You float about lazily and uncertainly, still not sure what to do. Questions flow through your mind like a ranging river, most of them variations of "What am I going to do?" A familiar voice snaps you back to reality. You panic, sloshing up water all over the place.
"I can't be seen like this" blares through your mind but you have no clue what to do. You can't exactly get out of the water, nor would anything within reach cover your tail in a way that wasn't the least bit suspicious. Finally mind actually begins to process who it is. It's your best friend, he'll help you.
"I... I'm in the pool" you call.
"Hey, bud, where've you been all day?" He says with a smile as he walks into the backyard, your body safely from you as you hide most of it at the side of the pool, you're understandably a bit nervous.
"It's a long story but it led to me not being able to leave the pool"
"Huh?"
"Ehm... Promise not to freak out?"
"Uh... okay?" He says, confused.
You pull yourself onto the ledge as he sits next to you. It doesn't seem to register, at first but after a few seconds he finally sees it. "Huh..." he stares at it, allowing it to slowly sink in. He touches it, to see if it's real, his hand feels quite warm.
"It's quite real" you explain. "And I have no idea what to do..."
"How'd this happen?"
"I don't entirely know, I saw some mermaids earlier. I don't think they saw me but somehow, after passing out on a chair I grew a tail had become a merman. I don't know what to do..."
"Hmm... well, for one, we've got to get you somewhere where you won't get caught. Wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you. Hmm... how about our old swimming hole? The beach outside town, nobody goes there"
You chuckle "Yeah, we've spent a lot of time there, haven't we?"
"Then it's decided, guess we should make a camping trip of it" He gently picks you up, joking "Gained a few pounds, eh, fishboy?"
"You do realize this thing is quite the weapon" Slapping him gently on the side with your tail fin, with a wry grin on your face.
He takes you into the house and, lays a couple of towels on the bed letting you lie there as he finds a shirt for you and grabs some supplies into your backpack.
"Must be hungry." he says, tossing you an energy bar and bottle of water. You gobble both down gratefully after you pop the shirt on. He then, picks you up again, carrying you to the car and makes sure to cover your tail with plenty of towels. The ride is, thankfully quick, as drinking water no longer suffices in keeping you hydrated, even your friend seems a bit drier than usual.
You arrive at the usual dirt road as he steps out and carries you out, through the wooded area onto the beach. He lays on the sand for a moment as he strips down, his mouth looks dry as his expression screams that he is thirsty. He picks you up again and carries you into the water. Both are revitalized. After frolicking for a while you notice something, rather than the usual two, there's only one limb brushing against your tail as you wrestle. He then dives to reveal his legs are gone too. His tail mirroring yours. You dive after him, tugging at it to get his attention. He inspects his new form, then leaps at you in a bear hug coiling his tail round yours. You both give a dolphin leap.