'm not," Mayumi protested. "I've just got a lot on my mind." The laugh that followed said he did not believe her. She shook her head and sighed softly. If he only knew the truth.

((Sorry for the crappyness of it. ))