“I think I'm going to get fired.”, Vanessa said. “I'll just find another job, I'm to tired to go to work.”

“Want me to take you home?”, Raphael asked.

Vanessa looked at Raphael for a second, thinking if that's a good idea. He knows everything about her now, so why not? She gave a hesitant nod, “If it's not a big problem.”

He shook his head and quickly got up from the sandy ground. She firmly placed her feet on the ground and she left herself up quickly to. Bad idea though, her legs seriously felt like jell-o and she stumbled forward, but Raphael caught her and she was held against her chest, “Whoa, okay there?”, he asked.

Her face heated up and she put her hands on his arms as she lifted up from his chest, “Y-yeah, sorry. I've just been off my feet for what felt like forever.”

“Oh, got it.”, he said as she steady herself up and moved her feet around so she could strengthening them. “Vanessa?”, Raphael said.

“Hmm?”, she moaned, looking down at her feet as she moved her right foot in circles, feeling more control of it as she did it.

“You have amazing blue eyes.”, he said and her head jerked up to look at him.

She groaned, “Oh no.”, she said to herself. “Turn off.”, she said, wanting the enchantment glow off now. She doesn't want Raphael under her evil little spell.

His dark eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, “Huh?”

Her eyebrows joined together to as she looked confused to, “Huh?”, she repeated him and then realized he wasn't under the spell. Her cheeks burned more and she cursed under her breath.

“Turn off what?”, he asked.

“O-oh, nothing.”, she said, taking a step back from Raphael and almost fell if she hadn't caught herself. “Just—just some little enchanted spell comes off me that makes everyone kind of stare and stare at me.”

He raised an eyebrow, “What? Have you done that to me before?”

“I don't make it happen, it just comes and I have to shut it off. It has effected you, but I would turn it off the second I knew you were under it. I hate it, I hate people staring at me.”, she said quickly.

“Oh.”, he said. “That's weird.”

She nodded, “It is.”

. . .

Vanessa quickly unbuckled her seat belt, “Thanks for the ride.”

“Wait, Vanessa,” Raphael said and she turned in her seat to face him slowly. “I mean it when I said I promise I wouldn't tell anyone.”

She gave him a small smile, “Thanks.”

“But,” he said and her smile quickly dropped. “I think you should talk to someone. Am I the only one that knows?”

“Who am I going to tell, Raphael?”, she asked.

“I don't know, your dad maybe?”, he asked. “A doctor.”

“A doctor?”, she couldn't help but scuff. “I'm not going to go to a doctor, Raphael. I'll be in a lab next thing you know.”

“Vanessa, that's crazy. You need to figure out how this happen and get help.”, he said.

“Help?”, she scuffed again. She was surprised at what he was saying. Does he honestly believe a doctor going to help her? How is a doctor suppose to help her anyways? Have millions of neddles taking blood test, x-rays, and other crap? She doesn't need a doctor, she knows what's going on with her. She made to be a mermaid by magic, not science. “I'm not sick, Raphael.”

“I know, I know.”, he said. “And I'm not saying, I just think maybe it could help you.”

“I don't need help.”, she said. “I just need you to keep this a secret so I can live my life as normal as I can now.”

“You're not normal anymore, Vanessa.”, he said and she glared at him. She turned to the door and opened, “No, wait, I didn't mean it like—“, she cut him off by getting out and slamming the door shut. She put her bag around her shoulder and began walking towards her house when she heard the truck door open and slam close, “Vanessa, wait.”, he said, running up in front of her.

She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly, “How'd you mean then, huh? I'm a freak you mean? I know that, Raphael, I've known ever since it began.”

“No, of course not.”, he said. “I mean your different, you've always been different Vanessa. It's what I like about you.”, he said and she ignored the 'like' part, not letting her mind go off in ideas about what he could have meant. “I just want you safe.”

“Then trust me when I say I'm fine.”, she said.

“Okay.”, he said. “You're not a freak, Vanessa. Your amazing.”

“Me turning into a—“, she paused, looked around, before looking back up at him, “mermaid does make me a freak to others. What were you thinking when you saw me come out the water inside the net?”

“I was wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me actually.”, he said. “I was scared out of my mind actually. It's not everyday you see a mermaid and it being a friend of yours. I can't believe you followed me out there.”,

“I-I had this bad feeling in my gut, I guess.”, she said. “There are some pretty crazy things out there, Raphael. You need to be careful.”

“Like what?”, he asked, shrugging.

“Like—like—like sharks.”, she said.

“I'm not scared of sharks.”, he said. “I'm going out there tomorrow again with my uncle.”

“No.”, she said, her voice hard. “I don't want you going out there again, Raphael.”

“Why?”, he asked, shrugging. She breathed out her nose heavily, getting mad his stubborness, and she almost told him the whole truth. He crossed his arms over his chest this time and his voice got hard, “I'm going out there if you tell me or not.”

She stomped her foot like a child and groaned, “Why can't you just do what I say?”

