A Mermaid Tail

Mermaid Tail

There were six of them. There'd been six of them since they could remember. Neverland was the land of never, never aging, never dying, never leaving, and never coming. The six beautiful mermaids darted through the waters to reach the lagoon just in time. Peter was due home any moment and they couldn't miss his return.

Maris was in front, leading everyone in a graceful dance of speed. Her long blonde hair was pulled back as she sped through the water. They swam past the coral reefs they called home and the kelp beds they used for resting. Two dolphins swam alongside her, and she grabbed onto their fins as they pulled her faster. She laughed in the water and two bubbles managed out of her mouth and up to the surface. When she'd reached the lagoon she let go, waved them off, and swam up, pulling herself onto the large rock the girls used to sun. She grabbed an orange starfish from the underside and pushed back her hair out of her face, then lay down and warmed herself in the sun. Her skin tingled, and the scales on her fin reflected the sunlight. She loved her tail. She loved it more than anything else on her body, even her hair.

"Maris!" Celeste said when she came up to surface. She had her conch horn in her hand and her long black silky hair pulled into a kelp hair band. "You were going way too fast. We couldn't keep up!"

"Relax," Cora said pulling herself onto the rock at Maris's flipper. "It's not like we didn't know where we were going." Maris smiled down at her, receiving a small wink from Cora. Cora was her only ally anymore, they'd been best friends since before she could remember and the two were the only ones who actually stuck up for each other. The other girls were so caddy and selfish.

"It's the principle of the matter," Celeste said pouting and then she began to play her horn. It was soulful deep sound that resounded from the conch and all of the girls loved it. Not too long after Cora began strumming on her harp. The two sounds colliding floated through their ears and lulled all of the girls into a zen-like state.

"Oh a sailor once called to me as he was passing by, a sweetful song, a symphony, of treasure troving joy. A girl could get lost in eyes so blue as the sea, oh a sailor once, when passing by, called out to me," Nerice sang as Celeste and Cora played. She had the most beautiful voice any of the girls had ever heard and to lay on the rocks with the beautiful music was one of their favorite pastimes.

After a while, Maris had forgotten why they had all rushed to the lagoon in the first place, but then she remembered Peter. She remembered their previous season, before he'd left, before she'd missed him terribly. The girls all knew how deeply Maris cared for him. They all adored him, but Maris's feelings were far deeper than any ocean they'd swum in.

"What are you thinking about, Maris?" Lamia asked. She was lying opposite Maris on the other side of the rock. Her orange hair was glowing in the sun. Her big blue eyes were like deep ocean pools that always looked deeper than her shallow heart.

"Just things," Maris replied, she closed her eyes and went back to her Peter daydreams.

"Peter things, huh?" Lamia asked. Maris opened her eyes and show Lamia a look. "It was just a question," Lamia replied with a smirk. "But I guess it was the right one, huh?" Lamia dove off the rock and swam over to the small waterfall. She pulled herself onto the rock just below the falling water and sat under, humming along with Nerice's song and giggling.

Maris's face flushed. She hated that she was so transparent. Obviously she'd been a little too friendly with Peter last season and they'd noticed. Well, of course Cora knew. She always told Cora everything, but even the other girls started to notice. Even Cordelia took time out of her busy hair-combing schedule to notice that Maris was missing every once in a while. They'd all (excluding Cora) confronted her about her multiple absences one night when the moons were shining and the Indians on the hill were celebrating. Peter had upset her by leaving early to be present at the pow-wow. But really, she just didn't like the way Tiger Lily looked at him. Of course, Peter would never notice, he was much too thick for flirtatious girls, she knew from experience, but still, he was impressionable and she'd snatched him up, but how easily it was for her, it wouldn't be much harder for Tiger Lily to steal him away.

Maris sat up and stared at her reflection in the water below. Surely she was prettier than Tiger Lily. She had fair hair and deep blue eyes, which were surely more appealing than the latter.

She fiddled with the starfish in her hair, and then threw it off, reaching for another and replacing the last one. A sudden sound filled the air and she recognized it right away.

