It was the first day of the new school year. Erik and I met up with Cam as he showed us around a bit.

"Welcome to the prison," Cam says, approaching a set of lockers. "Your lockers are right here next to mine, and if you need anything, come to the Camster."

"Thanks," Erik says.

"You're going to like it here, the natives are friendly," Cam says, though I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"We'll see," I say when Zac and Evie pass by.

"Hey, Zac. Want to try out for the swim team?" Erik jokes.

"Funny man," Zac says, getting some of his books for class.

"Just trying to be friendly," he answers.

"How about we meet up at lunch?" I ask, "talk about what happened on Mako."

"You two know as much as I do," Zac answers

"But you've got to wonder. Why did mermen build that place?" I add, "what's it for?"

"I've got to go." Zac says before leaving with Evie.

"Once Zac gets paranoid about you, there's nothing you can do to change his mind," Cam says, "trust me, I know."

"Maybe this will change his mind," I say, pulling out my phone and showing him the pictures I took on Mako.

"That's incredible," Cam says, "what is it?"

"A chamber on Mako, built by mermen," I answer, moving to the image of the symbols on the pedestal. "See those?"

"What are they?" Erik asks.

"That's what I'm trying to find out." I respond

"Maybe the fish chicks would know," Cam says.

"If they do, they're not saying," I answer.

"Well, we should go," Erik says, pulling me away from Cam, and we head towards the principal's office. She wasn't there, so we just waited until she came in.

"How did you get in here?" she asked us.

"I'm Jasper, and this is Erik," I say, avoiding her question, "I'm sure Ondina and Manoa have told you about us."

"They mentioned you."

"Our enrollment." Erik says, sliding the papers in front of her, and she looks them over.

"I see you've enrolled for a year," she says, "that's quite a long time in one place for... boys like you."

"We're in no hurry to leave," I say, "not if there's a reason to stay and further our studies."

"What studies would they be?" she asks.

"The merman chamber on Mako." I say, "What can you tell us about it."

"Jasper," Erik whispers, "maybe you shouldn't..."

"Nothing." she answers.

"Come on, Rita," I say, "I can't believe you don't know something about it."

"Believe what you like," she says, standing up and opening the door, "In the meantime, I strongly suggest you put it out of your mind, and focus on your other studies. And however familiar you are with my situation outside of school, while we're here you two will address me as Principal Santos."

"Yes ma'am. Understood." Erik says as we leave. "What were you thinking?" he then asks me.

"Come on, don't tell me you're not curious about that place." I say

"I've only seen the pictures you've taken, and we don't know what it does."

"But don't you want to know?"

"Not right now."

We didn't say anything more until we walked into our science class, and found Mimmi and Manoa looking around.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" I ask.

"Sure is," Mimmi answers, before they turn to face us.

"What are you doing here?" Manoa asks.

"Going to school. You?" Erik responds.

The bell rang and more students entered, and Zac and Evie came up to us when they saw us.

"What are you two doing here?" Evie asks the girls.

"We were just looking around." Mimmi answers before the teacher enters.

"We should go." Manoa says.

"No. It's cool." Erik assures her, "Stick around for a while, it's not like you're hurting anyone."

Everyone moved to sit in their seats, with Manoa next to Erik and Mimmi next to me.

"In case you've spent the entire holiday lying in the sun, frying your brains, I'm going to repeat an experiment we did last year." the teacher says, taking a magazine away from Cam and throwing it away, "Watch closely. You'll be doing this experiment yourselves this afternoon. In the beaker, we have flour, food coloring, and water, but we also have the key ingredient, baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate. I am now going to add the next key ingredient... vinegar." She then mixes the chemicals together, and Mimmi and Manoa look at us in surprise as the reaction occurs. "Is there the slightest chance that anyone can tell me what this reaction is called?" the teacher asks the class.

"Magic!" Mimmi and Manoa say, standing up. A few quiet laughs could be heard from other students, and Evie, Zac, and Cam give the girls 'you probably shouldn't have done that' looks.

"Well I couldn't agree more," the teacher says, "science is magic. What are your names young ladies?"

"Mimmi."

"Manoa."

"Well Mimmi and Manoa, it's a pleasure having you two in my class."

The girls then sat down and quietly watched with fascinated looks as the lesson continued until the bell rang. Manoa left with Erik and Mimmi left on her own, but I went to catch up with her.

"Hey, wait up." I say.

"Mimmi, Manoa, you shouldn't be here," Evie says, catching up to us.

"What's the problem?" I ask, "they're just looking around."

"They don't want to look around," Zac says, "come on, girls."

"We certainly do want to look around." Mimmi states.