“Because it's not just me going out there!”, he said. “It's my family, I need to make sure they're safe to.”

“I care about your safety more!”, she surprisingly said. She would have never said that out loud before, but something else was speaking. His eyes widen as he looked down at her in shock as she brought her hand up to her mouth before she put it down and glared at him. “Legends are true, Raphael, it's in my blood to protect. I guess I want to protect more then just fish.”, she said, walking around to get away from him.

She then felt his hand wrapped around her upper arm, making her stop and stand there. His hand was a little rough, but that was from working a lot. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears wanted to escape, but she didn't let them. Tears are water, meaning turning.

He turned her and she was expecting to be pulled into a hug.

Not his hand going behind her neck and she felt something press against her lips. She gasped, her eyes flying open as she saw Raphael face right in front of her. It was his lips pressed against her and she was totally confused.

She wanted to push him away, but she frozen right there on the spot. She was to shock to even understand why he was kissing her! She began to put her hands on his chest to push him away, but his other hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

A small moan was heard from the other of the throat, but it sounded more scared. She has never been kissed before. Sure, pecks from her mother and father as a child but never from a guy! Raphael lips were surprisingly different then she had expect. Minty from chewing gum and—salty? Not a lot tasting, but she guess from working in a fish shop with sea water that was salt water would somehow get on him.

She didn't mind that though, it was surprisingly made the kiss more nice. She closed her eyes and parted her lips a little to kiss him back. Her face was burning, but she ignored them and continued to kiss him.

Vanessa...

She gasped as she pulled away from Raphael all together and brought her hand up to her head.

“Vanessa?”, Raphael asked concern.

She heard Adalyns voice in my head and she couldn't help but look to her right to see Adalyn walking up the street. She did not look happy and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Vanessa kept her back straight when she just wanted to cower down and apologize.

When Adalyn was in front of them, she turned to Raphael with disgust, “Get out of here.”

Raphael eyes widen, “Excuse me? Who are you?” he said defensively.

She put her hand on his chest, “I said get out of—“

“Adalyn, no!”, Vanessa said when she grabbed her arm and pulled it away.

She never took her green eyes off Raphael, “I need to talk to Vanessa, so leave.”

Raphael looked at Vanessa and she bit her bottom lip. She hesitated, not sure if she wanted to be alone with Adalyn but she knew it would be safer for Raphael to leave. She nodded, “She's right, Raphael. I'm sorry, you have to go.”

“Vanessa, who is this women?”, he asked, pointing at Adalyn.

“A—a friend.”, she said. “Go home.”

“But—“

She shook her head, “No, now.”, she said.

Raphael looked at her for a second, looked at Adalyn, and bit his bottom lip before turning to her one more time, “Okay, I'll see you around.”

Raphael took a step back before turning and go in his car. Vanessa nor Adalyn spoke until his car started and he drove away.

Vanessa turned to Adalyn, “You had no right.”, she said, reaching into her bag and grabbed her keys.

“You had to no right kissing him.”, she said as Vanessa turned and walked towards her house, Adalyn following behind her. “Just because there's stories about mermaids kissing sailors doesn't mean it's true! He's bad news, Vanessa.”

Vanessa put her key in the lock and opened the door, going inside and Adalyn followed her in. “Raphael is a good person.”

“Catherine, Kita, and Neela told me what you did.”, she said. “How stupid can you be?”

“Stupid?”, Vanessa asked as she faced Adalyn, offended. “I was stopping them from hurting Raphael and his uncle.”

“Stupid girl, you shouldn't care about them!”, she said. “You can't have both lives anymore, Vanessa. You choose one or the other, you can't have both.”

“I know that, Adalyn.”, Vanessa said. “You can't just expect me to be okay with this though.”

“You have to the end of the week to choose.”, she said.

“I need more time, Adalyn.”, Vanessa begged.

She shook her head, “No, you choose this Sunday.”

“No.”, Vanessa said.

“To bad!”, she said. “Stop acting like a child, it's time to grow up!”

“You're not my mother, you wont tell me what to do!”, she said, her hands balling up in a fist.

“Oh yeah?”, Adalyn asked. “I will report this to Queen Severina and she'll deal with you! You're being a spoil brat and I will let whatever she does handle this—unless you promise right here and now you will never see Raphael again.”

Vanessa shook her head, “I choose my fate about what happens to me.”

Adalyn chuckled to Vanessa's surprise, “You're the first mermaid to be tested with the powers, we're not going to let you go that easily you think?”

“Get out of my house.”, Vanessa said, her voice cold and hard.

“Make me.”, she said and Vanessa glared at her for a second.

She raised her right hand and pushed Vanessa on her chest, making her fly backwards out the door and the end of the porch with a cry. She hit the wooden fence kind of hard and she gasped before looking up at Vanessa, smirking a little, “Strong child though.”

Vanessa gave her a mean look before grabbing her door and slammed it shut.