"It's Peter!" Cora cried.
"Oh!" All the mermaids chirped simultaneously. "Hello Peter!" they cried.

"Hello Peter," Maris was surprised she could say anything at all. He was still as handsome as ever.

"Hello Peter!" Lamia cried from under her waterfall and she swam over. Her greeting was a little too over the top and Maris shot her a look which Lamia never saw because she was too busy gaping at Peter.

"Hello girls!" he said as the flew over and landed on top of their rock, he looked right at Maris and winked. It happened so quickly she wasn't sure it did happen. She hoped the other girls hadn't notice. Maris blushed and looked down to hide it.

"We're so glad to see you," Cora said.

"Why did you stay away so long?" Nerice asked.

"Did you miss me?" Lamia asked. Maris shot her another look. What was she doing? She knew very well that Peter was Maris's man.

"Tell us one of her adventures!" Celeste said, always ready for a good story. "Something exciting."

"Wanna hear about the time I cut off Hook's hand and threw it to the crocodile?" Peter asked, knowing full well the girls would agree, it was his favorite story to tell and theirs as well.

"Oh, I've always liked that one!" Lamia giggle, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Me too," Celeste said.

Maris was fuming on the inside, but on the outside she was very much entranced with Peter.

"There I was on Marooner's Rock-."

And then, behind them came a voice, a girl's voice cooing, "Oh Peter!" All of the mermaids turned around to find a young pretty girl in a blue nightdress balancing on a tiny rock.

"Who is she?" Celeste cried, asking what all of the other girls were wondering.

"Huh? Her? Oh that's Wendy!" Peter said.

"A girl!" Cordelia cried.

"What's she doing here?" Celeste exclaimed.

"And in her nightdress too!" Lamia added. Cora swam over and tugged at her dress. "Come on deary! Join us for a swim!"

None of the mermaids liked the idea of another woman in Peter's life, and Maris had to admit it was funny that her sisters were trying to drown this young girl. She found it comical and entertaining.

"Oh, please I'm not dressed for it," the girl, Wendy, cried.

"Oh but you must!" Cora said swimming over.

"We insist!" Cordelia chimed as the three mermaids tried to tug her into the water. Wendy looked pretty silly trying to fight off three mermaids.

"Please!" Wendy cried, almost on the verge of tears.

"Too good for us, eh?" Lamia said.

"Peter!" Wendy pleaded, but Maris looked up at Peter and he was laughing so hard. She smiled, glad he found this entertaining as well.

Then, Cora, Cordelia, and Lamia began splashing Wendy. But then Wendy went mental and picked up a big conch shell.

"You dare to come near me again," and she lifted the shell up about to throw it. Maris was about to dive in, seeing as Wendy was pointing it straight at Cora. She would not let this human girl hurt her best friend, or any of her sisters for that matter.

But Peter interfered. "Wendy! Wendy!" he yelled and grabbed the conch out of her hand, tossing it into the water. "They were just having a little fun, weren't you, girls?"

Wendy tugged her dress down and folded her arms, pouting.

"Dramatic," Nerice said into Maris's ear. Maris giggled.

"That's all," Cordelia batted her eyes at Peter.

"We were only trying to drown her," Cora said winking at Maris and Maris smiled back.

"You see?" Peter was consoling Wendy a few rocks over. Then she started on and the girls drowned out the sound of her voice.

"Do you think he loves her?" Lamia asked Maris.

"He can't," Nerice chimed in.

"No way," Cora added, patting Maris on the shoulder.

"Then why did he bring her here?" Celeste asked. But before anyone could answer it grew dark and Peter shushed Wendy and flew over to get a better look.

"Yep, it's Hook alright!" Peter said.

"Hook?" Cordelia cried, jumping into the water. She was gone before the other girls knew what to do.

"Oh!" Lamia gasped and jumped in.

"Oh no!" Cora, Maris, and Celeste all leapt into the lagoon together and made way for home.

Maris looked up through the water and could see Peter's silhouette grab Wendy and fly her over. A little piece of her broke inside, but instead she swam away not knowing where she stood with him, and not knowing if she could ever know where she stood with Peter Pan.