"In mermaid school, we swim with dolphins and study corals and magic spells, but land school is amazing."

"I'm going to check out the computer room. You want to come?" I ask Mimmi.

"Yes please," she says excitedly, and we start in that direction.

~Manoa's POV~

After Mimmi left with Jasper, Zac and Evie looked at me. Before they could say anything, Erik pulled me away.

"Come on, let's go," he says as we walk toward a place in the courtyard and sit down.

"I didn't know mermen went to land school." I say.

"You learn something new everyday," he jokes, "though it's not always super fun and exciting."

"Really?" I ask "how?"

"You haven't seen a math class," he says, "so, does Rita know you're here?"

"No," I say.

Erik suddenly stands up. "Come on," he says, and we walk over to Mimmi, Evie, and the teacher from the class we were just in.

"What are you and your friend doing here Mimmi?" the teacher asks.

"Mimmi and Manoa are Principal Santos' nieces.

"The principal is your aunt?" the teacher asks, and Mimmi and I nod.

"Yes," Mimmi adds.

"Strange," the teacher says, "I saw Ms. Santos this morning and she didn't mention that you two were starting today. What was your previous school?"

"Rita teaches us things..." I say nervously.

"She means they're homeschooled." Erik adds.

"Really?" the teacher asks.

"Mimmi and Manoa are very gifted."

"And yet they're in my class. Well, perhaps we can see how gifted you girls are. You can be my laboratory assistants this afternoon. I'm sure the principal won't mind." she then had Mimmi and I follow her, and we turned back to Erik and Evie with worried looks.

~Back at the class~

"While you prepare, Mimmi and Manoa are going to explain the chemical reaction that takes place." the teacher says before looking at us. We didn't know what it does, so we looked at the class in silence and confusion. "I'll start you off," the teacher adds, "What is vinegar? I'll give you a hint. Is it an acid or an alkali?"

"It's a..."Mimmi starts, about to guess, when Evie cuts in.

"It's an acid!" she says.

"Thank you Evie, but the question was for Mimmi and Manoa. Mimmi, Manoa, what is baking soda?"

I glanced over to Erik, Zac, and Evie for help as I tried to answer. "It's an... alkali." I say nervously.

"And what is the chemical reaction that occurs when you mix an acid with an alkali?"

"Magic." we answered again, causing some of the others to laugh.

"What on earth has Rita been teaching you two?" she then made Mimmi and I sit in front of everyone while Zac went to go get Rita. "I'm sorry to interrupt your full schedule," she says when Rita enters, "but I have some concerns about your nieces. I understand they're being homeschooled."

"While they're visiting, yes." Rita says.

"Well I have to say I'm rather shocked about their lack of basic scientific knowledge. However, my greater concern is that your decision to homeschool them will reflect badly on this school."

"What do you mean?"

"I wonder what the school board will think when they hear that the principal doesn't have enough confidence to enroll their nieces in her own school."

"How I educate my nieces is my business, Ms. Trumble. It's not a matter for the school board or for you."

"We'll see about that."

"Indeed we will." Rita then turns to us, "Mimmi, Manoa."

Just as we start to leave, Carly accidentally splashes us, and we hurry away as fast as we can. However, we transformed in the middle of a walkway outside. A bell rang, and we instantly cloaked ourselves, hoping no one came our way. Zac, Evie, and Erik then came over, looking for us, and Evie stepped on Mimmi's tail.

"Mimmi?" Evie asks, "is that you?"

"Me, Rita, and Manoa." Mimmi answers.

Zac and Evie then tried to carry Rita over by a pile of leaves without stepping on Mimmi or myself.

"Don't just stand there, help us out, Erik." I say when he doesn't move.

"I can't carry both of you," he says, "much less one of you."

"Just get my tail and I'll walk on my hands," I say.

Erik and I manage to get out of the way and move to where Zac and Evie moved Rita, while they tried to move Mimmi. However, the teacher from before came by, so Zac tried to distract her while Erik helped Evie move Mimmi and move the leaf pile on us. After a while, the teacher finally left and we changed back, emerging from the leaf pile. A group of people passed us, giving us weird looks, but we ignored it as we got up and brushed the leaves off us. We started to leave when Sirena and Ondina came over.

"Mimmi! Manoa! Are you guys alright?" she asks.

"We're fine." Mimmi answers.

"We were really worried," Sirena says.

"You two are coming back to Rita's" Ondina adds.

"Not yet," Mimmi says before walking over to Jasper. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but I guess it didn't matter. After that, we went back to the Grotto and made some sea sponge cordial while Evie taught Mimmi how to use her 'laptop' as she called it.

A/N: okay kinda lame chapter but it's something. Hopefully something better soon!

~Sarah_Renai