As the sun disappeared below the horizon, David asked "So how are we going to get into your house? We have tails."
"Good question" admitted Pam. I suppose we should see if we can change back. Maybe if we dry off? That always works in the movies..."
"I don't think that will work. We've been sitting here on the dock for awhile now."
"But we're not completely dry. It's worth a shot."
Pam got the beach towel she had left on the dock from earlier in the day when she first dove in and unexpectedly transformed. She rubbed her tail with the towel, trying to dry it off and wishing she had legs again. Nothing happened at first, but as Pam was almost ready to give up she felt her mermaid tail begin to change. Her tail split and began to shift into the form of two human legs. She quickly adjusted the towel to cover her private areas. Soon she had human legs again. Well, mostly human. Pam slowly stood, feeling unfamiliar on her feet after hours with a tail.
"You changed back!" exclaimed David. "Mostly?"
"Mostly, yeah." They both looked at her feet and the part of her legs not covered by the towel. They were still gray like a dolphin's skin and had not returned to their original flesh tone. "You have webbed toes too." Pam wiggled her toes and saw for herself this was true.
"I'll get you a towel" said Pam and she headed into her house, her steps still a little uneasy.
David waited on the dock in the fading light and watched the water. He had come back because Pam wanted to and he wasn't sure where else to spend the night, but he didn't want to leave the water behind.
After a few minutes, Pam returned to the dock with another beach towel. She had put on a pair of board shorts and still wore her bikini top. Her legs showed the gray skin was not limited to her feet.
"How far up does it go?" David asked.
"To my waist. As far up as the dolphin tail was I now have dolphin skin. And it still feels just like a dophin's skin too; I couldn't ever shave my legs this smooth. I wonder if you'll have blue legs?"
"I guess we'll find out soon." David rubbed his tail with the towel Pam had brought. Minutes passed. David's tail felt dry, but it remained as it had since he first changed.
"Nothing's happened. Maybe my change is permanent?"
"Why would mine be temporary and yours permanent?"
"We had different tails. And I had been swimming around for a few hours before I found you."
"You found me just minutes after I dove in. Right after I rubbed that blue liquid on my legs...the bottle you sent me!"
"I never sent you any bottle. But that's what happened right before I changed: I rubbed some blue liquid on my legs. The bottle had a note saying it was from one of the other guys on swim team."
"I bet these bottles must be from the same person. But who?"
"Who knows? They don't seem to cause any harm. I'd just want to thank whoever sent them."
"I would prefer to have know what I was getting myself into, even if I end up swimming off forever. But your mind is already made up though isn't it? You don't really want to change back, do you?"
"No" admitted David.
"Maybe that's why I can change back and you can't? If this is somehow...magical then maybe that has something to do with how permanent the change is?"
"Maybe. So how am I going to get into the house if I don't have legs?"
Pam thought for a moment. "I have an idea."
She went back to the house, but rather than going inside grabbed one of the wheeled lounge chairs from beside the pool, pulling it out to the dock. Pam held the chair in place as David pulled himself onto it. Then she slowly pulled him back to the pool area. When Pam finally put the end of the chair down, she was a little short of breath. She sat down on the edge of the chair, next to David's tail.
"That wasn't as easy as it looked."
They both laughed.
"Thanks, Pam." David sat up and took her hand into his and looked into her eyes. "This has all been alot for you to deal with. But I've really enjoyed spending this time with you today. I'm sorry we haven't spent more time together lately. Because we've been such good friends for so long. But also because...well, today has made me realize..."
David fumbled for his words, but the meaning was clear.
"Took you long enough" Pam said with a smile. She kissed him.