David took Pam by the hand and the two mers swam off. David had to swim slower so Pam could keep pace, but with her new dolphin tail Pam could still swim faster than she ever could before.
They took in the impressive underwater sights and the fish swimming by. In deeper water, David stopped.
"You're still having some trouble swimming as a mermaid, aren't you?" he asked.
"It's a dream come true, but yes. Unlike you, I didn't swim like I had a tail when I had my legs. I didn't swim much at all." Pam scowled a little at David. "All the years we've know each other you never had time to give me lessons?"
"If I'd know we were going to end up as merman and mermaid then I sure would have" David said with a laugh. Pam didn't laugh. David thought about it for a moment, about how much time he'd spent swimming, especially in his teenage years. "You're right. I've been so focused on swim team and dolphin-style. You were always so interested when I talked about it, but I never offered to show you how to do it. I'm sorry. You never asked me though."
"I was too embarassed" explained Pam. "I was the girl with the Ariel bedsheets and the aspiring marine biologist who could barely handle the deep end of a swimming pool. You had turned into the big swimming star at school and I was just a science nerd." She sighed. "I could never work up the nerve..." She let the sentance trail, looking away in embarassment.
David put a comforting hand on Pam's shoulder. "You were never afraid of animals, which is more nerve than most girls in high school. Cheerleaders run from anything bigger than a poodle or a house cat." Pam turned back and smiled.
"Lets make up for lost time then" offered David. "Start swimming slowly and I'll correct your technique."
Pam began to swim forward with powerful yet somewhat awkward kicks of her tail. David swam alongside her. He took a moment to admire the view. Even if she'd spent alot of time with her nose in a marine biology book, Pam had still matured into an attractive young lady. How had he never noticed? Too much time with his head in the water (literally and figuratively) to notice what was on dry land.
"Remember: it's a tail, not two legs. You've got to kick with both legs at the same time, not alternating legs like a normal swimmer."
Pam's movements improved, but her technique was still a little off. "Let me guide you" said David. He put his hands to Pam's tail, one on the underside near her tailfin and the other near where her butt would have been if she still had legs.
Pam stopped for a moment, feeling her tail being touched for the first time. "Keep swimming" David instructed. She began to slowly kick her tail again. "Like this" he said, gentlely pushing her tail up and down in a more effecient motion than she'd been using.
Pam focused on her movements and kicked her tailfin as hard as she could while still moving her tail as David instructed. She shot forward, slipping out of his grasp causing the pleasant sensation of his hands running down her tail.
"You got it!" David shouted. He kicked his blue fish tail and chased after his dolphin-tailed mermaid friend.
David and Pam, merman and mermaid, raced and chased each other, until they finally began to tire. They headed for the surface. David surfaced first. A moment later, Pam surfaced as well. As she did, she threw her long wet red hair back, a gesture than thrust out her chest (still in her bikini top and quite respectible in size). David enjoyed the view.
The sun was low in the sky.
"It's getting late. Should we go home?"