Scales: Mermaids Are Real

1

I sit alone

out on the seashore

Only I can hear the Siren

Phantom voices

calling me home

Like day dawning

in my heart

My whole life,

I've dreamt of water.

Not just being in it,

or swimming in it...

but living in it.

Breathing it, tasting it,

loving it.

And yet, in life, I stay pretty

far away from it.

Siren Siren

Like a warning

Day is dawning in my heart

In my heart

And that desert

from a seashore

Feeling somehow

I've been here before

And though the light

is growing darker

Somehow there's sunlight

on the way

Get off the road!

Sorry!

Mom, next time can you

drop me off on the other side?

Sorry, honey.

Oh... hey!

So what you're saying is,

if I punch you...

your bones will break like

toothpicks?

Come on.

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

How about we give it a try?

Hey! Leave him alone!

This isn't your fight, Siren.

Get out of here.

You know I can scream

loud enough.

I'll get Principal Strauss

out here in a heart beat.

So?

Last I heard, you're one scream

away from being expelled.

Whatever, we were just playing

around, right, brittle boy?

Yeah.

Thanks.

What was all that about?

Nothing.

That didn't look like nothing.

She found out about this.

It's a form of Osteogenesis

Imperfecta.

It just means my

bones are very fragile.

Like all the time?

Every day for the rest

of my life.

Thanks for stepping in, though.

Gross! Stop.

All right, everyone,

settle down.

First things first, we do have a

new student joining our school.

Please give a warm welcome to

Adam Wiltz. Adam, please stand.

Hello.

The floor is yours,

introduce yourself.

I'm Adam.

What's wrong with you?

A better way of asking that

question would be...

what's different about you?

Okay, then what's

different about you?

I have what's called

brittle bone disease.

Oh, that sucks.

Crystal!

No, she's right, it does suck.

Hayden!

We talked about throwing paper!

What's something else

you threw last time?

Was it your sandwich?

Are you all done, Adam?

Uh, yeah.

All right, well now that you've

been properly introduced...

let's get back to studying!

Okay, don't make friends

with the new kid.

It's social suicide.

I don't know, I kind

of like him.

Metamorphosis.

A biological process in which

an animal...

goes through an abrupt change...

due to something called

differentiation.

Now can anyone tell me

another animal...

that goes through metamorphosis?

Siren

Siren?

Um...

Mermaids?

Mermaids aren't real, Crystal.

What don't you try

something else...

like a different type

of fish or a caterpillar?

Did you know that

metamorphosis is a Greek word?

Meta is a prefix that means

after...

What is it, Siren?

I have to go to the bathroom!

All right, everyone, settle

down. Eyes back up front.

You can't control nature.

Where do you think you're going,

young lady?

Siren, you get back here!

Oh, hey there, Siren,

everything okay?

Yes!

What are you doing home?

Nothing, Mom!

School is canceled!

What do you mean, it's canceled?

Siren, are you okay?

Fine, Mom, just let me be

for a minute.

I said I needed a minute, Mom!

I'm not your mom.

Okay, what's going on?

I've never seen you break

a single rule before.

Now you're ditching school?

You ran out of class after me?

No, I went to the bathroom.

Duh.

Cute, you can go home.

Please, your face has psycho

written all over it.

So what happened?

Did you get your period?

What? No!

Okay, so is it a boy?

No.

Is it that new kid?

No!

A girl?

Okay, well, I didn't come all

this way to play guessing games.

Spill it.

Okay, sit down.

Okay.

What are we doing?

Just wait.

Knock, knock. Mini sandwiches!

Yay! You're the best,

Mrs. Phillips.

Try to convince Siren of that.

I will...

if she stops acting

like a crazy person.

All right, well, you know,

have fun.

It's not every day that school

gets canceled.

What is this? Have a little

respect for your room?

Mom, out!

What? I'm just saying, the

solution is less pollution.

Fish sandwiches.

Is something wrong?

It tastes funny.

Since we're not in school,

you want to go to the beach?

Mm, okay.

Whoa! Take it easy

on that thing.

What? I'm thirsty.

So, has your mom talked to you

about anything lately?

My mom talks to me

about all kinds of things...

all the time.

Well, anything unusual?

She gave me a lecture on

properly watering the lawn.

Is that what you mean?

What about your

birthday next week?

Or your body?

My body?

What are you talking about?

Never mind.

You feel like people

are watching us?

Well, we are pretty cute.

Not like 'those two are

adorable' kind of stares.

More like...

psychotic killer kind of stares.

Come on, let's go

somewhere more quiet.

I got you an early birthday

gift.

You didn't have to get me

anything.

You say that, but you still

took it.

Wow, it's beautiful!

Do you like it?

I mean, jewelry is not really

my thing, but it's very pretty.

Thank you.

Promise me you'll wear it.

Well, put it on!

You really don't get me.

Well, you look awesome.

Keep it on.

Hey, I brought you something.

I just dug these up.

This is pretty.

Thanks. Crystal got it for me,

early birthday gift.

Where did you find these?

I was just going

through some old boxes.

You know how clutter eats

up the important stuff.

I thought you could put a few

of them up on your wall.

Tell me what she was like?

She was beautiful like you, and

she was very kind also like you.

What else?

She had a laugh.

Oh boy, when you would get her

going, oh my god.

I remember one time, she got an

entire room laughing...

and I don't even think they knew

what was funny.

If she were alive, do you think

she would love me?

She would love you.

She does love you...

when she protects you

in her own way.

The day that your mom left us...

well, that was the day

that I got you.

That was the happiest and

saddest day of my life...

all rolled into one.

Do you think my dad's

out there somewhere?

I don't know, honey.

I suppose if he was, I wouldn't

have ended up with you, huh?

Ow!

Ow!

Hey, sorry, did I hit you?

What are you doing here?

I'm not stalking you

or anything, I swear.

Then what are you doing

at my house?

Can't we take a walk?

Where?

I guess I didn't think

this through too much.

Uh...

Fine, wait there,

I'm coming down.

Do you want to sit down

or something?

Don't do that.

Do what?

Treat me like I'm a special

case.

All right, so we're walking.

What?

Nothing, you're... you're

really pretty.

What?

Nothing. Thank you.

Are you laughing at me?

No, sorry, I laugh

when I'm nervous.

I make you nervous?

When we're walking alone,

yes, a little bit.

You have nothing to be nervous

about me, Siren.

So why did you move here?

It's kind of embarrassing.

Well, now you pretty much

have to tell me.

My dad says he's chasing down

a cure for me...

but it never gets anywhere.

I mean, if he'd asked me, I

would have told him not to move.

Oh, okay.

Don't... don't take that

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