David swam on with powerful kicks from his new tail. It was everything that he'd imagined it would be and his swimming style made having a tail come naturally. The water no longer seemed as cold, partly from the adreneline but also from the changes to his body in his new mer-form. He gave no thought yet to how this had happened, not having realized the connection between his transformation and the bottle. He also gave no thought yet to whether this change might be permanent and what that might mean for his life. He just swam like he'd never swam before and loved every minute of it.
Finally a thought did creep into his mind, but not one of concern. Instead he thought of his friend Pam. They'd been friends since elementary school. They'd never dated; David had never really considered it, having known her for so long and with his mind so often focused on swimming. Probably the thing he liked most about Pam, the thing that made him think of her at this moment, was her lifelong love of mermaids. David had never been willing to admit his own mer-obsession, not even to one of his oldest friends. But since she was a girl she could be more open about such things; nobody would think it very strange she still slept under Ariel bedsheets.
Pam wasn't on the swim team. David dreamed of being a merman so he sought to swim like a dolphin. Pam dreamed of being a mermaid so she sought to work with dolphins, planning to become a marine biologist.
David wanted to find Pam and show her his knew merman form. She'd be amazed! He couldn't call her...but then he remembered Pam's family had a dock which meant it must be on the water. He changed course and tried to remember exactly where her house was. For someone who always arrived by car, it was hard for him to figure how to arrive by water to the same destination. It took him a few wrong turns, but soon he spotted a familiar house in the distance. As he got closer, he realized Pam was sitting on the dock, watching the water.